Auckland Health and Performance

28/05/2026

“Hips don’t lie” 🔥

One of my favourite ways to open up tight hips — a relaxed external rotation stretch that feels as good as it looks.

Great for:
✔️ Hip mobility
✔️ Reducing stiffness
✔️ Helping you move more freely
✔️ Post-training recovery

Sometimes the best mobility work isn’t forcing range… it’s learning to relax into it. 🙌

27/05/2026

Hip aeroplanes ✈️🔥

One of my favourite drills for hip stability, balance, glute control, and improving motor control around the pelvis.

Using the foam roller against the wall gives feedback and support while teaching the hip to control movement properly — not just create force.

If you’ve got stubborn SI joint pain, poor single leg stability, or you keep feeling “tight” on one side… sometimes the issue isn’t stretching. It’s control.

Train the hip. Control the pelvis. Own the movement.

26/05/2026

Fire cupping 🔥

One of the oldest recovery therapies still used today for a reason. Cupping can help reduce muscle tension, improve circulation, support recovery, and leave you feeling looser and more relaxed afterwards.

Perfect for:
✔️ Tight muscles
✔️ Gym soreness
✔️ Neck & back tension
✔️ Stress & recovery
✔️ Athletes & active lifestyles

No, it shouldn’t be painful 😅
Most people find it relaxing and walk out feeling lighter and freer in movement.

Now available at Auckland Health & Performance with our acupuncture services.

📍 East Auckland
📲 Book online at www.ahap.co.nz

25/05/2026

Shoulder pain with pressing or overhead work? 👀

This banded shoulder extension drill with pronation/supination and traction is one of my go-to exercises for lifters and CrossFit athletes dealing with cranky shoulders.

Great for:
✔️ Bench press pain
✔️ Overhead stiffness
✔️ Push up discomfort
✔️ Front shoulder tightness
✔️ Improving shoulder opening & movement quality

A lot of athletes hammer pushing movements but lack good shoulder mechanics, thoracic movement, and control through range.

Sometimes the shoulder doesn’t need more smashing — it needs better movement.

Train mobility WITH control 🔥

21/05/2026

New blog is live 📍

Acupuncture often comes with a lot of questions — does it work, does it hurt, and what can it actually help with?

We’ve broken it down in a simple guide so you know exactly what to expect before your first session at AHAP East Auckland.

Pain, stress, injury recovery, sleep — acupuncture can support a wide range of conditions when used as part of a full treatment approach.

Read the full blog on the website and see if it’s right for you.

👉 AHAP | East Auckland Sports Chiropractic + Acupuncture/Fire Cupping

Learn about acupuncture in East Auckland at AHAP — what conditions it treats, how it supports pain relief and recovery, whether it hurts, and ACC coverage options.

21/05/2026

VO2 max is one of the strongest predictors of longevity and overall health.

Not your bench press.
Not your squat.
Not your deadlift.

Strong is important… but so is your heart.

Train for muscle. Train for performance. But don’t neglect your engine.

Be a hybrid athlete. Lift weights. Run. Move well. Stay fit for life. 🔥❤️

19/05/2026

Does acupuncture really work? 🤔 It's one of the most Googled health questions — and the answer might surprise you.

Acupuncture has been practised for over 2,000 years, but it's only recently that Western medicine has started paying serious attention. And the results? Actually pretty compelling.

Studies published in peer-reviewed journals show acupuncture can provide real, measurable relief for:

🔹 Chronic back, neck, and joint pain
🔹 Tension headaches and migraines
🔹 Anxiety and stress
🔹 Chemotherapy-related nausea
🔹 Insomnia

The WHO recognises it as effective for over 30 conditions. That's not nothing.

Now, it's not a magic bullet — and it works better for some people than others. But the idea that it's "just a placebo" doesn't hold up to scrutiny anymore.

If you've been curious about trying it, it might be worth a conversation with a qualified practitioner.

Have you had acupuncture before? We'd love to hear what your experience was like — share in the comments! 💬

17/05/2026

Trail run sunday with magical location through tāwharanui regional park. Next stop hunua ranges 🌞💛

This series is getting me out of the gym and taking care of my daily step count as well as taking care of some cardio ❤️❤️

Hybrid athlete on adventures 🌞

Great to see and Anna. Also payroll wizard Stephan from alxemy 🌞🌞

14/05/2026

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK: Kettlebell Halo

One of my go-to drills for building strong, resilient shoulders—not just mobile ones.

The KB halo trains:
✔ Shoulder stability through range
✔ Scapular control + upward rotation
✔ Core engagement (ribs down, no flaring)
✔ Controlled rotation under load

This is gold for:
– Desk-based postures
– Gym-goers pressing overhead
– Athletes needing shoulder durability

Key cues:
→ Keep the bell close to your head
→ Move slow and controlled
→ Stay tall (don’t flare the ribs)

Programming:
6–10 reps each way
Light–moderate weight
Perfect in your warm-up or between sets

Shoulders aren’t just about mobility—they need control and strength through range.

13/05/2026

Low back feeling compressed? Try this 👇

This side-lying decompression stretch uses the weight of your top leg to gently traction the lower spine.

No forcing. No aggressive stretching.
Just position + breathing = relief.

What it helps with:
✔️ Reducing spinal compression
✔️ Calming irritated joints/discs
✔️ Taking pressure off the lower back
✔️ Helping your body relax out of pain

Think of this less as a stretch…
and more as a way to tell your nervous system it’s safe to let go.

👉 Spend 1–2 minutes here
👉 Slow your breathing
👉 Let the top leg do the work

Simple. Effective. Underrated.

Tag someone who:

Always has a tight lower back
Sits too much
Needs to chill out and breathe for once 😅

📍 Auckland Health & Performance