Health & Performance Centre

Morning Pick Me Up

Health and Performance — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 17:52:04 +0000

Ingredients:

1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 tbsp. instant coffee
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 cup Vanilla 0% non-fat Greek yogurt
2 tbsp. powdered peanut butter
1/3 cup organic granola such as Natures Path Love Crunch
Fresh blueberries
1 tbsp. dark chocolate chips (70%)

Directions

Add granola to a jar, glass, cup or bowl. A mason jar works well.
Add 1/3 cup yogurt on top of the granola.
Mix 1/3 cup yogurt with powdered peanut butter. Add to the jar. You can also blend yogurt with regular almond butter or all natural peanut butter as a substitute.
Mix 1/3 cup yogurt with protein powder, coffee, and cocoa powder. Add to the jar.
Top with granola, 1 tbsp. of chocolate chips, and blueberries.

Cheese Cake Shake

Health and Performance — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:05:33 +0000

Ingredients:

3 heaping tablespoons of cottage cheese

1 single serving of plain Greek yogurt ( 1/4 cup)

1 heaping tablespoon of almond butter or peanut butter

2 tsp. of steel cut oats mixed with large oat flakes

1/4 Cup of skim milk or almond milk

1 scoop of chocolate whey protein

3 ice cubes

Instructions:

Place in a blender for 30 seconds on high and crush your cravings with this delicious smoothie.

Step Outside to Walk or Run

Health and Performance — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:00:40 +0000

People enjoy walking or running for a number of reasons. For many, it’s a simple form of exercise. For some, it’s about ‘the freedom of the road’ and ‘being one with nature’, while others find it an effective way to decrease stress.

Walking or running helps condition the body and improve blood circulation. Regular walking is associated with a healthier heart and a greater sense of well being. For those who like to run, the right running technique combined with appropriate footwear helps minimize injuries.

When you work with a physical therapist, you can expect to learn the right movement techniques to minimize strain on your muscles and joints. Physical therapists can also help runners increase muscle strength and improve joint range of motion. This helps decrease stress on the runner’s body and improves overall performance.

The Mechanics of Motion

If you plan on stepping outside to walk or run, expect your physical therapist to teach you the right ‘mechanics of motion’. With the proper walking and running technique, you can avoid injury and improve muscular endurance. Here are a few things to consider:

The right degree of flexion in your knees and elbows is important to reduce strain on your joints.
Posture is important. In fact, your entire technique is dependent upon your posture for efficiency and safety.
An appropriate range of motion helps minimize injuries and improve running technique.
Proper stride length is an important aspect of efficiency and injury prevention.
Proper rhythm, or cadence, will help you to minimize injury by eliminating unnecessary overuse of your muscles.
Coordination between your upper and lower body is an important aspect of running technique.

Each of these components plays a vital role in running technique. As you progress with each component, expect an improvement in your strength, efficiency, distance and possibly speed.

Injury Prevention with Physical Therapy

A physical therapist can identify muscle imbalances and improper joint alignments. The physical therapist will conduct a detailed evaluation, which includes an analysis of gait, foot alignment, upper body strength, hip alignment and spine alignment.

With an adjustment of running technique and correction of muscle imbalances, the therapist will get you on your feet so that you can walk (and possibly run) if your body allows it.

The best thing for you to do right now is to contact us and ask for an evaluation of your movement patterns before you start a walking or running program. We can help you plan ahead. We can also create a rehabilitation program if you are currently experiencing any discomfort while walking or running. Your body deserves the right kind of care, and we can help you. Let us help you prepare for your journey.

Cable Downward Chop with Squat

Health and Performance — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:16:58 +0000

Target Muscles: Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes (Butt), Shoulders, Core

How To:
• Stand with feet wider than shoulder width apart, feet angled outward, weight on heels, abs pulled in and good posture. With your arms straight, hold the cable off to the right side of your head.
• Lower yourself down by bending your knees. Keep your back straight and don’t lean forward until your upper thigh is parallel to the ground
• Simultaneously, keeping your arms straight, lower the weight down to your left knee (like you are chopping wood…hence the name)
• Exhale and return to the start position by driving through your heels and straightening your legs and controlling the weight back to the right side of your head (arms straight)
• At the top, squeeze your butt cheeks together like you are picking up a $100 bill

Coaching Keys: Never let your knees extend past your toes. Keep a straight back. Don’t lean forward.

Protein Pancakes Recipe !! – Start the morning right

Health and Performance — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:42:12 +0000

Here is a recipe for a great breakfast with a good mix of protein to carbohydrates to help you stay full for longer. This will help boost your metabolism and has ample amount of healthy fats!!

Ingredients
- 1 whole egg
- 1/4 cup liquid egg whites
- blend 1/2 cup skim milk
- 2 heaping TBSP cottage cheese
- 1/2 banana
- 1/4 TSP baking powder
- 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
- 1 or 2 packages of Stevia
- 1/4 cup frozen blueberries
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup of oat flakes (steel cut)

Instructions
Blend milk, cottage cheese and banana until smooth.
Separately, blend oats until it is a powder.
Whisk all ingredients together until a batter consistency. Heat up a skillet or non-stick fry pan well and spoon in the ingredients to desired size. Once completed coat with tbsp. of peanut butter, almond butter or jam of choice.

Makes 2 servings

Per serving:
Calories: 531
Protein: 64 g
Fat: 21.9 g
Carbohydrate: 21.6 g
Fibre: 3.5 g
Sugars: 4.5 g

Airplane & Row

Health and Performance — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:44:38 +0000

AIRPLANE/ROW:
Muscles Targeted: Hamstrings, Glutes, shoulders, mid- upper back, core.
How To:

Assume a single-leg stance. Hold a dumbbell in the opposite hand of the supporting leg.
Keep the back straight and the torso tight. Look straight ahead.
The shoulder blades are retracted.
Lower the upper body by bending at the hip. Keep the back straight and hips square/parallel the floor.
Lower the dumbbell or slide the bar down the thigh and shin of the supporting leg. Push the hips back and slightly bend the knee during the descent.
Swing the free leg back so it stays in line with the torso.
Lower the upper body until a mild stretch is felt in the hamstrings.
Perform a row by drawing the weight toward the hip with a neutral grip and squeeze the muscles in your mid upper back
Return to the starting position.

Coaching Keys: Focus on pushing the hips back and not on bending at the hips. The movement occurs at hip level. Keep the spine neutrally aligned throughout the entire exercise.

Weekly Exercise Demonstration

Health and Performance — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:34:28 +0000

Welcome to our video exercise blog!

Click here to view the introduction video!

Headache Management

Health and Performance — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 13:45:36 +0000

Everything You (Didn’t) Know About Headaches

The common response to a headache is “Let me pop a painkiller and hope the pain goes away”. While this isn’t necessarily a bad idea, it’s not a long-term solution for headaches, particularly the ones that that have a musculoskeletal origin.

Most patients are unaware that physical therapy can play an important role in the treatment of headaches. Did you know that a physical therapist can evaluate symptoms and create a plan to reduce headache by restoring muscle balance? With certain types of headache, this has the potential to reduce or even eliminate the need for medication. For example, did you know that strengthening of the muscles surrounding the neck and jaw helps in the treatment of headache? It’s true; physical therapy can restore balance and relieve strain on muscles and joints in the head and neck region.

After a complete evaluation, the physical therapist may decide to use manual therapy, which includes joint mobilizations and massage to provide welcome relief to overworked tissues. The result is relief from the pain of headache and a smile on your face.

A migraine is a severe headache that may require medical attention. It is a disorder of the central nervous system involving blood vessels and nerves, resulting in intense pain. Once the cause of the migraine has been identified and treated by a physician, a physical therapist can facilitate a quick recovery to help the patient resume a normal, healthy life.

Pain Relief at the Source
One of the objectives of physical therapy intervention is adjustment of soft tissues and correction of mechanical dysfunction associated with the headache. There are several ways that a physical therapist can help achieve this. If sensitive tissues (blood vessels, nerves) in the neck are compressed, the physical therapist can use mechanical or manual traction procedures to facilitate decompression, improve circulation and relieve pressure around the affected tissues.

The prescription of a home exercise program to improve posture and movement patterns can be another part of the treatment process. Unknown to most patients, poor posture contributes to head and neck pain.

Depending on the severity of your headache, physical therapy can be a valuable adjunct to medications prescribed by a physician. While medications help control the pain of headache, a regimen of physical therapy improves the body’s inherent ability to fight factors that trigger headaches.

Physical Therapy and Referred Pain
One of the causes of headache is referred pain (from other parts of the body). When the muscles and joints in the upper back, neck and shoulder are under stress, they become inflamed and cause pain. Due to the complex and interconnected network of nerves and blood vessels in the upper body, this pain often spreads upwards, triggering a headache or a debilitating migraine.

This is exactly where a physical therapist can help. With a precise combination of exercises, manual therapy and relaxation techniques, the therapist can facilitate pain relief. If you’ve been suffering from headaches, a viable, drug free option is available to you. You don’t have to live with pain any longer because physical therapy is a viable, scientific treatment option. Just call us and we’ll get you started. We’ll do everything we can to put that smile back on your face.

Help for Diabetes

Health and Performance — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 15:22:12 +0000

Can Physical Therapy Help Diabetes?

In the world that we live in, Type II diabetes has become widespread. It is usually associated with weight gain, which further complicates the condition. Owing to insulin imbalances, it becomes extremely difficult for a diabetic to lose weight.

At the same time, weight loss is an important component of diabetes management. Losing just 5 to 10 percent of excess body weight has radical long term consequences and significant health benefits. Weight loss has the potential to reduce the complications associated with diabetes and minimize the likelihood of developing Type II diabetes.

In order to shed the excess body weight, a diabetic needs a progressive, structured combination of exercise and nutrition. Supervision and accountability is a key component of lasting weight loss for diabetics. A physical therapist can play an important role in exercise program design. A well-designed exercise program from a physical therapist can help burn calories, improve circulation and help the body manage insulin more effectively.

Planning For Safe, Sustained Weight Loss

Weight loss requires a strategic combination of cardiovascular exercise and muscle strengthening to burn excess calories and improve metabolism. This increases your body’s ability to utilize energy and balance blood sugar levels, which is a safe and effective way to manage diabetes.

Type II diabetes is associated with decreased insulin sensitivity, which makes it extremely important for a diabetic to include muscle strengthening as part of a supervised exercise program. Increased muscle tone is a direct benefit of muscle strengthening. Muscle is considered a ‘metabolically active’ tissue, which burns energy, helps stabilize the body’s response to sugar and allows the body to use insulin more effectively. With your physical therapist’s supervision, muscle strengthening can be a safe, fun way to manage diabetes and improve energy levels!

Depending on the severity of the insulin imbalance, a physician may recommend some medications, and it’s best to consult with your physician to determine if you need a prescription for diabetes medication or a visit to your physical therapist.

Exercise Is The Foundation

Exercise is the foundation for the safe, effective treatment of diabetes. A physical therapist can evaluate a diabetic patient and determine if there is any muscle weakness, imbalance, impairment of sensations or aches and pains associated with excess body weight.

This information can be used to design an exercise program that can restore muscle balance, aid in weight loss and facilitate return to normal, healthy function.

A physical therapist can play a crucial role by setting up an individualized exercise program to manage diabetes. In most cases, a physical therapist will work closely with your physician to help you manage your blood sugar levels.

There is a lot that a physical therapist can do for you, and help is just a phone call away. Don’t let diabetes steal your energy or affect your lifestyle. Please call us today and give us the opportunity to demonstrate how we can help you.

Healthy Living Formula

Health and Performance — Wed, 30 May 2012 00:09:54 +0000

Healthy living involves discipline and a strategic approach towards exercise and nutrition. It requires small, consistent changes every day to increase your metabolism and fuel your body with the right types of nutrients.

Here are some simple ideas to help you live a healthier life:

Take frequent breaks when sitting for long periods of time. Avoid staying in one position in front of your computer or television. Change positions at frequent intervals so you’re not sedentary all day.
Get on your feet and move an hour or two a day to decrease cholesterol levels and reduce blood pressure. Moving around gets your blood flowing and your body working.
When you’re on the phone, try to walk around while you’re talking.
Park further away from your destination so that you will be required to walk a little bit more than usual.
Get a good night’s sleep (at least 7 hours). Your body relies on rest to rejuvenate and heal itself.
Eat only when you truly feel hungry or consume small portions every 2-3 hours instead of 3 large meals.
Drink plenty of water.
Cut down on smoking and drinking.
Relax with a regular routine of yoga and meditation.

Nutrition For Healthy Skin

Nutrition plays an important role in helping maintain and improve skin tone. Smooth and healthy skin is a sign of good health. The phrase “you are what you eat” holds true as far as the health of your skin is concerned.

The following foods will facilitate healthy skin:

Antioxidant-rich foods. Antioxidants play a key part in the prevention of diseases like heart disease and cancer. Some of the foods in this group include blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, plums and apples.
Foods rich in Vitamin-E. Vitamin-E protects against cardiovascular diseases by defending against plaque formation in the arteries. Some of the foods that are rich in Vitamin-E include various members of the nut family, including peanuts, almonds and hazelnuts. Other types of food included are spinach, broccoli, kiwi, mango and tomatoes.
Selenium-rich foods such as fish, brazil nuts, liver, and sunflower seeds help to keep the skin fresh and looking youthful.
Foods rich in Beta Carotene. Some of the foods that are rich in beta carotene include hot peppers, kale, carrots, sweet potatoes and spinach.

Most of these foods can easily be found in your local grocery store. There are many ways to introduce them in your diet. Please remember that all foods should be eaten in moderation, and it’s best to combine healthy foods with an exercise program for best results. A physical therapist will be able to help you with an exercise program that compliments a healthy nutrition program.

Stress Management With Exercise

Stress is a part of day-to-day life, but the manner in which you handle your stress is a key factor. Stress management is the best way to minimize strain on your cells and live a healthy life.

Stress is a normal psychological and physical reaction to the increasing demands of life. At some point, everyone experiences stress. If you are uncertain about how to handle stress, begin with a positive mindset. Surround yourself with family and qualified health professionals. A physical therapists, for example will provide support, expertise and design exercise programs (muscle relaxation techniques, for example) to help you deal with stress.

Learn to relax physically and mentally. A massage can help you release muscle tension, and it’s best to ask your physical therapist if a massage is right for you. In many cases, this can help reduce stress, leaving you relaxed and rejuvenated. A massage is just one component of stress release, and it can be used in addition to full body strengthening and relaxation program.

Call us today for an appointment and we’ll quickly get you on the road to a healthy and stress-free lifestyle.