When Rob and Margie Mangles decided to swap England’s south coast for the beaches of Ōhope, it wasn’t for a new career opportunity or a change of scenery. It was family that prompted the life-changing move.

In December last year, the couple made the decision to leave Bournemouth with their sons, James, 11, and Harry, 8, after concerns about the health of Margie’s father, former Whakatāne District councillor David Dowd.

Following treatment for prostate cancer and heart problems, the family realised that spending time together had become more important than anything else.

Within just six weeks they had packed up their lives into four suitcases and four backpacks, and arrived in New Zealand on January 19 from the United Kingdom.

Now settled in Ōhope, Rob has established Reflex Advanced Sports Massage, operating from the family’s home.

Although often described as a sports massage therapist, Rob said what he offered went far beyond massage.

A qualified personal trainer, sports massage therapist and movement specialist, he spent 25 years managing sports centres in the UK before opening a successful clinic focused on rehabilitation, biomechanics and movement.

Rather than simply treating painful areas, he looks for the underlying causes.

“It’s about asking why someone has pain rather than just treating where it hurts,” he said.

Sessions combine movement screening, postural assessment, hands-on treatment, rehabilitation exercises and education designed to improve the way clients move in everyday life.

As part of researching this story, Beacon reporter Kathy Forsyth booked an appointment.

Expecting little more than a massage, she instead underwent a comprehensive movement assessment.

Within minutes, Rob identified a range of movement compensations linked to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction following an injury more than a decade ago.

He also pinpointed muscle imbalances, tight hip flexors, altered foot mechanics, pelvic misalignment and shoulder restrictions that could be contributing to lower back discomfort, sciatica, and postural tension.

By the end of the session, the pelvis had been realigned from an anterior tilt to a level position, and Rob had prescribed a personalised programme of exercises aimed at improving movement patterns rather than simply relieving symptoms.

Among them were glute-strengthening exercises, balance work, corrected lunges and squats, stretches targeting hip flexors and piriformis muscles, and simple changes to walking mechanics.

He also suggested breaking up long periods of sitting with regular squats and lunges, drinking water first thing in the morning, taking a daily 24-minute walk outdoors and considering a standing desk.

The purpose was not strength but proprioception – the body’s awareness of position and balance.

Rob believes many modern health complaints stem from movement patterns developed over years of sitting, driving and desk work.

Rather than focusing solely on symptoms, he looks at long-term movement quality and maintaining function into older age.

Throughout the consultation he repeatedly returned to one question: “What would 75-year-old Kathy want?”

It’s a philosophy that underpins his approach to healthcare.

“Invest in your wellness or you’ll pay for your illness,” he said.

The idea is to make small changes now that preserve mobility, independence and quality of life decades into the future.

Since opening his clinic, word-of-mouth referrals have seen his client list grow rapidly, with many patients coming from within the Ōhope community.

He is also developing relationships with physiotherapists and medical professionals to create a more collaborative approach to rehabilitation.

Meanwhile, Margie, an experienced cancer and apheresis nurse, is preparing to return to nursing after navigating a lengthy registration process in New Zealand.

For the Mangles family, the move has already delivered what they hoped for – more time with family, a welcoming community and the chance to build a new life.

For Rob, helping people move better is the next chapter.

Rob Mangles can be contacted at [email protected]