Physiofit Studio – the idea behind the concept
As I was writing the blog about the Open Day for the new studio, I realised that people who will attend Kylemore Studio don’t know who we are or what we do. Yes, I’m already teaching a Physiolates level 2 in Physiofit Studio, Kylemore but all of the participants have already attended either my Physio-Pilates classes or did my Physiotherapy Posture course on a one-to-one basis with me at Physiofit Woman in Sandyford.
So for those who don’t know me, let me introduce myself and my vision for Physiofit Studio.
My name is Deborah Fernandes, I am the Managing Director for Physiofit Studio and I’m a Chartered Physiotherapist in Women’s Health. I have been a Physiotherapist for longer than 20 years and I am extremely proud of the training I received in my college back in Portugal. I keep my skills up to date through CPD (Continuous Professional Development) by regularly attending training and workshops. I also have other qualifications in Clinical Pilates and Massage Therapy that I use in my daily practice.
I moved to Ireland almost 11 years ago and I was in shock that there was so little awareness about Women’s Health Physiotherapy. Everyone knew who a Sports Physio was but the majority of people I spoke with they had never heard about Women’s Health Physiotherapy. Why was I in shock, you may ask? Because I came from a small country that was in a recession and had no baby boom happening whatsoever. Nonetheless Women’s Health had already been common practice in healthcare. In Portugal I had my own clinic where I would teach my Antenatal and Postnatal Physiolates classes, one-to-one Physiotherapy sessions for back pain, sciatica, Carpal Tunnel and other musculoskeletal conditions. I would also see women who were suffering from incontinence and I would treat a fair number of women who developed Lymphoedema after breast cancer surgery. The clinic would also be very busy with Physiotherapy for Children especially in winter time with the Chest Physio for Bronchiolitis. Fairly busy we were but unfortunately recession hit us hard and off I was to Ireland.
Ireland as we all know, has had a baby boom since forever and I could not believe that women suffering from pregnancy or postnatal-related ailments were just told to put up with it as it was “part of the package”!! Is this for real?? A country where we pay so much in health fees (consultant, hospital, health insurance) and the best we can do is to say “put up with it because that’s normal, you are pregnant or you just had a baby?”
As you can imagine, it doesn’t take a master in business or marketing to see that there was a niche market that needed to be explored and more importantly a special population that desperately needed help: us WOMEN!
When I started to work in Ireland I worked as a Physiotherapist but also as a Business Developer Manager for a company down in Wicklow. I was given the opportunity to implement the maternity services that I was providing in my own clinic back in Portugal: Physiotherapy, Massages and Pilates Classes for mums-to-be and new mums.
Eight years ago, at the start of the recession, I opened my own Physiotherapy practice and I am blessed and proud to have built a clinic that has helped so many women and their families on their path to health and well-being. This clinic is called Physiofit Woman and it is based in Sandyford.
Just let me give you an idea of what I treat in my clinic daily: I see pregnant women that cannot walk due to pelvic girdle pain or sciatica pain, women that just had a baby and are bed-ridden due to pain, women that are suffering from incontinence or organ prolapse, women who had breast cancer surgery, developed Lymphoedema and require MLD (manual lymphatic drainage). In the last two years my male population increased by 20%; not that I am making any effort in advertising Physio for men because I promise you I am not but I cannot say no to my female clientele when they ask me to see their husband, boyfriend, partner, father and grandfather. I also see “my” mums’ children for certain Paediatric conditions. One of the reasons I am always busy in the clinic is my Physiolates classes. These are very popular and always in demand classes. As Physiotherapists we have a very important role to educate people about their posture, help them to understand their pain and prevent further complications that can possible lead to surgery, especially bulging disk as this condition is so common now, but also so preventable.
Health Insurances need to understand that by promoting health through good posture and body awareness, and allowing patients to engage in proper exercise classes led by Chartered Physiotherapists, we are indeed preventing pain whilst adding quality years to life. A bit dramatic perhaps but everyone knows it is the truth not to mention the added benefit of the social aspect that each class brings.
Patients and the public in general need to understand that our bodies and minds are screaming for help. We live in such a busy world where everything is done in a rush that we forget to mind ourselves and the ones we love. TIME is precious and so is our HEALTH. Think about this, do you have quality time to spend with the ones you love? Do you have time to be sick or bed-ridden with back pain? Do you have time to have back surgery or any other surgery and be off-work for a couple of months? If you answered NO to any of these questions you know what you have to do.
Health Insurances, what is more cost-effective? Paying for a back surgery (consultant, surgeon, nurses, hospital fees) or promoting a body-mind health programme run by qualified healthcare professionals?
Here are the reasons why I’m opening Physiofit Studio in Kylemore Road. I want to continue to educate anyone who wants back the control over their health. I want to help every single one of you who are suffering from pain preventing you from enjoying your life to the fullest. I want to continue to help mums-to-be and new-mums so they can be pain-free and do what they want to do, it could be as simple as going out for a walk without back pain.
This studio is a safe place to support you in your quest for health and the studio is here for you.
Some friendly advice if you are coming to my classes. For those who know me, you are aware of my style of teaching, so you are grand 😉 For those who don’t know me, be prepared for my military style. I like perfection and I will hold you accountable. Once I know that you understand your body and its messages, you are safe and ready to go and explore all the other classes we have on offer at our studio with my qualified team of instructors. Sean and Jennie are there for you too. They offer Boot Camp, Pilates and Insanity Live classes early in the morning and also in the evenings. I also plan to open the studio on Fridays and Saturdays as soon as I the demand justifies it and more classes will be added to the schedule as the year goes by.
I’m making exercise a priority for 2017 and I hope you will make it too.
So, ARE YOU READY?
Looking forward to seeing you on the mat at one of our classes.
Healthy Wishes,
Deborah xxx