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How to Take Control of Your Body This Year

With every New Year the process of choosing New Year’s resolutions and seeing them to completion can be a daunting task. But don’t let it be! Let’s approach the New Year with an open and refreshed mind!

This year, take control of your body’s health and have FUN doing so!  You have the power to take care of your body and make real and lasting change.

Often our bodies take a toll with our busy and demanding lifestyles. The key to making real and lasting change is forming new and improved habits. Instilling new habits will require attention and work but change doesn’t occur without action.

workout-motivation-1

START by taking responsibility to perform basic maintenance on your body.

  •  Improve the positions you adopt – Do you sit for most of the day? Take breaks every hour to stand up and move around. When you do sit be aware of maintaining neutral posture (if you would like to learn more, come by the clinic we can show you how). When you stand or walk – monitor the position of your feet, try to keep them pointing straight.

 “KEEP IN MIND – OUR BODIES TEND TO MOLD THEMSELVES INTO THE POSITIONS IN WHICH WE SPEND THE MOST TIME. ”

  •  Improve the health of your body tissues – All it takes is just 10 minutes a day of maintenance work, everyday. Utilize tools such as a foam roller and/or lacrosse ball to address the ‘hotspots’ of your body that are tight and stiff as well as areas around them. Doing so will help improve overall mobility.
  • LISTEN TO YOUR BODY – Your body is your friend, take care of it. Pain or discomfort is a sign that you are in a bad biomechanical position. Consider pain as signals that you need to improve your positions, mechanics and tissue health.
  • Make time for you to succeed – In the midst of our busy and hectic schedules we can find the time to take care of ourselves. Start with just 10 minutes a day. It can be as easy as foam rolling and stretching when watching TV.

 When it comes to performing maintenance on your body, it is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Everyone is unique and may require different programs. Book in an assessment today if you’d like a regime catered to you!

If you have any questions about performing basic maintenance on your body, you can talk to any health care professional at Form and Function Clinic. We would be happy to assist you in answering your questions and help provide you with tools to build a healthy body.

 

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Beware of slacking off during Holidays!

With the holidays coming, I want to urge you to continue exercising and not slack off.

Exercise is crucial for everyone’s health and wellbeing. It is commonly stated by many health professionals that if the benefits of exercise could be reduced to pill form, it will be the most prescribed pill due to the vast amount of positive effects exercises has on our health. Some of these positive effects include reducing stress, increasing muscle strength, improving cardiovascular function, lowering risk of chronic diseases, among others.

So come the holidays, continue to exercise to keep those benefits. Note that it only takes two weeks for muscle to start losing strength/endurance and cardiovascular fitness to decrease so don’t let the holidays derail your health. Take some time for yourself and make exercise a priority this holiday! If you have any questions about exercise, you can talk to any health care professional at Form and Function Clinic. We will be happy to answer any of your questions.

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To ice or not to ice

Inflammation gets a bad reputation.  Everyone wants to get rid of inflammation.  We have long been told to RICE (Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate) any acute injury to get the inflammation settled down.  What if this was wrong?

 

Recently Dr Gabe Mirkin, the physician that coined the term RICE, has spearheaded a movement away from icing acute injuries (see link below).  The heart of his message is “Let inflammation runs it course”.  Inflammation is needed for the body to call for healing chemicals/cells in the acute stages of injury.  Why slow that down by icing and reducing blood flow?

 

It is against a lot of traditional thinking but next time you injury a body part and it swells up, try using avoiding the ice immediately.  Rest, compress, elevate and get treatment to maintain muscle and joint function.  The health care professionals at Form and Function can guide you through the acute stages of injury and get you back to normal quicker!

 

For the link: http://drmirkin.com/fitness/why-ice-delays-recovery.html

 

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Measuring Your Physical Activity Intensity

So, you’re jogging on the treadmill, but don’t know if you’re exercising at an appropriate intensity or pace?  A way of determining whether you should modify your intensity level is to use the Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale.

Using the Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale helps you to determine the efficacy, as well as the safety, of your exercise program.  You want to reach a level of intensity that will induce a training effect, while ensuring that you don’t get to a point when you start to experience adverse effects.  Heart rate is commonly used, but it can be influenced by many factors, such as certain medications, environmental conditions, and psychological/mood states.  The Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale is a reliable alternative to help you self-monitor your exercise intensity on a minute-by-minute basis, allowing you to immediately modify your intensity by speeding up or down your movements.

So, how do you use the scale? The scale ranges from 0 (you are at rest) to 10 (complete exhaustion).  When you’re trying to determine what your current level of intensity is, it is important to consider your overall exertion, not just the soreness of a specific body part.  Also, since this is a subjective scale, your own appraisal of your exertion is what’s important – don’t compare yourself to other people!  As a guide, moderate intensity is considered to be 4-6 on the 0-10 scale and high intensity is considered as 7-9.  Discuss your physical activity goals with a healthcare professional at Form and Function to determine at which intensity level you should be training.

The “talk test” is a simpler version of the Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale.  If you can sing during your activity, you’re exercising at a low intensity; however, if you can barely get a word out, without having to take a gulp of air, you’re exercising at a vigorous intensity.  Therefore, a moderate intensity is when you are exercising, but can still carry on a conversation.

Using this as a starting point, if over time, your rating decreases or you are able to sing while performing the same activity, then you know that your exercise tolerance has improved – great job!

Sonia
Physiotherapy Resident

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Measuring Your Physical Activity Intensity

So, you’re jogging on the treadmill, but don’t know if you’re exercising at an appropriate intensity or pace?  A way of determining whether you should modify your intensity level is to use the Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale.

Using the Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale helps you to determine the efficacy, as well as the safety, of your exercise program.  You want to reach a level of intensity that will induce a training effect, while ensuring that you don’t get to a point when you start to experience adverse effects.  Heart rate is commonly used, but it can be influenced by many factors, such as certain medications, environmental conditions, and psychological/mood states.  The Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale is a reliable alternative to help you self-monitor your exercise intensity on a minute-by-minute basis, allowing you to immediately modify your intensity by speeding up or down your movements.

So, how do you use the scale? The scale ranges from 0 (you are at rest) to 10 (complete exhaustion).  When you’re trying to determine what your current level of intensity is, it is important to consider your overall exertion, not just the soreness of a specific body part.  Also, since this is a subjective scale, your own appraisal of your exertion is what’s important – don’t compare yourself to other people!  As a guide, moderate intensity is considered to be 4-6 on the 0-10 scale and high intensity is considered as 7-9.  Discuss your physical activity goals with a healthcare professional at Form and Function to determine at which intensity level you should be training.

The “talk test” is a simpler version of the Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale.  If you can sing during your activity, you’re exercising at a low intensity; however, if you can barely get a word out, without having to take a gulp of air, you’re exercising at a vigorous intensity.  Therefore, a moderate intensity is when you are exercising, but can still carry on a conversation.

Using this as a starting point, if over time, your rating decreases or you are able to sing while performing the same activity, then you know that your exercise tolerance has improved – great job!

Sonia
Physiotherapy Resident

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Osteoarthritis

As a large number the Canadian population ages, osteoarthritis will become an increasingly common condition. Here is some information regarding osteoarthritis.

What is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition that involves the wear and tear of cartilage between joint surfaces leading to exposed bone on bone rubbing. It generally affects people in their 60s or 70s but can also occur in those 50s or younger. It most commonly affects weightbearing joints like knees, hips, neck and back.

Screen Shot 2013-09-19 at 10.13.28 AMSymptoms may include:
– Pain, especially prior to weather changes
– Stiffness in joints, especially in the morning
– Swelling
– Redness
– Feeling of heat around joints
– Loss of flexibility and mobility
– Tenderness
– Grating sensation between joint

Predisposing factors may include:
– Overweight
– Poor joint mechanics/alignment
– Prior joint injuries
– High impact or repetitive occupations
– Female sex
– Other conditions (like diabetes)
– Lack of regular exercise

Treatment of mild to moderate osteoarthritis involves tailored individualized exercise program that:
– Increase strength to protect the joint and minimize unnecessary rubbing between joints
– Increase or maintain flexibility to help keep joint fully lubricated
– Increase endurance to help increase ability to do functional activities
– Splinting or bracing to offset pressure on joint surfaces
Treatment of severe osteoarthritis often involves surgical intervention if conservative management is exhausted.

If you are experiencing osteoarthritic pain, come in to Form and Function to get assessed by one of our healthcare professionals. We can determine the state of your osteoarthritis and prescribe an individualized exercise program to help you minimize your pain and increase your function. Even if you are not currently experience pain, you may want to get assessed for proper biomechanics to help prevent the onset of osteoarthritis. Being proactive is much better than being retroactive!

Manni Wong
Registered Physiotherapist

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Tips for Exercising in Summer Weather

Summer is here which means there will be plenty of heat and humidity outside. Here are some tips to stay on top of the summer weather during your outdoor activities/exercise:

– Stay hydrated. Drink water regularly and do so before you get thirsty. Drinking water when you are thirsty is often too late if you want to have peak performance outdoors in the heat. Also, sweating is essential for cooling off but it also causes loss of fluids. Replenishing these fluids help you stay cool.

– Stay cool. Wear lighter colours and breathable clothing. Lighter colours reflect the sun and cause less heat absorption. Breathable clothing allow for more evaporation and thus cooling. Also, take breaks to find shade from the sun. Too much direct sunlight can cause your body to overheat which can lead to severe problems.

– Stay aware. Be conscious of how you are feeling. If you feel fatigued, dizzy, nauseated, weak and/or experience muscle cramps, TAKE a BREAK from the sun. If you don’t, you may risk developing heat stroke which can be life-threatening. If these symptoms are prolonged or severe, you may need to go to the ER.

– Plan ahead. Be sure to look at the weather forecast and prepare for it. Know that increase humidity means less possible evaporation so you do not cool off as fast through sweating. Know the peak heat times are usually in the afternoon so plan vigorous exercises for morning or evening times.

– Stay fit. Having a base level of fitness is important if you plan to do activities outdoors in the heat. Your body tends to adapt quicker to the environment if you are more fit. If you plan on starting or returning to exercise, especially outdoors in the heat, come in to Form & Function for a fitness screen and an individualized exercise plan. Doing exercises correctly and with the right parameters is important in getting the most out of your exercise plan.

Take care and enjoy the summer weather!

Manni Wong
Registered Physiotherapist

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Omega-3 , a natural anti-inflammatory!

Omega-3 fatty acids are considered Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) because
they cannot be produced in the human body and therefore they must
be obtained from the diet. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish are a direct
source of EPA and DHA, two fatty acids vital for proper cellular
function. EPA and GLA are precursors to immune molecules that
promote a positive immune response and are the body’s strongest
inflammation-reducing compound. Ascenta Omega three fish oils contain up to 800mg of EPA per dose, one of the industries highest per dosage Omega-3 supplement. This is a great way for all patients suffering from the inflammatory nightmare. But remember to consult your naturopath or nutritionist before increasing your dose of Omega 3.