Individuals who are physically active have a lower risk of obtaining health conditions including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. Physical activity has been shown to improve mental health by having a positive impact on depression, anxiety, and stress. Kinesiologists are heavily involved in facilitating and improving physical activity levels of individuals of varying goals and capabilities. Kinesiologists are experts in the field of human movement, exercise prescription, fitness training and conditioning. A Kinesiologist uses evidence-based research to develop exercise programs for individuals looking to increase their physical activity levels. Many fitness and wellness centers in the city employ Kinesiologists as personal trainers who can guide and provide you with the tools to become healthier and more physically active.
Community News
Head for the Hills
Physical and mental health go together, as one works to care for the other, in so many ways. A personal reminder of this was when I participated in the Eden Foundation’s cycling event, “Head for the Hills”. I started a training regime of cycling multiple times per week; which was not easy, but I had a goal, so I pushed away the excuses and got moving. The benefits came instantly, with increased energy and a much-improved attitude towards life. The sense of accomplishment afterwards felt so wonderful! Physical activity is one of the best remedies for ensuring your mental and physical health. What have YOU done for your health lately?
Countering Effects of Sitting
The average person spends at least 9 hours a day sitting. It’s hard to escape the fact that the advance of technology has made us a very sedentary society. While many things in our lives have become easier, we have become unhealthy. Sitting has been coined “the new smoking” and almost everyone who sits in front of a computer at work is dealing with some kind of postural stress. Regular massage can counteract the imbalance caused from too much sitting, which can show up as pain and tightness in the neck, shoulders, and lower back. Massage therapy is the skillful manipulation of the soft tissues of the body, combining kneading, pressure, and percussion of the muscles to relieve tension and restore balance and posture
Choosing a Health Advocate
One of the most important steps in a senior’s life is to choose the right health advocate.
Your advocate could be your family member or your friend; someone you can trust with your health concerns. The advocate will play a very important role in your healthcare plans in the future.
For example, they can go with you to a doctor, the lab, your pharmacy, or the hospital.
It is very important to name an advocate before you need one, and you can decide the limits of their authority.
You can find more information, videos, and a “My Patient Advocate Agreement” form at www.safetoask.ca
Learning-Related Vision Disorders
While 20/20 vision is a great start, our vision is also related to how well our eyes work together with our brain to process visual information. Many children who suffer with vision problems can go undiagnosed since learning-related vision disorders may not be revealed through a regular eye exam. Lack of eye movement control, focusing difficulties, poor visual memory, and much more can make learning seem overwhelming. Without fundamental visual skills, children may have more difficulty with reading, writing, and comprehension at school. A developmental optometrist diagnoses and provides treatment options for learning-related vision disorders.
Product Review: Pure Green Energy
Kickstart your day with a super clean, raw and nutritionally dense organic drink that increases alertness and stamina. Coconut MCT, Maca super-food, Matcha green tea and many other key juiced powders, together with zero calorie Monk fruit, and even human strain probiotics round out this fantastic Kickstarter! A health-packed alternative to coffee & conventional energy-boosting drinks, PURE GREEN ENERGY gives vigor without potentially harmful effects of excess stimulants. It is also a perfect pre-and-post-workout supplement to replenish essential nutrients, improve cardio performance, and revive your workday energy drain.
Clean Eating Recipe: Green Bananas
GREEN BANANAS:
Into a blender mix:
1 heaping tablespoon (20 gr) of Enerex Botanicals PURE GREEN ENERGY. Fatigue-Zapping Pure Energy Power.
500 ml of unsweetened Coconut milk.
1 fresh Banana.
1 Tbl of Hemp Seed Oil or crushed hemp seed.
1 cup of ice.
Blend and enjoy.
Book Club
Hack Your Anxiety: How to Make Anxiety Work for You in Life, Love, and All That You Do. What if anxiety is not a monster to be tamed, but a resource to be tapped? In this revolutionary book, Dr. Alicia Clark recognizes anxiety as the unsung hero in the path to success and happiness. It can become the motivating force that will lead to a better you, and The Anxiety Advantage aims to restore anxiety to its rightful place as a positive resource. Reclaim your anxiety as a powerful energy source, ad bring yourself peace, growth and success.
Exercise for SAD
SAD stands for Seasonal Affected Disorder, which is mainly attributed to the reduction in sunlight hours in winter and is your body’s reaction to the changes in season. With SAD you might feel sluggish or moody, have a loss of appetite, and even lose interest in activities you normally love. One way to combat these feelings and the wintertime blues is to get your body moving! Exercise, even light exercise, has been shown to improve mood and energy through increased blood flow and the release of certain endorphins, as well as improve sleep and alertness, and reduce anxiety and stress.
Essential Oils for Stress Relief
Scents are powerful — a simple smell can immediately trigger a powerful memory, place, or person. Scents have power to evoke emotions and memories instantly and can directly impact our bodies through our nervous system. If you experience stress (like most of us) – relaxation is only a whiff away! The best essential oils for de-stressing include rose, clary sage, frankincense, lavender, bergamot, marjoram, ylang-ylang, lemon, geranium, orange, sandalwood, chamomile, and vetiver. An easy trick for alleviating tension in 30 seconds flat? Massage an oil blend with calming scents into your temples, which are pressure points.
Medication: Take with Questions!
Medication mix-ups can and do happen. Asking questions is a powerful action that can improve medication safety. It’s easy for even the average person to lose track of what they are taking and how often they are taking it. Ask your pharmacist and other members of your healthcare team about your medications. Be sure to ask questions every time a new medication is prescribed, given, or purchased. And finally, ask questions in the hospital, at the pharmacy, and during healthcare appointments. Questions save lives; it’s safe to ask.
