Tag Archives: exercise

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 »

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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 , , , | Leave a comment

C.O.A.C.H Obesity Network

Something different for the blog this month. West 4th Physio associate Marj Belot brought this to our collective attention. This is an excellent initiative that we hope readers will support. We have included the Health Canada recommended activity guidelines in our online library. Please feel free to download them (or tactfully pass them on to those you think could benefit!). They are available here:  http://www.west4thphysio.com/resources/library Help Canadians find credible weight management resources: Support COACH today! The Canadian Obesity Network (CON) is currently working with its partners, members and the public … Read the rest of this post »

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Preventing falls

This is the time of year when seniors are most at risk of falls. Icy steps and sidewalks, slippery wet leaves, cold weather slowing reaction time and often poor light hiding treacherous outdoor conditions. So far we’ve been lucky in 2011, at least in the lower mainland, with relatively warm, albeit wet, weather and not to much of the dreaded ice about. But seniors 65 and older are the fastest growing segment of the Canadian population and the estimate is that around 1 in 3 will have at least 1 … Read the rest of this post »

Posted in Avoiding Injury, Men's Health, Osteoporosis, Senior's Health | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Exercise : men vs women

An interesting article appeared in the Globe a few months ago which asked the question: Is it harder for women to lose weight as compared to men because of the different composition of their muscle mass? The answer is a general yes. It is more of a challenge for women because they, on average, have a lower percentage of their overall body weight composed of lean skeletal muscle. You can think of your skeletal muscle as the body’s engine. The bigger the engine, the more fuel it can burn and … Read the rest of this post »

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Osteoporosis guidelines

Late in 2010 I came across an interesting article in the Canadian Medical Journal (CMA) in which new guidelines were outlined to help physicians deal with managing and preventing osteoporosis. According to the study’s lead author, Professor Alexandra Papaioannu, the goal is early identification of those most likely to develop full blown osteoporosis later in life. The approach recommended in the guidelines is quite different to that currently taken. Instead of relying on bone mineral density (BMD) testing  -read more about BMD and testing here- http://www.west4thphysio.com/archives/530 , and then using … Read the rest of this post »

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Osteoporosis in men

The  statistics are in and they aren’t pretty. The CMA (Canadian Medical Association) has updated it’s guidelines for helping physicians deal with osteoporosis and I’ll outline some of the changes of focus in both this and the next post. Today; the prevalence of osteoporosis in men. The stats say one in eight men over the age of 50 has the disease. Physicians and other health professionals know the numbers but apparently the general public doesn’t. There is still, it seems, a prevalent train of thought that osteoporosis is a bone … Read the rest of this post »

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Does joint pain actually damage?

Often I am consulted in the clinic for assessment and treatment of joint pain that has come on without any major trauma. The commonest cause for wear and tear type joint pain is osteoarthrosis (also called osteoarthritis) or degenerative joint disease. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and results in the slow destruction of joint cartilage, the springy joint tissue which caps the bone ends and acts as both a shock absorber and bumper. As the cartilage thins,wears and breaks away the joint surfaces roughen, resulting in a … Read the rest of this post »

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Low Back pain and specific exercise

  Following on from my last post on low back pain treatment options where we considered the use of manipulation, today we’ll look at some specific types of exercise Stabilization Exercises If your physiotherapist finds three or more of the following factors then a good choice for treatment would be stabilization or core exercises.  The factors associated with success in this treatment group were: age less than 40, presence of abnormal active movement patterns, straight leg raise of more than 90 degrees and a positive lumbar prone instability test.  The … Read the rest of this post »

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Osteoporosis and exercise

This is a topic that seems simple on the surface but has some areas for real care and concern. From an earlier post http://www.west4thphysio.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=530 , you’ll remember that bones are always in transition. Building and breaking down and rebuilding again in response to the loading that is placed on them. This process of turning physical load into tissue (bone) change goes by the wonderful name of mechanotransduction. Good bone building load is gained from exercise that involves: weight bearing, that is exercise done while upright so that the force of gravity acts … Read the rest of this post »

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Pre and post natal fitness

 Recently I attended a pre and postnatal specialist certification program in which I had the opportunity to work with other health and wellbeing professionals.  The course was put on by Fit 4 Two – an organization founded by Melanie Osmack- a dynamic pre and post natal fitness specialist, trainer, developer, presenter, and writer. The course covered prenatal anatomy and physiology, fitness guidelines, strength and core exercises for pregnancy, labour and beyond, as well as class planning and personal training.  I was amazed at the changes that a woman’s body goes … Read the rest of this post »

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