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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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Prehabilitation

           Most people have heard of or been through the process of physical rehabilitation AFTER sustaining an injury (ie muscle tear) or developing a condition (ie stroke). Fewer people have heard of prehabilitation, which is gaining traction in health care. Prehabilitation is the process of training BEFORE an injury/event with the goal of preventing injury or increasing health outcomes (ie before surgery).
Injury Prevention:
            When you see a rehabilitation professional for prehabilitation, typically an analysis of your movement, strength, flexibility and posture is conducted. Any weaknesses in these areas that predisposes you to injury during your daily physical demands will be addressed with exercises and stretches. Due to the varied demands of each individual, not every prehabiliation program will be the same. For example, the physical demands of a deskjob worker are vastly different than that of a professional athlete. The physical demands between sports are also different.
             It is important to get an individualized program targeted to your goals and needs. For example, if you are a basketball player, you may want to undergo prehabilitation for ACL injuries as that is a common injury in basketball. For a runner, prehabilitation can reveal mechanical faults or weakness that should be corrected. For a deskjob worker, prehabiliation will identify and correct improper postures, which will prevent many overuse syndromes.
Prior to Surgery:
             Surgical outcomes are typically better when you are fitter. The theory is that if you go into a surgery stronger, you come out strong. Being strong post surgery can improve your outcomes as you have already done some of the rehab before the surgery. A custom prehabiliation program designed for your surgery (ie total knee replacements) will target muscles that need to be strong for full recovery.
              If you are interested in discussing the process of prehabiliation, both prior to injury or surgery, please contact one of the healthcare professionals at Form and Function.  We have ongoing prehabiliation programs (ACL prevention and running analysis)  that may be of interest to you.  We can also answer any of your questions regarding prehabilitation.
Man Chun (Manni) Wong
Registered Physiotherapist
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Setting Healthy Resolutions

It is that time of year when New Year resolutions are starting to creep into your head. If one of your resolutions is to become healthier, stronger and more fit, then being educated in properly setting exercise goals is key to success. Here are some advice in setting SMART exercise/fitness goals:

  • Specific: Your fitness goal should be specific. You should not just think I want to lose/gain weight. For example, a specific goal would be “I will lose 20 lbs in 6 weeks via increasing my exercise to 30 mins a day, 4 days a week of 2 sessions of cardio and 2 sessions of resistance training”. In this example, it is very specific in what you want to achieve, in what time frame and how you will achieve it. Usually, it is how you can achieve the fitness goal that is the trickiest. It is recommended to consult a personal trainer or rehabilitation professional (physiotherapist or chiropractor) to answer that question. If you want to try it alone, following the above example is a good way to start.
  • Measurable: Most people use weight loss as a measurement for their success in fitness resolutions. Although valid, I recommend using body measurements. Measure the circumference of your arms, chest, waist, hips and thighs with a tape measure before, in between and after your fitness program. In some cases, your weight does not change much but there is a drastic change in body measurements as you start to burn up fat and replace it with stronger muscles. If you still want to use weight as a measure of your success, take weekly measurements instead of daily.
  • Attainable and Realistic: This area is the KEY reason why a lot of people fail with their resolutions. Their fitness goals are unattainable. Losing 50 lbs in 2 weeks is unreasonable for anyone with a job or kids. If weight loss is your primary goal, be safe and aim for losing 2-4 lbs a week. Vice versa is safe for weight gain. Also be realistic with yourself and ask if working out 7 days is actually feasible with your schedule. Try not to set yourself up for failure by making your goal way too hard to achieve. A good start would be 3-4 days of 30-60 mins of exercise. Furthermore, be realistic with your body. It’s not healthy to be 5’6 and 100lbs. Use this link to determine your healthy body weight (http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/ideal-body-weight-3146-143.html)
  • Timely: Make sure there is an check points and end date for your goal. Know that any good fitness program usually takes 6 weeks, give or take 1-2 weeks. Have check points spread out in between. I recommend every 1-2 weeks. At these check points, reassess where you are in your goal. Are you moving towards it? Away from it? Keep going if you are moving towards it. Consult someone if you are moving away from it. You may need extra guidance and that’s common. Exercise is part of the equation but diet is also another part. You may need to speak with a nutritionist or naturopathic doctor.

I hope this post helps you start make SMART resolutions/goal. Follow your SMART goals and you will be on your way to becoming a healthier you! Happy Holidays, Happy New Year and happy goal setting!

Manni Wong

Registered Physiotherapist

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Markham Physiotherapist Talks About Exercise Physiology

Energy for exercise may come from 3 energy systems in the body. The aerobic energy system uses oxygen in a chemical reaction with different fuels to produce energy, heat, carbon dioxide and water. The other 2 systems do not require oxygen and are considered anaerobic. In reality, energy to perform exercise comes from a combination of anaerobic and aerobic sources.

Form and Function Monthly Health Talk