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Nathan Orenstein

@nathan.o.physio

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Melbourne Physio (B. Pty Hons.)
Keeping active people active and doing what they love
Physio @lifehub_bayside
Dm or click below 👇 for appointments

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I am definitely still figuring out the whole “content creator” thing…

The physio part though?
Very comfortable there.

I love helping active people get back to doing what they enjoy without feeling held back by pain, injury, or uncertainty.

It’s something I care a lot about, and I’m incredibly grateful for the trust people place in me every day.

If you’d like help with your rehab, training, or recovery, send me a message — I’d love to help. by @nathan.o.physio

Are aches and pains holding you back?

Meet Nath, our in-house Physio at Life Hub Bayside.

We know how much our community loves to train. The last thing you want is an injury or persistent niggle keeping you on the sidelines.

Nath’s philosophy is simple. Pain doesn’t always mean you need to stop training. With the right plan and smart exercise modifications, you can often keep moving while supporting your recovery.

Whether you’re managing an injury, a recurring niggle or persistent pain, Nath will help you understand what’s going on and create a plan to get you back to doing what you love with confidence.

Nath is now available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Book via the Life Hub app or the Life Hub Bayside website. by @nathan.o.physio

Deadlifting is a great exercise, but because of the load that is applied through the spine, if you are prone to back pain, it may be one of those exercises that aggravate it.
In this post I explain why that can be and some alternate exercise choices that you could swap in or out depending on where you are at in your back pain recovery journey.

Understanding some lever mechanics can help us determine why things happen the way they do and why they load the areas that they do!

Simple deadlift progression chain includes:
- A hip thrust (or bridge)
- A trap bar deadlift (or kettlebells next to your feet so they weight is next to you, not in front)
- A sumo deadlift if you are ready for a barbell is better than conventional
- A conventional deadlift is next
- Things like RDL's where the load is really focused on the hips would be last!

Defining some terms:
Fulcrum is the place or point that movement occurs around. Think the middle of a sea-saw, or in the case of a deadlift - the hips.

Moment arm is the distance between the fulcrum and the load. The longer the moment arm, the bigger the force applied to the lever

Reach out if you want to get back to lifting or moving at your best in spite of pain! by @nathan.o.physio

When people hear "stiffness", they usually think it's a bad thing.

But when it comes to tendons, a certain amount of stiffness is actually really important.

Think of your Achilles tendon like a spring. Every time your foot hits the ground, it stores energy. As you push off, it releases that energy to help propel you forwards.

The better a tendon is at storing and releasing energy (holding its form and not lengthening significantly) , the more efficient activities like running, jumping and changing direction become.

That's where pogo hops come in.

The aim isn't to jump as high as possible. Instead, think about being quick off the ground and letting the ankle and Achilles do the work. Short ground contact times, nice and springy.

Here's one way I might progress them:

Band-assisted double leg pogos A good starting point. The band takes some load off and helps people get comfortable with the movement.

Band-assisted switch pogos Still assisted, but now we're introducing alternating legs and a bit more coordination.

Double leg pogos Removing the band increases the demand on the calf-Achilles complex and the tendon's ability to store and release energy.

Switch pogos Probably the most running-specific variation here. Higher demands on the tendon, greater single-leg loading and shorter ground contact times.

The goal isn't to rush through the progressions. The goal is to find the variation that challenges the tendon without excessively flaring it up, then gradually build from there.

It's a simple exercise that has shown really strong benefits for runners and running athletes or people who just want functioning legs! by @nathan.o.physio

Me: “Yep, just a simple single leg sit-to-stand.”

Also me: fighting for my life on rep 2

Rehab doesn’t need to be fancy.
And flashy definitely doesn’t always mean effective, but exercises should still have a purpose and work toward something.

Sometimes the “basic” exercises are the ones that expose strength, balance, control, and confidence deficits the quickest

Credit to @johncontreras.physio for the idea 😂 by @nathan.o.physio

It doesn't matter how many exercises you've been given, how complicated they feel, or how long you've been seeing someone.
Good rehab plans should have these things in common. by @nathan.o.physio

A deadlift is a brilliant exercise. It builds raw power, it builds core control and of course it builds strength in our "posterior chain" - the muscles down the back of our body, including our back muscles, glutes and hamstrings.

But it is an exercise that can cause some anxiety, or even some pain if introduced too early after back pain.
That's where a regression like a trap bar (what I'm using here) comes in. It allows the weight to be in line with our body instead of in front of it, this reduces the load on our spinal extension muscles and in turn our spine.

Performing trap bar dead lifts is just one variety that I try with patients, but I really love it.

If you have any questions or want more information on returning to activity after injury or pain, get in touch, or use the link in my bio to book an appointment! by @nathan.o.physio

It doesn't matter how fancy the equipment is, how expensive the appointment was, or how many years the physio has practiced, it's not normal to leave a physio consult feeling confused or not understood.

Here is what a good initial consult should *feel* like. by @nathan.o.physio

This is a whole lot of hard work for someone managing Parkinson's. Balance, rhythm, and coordination are main issues with Parkinson's.
With Parkinson's disease, people struggle with putting complex movements together, and repeating them with consistency.
This, in more severe cases can be seen as freezing, or shuffling, or even struggling with planning movements such as getting out of a seat.
Sometimes outside rhythms or sounds can help. So can practice and coaching. by @nathan.o.physio

Shoulder pain in gym goers is like caffeine and poor sleep. It can be an unintended consequence and is surprisingly common.
Recently I have seen a whole wave of shoulder pain patients, so I thought I'd pop some exercises that I sometimes use early in my rehab plans in a video.

Obviously all aches and pains are individual and multifactorial in nature, and if this is something that you have been experiencing for a while, it is worth having it looked at by a professional.

If you want to work with me or chat through any issues, reach out! by @nathan.o.physio

Rehab isn’t separate from training.
A lot of the time, it is training — just with a slightly different focus while an injury is present.

That might mean modifying exercises, adjusting load, rebuilding confidence, or spending more time on qualities that may have been overlooked before the injury. The goal isn’t just to “heal” something in isolation, but to continue moving toward the bigger picture: returning to sport, performance, and doing the things that matter to you.

This black belt bjj athlete just returned to competition after his ACL injury. We didn't rush the process, but ticked of a rehab plan that was structured, progressive training with clear goals along the way.

Good rehab usually isn’t about doing random band exercises forever.
It’s about meeting the person where they’re at and gradually building them back toward what they need to do.

And yes… split squats still find a way into almost every program. by @nathan.o.physio