Categories
Tags
ACL anterior cruciate balance Bike fit calcium children cognitive cognitive decline diet exercise fall prevention fitness fracture FRAX injury injury prevention Knee knee pain Low back low back pain meniscus neck neck pain obesity osteoarthritis osteoarthrosis osteopenia Osteoporosis poor posture post natal posture pre natal resistance resistance training road cycling Running and the SunRun 2010 running shoes senior spinal exercise strength strength training stretching Sun Run training whiplashArchives
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
Recent Comments
- Exercise and your brain | West Fourth Physiotherapy on Strength training can make you smarter
- P.Scully on Computer posture – part 3
- Computer posture – part 3 | West Fourth Physiotherapy on Computer posture: part 2
- Computer posture: part 2 | West Fourth Physiotherapy on Computer posture
- smita on Knee osteoarthritis and physiotherapy – part 3
Author Archives: Matt
Up hills and down
April/May here on the Left coast means the approach of Spring. Time for the keen hikers to get (even more) outside and start hitting their stride. With that in mind I was asked last week by a client who loves to hike how her aging knees were going to manage this year? And what is harder, going up hills or coming down? As usual, the devil is in the details. Going up hills you are doing more work so the aerobic system of the heart and lungs (cardiorespiratory system) get … Read the rest of this post
Posted in Avoiding Injury, Knee, Senior's Health, Sports
Leave a comment
Exercise and your brain
In previous posts I have looked at the growing body of research that supports the premise that exercise is not just good for your body but good for your mind as well. http://www.west4thphysio.com/archives/807 The research just keeps on coming. This study was published last year in the Archives of Neurology and is specific to a segment of the population that carries a particular gene variant which has been shown to dramatically increase the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease by a factor of 15. The gene is Apolipoprotein E (APOE) which … Read the rest of this post
Posted in Men's Health, Senior's Health, Women's Health
Leave a comment
Move to stay healthy
I came across an interesting article recently which reviewed the findings of exercise researcher Dr Steven Blair. Dr Blair hails from the University of South Carolina and has spent years looking at the links between levels of physical activity and the effects those levels have on life long health. His research has been widely reviewed and helps shape both public policy and perceptions as to the importance of physical activity in the individual health equation. What struck me in particular was the need to talk more about getting people off … Read the rest of this post
Posted in Avoiding Injury, Children's Health, Men's Health, Senior's Health, Women's Health
Tagged exercise, healthy living, obesity
Leave a comment
Computer posture – part 3
Ok, so you have done your stretches through the day and maybe a bit at the end of the day. No doubt you feel that they help for a while but that nagging ache around the shoulders and neck keeps coming back. You want more! These exercises will help build your shoulder blade and upper back strength so that you can keep decent posture throughout the day without feeling tired from the effort. They are three of my favourite tension busters and work very well when combined with the stretch … Read the rest of this post
Posted in Avoiding Injury, Children's Health, Head and Neck, Low back, Men's Health, Posture, Senior's Health, Women's Health
Tagged computer use, poor posture, posture, strengthening
1 Comment
Computer posture: part 2
During the last post I looked at some of the problems that develop in association with poor desk ergonomics and unsuitable posture at the computer. http://www.west4thphysio.com/archives/1751 I promised a few exercises that can help alleviate the symptoms of upper back and neck tightness after a long session stuck at the desk. Overall strengthening of the upper back also helps reduce symptoms by allowing you to keep a more upright and open chest position. First up is the Cobra as pictured above. This helps restore spinal length and alignment. If off … Read the rest of this post
Posted in Avoiding Injury, Children's Health, Head and Neck, Posture
Tagged computer posture. exercise, posture
1 Comment
Computer posture
A common reason to see people in our clinic is aches and pains associated with working at the computer. Computer use invites you to sit in the same position for long periods. The problem is compounded too in that now it’s common to go home from a day of work and find recreation…on the computer! A combination of both poor positioning and too much time spent in that position can cause posture to change in ways that eventually become painful. What happens? muscles around the upper back and shoulder blades … Read the rest of this post
Posted in Avoiding Injury, Children's Health, Head and Neck, Low back
Tagged alignment, computer, neck pain, poor posture, posture
1 Comment
New Yoga Course with Dean Smith and Tracy Groshak
West 4th Physiotherapist Dean Smith will co-teach a yoga course with Tracy Groshak at the end of November. Course details can be found here. Yoga Course
Posted in Avoiding Injury, Low back
Leave a comment
Keeping your balance
With autumn upon us light is fading and the leaves are coming down. A good sense of balance and recovery abilities can help make sure you don’t hit the ground like the leaves. This season is called fall for a reason. Balance is a crucial ability, that tends to decline with age. Every year, thousands of seniors are admitted to the hospital for broken hips, most often due to falling. Frequently a hip fracture will lead to disability and a loss of independence. To avoid becoming part of these statistics, … Read the rest of this post
Posted in Avoiding Injury, Osteoporosis, Senior's Health
Leave a comment
Children and exercise – Part 2
Following on from the last post I’ve had some questions regarding whether children who weight train hurt themselves. It’s a good news story, with no greater incidence of injury. In fact, active kids involved in sports such as soccer, hockey, skiing or skateboarding sustain many more injuries than for any children who have been involved in weight training. On the other side are children who get no exercise at all. The decline in physical activity in kids is a real concern to all health professionals. Since 1981, there’s been a tripling … Read the rest of this post
Posted in Avoiding Injury, Children's Health, Osteoporosis
Tagged children, children's exercise, osteopenia, Osteoporosis, strength training
1 Comment
Children and exercise – Part 1
Only two or three weeks to school summer vacation and how will our children spend the summer? I’m often asked by parents what is a suitable type of exercise for their frequently sedentary child and how much exercise should they be doing? This opens up a few themes for discussion and comment. In January of this year the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology released new guidelines for children ages 5 to 17. The recommendations include getting an hour a day of moderate ( think walking, playing outside) to vigorous (think … Read the rest of this post
Posted in Avoiding Injury, Children's Health
Tagged childhood obesity, childhood training, children, children's activity, sports
Leave a comment
Bike fitting in the clinic
I had a trip up to Kelowna this past weekend to participate in a professional seminar on bike fitting. The sport of road cycling continues to grow for various reasons. Always popular in the past, it is now attracting a large group of people who don’t feel inclined to do a lot of running anymore but want to continue to be physically active. Plus, you get to go really fast! With the success of events such as the Grand Fondo, The Ride to Conquer Cancer and increasing membership in cycling clubs throughout … Read the rest of this post
Posted in Avoiding Injury, Knee, Low back, Ride to Conquer Cancer 2010, Senior's Health, Sports
Tagged Bike fit, cycling, exercise, road cycling
Leave a comment
Does your bike fit?
In early March my colleague Jen Mcpherson and I rolled on down to Seattle to attend an intensive 2 day workshop on bike fitting. Jen is an avid multisport athlete who has completed multiple Ironman competitions and marathons and I’m a keen recreational road cyclist so our interest in learning the process of getting a rider to the best possible position for comfort and power comes from the heart. This was an excellent course with both days full of hands on fitting experience. Thanks to the volunteers who attended and … Read the rest of this post