Shoveling snow can be a great exercise to build a strong and healthy back. As with any exercise, there are a few tips to make it more enjoyable. Wear appropriate clothing–dress in layers with good footwear, headgear, and gloves for warmth. Pace yourself–heavier snowfalls can take a great deal of time to clear, so take breaks as required. Use proper form–keeping your core engaged and using your legs will lighten the load. Soreness is to be expected–but if any pain or soreness lingers for a few days, call your physiotherapist to address your needs.
Community News
New Year, New You!
2019 is here! Let’s make this a year your body will remember! Check out a fitness centre near you and ask about how you can join the community and meet like-minded people. A variety of classes are offered to meet your needs and wants this year. Not only will you stay active, but you may also reap benefits like weight loss, detoxification, skin purification, stress reduction, and promote healing in other areas of your body. You are worthy of a healthy mind, body, and soul. Join the fitness community today and start working towards the best version of yourself possible!
Staying Social as a Senior
As we get older, health conditions, mobility limitations or a lack of energy can keep us from being as socially active as we once were. A diminishing social life might happen gradually as close friends experience the same conditions and family members grow busy. We may not even notice how long it has been since we last spent time with a friend! Isolation has many physical and emotional health risks. Especially if you live by yourself, staying socially active is critical to enjoying a healthy lifestyle. Volunteer at a local organization, join a senior living community or find a group that focuses on similar interests (e.g., knitting, water aerobics, cooking). Get back to living your best life!
Learn to Master Self-Compassion
’Tis the season for New Year’s resolutions. This year, why not try something a bit different? Commit yourself to the cultivation of self-compassion. Research demonstrates a strong link between self-compassion, health, and wellness. Indeed, many experts believe it to be fundamental to good mental health. Cultivate self-compassion through a positive daily mantra. Write a kind letter to yourself at the end of each week, by taking the perspective of a loving friend. Once you’ve mastered self-compassion, turn your attention to others. Showing compassion for others is a surefire way to create happiness in your life.
Winter Safety for Amputees
Lower-limb amputees can sometimes experience difficulties in icy conditions. With winter here to stay for the next while, proper footwear is very important. Wear shoes that have good grip. If you do have a balance problem or are using an assistive device, have someone else clear your steps and sidewalk, and be sure to throw sand or salt down to decrease ice buildup. It’s a good idea to install rails next to steps to give you something secure to hold on to. Finally, have a cellphone or some type of device with you to call for help if you slip and fall.
Natural Product Review: Rhoziva™
Rhoziva™ is a proprietary herbal blend utilizing the powerful Rhodiola rosea root which helps to fight fatigue, promote mental focus and clarity, enhance memory, increase physical endurance during periods of physical exertion and support physical and mental stamina during times of increased stress. One of the most notable properties of Rhoziva™ is that of balancing the human body’s stress response. It is well recognized that a physically negative reaction to stress is the main contributing factor to sickness and disease. By helping you deal with stress, Rhoziva™ is a simple and proactive first step in bringing your mind and body into balance.
Product Review: Kyäni Sunrise™
Kyäni Sunrise™, is a blend of Superfoods, vitamins, and trace minerals. Taken in the morning, it provides a rich blend of antioxidants that help defend against free radical damage. Kyäni Sunrise™ contains juices and extracts from some of the world’s most potent antioxidant sources, including: Wild Alaskan Blueberries, Concord and White Grapes, Red Raspberries, Pomegranate, Cranberries, Aloe Vera, Maqui and Amla Berries, Gooseberries, Ginseng, Kale, Brocolli, Ashwaganda, Spinach, Mangosteen, Acai, Aronia and Wolfberries. Natural ingredients your body needs to support heart health, healthy blood sugar levels, mental health, and immune system… all in one little pouch!
Natural Product Review
Eminence Organics Firm Skin Acai Moisturizer nourishes and firms to restore a youthful appearance. Rich in vitamins, antioxidants and phytonutrients, this moisturizer includes acai berry that works to promote a healthy, resilient complexion, while hyaluronic acid hydrates to plump the skin, diminishing the look of fine lines and wrinkles. Seabuckthorn berry oil and shea butter condition and smooth, repairing damage and delivering a radiant, revitalized complexion. All Eminence products are natural, organic, biodynamic, sustainable and cruelty-free, all while being free of parabens, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulphate and propylene glycol.
What’s Fueling Your Health?
Ayurveda, an ancient medicine system from India, uses the terms Agni and Ama to describe two concepts that relate to our ability to digest food. Agni refers to our digestive fire; our ability to eat food and receive its highest benefit in the form of nutrients that fuel our bodies. We suppress our digestive fire by forgetting to eat, eating on the run, overeating, and eating foods that are too heavy, dry, or difficult to digest. When our digestive fire is suppressed, it causes Ama, the accumulation of undigested materials. This creates stickiness, heaviness, and dullness in our bodies and minds, further preventing optimal digestion and leading to symptoms.
Getting Motivated to Exercise!
Motivation to get up off that couch can be challenging at times, especially when we are exhausted from life’s everyday challenges. Try finding some extrinsic motivators to help you get out the door to the gym or for a walk, such as treating yourself to a massage or getting your nails done once you’ve stuck with it for x number of sessions. Perhaps a contest to give you a jumpstart or grabbing a buddy for some accountability? Extrinsic motivators like those can be great until it becomes a habit and therefore an “intrinsic” motivator in and of itself.
Vision and Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease (early or late onset) is caused by an amino acid plaque named amyloid beta. Recent studies indicate the plaque may cause two blinding ailments. One is macular degeneration, and the other is glaucoma. Macular degeneration, characterized by progressive loss of central vision leading to irreversible blindness, affects about 50 million individuals globally. Studies have shown that some kinds of glaucoma, not all kinds, may be related to the pathogenic plaque. Supplements are available for neutralizing the plaque. Yong Han Lee, ReVitamins of Charleswood, Facebook.com/revitamins
