JOIN THE wellness MOVEMENT!
What is health to you? The vast majority of the Canadian public gets their “health” information from the media. Unfortunately, the messages we usually receive via the marketing and pharmaceutical companies is that there is a pill to sleep, a pill to wake, a pill for each different body ache (usually wrapped in some kind of catchy jingle). These messages discourage taking responsibility for our actions: “Don’t worry about indigestion (a healthy bodily response to eating bad food) just take these tasty antacids, and eat all the greasy, salty food you like”. True health is not covering up your symptoms with drugs, nor is it using surgery to try to undo years of selfabuse. Health is the act of attaining and maintaining optimal physical, mental and social/spiritual well being. It is not a quick fix and it’s not always easy. The wellness lifestyle involves exercise, good nutrition, stressmanagement,
fresh air, developing a healthy social network, and necessitates taking care of problems at the cause.
Whatever stage you are at, whatever your personal challenges are, in addition to helping you manage your pain, all of us at Lifewise are here to help you in your journey to wellness. Yoga and Pilates classes are a great way to get your body moving. And sure enough, once you get moving you will likely feel many of those nagging aches and pains melt away. Need a bit more attention? Our instructors are also available for private and small group session. Or, if you like to exercise on your own, but would like to make sure that your work-out routine is optimal for you -try a functional exercise assessment. Our trainers can put together a program that is right for you. Feeling like your diet is not quite cutting the mustard? A little nutritional advice can go a long way. If you are feeling overwhelmed by stress – talk to us about Mindfulness Meditation, book a massage or consider psychotherapy.
The point is, if you want to feel better – you can. There is lots of help available. And you usually don’t need to pop a pill. Join the wellness movement and start making positive changes to your lifestyle today!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Lifewise Health & Wellness Bulletin - February 2012
It’s good to be reminded every once in a while that the sun doesn’t rise and set with our individual schedules, that the world won’t fall apart if we take a personal day, and that there are other people in the world who are experiencing much more difficult challenges than we are at any given time. On the contrary, it is also good to remember that each of our behaviours and actions affect those around us, in ways that we may be completely unaware. The second week in February has been unofficially designated “Random Act of Kindness Week”. Let’s all try to bring some awareness to our actions as we go through our lives this month, and remember it’s the little things that often make a huge impact.
“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.” (George Washington Carver)
Yours In Health,
Dr. Karen Baker
“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.” (George Washington Carver)
Yours In Health,
Dr. Karen Baker
Minimizing Sports Injuries
Sports related injuries can plague any athlete, from the most seasoned professional to a novice just testing the waters. The most common sports related injuries are often a result of either overuse (excessive wear & tear) or strain (a pull or tear in a muscle or tendon). One common factor in both of these is improper technique, which can set an athlete up with muscle and postural imbalances that alter the biomechanics of the body during any type of movement – increasing the chance of injury. Repetitive and high-impact sports such as running, aerobics or dance tend to lead to the most injuries. Other sports with high risk are those with overhead movements like tennis or baseball, and even swimming. It follows that the most injured joints tend to be the ankle, knee, shoulder and elbow.
To help avoid injuries and keep your body functioning at its peak, it is important to take preventative measures, such as regular stretching, warming up, cooling down, staying hydrated and allowing your body to rest and heal a day between training session. It’s also a good idea to meet with a coach or trainer who can tweak your technique. Speak to your health care provider for more advice on injury prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.
Sports related injuries can plague any athlete, from the most seasoned professional to a novice just testing the waters. The most common sports related injuries are often a result of either overuse (excessive wear & tear) or strain (a pull or tear in a muscle or tendon). One common factor in both of these is improper technique, which can set an athlete up with muscle and postural imbalances that alter the biomechanics of the body during any type of movement – increasing the chance of injury. Repetitive and high-impact sports such as running, aerobics or dance tend to lead to the most injuries. Other sports with high risk are those with overhead movements like tennis or baseball, and even swimming. It follows that the most injured joints tend to be the ankle, knee, shoulder and elbow.
To help avoid injuries and keep your body functioning at its peak, it is important to take preventative measures, such as regular stretching, warming up, cooling down, staying hydrated and allowing your body to rest and heal a day between training session. It’s also a good idea to meet with a coach or trainer who can tweak your technique. Speak to your health care provider for more advice on injury prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.
STEP BY STEP
In our grandparents’ day it was common for most people to walk a lot as they carried out their daily activities. Today we have become quite sedentary. We spend a lot more time sitting and standing and much less time moving. For the sake of our good health we must now make a conscious effort to keep moving. These days, the average person only takes 2,000 steps per day. We should be taking 10, 000 to 20,000 steps each and every day.
A pedometer is an inexpensive tool that lets us track how active we are. It clips onto your belt, pant or skirt top; and if we have worn it all day it will tell us how many steps we’ve taken. Why not set a goal this month to add 500 steps to our daily count? Once you have kept that up that on a regular basis, you can increase your goal by another 500 steps per day. Keep going in this fashion and you will soon reach the optimum level of at least 10,000 steps per day.
Some simple ways to add steps to your day: taking the stairs instead of the elevator; parking further away from work and walking that much further back to your car; walking around the block one more time, and so on...
In order to make the most of your walking, here are some tips for better form: To get your body into a better posture, try this: Shrug your shoulders once and then let them fall into a comfortable position. Walk tall: try not to lean forward, nor arch your back.
Start with your heel first, roll through the step, and end by giving a good push off with the back foot.
Keeping your arms bent at 90 degrees helps to create a pendulum motion as you speed up your walking. Arm speed determines leg speed.
Look about twenty feet in front of you to set your sight on where you are going, keeping your eyes forward. Further reduce the strain on your neck and back by keeping your chin parallel to the ground.
In our grandparents’ day it was common for most people to walk a lot as they carried out their daily activities. Today we have become quite sedentary. We spend a lot more time sitting and standing and much less time moving. For the sake of our good health we must now make a conscious effort to keep moving. These days, the average person only takes 2,000 steps per day. We should be taking 10, 000 to 20,000 steps each and every day.
A pedometer is an inexpensive tool that lets us track how active we are. It clips onto your belt, pant or skirt top; and if we have worn it all day it will tell us how many steps we’ve taken. Why not set a goal this month to add 500 steps to our daily count? Once you have kept that up that on a regular basis, you can increase your goal by another 500 steps per day. Keep going in this fashion and you will soon reach the optimum level of at least 10,000 steps per day.
Some simple ways to add steps to your day: taking the stairs instead of the elevator; parking further away from work and walking that much further back to your car; walking around the block one more time, and so on...
In order to make the most of your walking, here are some tips for better form: To get your body into a better posture, try this: Shrug your shoulders once and then let them fall into a comfortable position. Walk tall: try not to lean forward, nor arch your back.
Start with your heel first, roll through the step, and end by giving a good push off with the back foot.
Keeping your arms bent at 90 degrees helps to create a pendulum motion as you speed up your walking. Arm speed determines leg speed.
Look about twenty feet in front of you to set your sight on where you are going, keeping your eyes forward. Further reduce the strain on your neck and back by keeping your chin parallel to the ground.
PRACTICING RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS...
A random act of kindness is defined as “a selfless act performed by kind people to either help or cheer up a random stranger, for no reason other than to make people happier” (Wikipedia).
In 2000, Catherine Ryan Hyde wrote a book entitled Pay It Forward which was made into a successful movie starring Kevin Spacey, Haley Joel Osment and Helen Hunt. The premise of the story involves doing a favor for another person without expectation of being paid back. Recipients in turn "pay it forward," by doing a good deed for three people who in turn each do good deeds for three other people. In the real world, this concept (and practice) can and does work. Random acts of kindness are contagious, and by small gestures we can (little by little) make the world a kinder and healthier place to live.
By taking care of our own health and wellness we have the energy and capacity to make a difference in the lives of others - those we know and care about - and even in the lives of complete strangers. It is so easy for our days to become focussed on the demands of our job and on the needs of our families and our household. Small random acts of kindness or caring really do make a difference to others and in our communities. One of the nicest benefits will be in how good you feel about yourself. Others who benefit by your kind act are more likely to also do something nice for someone else.
So, challenge yourself this month to perform one good deed a day: Hold the door for someone who is rushing to catch it; pick up a discarded coffee cup and put it in the trash; thank the driver as you get off the bus; give to a food drive; tell your children why you love them; stop for a person waiting to cross the street; help a child in choosing out-grown toys to donate to a shelter; help someone who is struggling with heavy bags; take the time to really listen when someone is speaking to you; and so on. Often the opportunity to do a good deed will simply present itself.
PASS IT ON!
A random act of kindness is defined as “a selfless act performed by kind people to either help or cheer up a random stranger, for no reason other than to make people happier” (Wikipedia).
In 2000, Catherine Ryan Hyde wrote a book entitled Pay It Forward which was made into a successful movie starring Kevin Spacey, Haley Joel Osment and Helen Hunt. The premise of the story involves doing a favor for another person without expectation of being paid back. Recipients in turn "pay it forward," by doing a good deed for three people who in turn each do good deeds for three other people. In the real world, this concept (and practice) can and does work. Random acts of kindness are contagious, and by small gestures we can (little by little) make the world a kinder and healthier place to live.
By taking care of our own health and wellness we have the energy and capacity to make a difference in the lives of others - those we know and care about - and even in the lives of complete strangers. It is so easy for our days to become focussed on the demands of our job and on the needs of our families and our household. Small random acts of kindness or caring really do make a difference to others and in our communities. One of the nicest benefits will be in how good you feel about yourself. Others who benefit by your kind act are more likely to also do something nice for someone else.
So, challenge yourself this month to perform one good deed a day: Hold the door for someone who is rushing to catch it; pick up a discarded coffee cup and put it in the trash; thank the driver as you get off the bus; give to a food drive; tell your children why you love them; stop for a person waiting to cross the street; help a child in choosing out-grown toys to donate to a shelter; help someone who is struggling with heavy bags; take the time to really listen when someone is speaking to you; and so on. Often the opportunity to do a good deed will simply present itself.
PASS IT ON!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Lifewise Health & Wellness Bulletin - January 2012
January is a wonderfully optimistic time of year. Many people take a moment at the beginning of the year to think about their priorities and, if necessary, make New Year’s resolutions as a commitment to new (or renewed) priorities.
If better health is one of your priorities this year, we at Lifewise are here to help you achieve your goals. Thomas Edison predicted that “The Doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, and diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.” This is one of my favourite quotes and I hope that we are well on our way to this prophecy’s fulfillment. As you make your lifestyle choices over the year to come, recall that your body is a self-healing mechanisms. It is constantly rebuilding and remodeling itself, making millions of new cells every day. A good diet provides the proper cellular building blocks, while exercise helps stabilize and strengthen your body’s structure. Supportive and preventative care such as chiropractic and massage will help keep that structure in optimum condition.
Yours In Health,
Dr. Karen Baker
If better health is one of your priorities this year, we at Lifewise are here to help you achieve your goals. Thomas Edison predicted that “The Doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, and diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.” This is one of my favourite quotes and I hope that we are well on our way to this prophecy’s fulfillment. As you make your lifestyle choices over the year to come, recall that your body is a self-healing mechanisms. It is constantly rebuilding and remodeling itself, making millions of new cells every day. A good diet provides the proper cellular building blocks, while exercise helps stabilize and strengthen your body’s structure. Supportive and preventative care such as chiropractic and massage will help keep that structure in optimum condition.
Yours In Health,
Dr. Karen Baker
Tips for a Happy, Healthy New Year
Did you know the average person gains 10 pounds over the Christmas holidays? Whether or not you’ve slacked or splurged this season, the beginning of the year is a good time to commit to taking better care of yourself.
Here is a list of the most common New Year’s Resolutions:
1. stop smoking
2. diet/lose weight
3. exercise more
4. spend more time with the family
5. get to bed earlier
6. stop drinking
7. spend less money
Unfortunately, by February, many people have forgotten about, or given up on these commendable, maybe even formidable goals. If you are serious about making positive lifestyle changes, it’s going to take some work. The following acronym provides SMART parameters that might help bring your goals within reach and keep them maintainable.
S – Specific. You must define your goal clearly. If it is too vague, you won’t know if you’ve done enough.
M – Measurable. If you can measure your goal, it is easier to gauge your progress and celebrate small successes.
A – Attainable. Choose goals that you are likely to attain. That way your efforts won’t be in vain.
R – Realistic. Try to be realistic in your goals, otherwise you may get frustrated and give up easily.
T – Timely. Have a reasonable time frame in which to achieve your goals. This can mean several deadlines for mini-goals, or staggering each of your goals so you’re not overwhelmed.
The best time to make positive changes to your life is TODAY (whether you’re reading this is January or June). Eighty-five percent (85%) of deaths are caused by chronic diseases, like heart disease and cancer. These take decades of bodily dysfunction to develop into life-threatening conditions. These are also, to a large extent, preventable by good lifestyle habits, like diet, exercise, rest, and preventative care.
Did you know the average person gains 10 pounds over the Christmas holidays? Whether or not you’ve slacked or splurged this season, the beginning of the year is a good time to commit to taking better care of yourself.
Here is a list of the most common New Year’s Resolutions:
1. stop smoking
2. diet/lose weight
3. exercise more
4. spend more time with the family
5. get to bed earlier
6. stop drinking
7. spend less money
Unfortunately, by February, many people have forgotten about, or given up on these commendable, maybe even formidable goals. If you are serious about making positive lifestyle changes, it’s going to take some work. The following acronym provides SMART parameters that might help bring your goals within reach and keep them maintainable.
S – Specific. You must define your goal clearly. If it is too vague, you won’t know if you’ve done enough.
M – Measurable. If you can measure your goal, it is easier to gauge your progress and celebrate small successes.
A – Attainable. Choose goals that you are likely to attain. That way your efforts won’t be in vain.
R – Realistic. Try to be realistic in your goals, otherwise you may get frustrated and give up easily.
T – Timely. Have a reasonable time frame in which to achieve your goals. This can mean several deadlines for mini-goals, or staggering each of your goals so you’re not overwhelmed.
The best time to make positive changes to your life is TODAY (whether you’re reading this is January or June). Eighty-five percent (85%) of deaths are caused by chronic diseases, like heart disease and cancer. These take decades of bodily dysfunction to develop into life-threatening conditions. These are also, to a large extent, preventable by good lifestyle habits, like diet, exercise, rest, and preventative care.
POSTURE PERFECT
Your mother was right when she told you to stand and sit up straight. Not only does proper posture help you to appear healthier than a slouching frame, but it also promotes better musculoskeletal and organ functions.
Unfortunately in today’s culture slouching often happens naturally. It is very important to be mindful of how we are standing or sitting, whether at our desks, driving our cars or watching television.
Neck and back pain sufferers commonly demonstrate predictable patterns of muscle imbalance. Some muscles tend to become excessively tight and overpowering, whereas others become weak and elongated. Also, improper posture excessively stretches or compresses joints and can lead to premature degenerative arthritis.
Some simple tips for improving posture include: regular stretching routines, wearing proper footwear and sitting in an ergonomically correct manner. Work towards optimal posture by ensuring your weight is evenly distributed on both feet, and your shoulders are pulled back to be in alignment with your ears and hips. If you feel as though this position is uncomfortable or straining, work on strengthening your upper body and shoulder muscles, and eventually it will become second nature.
Your mother was right when she told you to stand and sit up straight. Not only does proper posture help you to appear healthier than a slouching frame, but it also promotes better musculoskeletal and organ functions.
Unfortunately in today’s culture slouching often happens naturally. It is very important to be mindful of how we are standing or sitting, whether at our desks, driving our cars or watching television.
Neck and back pain sufferers commonly demonstrate predictable patterns of muscle imbalance. Some muscles tend to become excessively tight and overpowering, whereas others become weak and elongated. Also, improper posture excessively stretches or compresses joints and can lead to premature degenerative arthritis.
Some simple tips for improving posture include: regular stretching routines, wearing proper footwear and sitting in an ergonomically correct manner. Work towards optimal posture by ensuring your weight is evenly distributed on both feet, and your shoulders are pulled back to be in alignment with your ears and hips. If you feel as though this position is uncomfortable or straining, work on strengthening your upper body and shoulder muscles, and eventually it will become second nature.
WINTER CLASSES
All classes Jan 3rd to 7th will be drop-in. See website for more details.
Starting January 9th, we will be replacing our drop-in classes with a series of 4 & 6week yoga and pilates workshops for the rest of the winter session. If you already have one of our drop-in passes, you are welcome to use it to attend these courses. Simply let us know which classes you are planning to attend. Minimum of 3 registered participants is required for the workshop to run.
Iyengar classes will continue as a 12-week registered session.
All registered classes will begin Jan 9th, 2012. Call the office to sign-up or if you have any questions!
All classes Jan 3rd to 7th will be drop-in. See website for more details.
Starting January 9th, we will be replacing our drop-in classes with a series of 4 & 6week yoga and pilates workshops for the rest of the winter session. If you already have one of our drop-in passes, you are welcome to use it to attend these courses. Simply let us know which classes you are planning to attend. Minimum of 3 registered participants is required for the workshop to run.
Iyengar classes will continue as a 12-week registered session.
All registered classes will begin Jan 9th, 2012. Call the office to sign-up or if you have any questions!
BUILD A HEALTHY FOUNDATION
Why take the time to exercise your feet and ankles? Your feet do a great deal of work for you on a daily basis (and take a lot of punishment), they function as the foundation for the rest of the skeleton and their posture (good or bad) can affect the posture and biomechanics of the rest of the body; so, give them some special attention each day and watch your strength improve over time.
There are two main arches in the foot (longitudinal and transverse). These arches, like the curves of the spine, play an important role in how we stand and how we walk. Good foot/ankle posture (or well maintained arches) reduce strain on the knees, hips and low back and improves efficiency of how we move.
The ligaments and plantar fascia that directly support these arches are passive tissues that cannot be exercised directly: instead, the muscles of the foot can and should be strengthened in order to reduce the risk of injury.
Start with this simple exercise: drop a towel on the floor, stand with one foot on the towel and one off, and try to pick up the towel with your toes. After several weeks, proceed to this next exercise, which will strengthen your foot muscles, toe joints, ankles and knees: stand in a bucket filled with sand or rice; squeeze the sand or rice with your toes for 10 minutes. It is also important to strengthen the ankles: Start by balancing on 1 leg for 30 seconds. When this becomes easy, try it with your eyes closed. You will notice it is much harder to hold a balanced position without visual cues. After mastering this “blind flamingo” try bending your raised leg slightly at the knee and then do some toe raises with the standing leg.
Why take the time to exercise your feet and ankles? Your feet do a great deal of work for you on a daily basis (and take a lot of punishment), they function as the foundation for the rest of the skeleton and their posture (good or bad) can affect the posture and biomechanics of the rest of the body; so, give them some special attention each day and watch your strength improve over time.
There are two main arches in the foot (longitudinal and transverse). These arches, like the curves of the spine, play an important role in how we stand and how we walk. Good foot/ankle posture (or well maintained arches) reduce strain on the knees, hips and low back and improves efficiency of how we move.
The ligaments and plantar fascia that directly support these arches are passive tissues that cannot be exercised directly: instead, the muscles of the foot can and should be strengthened in order to reduce the risk of injury.
Start with this simple exercise: drop a towel on the floor, stand with one foot on the towel and one off, and try to pick up the towel with your toes. After several weeks, proceed to this next exercise, which will strengthen your foot muscles, toe joints, ankles and knees: stand in a bucket filled with sand or rice; squeeze the sand or rice with your toes for 10 minutes. It is also important to strengthen the ankles: Start by balancing on 1 leg for 30 seconds. When this becomes easy, try it with your eyes closed. You will notice it is much harder to hold a balanced position without visual cues. After mastering this “blind flamingo” try bending your raised leg slightly at the knee and then do some toe raises with the standing leg.
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