Expand & Flow | Fitness trainer

Expand & Flow

Address: 11/15 Bland St, Coopers Plains 4108 Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Website: linktr.ee/expandandflow

Likes: 190

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Businesses
• Sport & recreation
• Fitness trainer
• Sport & fitness instruction

25.01.2022 So, coming back to Balance. How can we feel truly balanced, and not just the ‘standing on one leg’ kind of balance depicted in my last post, but truly balanced from within? Well, there are a lot of answers to that question. But, to boil it down to a single take-away point, it would be that - for us to feel truly balanced, in our bodies, and in our lives, we have to first recognise the fact that our body works together. What do I mean by it works together?... I mean, it doesn’t work from a reductionist model of one part alone per time. It works, synergistically, with the rest of your body (our connective tissue extends across the whole of our body - no one part is disconnected from the other, plus the flow on effect from one joint to the next). And if we walk around, pretending, or, believing perhaps, that we can compartmentalise our bodily processes, or our movementswell, to put it bluntly, we end up with dis-ease in the body. Did you know that the lower back pain you may be experiencing could be coming from distresses at the front of your body? Or your shoulder pain could be coming firstly from your hip? We are interconnected in so many ways and our body is a beautiful example of that. Soon I will be sharing about how each of the joints, so magically, work together stay tuned.

25.01.2022 Today was Victoria’s 41st Expand and Flow 1:1 session. We had a chat about what Victoria felt the session was about and this is what Victoria responded with: Today was about feeling the new level of power in my body which was awesome. ... Super cool and so lovely to have Victoria’s feedback See more

24.01.2022 With Daylight Savings Time Changes around the corner, there’s been some minor adjustments to Expand & Flow’s Group Classes timetable. Tuesday’s Expand & Flow Class will now be at 5:00am Brisbane, AEST time. And, Thursday’s Core & More Class will not be at 5:00am Brisbane, AEST time. All other class times will remain. ... These changes begin NEXT week - Monday October 5th.

22.01.2022 Victoria is a long-standing client of mine who has just blown me away. Her commitment to her sessions is like none I’ve ever seen before. Very dedicated. This week will be our 68th & 69th session together

22.01.2022 Glutes are important (as you may have read in some of my latest Instagram posts). They're important because they are part of a large group of muscles that support our posture and core, and reduce our risk of injury through our lower back - so I don’t ever leave them out of any workout I do. Full body workouts are my fav. As promised here is a short combination of glute exercises that are suitable for glute strengthening & toning without excessive strain on your lower back... and spine. These exercises can support with developing strength through your glutes and in turn, your lower back and core. The combination goes like this: bent leg kick-backs straight leg kick-backs cross-over kick-backs single-leg (glute) hip raises glute walk outs No equipment is required so you can enjoy this series anywhere - provided you have a comfortable, even & support surface that won’t agitate your back. I think I’ll be adding this into a workout this week too Please like & subscribe if you'd like to see more simple & effective workout combinations, full workouts and exercise how-to videos.

22.01.2022 Warm-ups are great. And they are great not just because they support your joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons to warm up. Not just because they increase blood flow to these areas. And not just because we know they are great. They are great because they give us the opportunity to feel our bodies. To take a glance at where our bodies are at before we move onto the main part of the exercise session/workout. So here is a groovy warm-up for you. It's simple, it's effective, an...d it's fun. Gearing up the body for an even more awesome workout. Light-weights are optional for some exercises. Take care, have fun & enjoy - from Giselle Find me on Instagram @expandandflow

20.01.2022 I don’t actually have a spiel today... or maybe just a mini mini one And that is that - exercise is an opportunity for us to get to feel more awesome within our bodies. I LOVE how awesome I feel after a workout where I can feel every part of my body contributing to the output. ... #connectedexercise #together

18.01.2022 Like seriously? Have you ever felt like the Plank was such hard work? Hands up if you have? Oh wait sorry you can’t. You’re too busy holding your body up during that plank! I can openly and honestly admit I have found the plank tricky, hard, exhausting and no fun at times. ... If we don’t like it - why are we forcing our bodies to do it? I know we could say it’s good for us or it strengthens our core or something along those lines.... but there is SO MUCH available that we can do that doesn’t involve straining our bodies for what feels like a lifetime when it’s a mere matter of seconds. Not sure how I got around to posting about planking - again. But it is something I would seriously pay a bit closer attention to it I were you. It’s one of those exercises where we can easily push ourselves beyond our limits. Have you ever heard of the saying our body is our temple? Well it truly is. And today I’m cutting to the chase. Our body is too precious to force it and contort it into ways it simply doesn’t want to. It’s no mere machine. So if you get to 10 seconds of your plank - even 2 seconds - and you can’t do anymore - I give you permission to stop (not sure if that’s what the doctor ordered but the offering is there )

18.01.2022 Is anyone else always looking for core inspiration? I mean, some foundational moves are always key. But some new moves in the mix are always fun. Just one shift of movement can make your whole workout feel different sometimes. And so I’ve been playing with different core exercises and developed a few combinations... this is one of them... some core inspo for you to try out. ... See which moves you like & keep them. See which move you don’t like and ditch them. We don’t all enjoy the same things and each of our bodies asks for something a little different at times. You aren’t wrong if you don’t want to do the exercise/s you see in front of you! There is no wrong or right here This combination goes a little something like this: Plank (on knees/toes) Plank on knees with toe tap Plank on knees with shoulder tap.... progression to plank on toes with shoulder tap Pike walk outs (man these are a good stretch too!) Reverse ab curl If you enjoy the content please like & subscribe on Expand & Flow’s YouTube channel Let me know what you think & enjoy

16.01.2022 Here’s a simple shoulder routine that can be added into any workout or used as a stand-alone sequence. What it involves: side raises x 10-20 v-raises x 10-20... forward raises x 10-20 shoulder presses x 10-20 W presses x 10-20

16.01.2022 Balance? Where do we get our balance from? Our balance comes from an overall strength throughout or whole body but also specifically from our core. To really have this foundation of optimal balance and core strength we simply can’t avoid exercise...or more accurately...we can’t avoide moving our bodies in a way that actually prompts our muscles to engage in full. ... As an example of how we can use our muscles - have you ever noticed someone lifting something really heavy but it almost feels unnatural or like they are pushing themselves a lot? Chances are they are actually using a multitude of muscles that aren’t actually what the specific exercise or task needs or is asking them to use to be safe and remain balanced in the body. We can do this JUST to lift/pull a weight (not restricted to exercise alone) successfully. Well...this is what happens to us daily... in a less obvious way. We lift or move around, usually to do certain tasks, and end up using muscles that are not specific to the movement to complete them. This occurs because of lack of strength through our core and/or other muscles & this attributes to imbalances in the body. This photo signifies balance as in ‘standing on one leg’ kind of balance - and that is balance. But on a wider scale than that, looking at it with a bigger lens.... I’m referring to the overall balance in our bodies... are our muscles working in unison? Or is one area working more than the other? This contributes a lot more to what we feel in our bodies than we are sometimes aware of. Did you know that pain in your shoulder could be coming from your hip? I’ll be sharing more on this soon.

15.01.2022 Simplest cardio burst ever. Weighted or unweighted it’s up to you! All you will need is a set of weights if you choose the weighted version, and one of you! ... As fast or as slow as you feel to move you can work this cardio exercise into any workout. Aim to keep the presses into the air short and relatively sharp without jolting your shoulders. Have fun - I know I did

15.01.2022 A funny little story about this newly purchased tank top - which by the way, I love - didn’t think I could find activewear that felt so delicate and light against my skin. Anyway... I headed out with a friend with the simple purpose of finding some new activewear - because it’s getting hot in Brisbane and classes seem to be getting a bit sweatier! I was in need of some singlet tops. ... Shopping can be messy. Let’s be honest. But with a clear purpose it can be easier to find what we need without the distractions of OooO look at this and that. My friend and I checked out maybe three stores, this being the last one (Lorna Jane - never shopped here before). I was drawn to this top and went with it - as I was trying it on I checked the tag out and lo and behold the tank top was called Luxe Giselle tank. And my name is Giselle. This top literally had my name on it! So here I am enjoying all of it during and after this mornings sessions.

14.01.2022 Core connection It’s easy for our core to check out when we’re exercising. To remain relaxed and disengaged from the movement. BUT, there is so much more that the core can offer us - stability, injury prevention, steadiness and postural alignment to name a few. Not to mention, the more we involve our core, the stronger it gets - which is such an asset in our lives (as per above!). ... So, here are two simple ways to maximise the contribution of your core when you’re exercising. They’re slight adjustments to the way you hold your body in certain exercises, and they make all the differences. Precision & detail do matter.

14.01.2022 New activewear - oh yeah!

13.01.2022 Gentle on the glutes. Exercising our glutes is by all means important... it supports our back & our core tremendously. But there’s a difference between exercising our glutes too much. And exercising them till it’s just right to stop. ... Rewind to four years ago.... I was at the gym everyday doing things I just cannot imagine myself doing now. Pushing weights up into the air on my hips that were heavier than me! And.... working out my glutes like no tomorrow. I ended up with 24/7 sacroiliac joint back pain for at least two years. Now there were other contributing factors to this too but what I was doing at the gym was not supporting this area at all.... it was inflaming it more and more. The sacroiliac joint is where you’re lower spine connects to your hip bones (pelvis). My doctor recommended I strengthen my glutes to support this area... not obliterate them to smithereens! (In the hope of getting a good-looking bottom ). I share this with you because my body was literally screaming at me everyday to stop what I was doing. To change my regime at the gym. To support myself. Took me a while but I finally got it. I finally got that of course an area that quite literally holds us up & supports us to stay up was going to be in pain if there was no true support happening in my life. Fast forward to today. I still do some of those exercises but with so much more presence, and with wayyyyy lighter weights - and I don’t do them for the same reasons I did then. What changed? Well to put it super simply I started to listen to my body (as stated above) and realised how much more lovely I felt when I did. So hey - maybe we could be a little gentler on this area of our body? With lower back pain becoming a commonality for us.... there could be other ways we could support this area to in turn, support our back and core. I’ll be posting a short video glute combination soon and explaining how to use the mini-workout to strengthen your glutes.

12.01.2022 So this happened recently. I guess you could say that these classes have been building since Expand & Flow was born. And actually, that is the truth. These classes are a summation of session inspiration from 1:1 and group sessions with clients. ... So thank you to all my absolutely awesome and amazing clients. These classes are beyond rich because of you There are a few different classes available to choose from: Expand & Flow (45 min) Core & More (45 min) Space Connect & Stretch (30 min) I will share with you the class timetable and details in my next post - stay tuned If you’d like to check it out in your own time - here is the link: http://expandandflow.as.me/

12.01.2022 When we exercise we can do 1 of 2 things. 1) we can compartmentalise the movement, focus in on the one area and forget we have the rest of our body (being a bit dramatic to emphasise the point here). OR ... 2) we can complete an exercise using one area of our body whilst maintaining a whole body awareness together at the same time. Option 1 = reductionism AKA reducing and ignoring the fact that we have a very grand and amazing body contributing to that movement that we are opting to ignore and consequently possibly harm other areas Option 2 = respecting the whole of us and adjusting the exercises we are doing based upon how the WHOLE of us feels. Option 1 can give us a strong or toned arm or leg or glute but Option 2 gives us the opportunity to Really Ignite our bodies from head to toe. What one movement does can extend to all of us... to the whole of our body. Our strength becomes the fact that we can sense and respond to our whole body at any given moment whilst also improving the literal strength of the muscles we are exercising. Bonus! So, which would you choose? Expand & Flow chooses igniting the body - all for it!

11.01.2022 Today was Victoria’s 41st Expand and Flow 1:1 session We had a chat about what Victoria felt the session was about and this is what Victoria responded with: Today was about feeling the new level of power in my body which was awesome. ... Super cool and so lovely to have Victoria’s feedback See more

08.01.2022 What can you do with a fitball? (exercise ball) Good question. Here’s a bit of fun for some things you can do on or with them... ... bounce up and down on them NOT (please be safe!) arm exercises like shoulder presses shoulder raises glute bridges ab curls hamstring roll ins core transfers toe reaches

07.01.2022 Hey everyone! Expand & Flow’s space is expanding every moment This morning it expanded with the 6am Expand & Flow class featuring a series of light aerobic & cardio style exercises that I present in a flow designed to support strength building & cardiovascular fitness (taken from my class description).... we definitely did all of that (& some more) and it was totally awesome. ... But to be honest I just wanted to say hello to you all and welcome you to the space a little more

07.01.2022 & what about the Flow aspect of Expand & Flow... what does it mean?

06.01.2022 Warm ups.... how many of us actually warm up? I was reflecting on the warm-up I presented to a class this morning and feeling just how beneficial a warm up is. For 1) the logical reasons, such as: ... our joints are not primed for movement beyond our everyday living movements when we go to workout our muscles are not primed either for movement beyond our everyday living movements and activity when we go to workout we might feel pretty cool in our gym/workout gear (referring to being literally cold, but we can feel pretty cool aka snazzy too )... we’re often in thinner layers or singlets and a warm-up helps us to literally warm-up throughout our whole body And there are more reasons.... But the one I was really reflecting on was how when we exercise, particularly if we are focusing on a certain area or muscle group... we can warm this area up - really well! And in doing that, we begin to have a sense, focus & awareness of this area and the muscles in it...well before we even begin to do any exercises with them that are slightly more challenging or require us to use a resistance such as a weight. And when we have this awareness of the area... and it’s primed and ready to go.... 1) we reduce our chance of injury AND 2) we really, really, get to maximise using the muscles we are focusing on. It’s like the warm up allows us to see the muscles we are using more. They stand out to us because of the space we’ve dedicated to connecting with them before the main exercises begin. I think it’s so awesome and you can probably feel my level of excitedness in this post. Like seriously, how cool is that? We get such a great workout when we warm-up in full. I will never skip a warm-up!! In fact, sometimes I probably need to remind myself there is a class/session to run after the warm-up.... I mean TECHNICALLY you could call the whole session a Warm Up. But I was originally referring to the more commonly known warm-up aka the sequence of stretches and movements you do before the bulk of your workout

05.01.2022 Do you feel heavy and tired after your workout? Buzzing & stimulated? Or settled & sexy? Activated and alive? ... The way I used to workout I would mostly leave the gym feeling fatigued & tired OR a bit racy AKA a bit ahead of myself and not fully present with the moment. These days - I feel settled & sexy, activated & alive. Why you may ask? Because when I exercise, I make it about quality and connection to my movement. I make it about enjoyment and I make it about tuning in to what my body is calling for. Some days that might mean taking a step back from the higher intensity and other days it means going for it. Either way I’m left feeling amazing and present with me by the end of the workout. Quality & connection to ourselves won’t let us push our bodies and they are the forefront and foundation of any great workout (not to mention everything else in our lives!)

03.01.2022 Today I asked Marian how she felt after the Space Connect & Stretch class and this was her response... "The half an hour session is perfect for me to incorporate into my work day and I feel like it gets me off the computer and away from the desk so that I am not consumed in my head with thoughts from work... it brings me back to my body and gets me out of the busyness of work. After the session, I feel ready to go back to work without feeling stressed about work."... Thank you for sharing Marian A simple & practical session - a great start or pause moment at any point of the day.

03.01.2022 Does it mean being able to lift heavy things? Does it mean being able to have super human strength beyond what would be ones natural capacity? Does it mean being able to "get through" whatever is there to "get through"?... Does it mean being able to "push on", being able to "soldier on" through what may be tough times and come out the other end untethered from the whole event? Does it mean being "brave"? and putting your "brave face" on when required? No. It does not. Being strong comes from within us. Being strong is when we can walk our own footsteps down any street, down any aisle, and not hold an inch of ourselves back. It means being fit, in more than just a physical way. It means being fit to live, to interact, to engage and to bring all you've got from one moment and then the next and the next and the next. This is no Nirvana I talk about. This is about connecting to you and your truth. And where can we begin? With movement. And what better a way to begin than with focused and supported exercise. Get in touch if this feels like something you’d like to explore.

03.01.2022 How do you hold your dumbbell? In this video I share some tips on how we can best hold our dumbbell when exercising to get the most out of the exercise. And, to REALLY feel our muscles working... rather than our tight grip around the neck of the dumbbell. This is a couple of minutes of gold right here.... will totally change the way you workout - you might not need to lift those ultra heavy weights anymore!

03.01.2022 What does the Expand aspect of Expand & Flow actually mean?

02.01.2022 Do you enjoy exercising solo or with a buddy? Maybe solo sometimes and with someone other times? Maybe you don’t necessarily have someone particular you go with but you enjoy the social aspect of a gym or group class? ... I absolutely love exercising with people... it simply makes exercise all the more fun when you’re moving & flowing with all the other bodies around you. Presenting online means I’m effectively exercising with you the whole time because I’m doing all the movements too! The online platform has been such a support throughout this Covid-19 period and it’s really blossomed for some businesses, including my own. It feels like something that will continue even after this pandemic settles down because 1) it’s so easy to work out from your own place, 2) you don’t have to factor in travel time & 3) if you’re in a group class you still get to enjoy everyone’s presence and maybe even have a chat with each other too - the social aspect still exists! This morning Expand & Flow is presenting a Space Connect & Stretch class @ 8am... connecting to the space within our bodies through focused simple movement and stretching. Also supporting flexibility, mobility, and core building. It’s suitable for any fitness level. I’ve placed the link in my about section/ you can click book now for ease if you’d like to find out more, you can also contact me and have a chat about it - or anything exercise related for that matter x

01.01.2022 Within my experience in the fitness industry, I am yet to meet a client who has not wanted to work on their core, otherwise stated as stomach area, abs or abdominals. But what does it really mean to work on your core? The Core is one of my absolute favourite regions of the body to understand, build and connect to - but in saying that, I can’t single out any one body part - the whole body itself is amazing and each joint is so beautifully intricate and purposeful for what... it is designed to do and be. Presenting on the core I will always take you to more than just the core To work on your core is not JUST about building physical muscle on top of what you already have there, or trimming your waist down. Its about deepening your understanding of what the core is, where it is located, what it contributes to and what it is capable of - and its many other facets! This is how we really build the core and it’s true strength. So in this video I go through some of those important, essential and un-neglectable concepts of the Core and then a series of exercises to match: Foot taps Reverse curls Full sit up to toe reach Single/double leg ins and outs Lower body lifts A combination designed to set alight your core (in a good way! If there’s pain - definitely stop and seek assistance if you need to). It can be completed on its own or built into a pre-exisiting workout. Or even completed a few times in one go if you’re feeling it! Head to my YouTube channel for more workout ideas and exercise chat

01.01.2022 Current Expand & Flow Classes Timetable As I shared in my last post - these classes were born from the inspiration (& requests) of many wonderful clients since Expand & Flow was founded (& even well-before really!) And so there is 3 classes available at the moment, as per the timetable above. Expand & Flow runs twice a week - it’s most popular ... Take a look through the class descriptions or follow on & read here... Expand & Flow Light aerobic & cardio-style exercises presented in a flow that is designed to support strength building and cardiovascular fitness. Suitable for any fitness level. Light handheld weights recommended but not compulsory. Core & More A session dedicated to true core strengthening from the inside out, with gentle stretches along the way. Suitable for any fitness level. Space Connect & Stretch Connecting to the space within your body through focused simple movement and stretching. Also supporting flexibility, mobility, and core building. Suitable for any fitness level. Please do get in touch if you have any questions or would like to find out more... otherwise here is the booking link http://expandandflow.as.me/

01.01.2022 That’s right! Marian has connected to what exercise is truly about... something that can truly support the body.