Tag Archive for: exercise
During this time of year it is easy to feel stressed-out and overwhelmed; so we’ve rounded up 9 ways to help you escape the seasonal blues.
Do Less – Enjoy More
Most of us go overboard to please others especially during the holidays, from shopping, family obligations to attending numerous events. This season why not take care of yourself, and say no to one or two activities!
Say Good-Bye To Perfection
Remember that the world is not going to end if your home is not “Martha Stewart” perfect, or if you have a pile of laundry on the kitchen table. Use your energy and focus on the important things – the people in your life. As author Richard Carlson wrote “Don’t sweat the small stuff “!
Stop Over Scheduling
If you can’t slow down and relax during this time of year, when can you? Your daily agenda shouldn’t make you feel stressed and overwhelmed. Slow down, simplify your schedule and learn how to delegate!
Find Time To Exercise
It may be the last thing you feel like doing when you’re stressed out, but going for a walk or attending a Pilates class can actually make you feel better. Research has found that exercise can boost your mood for up to 12 hours and can decreases anxiety. So get out of the house and go for a brisk, 20 minute walk every day.
Health Maintenance
Take some time for yourself and schedule a massage or an acupuncture session; your health care practitioners can help you keep healthy and feeling fit.
Put Down the iPhone
Enjoy spending time with your family and friends without the constant buzz of your smart phone. It becomes a habit that is very hard to stop, and repetitively looking at your phone is exhausting, and contributes to mounting stress.
Re-Think Old Customs
Ending old customs can be a good policy if you’re a lone or grieving. Start some new traditions that will have happy memories associated with them.
Positive Thinking
Negative thoughts drain you of energy and keep you from being in the present moment. The more you give in to your negative thoughts, the stronger they become. On-the-other hand, a small positive thought can have the same effect -developing into a beautiful positive outcome.
Get More Sleep
Don’t underestimate the value of the power napor a good night’s sleep. Light exercise like yoga or walking at night can help sleep as it releases tension without over stimulating the body.
Music can also help by soothing your mind and body as well as meditation, which can relieve stress in the body and mind. It’s a great technique to use before bedtime because it relaxes the body, clears the mind, and creates inner peace.
Put yourself first for a while. Take care of yourself, pay attention to your needs and desires, and find the courage to do something about them.
This is that time of year when, individuals make various resolutions with the objective of getting rid of a bad habit and replacing it with good/healthy habit. However, it is also a fact that most of the time people are not able to follow through on their resolutions.
The main problem is in the practical implementation of the resolutions. People generally are eager to make resolutions but as soon as the time comes to get started, they begin to think of justifications why they should not continue and ultimately give up and in some cases before they have even started. (You know who you are!)
Remember that it will be easier to incorporate and keep a small change rather than 1 huge generic goal such as “I want to lose weight”.
Listed below are 9 tips to help you achieve a healthier lifestyle. Pick one tip and work on that one for 6 weeks. Every 6 weeks add another tip to your daily routine and work on that for 6 weeks… before the end of 2016 you will have incorporated all 9 tips and will be living a healthier lifestyle.
Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
A serving size is: half cup of cooked vegetables, one cup of raw leafy vegetables or one small whole fruit.
Increase your fluids and decrease your coffee intake.
Aim for 6 to 8 glasses of fluids per day. Have plain or lemon water, unsweetened juice, skim milk, or herbal tea, and keep the coffee to 1 or 2 cups a day.
Exercise on a regular basis.
An ideal combination includes aerobic exercise, weight-training, yoga, stretching, and recreational activities, such as dancing and swimming. Get exercise during your regular daily activities by walking at lunch and taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Reduce the “bad” fats.
Reduce the amount of saturated fats and trans fatty acids in your diet. Saturated fats are found in animal products such as meat and processed foods. Processed foods contain trans fatty acids and partially hydrogenated oils. So limit your processed foods and cook with olive and canola oils.
Chew your food!
Many digestive problems such as bloating, gas, and stomach discomfort can be alleviated by taking the time to carefully chew food.
Limit your intake of sugar.
Sugar increases triglycerides, cholesterol, and insulin, and can impair the immune system. Check food labels and look for hidden sugars (corn syrup, sucrose, glucose, and lactose).
Make relaxation a regular part of your life
Chronic stress can lead the way to a weak immune system, high blood pressure, and many other conditions. Proper breathing and meditation are effective ways of coping with stress.
Make sleep a priority.
Restful sleep is essential for a fully functioning mind and body. This means avoiding caffeine and alcohol, which can disrupt sleep. In addition, sugary snacks before bed can affect blood sugar levels and disturb sleep.
Develop and nurture your support network.
Maintain meaningful and fulfilling relationships with family and friends. These relationships nourish our heart, body, and soul.
Remember it’s never too late to start again. It’s your life, take charge and decide who you want to be.
At the beginning of a new year is when most of us take a look at our diet. Learn to avoid these common diet mistakes, and you’ll be on your way to a healthier you.
Eliminating all fats: You need healthy sources of fat to maintain essential body functions, sustain energy levels, slow digestion and feel fuller longer. Make sure you eat plenty of good fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish, coconut oil,nuts and flax seeds.
Reducing calories too much: When you follow an extreme diet, your body will catch on and lower your metabolism to accommodate the reduced supply of fuel. Then, when you return to your normal intake of food, you will regain that weight because you’re now consuming more calories.
Eating too much healthy food: Eating too much of anything leads to weight gain. No matter how healthy the food is, a calorie is still a calorie. Hummus, pistachios and peanuts contain healthy fats but come with masses of calories and such foods can act as triggers for those with a tendency to overeat.
Eliminating carbohydrates: Complex, high-fiber carbohydrates like brown rice, beans and lentils should be part of any diet regimen.
Incorrect portion sizes: Know what an appropriate portion size really is.
Eating infrequently: For your body to work most efficiently, you should eat five or six small meals or snacks per day to keep your metabolism running strong and your energy level consistent.
Skipping breakfast: Breakfast gets your metabolic machinery running and sets your body’s course for the rest of the day. Missing breakfast leads to overeating later in the day as blood sugar drops. If you can’t face breakfast, eating a handful of almonds, some yogurt, an egg … or any form of protein in the morning, about an hour after waking will be enough to stop you binging later in the day.
So how do successful folks eat healthy and maintain a health weight? The National Weight Control Registry studied the habits of the 10% of people who kept their weight at a healthy level for five years or more.
Here’s what they did:
78 per cent ate breakfast every day.
75 per cent weighed themselves at least once a week.
62 per cent watched less than ten hours of TV a week.
90 per cent exercised moderately for an hour every day (most chose walking)
With more than 200 viruses causing the common cold, you’re bound to catch a sniffle or two: Diversified Health shares six ways to boost your immune system.
Think Positive – Happier people are less likely to develop colds when exposed to cold viruses. People with high positive emotion scores produce just enough cytokine (a protein) to help recruit other immune cells to fight off infections.
Exercise Regularly – Taking a pass on exercise may increase your risk of catching a cold. Exercising at least 45 minutes five times a week can increase the immune fighting cells with each episode of exercise.
Six Easy Ways to Boost Your Immunity
Snack on Yogurt – Pro-biotics help promote a healthier immune system. To benefit, a person should consume between 1 and 10 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) of active probiotics per day.
Eat your Veggies – Eating at least eight servings of brightly colored vegetables and fruits per day helps keep the immune system in top form, and prevents it from overreacting.
Give herbs and Algae a try – The herb ginseng has been proven to help prevent colds when taken as soon as symptoms develop. Spirulina, a blue green algae, is available in health food store, is also promising. Some variations containing zinc and powdered acerola have high anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential.
Boost your Vitamin D – People with low Vitamin D status are one and half times more likely to get a respiratory infection than those whose Vitamin D levels were higher. Health Canada recommends 200 IU daily for adults under age 50 and 400 IU for those over 50.
Acupuncture sessions support and strengthen immunity. Scientific research shows that acupuncture increases the white blood cells in the body and moderates the immune system allowing it to react swiftly and strongly to threats.
A healthy body has a strong and effective immune system. For more tips and strategies on keeping your immune system strong, please contact our knowledgeable healthcare practitioners.
Winter is here, and cold weather can discourage even the most dedicated exercisers. So for those of you who might need some tips on exercising in cold weather… here you go!
#1 Warm Up
Take 10 minutes and do some low level aerobic exercises and stretches indoors to help your body start to warm up.
#2 Dress in Layers
Many folks make the mistake of dressing too warmly for exercising in cold weather. When you exercise, you generates a significant amount of heat, and once your sweat starts to dry, you can get chilled. So to avoid this situation, dress in layers.
Make sure the first layer is made out of a synthetic material, which will draw your sweat away from your body. Next, add a layer of fleece or wool for insulation, and top this off with a waterproof outer layer that will keep you dry if it rains or snows.
#3 Protect Your Hands & Head
In cold weather, blood flow is concentrated on your body’s core and a substantial amount of body heat is lost from uncovered heads and hands; so wearing a hat, such as lightweight fleece cap, and gloves will help your body retain heat.
Wear your gloves, and hats before you go out side and become cold… you can remove them as you begin to work out and begin to sweat.
#4 Choose Appropriate Gear
This time of year it is dark in the mornings and starts getting dark in the late afternoon, so when exercises outside, always wear reflective clothing. Find out what the weather conditions will be like during the time you’re planning to be outdoors and factor in how long you plan to be outside, and what activity you will be doing so you can dress accordingly.
#6 Use Sunscreen
You can get sunburned all year round — even more so if you’re exercising in the snow or at high altitudes. Wear a sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays and don’t forget to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes.
#7 Stay Hydrated
You need to stay hydrated when exercising in cold weather just as you do when exercising in warm weather. Drink plenty of fluids before you head outside, and be sure to bring some along with you.
If you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), getting outside and exercising during the day will help alleviate your symptoms.
Contact our Physiotherapists if you would like some suggestions on great warm-up stretches that are activity specific.
How to avoid aches and pains when traveling starts with making sure that you plan ahead, make a to-do list and don’t wait till the last minute, this can lead to stress, which will lead to tension in the spine and shoulders, causing back pain and headaches.
When packing:
- Choose luggage that fits you (sturdy case with wheels) and the type of transport you will be using.
- Select luggage that is not too heavy, as you will need to be able to lift it from the airport carousel, cars, buses, or trains
- Place the luggage on a counter or bed, this will save you bending.
- Pack light, and distribute your items between cases.
When Traveling:
- Wear comfortable, supportive shoes for walking.
- When carrying bags, don’t over-fill them, or separate into smaller bags and carry an even weight in each hand. If you have a backpack, even better as it will distribute the weight of your purchases.
- Stop often to rest and exercise the shoulders by rolling them backwards and forwards.
During your travel:
- Try not to sit for too long, and move around whenever you can to stretch your legs, back and shoulders
- Stretches are extremely important and a lack of movement can lead to deep vein thrombosis, swollen legs and sore joints
- Keep hydrated
- Bring a cushion if you will be sleeping and try not to arch your neck to the left or right
When sitting down try these exercise:
- Move your head in a circle, nice and slowly.
- Roll your shoulders, forwards and backwards.
- Stretch out your arms in front of you and circle your wrists gently, left then right.
- Stretch out your legs and circle your ankles gently, left then right.
- Place your hands on your armrests and raise your knees slowly towards your chin.
When you reach your final destination, that’s the perfect time to schedule a massage session to give you maximum mobility for your vacation and avoid the aches and pains from traveling.
Finally a Boot-Camp workout for women you can do at home!
Start by jogging for two to three minutes to warm up, then start with the first exercise in Round 1. Do as many reps as you can in 30 seconds, rest 10 seconds, then continue until you’ve completed each exercise for 30 seconds in the order shown. Rest for a minute, then do the exercises in Round 2. Rest for another minute, then repeat the entire sequence so you’ve completed two sets of each round.
Photo Credit: dli.ro
Round 1:
Squats – With feet hip-width apart, bend your knees to 90 degrees, keeping your chest upright. Return to standing.
Pushups – Place hands wider than shoulder-width apart and lower your chest to the floor.
Bicycle Crunches – Lie on your back, hands clasped behind your neck. Bring your right elbow toward your left knee while straightening your right leg, raised six to eight inches above the floor. Alternate sides.
Jumping Jacks – Raise your arms out to the sides & above your head; at the same time, jump up & spread your feet wide. Reverse & repeat.
Back Extensions – Lie facedown with your arms at your sides and slowly raise your head, shoulders, and chest off the floor.
Round 2:
Walking Lunges – Step forward with your right leg and bend your knees to 90 degrees. Move forward as you alternate legs.
Squat Jumps – Do a squat, then jump as high as you can while throwing your arms up into the air, landing softly right into another squat.
Close-Grip Pushup – Place hands side by side, thumbs touching, and lower your chest to the floor.
Standing High-Knees – Jog in place, quickly alternating bringing your knees up toward your chest.
Mountain Climbers – From a pushup position, quickly alternate bringing your knees toward your chest.
Boot-Camp Workout for Women you can do at Home | rehab victoria bc – This boot camp is designed by trainer Laurel Blackburn from Womens Health Magazine.
Keeping up with a fitness program this time of year can be a challenge, and that’s why a Victoria clinic encourages exercise to de-stress.
One of the best ways to deal with the stress is through physical activity, and one of the easiest ways to accomplish this during all the hustle and bustle is by simply walking. Besides the well documented health benefits, the beauty of walking is you can go at your own pace, and you can do it anywhere.
Once you are ready to hit the road (or the trail, treadmill or track) how do you make the most of your walking workout? Here are some practical tips for getting maximum aerobic, strength, postural and conditioning benefits from your walking program.
Victoria Clinic Encourages Exercise to De-Stress!
1. Warm up First, Then Stretch. Start by walking for just seven to 10 minutes (wear a watch) and then do a few gentle stretches. Your muscles will stretch better if you’ve warmed them up first. The first minute is as important as the ninetieth minute.
2. Take Short, Quick Steps. By taking short, quick steps, rather than long strides you will work your “glute” muscles (in your buttocks) as you log miles.
3. Practice the Heel-Toe Roll. Push off from your heel, roll through the outside of the foot, and then push through the big toe. Keep the other toes relaxed. (This takes practice.)
4. Squeeze Your Glutes. Imagine squeezing and lifting your glutes up and back as if you were holding a dollar bill between them! This will strengthen your low back muscles.
5. “Zip up” Your Abs. During your walk, imagine you’re zipping up a tight pair of jeans. Stand tall and pull your abdominal muscles up and in. You can practice this even when you are not walking.
6. Pump Your Arms. Imagine you are holding the rubber grips of ski poles in your hands. Stand straight, drop your shoulder blades behind you and push back your elbows with each step. Keep your arm movements smooth and strong.
7. Keep Your Chest Up, Shoulders Back. Use your walk as an opportunity to practice good posture. Imagine someone dumped ice down your back. That’s the feeling you want to have as you hold your chest up and shoulders back.
8. Keep Your Head Up. Look about 10 feet ahead of you. Imagine that you’re wearing a baseball cap and have to look up just enough to see the road. This keeps your neck aligned properly.
9. Smile and Have Fun. Learning these techniques takes time and concentration. Be patient and enjoy your workout. Dress comfortably, find a partner or wear a headset and listen to music you love. If you’re walking outdoors, vary your routine. Remember the importance of the “warm down”. The warm down is aimed at gradually returning the body to its resting state. This will help to prevent muscle stiffness and the onset of muscle soreness that can follow a training session.
10. Practice “Mental Fitness”. Don’t replay the problems of the day while you walk. Try to maintain a state of relaxed awareness by paying attention to your breathing and noticing how your body feels. Visualize yourself getting healthier and stronger.
Consistency is the most important part of your walking workout. The more committed you are to walking all or most days of the week, the healthier you’ll be. So get moving and remember that the Victoria clinic encourages exercise to de-stress!
