Staying Healthy

The Healthy View

It’s been another long week of isolation. But we’ve found some really wonderful things to be thankful for. We’re thankful for the frontline workers that continue to keep us safe. We’re thankful for Sunday’s beautiful sunshine. We’re thankful for our friends and loved ones. And our health. Delicious, nutritious food. And all of you.

This week’s Healthy View Blog is highlighting important tips, workouts, exercises, and practices to improve your daily life.

Quote to Ponder...

“There is no such thing as junk food. There’s just junk, and there’s food” - Dr. Mark Hyman.

Dr. Melissa referenced this quote in her webinar on Friday and it got me thinking about the food I use in my everyday meals. If you missed the webinar, we’ve included a summary a bit later.

Virtual Care Consultations

Could Virtual Care Consultations possibly be more effective than “real” hands-on and modality-based therapy that we are so familiar with in a Clinical setting? Six weeks ago, I would have said “no way” but the “new normal” has made me think outside the therapy “box”. Our Clinic team has worked to develop a Virtual Care platform that will meet your needs while maintaining a safe environment for all of us.

What are Virtual Care Consultations?

It is the delivery of Therapy services over a secure, online video conferencing platform and/or phone. The service provides you with professional support from our Sport Medicine Clinic team in order to keep you motivated and focused on your goals. It is easily accessible from home or work and is compliant with Canadian privacy laws and standards. These services are available to pre-existing and new patients with musculoskeletal injuries.

Virtual Care Consultations can help with?

• Functional Movement Analysis
• Treatment Approach by Patient led Goal Setting
• Prescription and Progression of Rehabilitation Exercises
• Self-Managed Corrective/Mobilization Strategies
• Education and Active Daily Living Advice
• Self-Efficacy is a Strong Predictor of Recovery

Virtual Care Consultations will not be able to deliver?

• Manual Therapy (not always required to empower clients)
• Massage or Soft Tissue Release
• Acupuncture Dry/Needling

Virtual Care Consultations for Pelvic Health will be made available. Please contact Joanne Ukposidolo directly to schedule a session.

For more information regarding Virtual Care Consultations please respond via email or phone. Our Front Desk is on standby to assist you in these challenging times.

Be Safe, Be Focused, Be Healthy!

Building Resilience in Times of Uncertainty

This week, Dr. Melissa had the pleasure of hosting a virtual presentation for our Members on how we can build resilience to support health now and in future. Here were some key takeaways:

• Nutrition is fundamental. Focus on plant-based eating, including 8 servings of vegetables per day (approximately 4 cups). 
• Avoid heavy meals and processed foods. When we are under stress, digestion is compromised and we need to support the system with healthy, whole foods only. Remember - foods that don’t require an ingredient list are your best bet. 
• Movement daily is a necessity. Our bodies are meant for movement and without it, we begin to see imbalances quickly. Walking 30 minutes per day is a great place to start. Ideally this is done outdoors in nature (while observing social distancing, of course).
• Observe proper sleep hygiene. Keep the bedroom a screen-free zone and maintain consistent wake-up times daily regardless of your schedule in order to keep cortisol (your stress hormone) in check. 
• Opt for organic green tea instead of coffee. Caffeine can fire up the body’s stress response and increase the risk of burn out long term. While green tea has caffeine, these tea leaves also contain Theanine which calms the nervous system and improves focus. It is also high in antioxidants which protect the body from stress.

Weren't able to watch the seminar live? That's why we recorded it so you could watch it when you had time!

Stay tuned - there is more to come in our wellness series of webinars. If you have any questions, you can reach out to Dr. Melissa directly.

Golf Conditioning: Episode 3

Golf courses are opening!!!!

It has already been announced in a few provinces that golf courses will be opening in the coming days. So, it’s only a matter of time before golf is also available in Ontario with new strategies in place to ensure social distancing and safe golfing. Which begs the next question, how many golfers out there are physically ready?

Our first 2 episodes of golf conditioning focused on movement efficiency with some help from our friends at TPI. For this episode we will continue to pull from our TPI brain trust with a couple of videos from the TAC’s in-house TPI fitness professional Eric Bols. The first video is a mobility flow series that is loaded with great routines to get a golfer ready to hit the greens.

In this second video, Eric gives us some muscle activation and positional isometric drills to maintain mobility in our trunk and hips. This will help with the separation golfers strive for in developing their ‘x-factor’, which translates into power in the downswing. He finishes with a sequencing drill that helps to tie the fundamentals together for the golfer. Awesome work, thank you Eric.

As always, here is an example of a TPI disciple working on his movement efficiency.

This is the number 4 ranked golfer in the world, Justin Thomas, showing the benefits of a routine focused on improving his mobility and stability. In order to be able to do this drill you need to have great mobility in your thoracic spine and super stability through your trunk and hips. This is not an easy drill but working on Eric’s routines above will help you move better. If you are going to try Justin’s exercise at home, DON’T DO IT SO CLOSE TO THE POOL, if you don’t want to get wet.

Feel free to reach out to Eric or Dr. Lawrence Micheli if you have any questions on your golf conditioning preparation.

The Anatomy of the Kettlebell Swing

The kettlebell swing is a complex movement that may deserve a spot in your weekly routine. It has the potential to improve pain in populations suffering with lower back discomfort. There are, however, a few components that need to be considered for proper execution including breathing, tension/relaxation relationship, foot rooting, hip hinging, and deadlifting technique.

Proper breathing technique is paramount to get the most benefit out of this movement. The fast, forceful exhalation that couples this movement at the top helps to add strength to the spine while the fast expansion of the lungs at the bottom creates an eccentric tension in the core muscles, which also strengthens and supports the core.

The cyclical movement of the swing involves both knowing when to tense and relax the muscles needed. A neutral spine will not be kept during the swing; some neck extension is needed as well as forward flexion of the spine in order to achieve the necessary tension to catch the load.

Foot rotation is also important. Depending on what area of the foot is loaded, you can involve more inner or outer hamstring activation. Both are important during different movement phases which transitions into the hip hinge. Deeper hip hinging by pushing your glutes behind your feet will increase hamstring activity and save lower back strain during the catch.

The kettlebell swing is more than just a fast deadlift; it is mechanically different, with the shear forces transferring more anterior/superior and posterior/inferior versus the deadlift’s compressional loads superior and inferior. It is because of this movement coupled with forceful exhalation that can act to reinforce and strengthen the lower back muscles potentially alleviating muscular low back pain.

Like any complex movement in the gym, it is best performed alongside a professional that can properly break down and assess your readiness for movement and load. Some people may not be able to tolerate the aforementioned shear forces due to previous injury and tissue restrictions. Those with spinal flexion and compression intolerance will not be ready for this exercise either.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Andrea directly.

^{Information adapted from Dr. Benjamin Stevens, Kettlebell Science course through Somatic Senses, April 2020}