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20 to 30 minutes of daily exercise gives you the best return on investment

gophysiotherapy — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:14:24 +0000

Good things should be shared. So here are 9 minutes of education and empowerment (given by Dr. Mike Evans) for your day. Enjoy and be well.

Grace

Grace Cheung is a physiotherapist at Go! Physiotherapy Sports and Wellness Centre in Vancouver.

For more health tips, please visit Vancouver Physiotherapists and Physio Vancouver.

Measure your heart rate pulse on your iPhone

gophysiotherapy — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:35:22 +0000

There is an app for almost anything nowadays isn’t there? Why am I not surprised that there is actually an iPhone app that can measure your heart rate?

Check this out:

Grace Cheung, Physiotherapist, Vancouver, Canada.

For more health tips, please visit Vancouver Physiotherapists and Physio Vancouver.

Go! Physiotherapy Sports and Wellness Centre, Vancouver

Olive Oil: Why cooking with it may be bad for you

gophysiotherapy — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:15:04 +0000

Last night I had dinner with a friend who is a food scientist at UBC. I learned this health tip while we dined on a delicious clam and chorizo white wine pasta dish: when cooking, don’t cook with olive oil.

Olive oil has gained a lot of attention this past decade, with a general increased interest in cooking, culinary arts and health and wellness.

Did you know that olive oil has high amounts of unsaturated fats? In fact, it’s high content in monounsaturated fats is why we’ve been told olive oil is good for us. However, when high amounts unsaturated fats are heated, as in with cooking, many double bonds in its chemical make-up turn into radicals. These radicals, when roaming free in the body, create reactive compounds that can damage your cell membranes, and are responsible for many chronic degenerative diseases.

That being said, olive oil is great for drizzling and preparing non-heated dishes. However, cooking with canola or corn oil might be a better choice.

Grace Cheung, Physiotherapist, Vancouver, Canada.

For more health tips, please visit Vancouver Physiotherapists and Physio Vancouver.

Go! Physiotherapy Sports and Wellness Centre, Vancouver

How to burn fat and save money (and appreciate street art all at the same time)

gophysiotherapy — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 16:13:19 +0000

I came across this photo of a clever piece of street art by Peter Drew from Australia.

He has a good point!
Grace

Exercises after breast surgery

gophysiotherapy — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:20:18 +0000

This is a great resource for those who are recovering from surgery after breast cancer. You can download the PDF here from the Canadian Cancer Society. For more specific exercises and questions, please book an appointment at Go! Physiotherapy Sports and Wellness Centre.

Sitting Kills infographic

gophysiotherapy — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:07:33 +0000

We are increasingly a sitting culture and we can mainly attribute it to the advancement and ever-increasing prevalence of technology. I saw this illustration the other day and thought it was a clever description of how “sitting kills” us. I find that in practice, I am seeing people with problems that are rooted in living too sedentary a lifestyle. Unfortunately, exercising for 30 to 60 minutes a day is not always enough when compared to sitting for 8 hours or more during the day. As a result, I am often tell people that they need to simply move!

Now I can’t say that I agree with some of their recommendations, but the general idea is there. Have a look, and below, I will share with you my concerns.

For example, they demonstrate a fingertip-to-toe touching stretch. Not a safe stretch for people with disc problems in their back! In fact in people with disc problems, this stretch will worsen the injury.

Later on they recommend sitting at 135 degrees. Look at the person’s neck. It is so flexed forward that it is even painful to look at. They will get neck and back aches with potential symptoms in the arm in no time!

Nevertheless, this is a good reminder for us to try to incorporate more movement throughout the day. Check back in later when I will try to offer some more practical tips to battle a sedentary lifestyle.

Grace

Grace Cheung is a physiotherapist at Go! Physiotherapy Sports and Wellness Centre in Vancouver.

For more information, please visit Vancouver Physiotherapy and Vancouver Physiotherapist.

Mad Skills

gophysiotherapy — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:01:19 +0000

Really enjoyed watching this today. It is an excellent demonstration of general and core strength, flexibility and agility. The videography is really nice too!

Grace

Grace Cheung is a physiotherapist at Go! Physiotherapy Sports and Wellness Centre in Vancouver.

For more information, please visit Vancouver Physiotherapy and Vancouver Physiotherapist.

Air travel – A Pain in the Neck?

gophysiotherapy — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 18:31:59 +0000

Standing in long line-ups, carrying awkward bags, and sitting in cramped positions are part of air travel. Physiotherapists dread when a client comes in, saying that they are traveling overseas the next day and their back is painful. Even if the client walks out of the clinic painfree, the chances of the pain recurring during the ﬂight are high, unless certain tips are followed. To ensure a comfortable ﬂight, do the following:

Luggage should be as light as possible, and easy to roll. When pulling wheeled
luggage, keep your hand close to the buttock at your side. The further your hand is behind your back, the more likely you will feel a strain in the shoulder or the back.

As you lift your luggage onto the roller, bend with your knees, not your back. Use carts or porters whenever possible.

Lifting your carry-on bag onto the overhead rack requires care. Donʼt hesitate to ask for help if you have back, neck, or shoulder pain, or if you are not tall. Get as close to the overhead bin as possible, so that the elbows remain partly bent as you lift. Push the luggage into the bin as soon as it rests on the edge, so that the edge takes part of the weight.

If you are in pain, tell the agents when you check in, to see if bulkhead seating, offering greater leg room, or if you are a frequent ﬂyer, upgrading to business class, is possible. Nothing will make you feel better than the chance to fully recline.

When sitting on the plane, change positions as much as possible . Recline the seat for a while, then move it upright . Place you feet up on the foot rests if available, then put them down on the ﬂoor.

A lumbar support, such as a pillow or rolled up towel, usually feels good.

For the neck, an inﬂatable or soft neck pillow is often helpful so that the neck
does not kink if you fall asleep.

If an injured area hurts, ask for ice. Bring a plastic bag and use the ice that is provided for drinks if no gel pack is offered. Keep the ice on the sore area for ﬁfteen to twenty minutes, and repeat up to once an hour.

Most passengers know that deep vein thrombosis (blood clots) are a risk of air travel. The risk can be reduced by frequent moving. Get up and walk in the aisle frequently. Ask for an aisle seat. If you are at a window seat, donʼt be shy about disturbing your neighbors by getting up frequently. When sitting, pump the ankles up and down a lot. If your shoes feel tight, take them off.

The key to comfortable airline travel is light portable luggage, good body mechanics when lifting, and frequent position changes. Bon Voyage!

Steacy Alexander is a physiotherapist at Go! Physiotherapy Sports and Wellness Centre in Vancouver.

For more information, please visit Vancouver Physiotherapy and Vancouver Physiotherapist.

Never Stop Moving

gophysiotherapy — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:38:09 +0000

I was perusing an old National Geographic magazine from several years ago when I saw this pharmaceutical ad. Never stop moving. I like it!

Grace

For more information, please visit Vancouver Physiotherapy and Vancouver Physiotherapist. Go! Physiotherapy Sports and Wellness Centre, Vancouver

The Lazy Kayaker

gophysiotherapy — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 20:44:39 +0000

I love to sea kayak, because nothing beats the peace of slicing quietly through the water. Sometimes kayaking is hard work, when moving against tidal currents, wind,and waves. How to avoid wrist, back and neck pain when kayaking on a multiday trip? Be lazy, that is let the boat and the paddle do the work while you relax as much as possible! First, custom fit the boat to your body, so that any paddle movement is transmitted directly to the kayak. Adjust the foot braces, add foam thigh braces, and add a lumbar support to keep you back supported. The boat should be comfortable but feel snug. Second, get a good quality, light weight paddle. Grip the paddle as lightly as possible, and if you are lazy like me, paddle with quick short strokes. Relax the shoulders and sit tall. If you are prone to wrist pain, unfeather the paddle. If needed, apply “ice” by wrapping a wet cloth around your wrists at the end of the day for 15 minutes. Unless you like having blisters on the butt, always fit the kayak to you before leaving on a long trip!

Steacy Alexander is a physiotherapist at Go! Physiotherapy in Vancouver. She thanks the Sea Kayaking Association of B.C. for all the fun trips and instruction over many years.

For more information, please visit Vancouver Physiotherapy and Vancouver Physiotherapist. Go! Physiotherapy Sports and Wellness Centre, Vancouver