Martin Haley - Solutions Fitness

11/06/2026

Had a new client in last week. They had broken a bone in their forearm last December and was in a cast for 5 weeks. This is where it gets ridiculous.

The hospital then insisted they keep their arm in a sling for another 4 weeks, 24/7 (What! Why?).

It then took until 12 weeks post break until Physio sessions were started - private insurance. By the time they started the sessions, the arm felt fine but they had developed 'Frozen Shoulder'. I'm not surprised after spending that much time immobile, for no reason whatsoever.

There was no surgery required and it was a simple fracture. 4-5 weeks in a cast was ample. There was no reason to then use a sling. The hand/forearm had full range of movement when the cast was removed and no pain.

Physio sessions, which was a 45 minute drive to get to, consisted of 4 weeks of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) which helps bone healing- Why, after 12 weeks when the break would have been healed? The client reiterated that the arm fracture was not the issue and asked for the focus to be on the 'frozen shoulder'.

Then the sessions focused on TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) around the shoulder. This is next to useless and just plain lazy from the practitioners. There was virtually no improvement with the shoulder issue. A Massage Gun was used briefly and this gave more benefit than anything.

After 30 (Yes, Thirty) Physio sessions, the client had exhausted their insurance 'quota'.

The client then comes to me for any help I can give. Their arm cannot raise forwards or to the side (Flexion and ABduction) over 80° (so not even able to get arm above shoulder level) and this was painful. Cannot get arm to go backwards (extension) as if to take arm/hand behind Back.

Session 1: focus on release all the muscles around the shoulder and neck, with dry manipulation. Gave client various stretches to perform.

Session 2 (4 days later): Was tender where worked. Session was supposed to be the day before but was too tender so we delayed it another day. Says had more benefit in one session than the 30 at hospital! Range of Movement was now getting just above shoulder with much reduced pain.

Session 3 (today, 5 days later): Big improvement, to where client said has often 'forgot' there was an issue with shoulder. Range of movement is not 100% but is vastly improved. Arm can now move forwards to reach head height and arm ABduction is around 130° and no pain. Can get arm/hand behind Back and reach mid Back, without any pain.

Client is now going to see if they can continue performing homework by themselves or may come back for one more session.

Unfortunately, this scenario is quite common - maybe 4-5 clients like this this year alone. Not sure if it's the hospital system trying to rinse insurance companies, or therapists not having sufficient knowledge.

If you are not getting the results you hoped for, don't think there isn't another way...

10/06/2026

Long post about Cholesterol

I have been doing some more reading on Cholesterol and the various readings (results) from blood tests.

As you may know (or not), the last few years I have been getting a yearly blood test done for a whole host of things for general health (no issues).

One thing that came up last year was that my Cholesterol was on the high side. If you know me, I have long been against Cholesterol being the enemy. I've been reading deeply into this subject for almost 20 years and early on came to the conclusion that 'Bad' Cholesterol was dreamt up by the Pharmaceutical companies to sell their poison.

Anyway, my LDL was just over the higher range of what it 'should' be (166 mg/dl). Now normally, if you had this result from your doctor, he'd probably force you onto Statin drugs.

But I came across some information which predicts metabolic health in a much more 'exact' way. It's dividing your Triglycerides (fat stores in blood) by your HDL Chloresterol results.

I thought I'd share the AI results on this, Here goes...

Dividing triglycerides by HDL cholesterol gives the Triglyceride-to-HDL ratio (TG:HDL).

This math equation serves as a powerful indicator of your metabolic health, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease risk.

What the Ratio Predicts

Insulin Resistance: A high ratio is a reliable proxy marker showing that your body's cells are struggling to respond to insulin. This often shows up before fasting glucose levels begin to rise.

Heart Disease Risk: The TG:HDL ratio often outperforms LDL cholesterol alone at predicting heart attack risk. It highlights the presence of small, dense LDL particles that easily damage arterial walls.

Metabolic Syndrome: It accurately flags metabolic dysfunction and your future risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

How to Interpret the Numbers

When your lab results are in mg/dL (the standard standard unit in the US), the ratio is typically evaluated as follows:

Ideal / Optimal: 2.0 or less. This indicates good insulin sensitivity and a lower risk of heart disease.

High Risk: 3.0 or higher. This points to underlying insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and a higher threat of plaque buildup in the arteries

So I entered my results for both Triglycerides and HDL, and this is what AL had to say.

Your Triglyceride-to-HDL ratio is 0.93, which is excellent and considered optimal.

Breakdown of Your Results
Your Exact Ratio: 0.93 (84 divided by 90)
Health Status: Optimal / Ideal (Well below the target threshold of 2.0)

What This Means for Your Health

High Insulin Sensitivity: Your body handles carbohydrates and manages blood sugar very efficiently.

Low Cardiovascular Risk: This low ratio indicates you have a minimal risk of plaque buildup or heart disease.

Healthy LDL Profile: It strongly suggests your LDL ("bad") cholesterol consists of large, fluffy, harmless particles rather than the small, dense particles that clog arteries.
Your combination of low triglycerides and very high HDL reflects outstanding metabolic fitness. Keep up whatever dietary, exercise, or lifestyle habits you currently practice

So, am very pleased with that. But as you can see, a doctor would interpret that I needed medications based on a stand alone result.

That's the point of this post! A lot of tests are taken in isolation and NOT in context. That's why I pay privately to get a range of tests that I can then sit down and run through in my own time, and check what they mean in context. You could be forced into taking medications when there is absolutely NO need.

Final response from AI on my results...

Your Total Cholesterol of 273 mg/dL and LDL of 166 mg/dL are both flagged as high. However, interpreting these in isolation misses the most important part of your profile: your outstanding HDL and triglyceride numbers from earlier. When your full panel is synthesized, you present a highly specific, fascinating pattern known as a "discordant" lipid profile.

The Standard Reference Ranges
Looking strictly at standard guidelines from organizations like the Cleveland Clinic:
Total Cholesterol (273 mg/dL): High (Optimal is under 200 mg/dL).
LDL Cholesterol (166 mg/dL): High (Optimal is under 100 mg/dL).

Why Context Changes Everything

Your Total Cholesterol is heavily inflated by your exceptionally high HDL ("good") cholesterol (90 mg/dL).
Standard total cholesterol is calculated using the formula: LDL + HDL + (Triglycerides / 5). Because your HDL is so high, it pushes your Total Cholesterol up significantly, but this is a protective factor, not a negative one.

Take ownership for your health...

04/06/2026

As promised, here's a short video explaining some 'tweaks' you can utilise that will make stretching your Quad muscle more effective

04/06/2026

Another flying visit! (with client's permission)

This is the 4th year in a row that one of my longest standing clients from the UK has flown over to me in Spain for a maintenance + session.

Evatt started coming to me while I was training back in 1993/4 and has been coming to me for treatment ever since. Even now I am in Spain, he has come over, sometimes spending less than 24 hours here, for either a maintenance session or because he has some sort of issue.

I first met Ev when we were running for our local athletics club back in the 80's. We've been in contact ever since.

For the last 6 months or so, he has been struggling with 'a knee issue' that has either prevented him from training or at least restricted him to sporadic training.

He usually comes over to me around June/July time and he contacted me around 2-3 weeks ago to ask if it was okay to come over. We then had a 40 minutes video call 4 days ago explaining his issue. I had 2 things in my mind that would be the problem, because from what he told me and the history I have built up with him.

He got to us late Tuesday night and we had a catch up. Next morning, after walking the dogs up the mountain (with no pain) we had our first session in the morning. A recap of the issue brought to light that the problem was in a different area to what he first explained and I had failed to ask the right questions.

I thought the issue was front of knee so with his history, I expected the problem to be his Back or Hip Flexors. The issue was actually behind his knee meaning he couldn't properly stretch hid Quad muscle (front thigh). He occasionally had problems walking up/down stairs.

Checked out his Back first and although a little tight, we knew this wasn't the issue. His Quad muscle was tight/painful on palpation (feeling along the muscle), so we worked this area then attempted to perform the Quad stretch but it made no difference to him.

Palpation then of his Calf muscle was tense and painful, so we began here. We did a little work here with massage then stretching, then performed the Quad stretch again - huge improvement in Quad stretch feel (something he hadn't felt in months), and very little discomfort behind his knee.

We were running out of time before my next client was coming in so he went off to recover, I saw next client, had some lunch then back down for session 2.

This time, we did a full back and legs massage and full stretch with focus on his Calf and Quad. Off couch, he performed his various stretches to make sure he was performing them correctly - he wasn't!

We made little tweaks to how he performed stretching to his Quads AND also his Calves. This alone made big improvements. I'll do a post about this later.

Out for a meal in evening, he was beginning to feel some various soreness but this is to be expected after having 2 treatments in one day.

He has been given some homework to do, correctly, then he drove back to airport around one o'clock in morning of today, Thursday.

When we had our video call, he said it was cheaper to fly out to me than booking an MRI! (Which wouldn't have detected muscle tightness anyway)

Will get an update in a day or so but we are both confident he is sorted.

01/05/2026

A former client, and friend, Elliott Thomas is currently training to be a Sports Massage Therapist back in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan. He will qualify at the end of May and is offering vastly reduced cost sessions until he qualifies. After May, the cost of sessions will increase so why not get in touch with him and take advantage of this offer.

Session durations are 45 minutes, cost £10 (to cover travel, oils and laundry) and are mobile and at various times of the day. The beauty of this offer is that he gets more experience (always give some feedback) and you get to see if you are a good fit together at a great price.

And I have it on authority that he is good!

Contact Elliott on: 07971 533 097

19/04/2026

Do you consume Butter?

If you do, you need to watch this.

Again, the food industry causing possibly untold illness/disease with false advertising. Allegedly...

By the way, don't think using spreadables or Margerine Is better for you...

33 likes, 4 comments. "8 UK Butter Brands You MUST AVOID"

19/04/2026

This came up as a memory from 10 years ago, and is a cracker to share again.

If you're a runner, or someone into fitness, or someone who struggles with foot or lower body pain, this is for you.

If you wear Orthotics or love to wear Sketchers or Crocs to help your feet, this is also for you.

I've posted numerous times about Plantar Fasciitis, Orthotics, wearing flip flops and the like. But this article goes deeper into the mechanics. I studied with the author about 15 years ago in London.

Enjoy!

Article by Dr Kathy Dooley

Dooley Noted: 4/7/2016   As a former employee of the New York College of Podiatric Medicine, I know the DPM students learn their anatomy – as well as their gait cycles.    So, …

18/04/2026

Amazon Prime: The Cholesterol Code 1hr 45

This is a docufilm.

When an Engineer decided to change his diet and lose some weight, which he did following a Ketogenic diet, imagine his surprise when he was told his LDL Cholesterol had shot up.

As an engineer, this didn't make sense, so he set off on a mission to research everything he could.

This eventually led to a ground breaking study 'proving' that High LDL does NOT contribute to arterial plaque, and hence heart disease.

The American Heart Association refused to let them provide their evidence. Well, there's no money in good health, is there?

I started researching as much as possible about Cholesterol after reading 'The Cholesterol Con' by Dr Michael Kendrick in around 2008/9.

Statins (Cholesterol lowering drug) are the most profitable drug in history, or certainly were before the Plandemic.

If you're interested in this subject, around heart disease, Cholesterol, or even just the benefits of a Ketogenic diet or healthy lifestyle, take a gander at this...

07/04/2026

Almost all non-impact injuries, not all, are because of a change in your routine.

* you started back too much, too soon following a lay-off

* things were going well in training so you increased too much

* added too many variants all at once

For example, you exercise regularly but you had a lay-off due to a holiday or illness, say a week or two. When you're ready to return, you don't start back gradually with less workload, less regularity, but instead go right back to where you left off. Your body has become 'de-conditioned' and therefore, you overload it and it breaks down.

Or, the weather breaks and the sun comes out. You haven't touched the garden in months due to bad weather. You decide to make the most of things and get out into the garden and spend 6 hours weeding, bent over trimming edges, reaching above to cut tree branches. Again, your body hasn't done this work for several months and you overload it.

You have been training really well for some time and are really fit. You think adding in some extra training will bring even better results. You've been running or going to the gym 4 times per week, so decide to up that to 6 or even 7 days per week. you also increase your workouts from 45 minutes each to an hour and a half. It's just too much for your body to handle, so it breaks down.

Similarly, you've been going well and you add in too many variants. Maybe you've been running 4-5x per week and just coming off the winter where training has been steady slogs. You introduce some hill reps, you start generally running faster with either tempo runs or sprints. You increase your training to 7 days per week. You increase your long run from 10 miles to 18 miles.

Too many variants. Training is about your body adapting to load. You apply too many different loads and it cannot cope. You apply a single increase and allow yourself to recover, you're body will adapt.

Only add a single variant at a time. Adapt. Then choose another variant. Amount, duration, recovery (reduced), intensity/speed - only increase one at a time...

05/04/2026

Last one on 'fasting', well, for a while at least.

If you fast and take your measurements before and after, make sure you take them for a few days after finishing the fast.

I take my full measurements the day before the fast then again the day I finish. BUT, I always find the real difference is the day AFTER or even 2 days after.

I would say this is because your metabolism has slowed down during the fast and then when you eat again, your metabolism ramps up following this.

I took my measurements the morning after my recent 48 hour fast, so had eaten the previous evening. My weight was 11st 4lb (the final day of fasting it was 11st 5lb). Then the following day where I'd had a few meals, it was down again, now 11st 3lb.

I remember a few years ago following a 84 hour fast - from Sunday evening to Thursday late morning, I measured and was really disappointed in the results. Decided to check again over the following days and the results ramped up to something more like I was expecting.

Something to take on board...