Something New Is Happening At Health Canvas
Staff Updates
It’s been a while since our last update, and a lot has been happening at Health Canvas!
We’ve had some beautiful additions to our Health Canvas family, including two new babies!
Liv welcomed a gorgeous baby boy and is now a very busy mum of three boys!
While we’ll miss having Liv at the clinic, she has decided to focus on her growing family and won’t be returning to Health Canvas. We’re so grateful for everything she has brought to our team and wish her and her boys all the very best.
Jemma also welcomed a beautiful baby girl and is currently enjoying maternity leave. We’re looking forward to having her back with us early next year!
Meet Our New Team Members
We’re very excited to welcome Rachel O’Brien, Physiotherapist, Running Specialist and Pilates Instructor to Health Canvas.
Rachel has a special interest in women’s and pelvic health, including pre and postnatal care, pelvic girdle and hip conditions, abdominal separation, continence and helping women return to exercise and sport. With a background in high-performance athletics, she also brings a wonderful understanding of strength, movement and building confidence in your body. Outside the clinic, you’ll find Rachel running, cycling, surfing, camping, or baking sourdough!
Welcome to Health Canvas, Paulina Shtern, Myotherapist.
With 16 years of experience, Paulina brings a gentle and individualised approach to helping people manage pain, move more comfortably and feel better in their bodies. She also has extensive experience supporting older adults and is fluent in English and Russian. Her treatments may include myotherapy, craniosacral therapy, cupping and dry needling. Paulina is available for home visits.
We’re so excited to have Rachel and Paulina join the Health Canvas team and can’t wait for you to meet them!
More Ways to Move With Us
We know that regular movement is one of the best things we can do for our strength, bone health, cardiovascular health, mood and overall wellbeing. But getting back into exercise - or knowing what type of exercise is right for you - isn’t always easy. That’s where our Clinical Pilates and exercise classes can help.
More Clinical Reformer Classes
We’ve added lots more Clinical Reformer classes to our timetable, following your requests!
Our Reformer classes are kept very small, maximum 3 people, so your physio can tailor the program to your individual needs and goals, while still giving you plenty of supervision and guidance.
Reformer Pilates is a fantastic way to build strength, balance, mobility and body awareness. It can be particularly useful if you are:
returning to exercise after an injury or surgery
working towards a specific strength or movement goal
managing an ongoing physical issue
exercising during pregnancy or after having a baby
wanting to improve your strength and fitness in a supported environment
And if you’ve never tried Reformer before, don’t worry! Speak to your physio or our reception team and we can arrange a 1:1 session to get you started and feeling comfortable before joining a class.
You Can Book Clinical Reformer Classes Online.
Our Mat Classes Are Going Strong
Our Clinical Mat classes are a great way to work on whole-body strength, mobility, balance and general conditioning. They can be particularly helpful after having a baby, when you’re ready to gradually rebuild your strength and reconnect with your body.
And the best part? Babies are welcome! You don’t need to wait until you have childcare organised to start moving again.
NEW: Return to Running Program
We’re very excited to introduce our new Return to Running Program, developed by Rachel, national level runner and our in-house running specialist.
Running is a wonderful form of exercise, it can improve cardiovascular fitness, bone health, strength, energy and mood, and for many people, it’s simply something they love doing.
But getting back to running isn’t always as simple as putting your shoes on and heading out the door!
After having a baby, surgery or an injury, it can be difficult to know when to start, how much to do, how quickly to progress and when your body is ready for more. Fitness and strength may have changed, and confidence can take time to rebuild too.
Rachel’s Evidence-Based Return to Running Program is designed to help you gradually build your strength, capacity and confidence so you can return to running safely and sustainably.
It’s suitable for anyone wanting to start running, get back to running after having a baby, or return after surgery or injury.
If running is something you’ve been missing chat to us! We’d love to help you work out where to start.
Here is a short overview about the program from Rachel:
Thinking about starting or getting back to running after having a baby?
Our 6-week Return to Running program is designed to support postnatal women to gradually build their running capacity, strength and confidence — whether you’re returning to something you loved before pregnancy or would like to start running for the first time.
You can join us from 12 weeks postnatal, or even several years after having your baby. You don’t need to have run before, already be running, or have a particular level of fitness.
What’s Included?
1 × individual physiotherapy assessment
Before starting the group, we’ll look at your exercise history, goals, current capacity and any pelvic floor or previous injury considerations. This allows us to individualise your progressive return-to-running program.
6 × weekly small-group sessions
Each 60-minute session will include:
• Warm-up and running drills
• Running technique and technique feedback
• Progressive run-walk training
• Core and lower-limb strengthening
• Mobility work
• Individual modifications and progression
Your program will be tailored to your starting point and goals. If you’d like to run between sessions, we can also provide a program to follow throughout the 6 weeks.
Pelvic Health Matters
Ideally, any significant pelvic floor symptoms will already be well managed before joining the group.
If you are experiencing leakage, heaviness, pelvic pain or other pelvic health concerns, please still get in touch. We can help you work on these first and support you to transition into the running group when the time is right.
The program is led by a physiotherapist with pelvic health expertise and a high level running background, combining clinical knowledge with real running experience.
Program Details
📅 Starting Tuesday 10 November 2026
⏰ 9:30–10:30am
📍 Princes Park, Caulfield
👟 Maximum 8 participants
Cost: $375 for the full program
Special introductory price: $360 for the first 6 people to book
Babies are very welcome to come along.
We aim to create a supportive and inclusive space where you can gradually build your running capacity and confidence and connect with others working towards similar goals.
Not sure whether you’re ready to run yet? Get in touch and we can chat about where you’re at and whether this program is right for you.
We’re also interested in your feedback about timing. If you’re interested but Tuesdays at 9:30am don’t suit you, please still get in touch, your feedback will help us shape future groups.
Health Canvas Kitchen
Healthy Chocolate Banana Cookies
Here is a fantastic, easy and healthy snack recipe from one of our lovely patients. Thank you, for this delicious and easy to prepare treat.
Ingredients:
150 g ripe banana, mashed
30 g cashew butter
150 g rolled oats
40 g cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Mash the banana in a bowl until smooth.
Add the cashew butter and mix well.
Stir in the rolled oats, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt until a thick dough forms.
Roll the mixture into small balls and place on the prepared tray.
Flatten each ball with your fingers or the back of a spoon to form cookie shapes.
Bake for 10 minutes at 180°C.
Allow to cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Stay tuned for more updates, inspiration, and goodness from the heart of Health Canvas!
For more information on our exciting new deals and packages or to book a class, feel free to contact us on:
Phone: 8652 9136
Website: https://www.healthcanvas.com.au
We look forward to being a part of your wellness journey.
With warm regards,
Health Canvas Team.
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