Alex Bell APAM’s journey into physiotherapy began with a strong foundation in sports and human movement. 

As an avid junior athlete, he developed an interest in biomechanics and injury prevention. 

This led him to pursue a degree in physiotherapy at Monash University, where he honed his skills in rehabilitation, performance enhancement and patient-centred care. 

Alex’s dedication to helping people recover and reach their physical potential has since propelled his career forward.

‘From a young age, I was fascinated by the mechanics of the human body,’ Alex says. 

‘Understanding how movement affects performance and my own personal injuries drew me into physiotherapy. 

'I knew early on that I wanted to work with athletes and active individuals and help them push their limits safely.’

From stride to strength 

Determined to create a space that prioritised patient outcomes and performance, Alex founded The Running Room. 

The physiotherapy clinic initially opened in the inner-Sydney suburb of Zetland and Alex then opened a second clinic, on Sydney’s northern beaches. 

He formed a partnership with iMove Physiotherapy and their first co-location was in Clovelly, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, followed by another site in nearby Waverley. 

More recently, another clinic opened in South Yarra in Melbourne and the business also expanded internationally, with two locations in London, England.

With a focus on running biomechanics, rehabilitation and injury prevention, the clinics quickly gained a reputation in the running community for their evidence- based approach, cutting-edge treatment methods, state-of-the-art equipment and dedication to athletes’ success.

‘When I started The Running Room, my goal was simple,’ Alex says.

‘I wanted to build a clinic that wasn’t just about fixing injuries but also about performance optimisation. 

'I wanted to create a space, environment and culture where runners were excited to go and we have achieved that at The Running Room. 

'Runners have very specific needs and I wanted to provide a space where they could get the best possible care tailored to them.’

The holistic approach taken at The Running Room allows the team to help runners understand their bodies better, prevent future injuries and enhance their performance through targeted physiotherapy involving accurate diagnosis, optimal load management, education and strength and rehabilitation programs. 

‘It’s incredibly rewarding to see an individual come in with an injury, work through their rehab and then go on to hit new personal bests,’ Alex says.

Cult hero collaboration

One of Alex’s most high-profile collaborations has been with ultramarathon runner and charity fundraiser Nedd Brockmann. 

Nedd is known for extreme endurance challenges that have pushed the limits of human performance, including a 3935-kilometre, 46-day run across the Nullarbor from Perth to Sydney in 2022 and running 1600 kilometres in laps around Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre. 

The Australian cult hero and former tradie has raised in excess of $5 million through his Nedd’s Uncomfortable Challenge for We Are Mobilise (wearemobilise.org.au), a charity providing functional care to people experiencing homelessness in Australia.

Before that, Alex had seen Nedd around as part of the local running community. 

Alex also followed Nedd on Instagram and when the runner posted about pain after his first big charity running foray, where he ran 50 marathons in 50 days, Alex reached out to help. 

‘I said, “Look, mate, I love what you’re doing.” He was fighting against homelessness. I said, “I know you’re trying to give back here.

'I’m really comfortable donating some of my time. If I can help you out at all, just let me know,”’ Alex says.

‘We met up for a coffee and he was struggling with some Achilles and hamstring issues. 

'I got him in the clinic and, as with many of my patients, what started as a patient–therapist kind of relationship became a really good friendship. 

'I remember after he did that 50 in 50 he came to me and we had a coffee and he said, “I’m going to run across Australia.” I said, “Nice, that’s awesome.” 

'Then he asked, “Will you come?” And I said, “Yeah, absolutely.”’

Alex played a crucial role in keeping Nedd’s body in peak condition during his extreme challenges, providing physiotherapy support to manage Nedd’s many injuries, enhance his recovery and optimise his daily performance. 

But Alex’s involvement often went beyond manual therapies, crossing over into motivation, support and encouragement.

‘Nedd is a machine and one of my biggest inspirations. 

'His constant pursuit of improvement and attitude of “keep showing up” is something we can all apply to difficult situations in our lives,’ Alex says. 

‘His ability to keep pushing himself to the absolute limit is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. 

'But with that level of effort comes a lot of strain on the body. My job was to ensure that his muscles, joints and overall system could withstand that level of stress without breaking down.’

Nedd’s 1600-kilometre challenge at Sydney Olympic Park last year was a test of both physical and mental endurance. 

Alex’s expertise was instrumental in ensuring that Nedd could sustain his effort day after day. 

Through hands-on treatment, strength programming in the lead-up and strategic recovery interventions, Alex contributed significantly to Nedd’s ability to withstand the intense physical demands of running laps of the running track, which was often wet and lacked the majestic scenery of the Nullarbor.

Nedd was able to complete the feat in 12.5 days, running day and night with small windows for rest and recovery. 

Nedd, his support team and Alex got very little sleep during the record-breaking attempt. 

‘I had a room in the hotel across from the track and I think I slept in there four times, for no more than two hours at a time. 

'Other than that, I slept for no more than three hours in any period of 24 hours,’ Alex says.

‘The biggest challenge was balancing the workload with almost no time for recovery. 

'With an ordeal like that, the body is breaking down faster than it can repair itself so we had to be strategic with every treatment session, every massage and mobilisation and every adjustment we made.’

Thinking on your feet

Nedd’s endurance challenges were unlike traditional marathons or ultramarathons—his feats demanded back-to-back ultra-distance running for weeks or months on end. 

Alex had to develop a unique physiotherapy strategy that focused on injury prevention, rapid recovery, symptom modification and maintaining peak physical function under extreme stress. 

And treating out on the road, Alex discovered, differed greatly from delivering treatment in a clinic setting.

Alex collaborated with ultramarathon runner and charity fundraiser Nedd Brockmann, supporting him through extreme endurance challenges.

During his ultramarathons, Nedd has had to contend with a multitude of ailments including blisters; damage to his feet; severe inflammation; fat pad atrophy; knee pain; back, shoulder and gluteal pain; and, in one instance, five maggots under his toenail.

But perhaps the most challenging was the tenosynovitis he experienced on day 14 of the run across the Nullarbor. 

In conjunction with Nedd’s doctor he was given ultrasound-guided cortisone injections—one into the tibialis anterior tendon sheath and one into the extensor digitorum tendon sheath. 

The next day he was back on the road and ran an incredible near 700 kilometres in the seven days following.

‘Injury prevention and symptom modification was our number one priority,’ Alex says. 

‘With the volume Nedd was running, even a small issue—like a tight calf or some minor tendon pain—could escalate quickly into something that would take him out of the run entirely. 

'We couldn’t let that happen and would think on the fly to aim to reduce his pain and redistribute load.’

To achieve this, Alex had to implement a strict regimen of:
•    daily deep tissue and myofascial release and joint mobilisations to alleviate muscle tightness and soreness
•    taping of relevant areas such as the feet, knees and shoulder to reduce and prevent blisters and alleviate pain while running
•    active recovery techniques such as foam rolling and trigger ball release to reduce muscular and joint soreness
•    ice baths and compression therapy as a way in which to reduce pain but also to aid with sleep
•    modifications to footwear in an attempt to shift load from painful structures, including the use of heel lifts, metatarsal domes and EVA and foam cut-outs to off-load painful tissue
•    education and reassurance, which played a big role in Nedd understanding what structures were painful and what we were aiming to do to reduce his pain and assist with his ability to keep running.

‘Foot health was another huge challenge,’ Alex says. 

‘With that much pounding on the pavement, blisters, bone stress and infection were always looming threats.

'We had to be proactive with taping techniques, shoe rotation and monitoring pressure areas within his gait.’

During the later stages of Nedd’s record-breaking runs, fatigue became a critical factor. 

Alex had to adapt his treatments to account for extreme exhaustion and muscle breakdown. 

‘At a certain point, his body was just in survival mode,’ Alex says. 

‘We relied a lot on manual therapy techniques to keep him in the best condition possible. 

'At this point we are simply aiming to have a neuromodulatory effect—to put it simply, we are trying to provide short-term pain relief to allow him to put one foot in front of the other.’

Charity starts at home

Beyond his work with elite athletes, Alex has been deeply involved in charitable efforts, aligning his skills with causes that make a difference. 

He has long supported initiatives aimed at providing physiotherapy services to running events, mentoring young practitioners and bettering the standard of the profession as a whole.

‘I’ve always believed that elite-level physiotherapy should be accessible to everyone, not just professional athletes,’ Alex says. 

‘I’ve been lucky to work with some of the best athletes in the world but there are so many people out there who need help recovering from injuries or just learning how to move better in their daily lives. 

'I am a big believer in the role that physical activity plays in improving mental health at an individual level but also on a bigger scale within the community.’

Alex also co-founded the running charitable initiative [mo]re than a run (morethanarun.com.au) with his good friend Olly Woolrych. 

It was inspired by the loss of Alex’s best mate, who died by suicide, after which Alex used running as a way to deal with the tragedy. 

Held annually in Australia and New Zealand as well as the UK and Ireland, the [mo]re than a run event encourages running clubs and teams of runners to run 10, 30 or 60 kilometres to raise money for mental health. 

So far, it has raised $2.5 million for Movember and plans are underway for another event in November this year.

‘Mental health is an area I am passionate about making an impact on. 

'We wanted to create a movement that can bring together communities across the globe to start conversations, break down barriers and ultimately save lives. 

'Movember is a charity that supports men’s mental health and 10, 30 and 60 are linked closely to mental health statistics. 

'The distances are relatively atypical with the exception of the 10 kilometres. 

'We did this with the intention of starting a conversation, so when someone asks why you are running the [mo]re than
a run 30 or 60 kilometres, that individual can speak to the relevant statistic that we are trying to impact. 

'Ten kilometres is for the one in 10 men around the world living with an anxiety disorder; 30 kilometres is for the 30 per cent rise in male suicide over the past decade in Australia, which is really alarming; and 60 kilometres is for the 60 men we lose to suicide each hour, every hour, across the globe,’ Alex says.

Giving back is key

Alex’s influence extends beyond his clinic and charity work; he is an active member of the APA and an advocate for advancements in physiotherapy practice, professional development opportunities and improved patient care standards. 

His leadership and willingness to share his knowledge have made him a respected figure within the physiotherapy community.

‘One of the most important things for me is continuing to push our profession forward,’ Alex says. 

‘Physiotherapy is constantly evolving and we need to be at the forefront of research, technology and patient care. 

'The APA plays a huge role in that.’

As a third-year undergraduate student, Alex approached a physiotherapy clinic near his home and asked to shadow the physiotherapist to learn more about the profession. 

It’s an approach he advises student physiotherapists to take on board, along with making connections and building on your knowledge and education.

‘I shadowed as a third-year student and into my fourth year and that led to my first job. It’s how I started this whole journey,’ Alex says. 

‘My advice to students or those interested in becoming physios is to reach out to people. 

'They started where you started; people are more than happy to help other people—at least, that’s been my experience.’

COURSE OF INTEREST
Running rehab: running retraining, exercise and performance