Gill Westwater Sports Massage & Rehabilitation

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Gill Westwater Sports Massage & Rehabilitation

Helping you move better, recover from pain or injury, and keep doing the things you love as the years pass. Ageing is unavoidable. Frailty is not. DM to book.

Based in Memus, available 7 days.

14/08/2026

The findings from my survey into menopausal runners and injury risk that shocked me most was that injured runners were significantly more likely to be strength training.

I had expected to see strength training associated with fewer injuries. Instead, I found that the injured runners were more likely to be doing it.

But that didn't mean strength training caused their injuries; a more likely explanation is that many women start strength training once something has already gone wrong.

Reactive not proactive.

And that's a shame, because strength training becomes increasingly important to us as we age.

When oestrogen levels start falling during menopause, we lose muscle mass and strength. Resistance training can help attenuate that loss. Vitally, strength training also helps support our bone health because when we load our bones through strength training, we stimulate them to adapt and build new bone tissue.

So don't wait for an injury before you start building strength and capacity.

And if you're already dealing with a ni**le, it doesn't necessarily mean you need to stop. Understanding what's going on, adjusting your training load and progressively building capacity can be a much more useful approach.

That's a big part of what I do in rehabilitation: helping runners work out what needs to change, what they can keep doing, and how to build back up.

Because movement matters. To every body.

12/08/2026

As part of my HND research, I surveyed 227 peri- and post-menopausal runners about injury, training and wellbeing.
82% reported an injury at some point during their menopausal transition. Hip, knee and foot were the most common sites.
4/5 women! That’s the actual figure; and it’s the reality many menopausal runners are struggling to navigate.
Over the next few posts, I’ll share more insights, and what my research means for training, injury and staying active through menopause and beyond.
These changes are why I’m so interested in working with women who want to keep running, but find that their bodies are responding differently to training as they get older.
Because movement matters. To every body.

10/08/2026

The science bit: why deep tissue doesn't need to hurt.

I don't just go in hard from the start. There's a reason for that.

I start with slow, gentle strokes, providing a soothing sensory input and coaxing the nervous system into a less protective state.

Then perhaps add some hot stones heat and guarding can reduce further. Your sensitivity to pressure can change and your body becomes more receptive to the work.

Then I go deeper. And because your body isn't bracing against it, full-depth work can feel like release rather than an assault.
That's the difference between effective and sore.

Soreness isn't proof that you've had a better treatment. Effective treatment is about getting the response we're looking for without feeling achy for days after.

When you're training hard for something consistency is key and deep, effective work shouldn't cost you your next session.

Because movement matters. To every body.

08/08/2026

Hot stones, cupping, CBD oil — I love combining different tools to get the best results. Every session's built around what your body needs that day.
Busy couple of weeks coming up, but I've still got a few slots left, DM or call to book in.

05/08/2026

Your training is important... but so is your recovery.

As we get older, recovering well becomes increasingly important if we want keep training consistently. Our bodies need a little more time between hard sessions, and paying attention to tight muscles and small ni**les help us keep moving. It's so frustrating when we do months of training only to develop an injury as race day approaches.

Whether you're training for your first 10K, a marathon or your next ultra, sports massage can support your recovery so you can keep doing what you love.

If you'd like to book before race day, just send me a message.

03/08/2026

Did you know that menopause impacts our muscles, tendons and joints as well as sometimes making us hot and anxious?

Declining oestrogen makes tendons more prone to pain - which is why shoulder, hip, knee or Achilles pain can suddenly appear with no obvious injury or change in activity levels.

If that sounds familiar, you're not imagining it. Get in touch if you'd like to explore how treatment can help.

02/08/2026

Yes! I do work Sundays!

So if your week days are spent looking after everyone else, why not treat yourself to a bit of Sunday you time. Either to relax or to address those ongoing ni**les that you've been ignoring for too long. (Or go wild - and let's do a bit of both!)

Sunday appointments give you an hour that doesn't compete with work, school runs, or anything else the week throws at you.

I've limited availability for the rest of August, but there are still appointments available for September (aside from race weekend!).

Get in touch to check what's free.

27/07/2026

Gosh... that was hard... but I did it... Second Lakeland 50. Into a headwind.

If you spent your weekend doing hard things... or are training for a hard thing... or if you are tired and sore and everything seems hard... book in for a massage - that's me back to work and the hot stones are on and heating for my evening client.

22/07/2026

We’re so lucky to be living in Angus: whether we're exploring Corrie Fee and the local Munros, hiking up to Airlie Monument or taking the dog out, we're really spoiled for choice.

But what if pain has started spoiling our activities? A sore knee, aching back or painful feet can gradually make us do less and less, and before we know it our world starts shrinking.

That’s when massage can help - help reduce the pain; help you move more freely; help you get back to doing those things you love.

Because movement matters. To every body.

Sounds familiar? Happy to chat if you've questions, or message to book: appointments available 7 days.

20/07/2026

Who can resist a picture of cake?! 🍰
I was back in Glasgow this weekend, learning more about contemporary pain science.

One of the ideas we're exploring is that pain is our body's way of protecting us from danger, and not a sign of tissue damage; this becomes particularly important when pain has been around for a while.

When we start gently moving that area it can help improve our brain's awareness of it and rebuild confidence. And when movement feels safer, pain can begin to change.

It's one of the reasons I might get you moving during treatment.

Movement matters - in more ways than we might think.

Tissue School School of Massage

Address

Whiteburn
Forfar
DD83TY

Website

http://gillwestwater.com/

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