Category: Exercise

Exercise and Arthritis

Well, if you have been reading my articles up until now you know that exercise can help with almost all ailments, injuries, conditions and mental function. Well guess what? That’s right, it helps arthritis as well!
The tricky thing is to find what kind of exercise is best for your arthritis. First of all there are two main types of arthritis; osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It is important to know which your are ailing from before seeking any exercise prescription. Knowing is the first step, understanding is the second. You need to keep track of pain; types of (shooting, stabbing, achy, sharp…), when the pain occurs, how long the pain lasts, is it debilitating. If you can track this kind of information you will be helping your Certified Exercise Physiologist to be able to narrow down what kinds of activities you are able to perform and they can build a specific program for you.
Knowing what type and the effects of the arthritis can make exercise prescription very specific. Some examples of exercises that are good for arthritis sufferers include water workouts such as swimming, deep water classes, deep water running, aquasize, walking and range of motion exercises. Most of these can be performed on your own at a local City of Calgary recreation center. If you need help with any program design you can always consult me or any qualified exercise specialist.
With all the talk of water exercising, walking and range of motion we cannot forget strength training. Strength training is one of the more important types of exercises (if doable) for arthritis as it strengthens the muscle surrounding the effected joints, adding stability, support and functionality. That helps to ease the pressure on the joints effected resulting in decreased pain. Strength training has been pigeon- holed in the past as training for that big bulky body. Nothing could be further from the truth these days. Strength training regimes are being given to anyone from arthritis sufferers to the developmentally challenged to rehab clients to people suffering from osteoporosis. In this day and age strength training has become one of the premiere training techniques that can span across a very diverse field of users.
If you think you may have arthritis, have your doctor check you out. If you have been diagnosed and know your symptoms, contact us and we will be able to help out in whatever way we can to help you live a pain-free, active life!
Stay strong YYC!!!

Children’s health has become a growing concern with the increased incidence of health related issues associated with being overweight and obese. As a result new guidelines for physical activity have been developed for Children (5-11 years) and Youth (12-17 years) by the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiologists. These guidelines have been created to encourage less sedentary activities (such as video games, television and computer work) and more physical activity throughout the day (such as sports, ‘play time’ and leisure activities).
It is recommended that Children and Youth participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity daily. Increased time and/or intensity of the activity is associated with improved health benefits. Activities for children to become involved in may include; biking, martial arts, running, sports team, swimming, skiing, skating, etc. – the list is endless. The most important thing is that the activity is enjoyable!

It is also important for children to include bone and muscle strengthening activities several times a week, which will help reduce risk of injury and increase bone density. Now I’m not recommending that we take our children to the gym to lift weights with us by any means. Children and youth can benefit from activities such as hopping, jumping, skipping, and running to strengthen their muscles and bones. These activities can be incorporated into sports or games to make them enjoyable and more fun! Youth may begin weight training however this should only be done in a gradual and progressive program that is supervised by an exercise specialist (ie. Kinesiologist)- to promote safety and good technique and avoid injury.
The benefits of regular physical activity go beyond the health benefits associated with exercise we hear about everyday, such as maintaining a healthy body weight and decreasing the risk of chronic illnesses (ie. diabetes, heart disease, etc.) Children involved in physical activity generally do better in school, have less anxiety and stress, improved mood and have better self confidence and self-esteem which contributes to their success in achieving future goals. If children are started from a young age in physical activities which are rewarding and enjoyable they are more likely to carry these habits forward into their youth and adulthood, leading healthier more active lifestyles.