Stuck in Traffic? Do Your Core Work!

When can sitting in traffic be wonderful? How can you keep yourself entertained?

The very basis of having a strong core is not doing crunches and planks. Those muscles are not your core muscles. Your oblique and 6 pack muscles are primary movers and it’s too awkward to be doing planks while driving.

While sitting, put your butt right to the back of your seat. Right to the back. Sit tall! You might have to adjust your mirrors. Create a space in the small of your back, big enough for your hand to fit. Your feet must be as even as possible, by which I mean your left foot isn’t outstretched as far as it will go. Now you’re in neutral.

Everytime you need to apply the breaks tighten your pelvic floor muscles! For women, these are kegel exercises. Not enough that you squeeze your glutes though. For men, we say “stop the flow”. Imagine what you would do to stop going pee.

Once your pelvic floor is activated, lighly draw your belly button in. Do this without holding your breath! You cannot drive while holding your breath! Just “draw in” enough that your tummy flattens a little.

Hold this only for a brief moment, let go, and repeat. Repeat everytime you touch the breaks or every time you turn a corner. Hold your position in your seat – might be harder than you think!

Questions? Meet with one of our athletic therapists to learn how to set your core. You can avoid or treat many back problems with learning this valuable trick.

Jen Mark BSc., CAT(C), CSCS
www.dynamicliving.me
Like us on Facebook

Good reminder. Especially about not doing something new before a race.

sportsmassager

Whenever we are getting ready for a race, there are many things that we need to do before it’s time to hit the start line.

Months of training and eating right are very important, but sometimes, training can lead to muscle soreness and injuries.  How can we make sure that these injuries don’t affect our performances on race day?

1. One of the things that we can do on race day that are extremely important is to make sure we eat well and keep ourselves well hydrated.  If our body doesn’t have enough fuel to keep us going, then our movements become sloppy and we are increasing our chances for injury.

2. If we do have injuries or sore muscles, a preparatory sports massage is wonderful.  While most massages cause a muscular relaxation, a preparatory sports massage has the exact opposite effect.  The technique includes a quick compress and release…

View original post 332 more words

Choking

Did you know that the standard choking procedure has changed this year in Canada? It’s a good idea to get caught up to speed so you can help someone in their time of need.  With backyard BBQ’s in full swing we need to know how to best handle the situation.

The following are guidelines, and if you are unsure it’s best to take a standard first aid course (see below).  These courses are quick and generally simple.  You will learn valuable life saving techniques to help your loved ones.

CHOKING
When someone starts choking and they are coughing this means that they can breath, which is great!  Encourage them to continue to cough, lean forward slightly, and remain calm.  Usually the event passes and the object slides down their throat.  Have them drink some water and take a few deep breathes.  Easy.

Now, if your friend is choking on some food and suddenly stops coughing while grabbing at their throat, you need to move fast.  Now that they are not coughing, their airway is blocked.  NEW THIS YEAR: do the Heimlich maneuver five (5) times, then lean them forward and really whack on their upper back.  Hit them hard and with an upward thrust.  Do this five (5) times also.  Repeat the Heimlich and the back blows until the object either shoots out their mouth (woo hoo!) or slides down their throat.  Even if it’s your friend, ask them if they need help, and reassure them the entire time.  

What if you are eating at home, alone? What if you start choking and no one is around.  Two things to consider: do you have a land line and do you live in a high rise building?

When you start choking, and begin to get worried, call 911 while you can still manage the phone.  Even if you can’t say anything, the EMS can track your address.  Now, here is where the consideration comes in.  If you have a land line it doesn’t matter if you live in a house or in a building since the EMS can trace your call.  If you only have a mobile phone and live in a building (like me) your address can be tracked but not your unit number.

Once you call 911 get into the hall way.  Emergency teams will go down each hall in the building until they find you.  By being in the hallway you reduce the time it takes for the EMS to find you (especially if you go unconscious in the mean time).

Stay safe and alert at all times.  By knowing how to handle a choking situation you may save a good friend’s life or your own!

Jen Mark BSc., CAT(C), CSCS
www.dynamicliving.me
Facebook

Places to find First Aid Courses
Canadian Red Cross
St. John’s Ambulance

Awkward Positions

Spring and summer are glorious for us Canadians.  Great weather finally gets (almost) everyone outside and active.  This means getting into the garden, trimming trees and shrubs, and mowing the lawn.  Some people are on the roof doing repairs, or under the cottage making adjustments from the winter.  What do all these activities have in common?

Awkward positions.

In the clinic, I see a lot of summer-time injuries.  Many people are coming in with aches and pains from being stuck in an awkward position for many minutes at a time.  Bent over in the garden causes the back to become overstretched.  Trimming trees with your arms over your head causes your shoulder and neck to be placed in an unstable position.  Mowing the lawn with a push mower, without your core activated, causes your pelvis to go out of alignment.  But what can be done?  We can’t stop taking care of our precious lawns and gardens!

Be patient, get stronger, and stretch!

Be patient: take time in between flowers to change your position.  When weeding, maintain your posture.  When doing activities with your hands over your head, bring them down often and mix in a stretch.  If you get out of posture, stop, reset, and get back into alignment.  You will last much longer and you will seriously reduce your risk of injury.

Get stronger: those that are more fit, have less gardening injuries.  Even if they do get injured, they likely recover faster and are less severely injured.

Stretch: in between activities and at the end of the day.  After you are finished with your outside chores, take some time to stretch.  Treat these activities like your workout and get down on the lawn, deck, or carpeted floor and do some stretches.

Being aware of fatiguing muscles and joints, and taking the time to maintain your alignment will help your work in the garden and around your house go so much faster and longer.  Not that I don’t like the business, but us athletic therapists don’t really want to see you getting injured doing the activities you love!

Jen Mark BSc., CAT(C), CSCS
www.dynamicliving.me

Toothless in a Remote Town

My little sister had her first baby one week ago today! He’s perfect – in fact I am currently babysitting: he’s sleeping while his parents take a nap. 

When I first arrived in Kamloops, BC, I was picked up at the airport by my brother-in-law’s sister.  On the 45 minute drive to Barriere (where they live), a few references were made to the toothless-ness of the residents in town.  I have noticed this before in other remote towns, and started to think why.  After I arrived in the house, and we got past the hugs and greetings, I scoped out the food situation.  As new parents, good nutrition can often get forgotten.  Thank goodness both my sister and her husband take Juice Plus, so at the very least they are getting all their fruits and vegetables.  I went to the grocery store that evening (on my own, driving a massive pick up truck) to get vegetables. Here’s where being toothless part comes in.

The fruits and vegetables in the only grocery store in town are really expensive.  I spent $70 on mostly vegetables for 3 adults for a few days.  And they aren’t eating much.  The kale was a bit yellow to begin with, but was the best of the bunch.  There was a few snow peas in the bag that were moldy from the beginning, and the cucumber hasn’t lasted long.

For residents that rely on fruits and vegetables coming from major cities, that have been shipped in from around the world, no wonder teeth are falling out.  The “fresh” food section of the store is very small and the meat section is huge! 

My mind also wonders to potential athletes that might be growing up in the region.  How can an athlete develop on a diet that has been solely purchased from one grocery store? When does our government step in to ensure that all Canadians have access to fresh fruits and vegetables?

Lastly, I was in the doctor’s office waiting room (while my nephew had his first doctors appointment) reading the bulletin board.  I wondered down the hall and read all the covers of the Public Health pamphlets.  Nothing about nutrtion anywhere.  No help to understand that real nutrition is important for parents and children – or even the general population.  We had a home visit from the local public health nurse (who used to live in Toronto).  She was lovely, intelligent, and very helpful – but not once asked about real nutrition.  She asked my sister if she was eating, but not what she was eating.

It would be nice if remote areas in Canada has access to education and the resources to obtain whole food and fresh produce – at an affordable price.  That doesn’t seem much to ask, it seems like it would create jobs, and it seems like a good investment for the future.

My nephew is lovely and I hope we can provide him with only the best produce money can buy. 

 

Jen Mark BSc., CAT(C), CSCS
www.dynamicliving.me

My Ride to Conquer Cancer

The day finally came!  The day I was looking forward to and dreading all at the same time.  Great day to test my endurance and an unknown adventure.  Nervous because I had not even ridden 100km ever before, never mind two days back to back.

So…this is how it went:

Diane picked me up at 6am.  It was raining and cold, and dark.  We loaded my bike into the back of her car and my big backpacking backpack into her trunk.  We had no traffic and made it to the CNE for about 6:24am.  When we got there, there was no rain and the sun was coming out between the clouds.  Diane gave me a big good luck hug and I went off all alone.

I got my kit (bike identification and t-shirt) from the registration tent without hassle or line up.  Some guy named Jason (our names were on our bikes), helped me figure out the chip that was to attach to my helmet.  Everyone was so nice.  Everyone was there for one purpose: get to Hamilton!  My t-shirt was huge!  But luckily the organizers had thought of everything.  I went over to the “T-shirt Exchange Tent” and got an extra small.  It fits perfectly.

I filled my water bottle and gatorade bottle up.  Brought my backpack to the Ryder trucks.  My gear went into the “Grey” Truck and would be brought to Hamilton for me – and again, no line ups.  Sweet.

All set and ready, and still not raining, I went to the corral area with thousands of other riders (4800 in total), to wait for the Open Ceremonies.  We found out that we had just raised $18.1 million and that this event was the single largest cancer fundraising event in Canadian history.  Cool! 

We had a slow start as everyone of us had to file through pretty small gates to get out onto Lakeshore.  All the lanes of the Lakeshore (west bound) were closed for us!  We filtered out, chatted to neighbours, and enjoyed the flat ride. Once we got passed the main roads and into the side streets of Mississauga, there were a lot of cheer sections with signs that read “Thank You Riders”.  Very inspirational and emotional.  The riders started thinning out also, so it was easier to ride.  We got into the country and it started to pour.  So this was my first time riding in the rain, and it wasn’t so bad.  Nothing changed really.

I was super tired now, it was really windy and the rain was a bit chilly after awhile.  I didn’t stop at the “Pit Stops” (1) because it was so damp I was worried I wouldn’t get back on my bike and (2) I had it in my head that I couldn’t stop.  After about 90km I felt really good and was very proud of myself.  We went down a huge hill that winded around and onto a main road somewhere in Ancaster.   Then the mountain.  The Hamilton Mountain.  It killed me!  I went so slow while everyone that I had passed in the last 90k passed me right back.  It was demoralizing, damp, cold, and my legs were shaking.  Haha, that hasn’t happened in a long time.  Finally I got to level ground (had the Sweep Car behind me) and rode like hell to Mohawk College.

The rain stopped around 3:30pm, I had a shower on a big tractor trailer, got some food, and got my tent.  I lined up for a massage, and ended up with a physiotherapy student from McMaster.  Worst massage ever, so I went back to my tent and took an Ibuprofen for my exhausted right quad.  I took a nap and organized my tent.  Most people were drying their clothes on top of their tents because it was so sunny and hot at this point.  I found myself doing whatever everyone else was doing.  I learn well from social learning!

There were hundreds of port-a-potties and running water for hand washing (we were spoiled).  I had a hot meal for dinner and listened to the live band play fun 70s music.  The speeches in the evening were from the directors of Princess Margaret Hospital, the Ride itself and cancer survivors/patients.  The speeches were long enough to be meaningful (and were quite funny along side emotional) and short enough to keep our attention span.

After the speeches, I had half a cup of beer and chatted with some people I knew.  Everyone seemed to filter towards the “Tent City” around 9:30 with most people in their tents by ten.

I had no trouble falling asleep, but stayed awake all night since I was in the snoring section.  I was cold too for some reason.  I made it through the night though, and wasn’t even sore the next morning!

Most of the camp was up at 5:30am, I tried to keep my eyes closed until 6am.   I changed, ate a hot breakfast, brushed my teeth with running water at a vanity beside the shower trucks and filled my water bottles up.  I left camp at 7:30am and had the ride of my life!

I had so much fun going down the big hill that previously destroyed my confidence.  I then charged up the next hill with vengeance and passed many cyclist walking their bikes up the hill.  My confidence was rising!  I met more people along the way, but was trying to ride as hard as I could so that I could make up for a somewhat tough ride the day before.  After getting through the hard parts within the first hour, I actually had a blast going through the rolling hills in Guelph and Milton.  I was chasing other riders and getting passed by big groups working together.

I did stop at the lunch “Pit Stop” to refill my water and gatorade bottles, but turned down the “vegan chicken” that was offered to the vegetarians.  I felt like a real snob!

The weather was perfect, I think I had beat the real heat and humidity so having clear skies and dry roads was a blessing.  I got back into Mississauga riding with a group of 3 men.  I eventually passed them on a hill (don’t ask how) and found another group along Lakeshore.  We all worked together and got into Toronto.  It was so fun to work with a small group, and being the token women, I felt I had to really work to earn my spot.

I rode as fast as I could up the hill near the Boulevard Club and into the CNE.  I was so pumped to be finished but also at how well I thought I did.  I have never been proud or happy with any athletic achievement.

But this day, mentally, I was so strong.  I didn’t have the training, I had never done the distance, and I had no idea what to expect.  I had a full glass of Steam Whistle this time and waited for my ride.  I smiled the whole way home, showered, and promptly fell asleep on my couch for 3 hours!

Thanks to everyone who was there to support me.  Thanks to those who sponsored me and those who encouraged me.  🙂

Day 1: 110km 4:37:00

Day 2: 102km 4:01:00 (but did 100k under 4 hours which was my goal!)

Check out my Bike Log for some of my rides leading up to this fun weekend.  I will definitely be doing this again next year!!!

Jen Mark BSc., CAT(C), CSCS
www.dynamicliving.me 

Winning a Championship

Everyone who wins a championship says their day started off like any other. On Friday morning I trained for three and a half hours, walked home for lunch, then went for a run with my dad.  I trained two more clients then headed up towards Stouffville.

I picked up extra tape, went to Costco for the special granola bars, then to Dollarama and Walmart for plastic wrap and Gatorade.  We get on the bus as a team and head to Whitby.

It takes an entire team to coordinate the players.  Putting names on cups, organizing the tool box and food table are small things but helps keep things organized.  Getting the players warmed up and playing “sewyer ball” takes a coordinated effort.  Then the taping frenzy begins.  Getting all the right tape on the right people on the right body parts on-time takes real skill! Getting them all done and out of the therapy room in time for the coaches pre-game talk can be stressful.

Game food and drink are vital to our team.  I am a big believer in eating and drinking your way through  competition.  We use powdered Gatorade (very watered down and made by Knick) before the game and especially at intermissions.  In the second and third period we have water and Gatorade on the bench.  Granola bars are a favourite for food and are encouraged in intermissions also.  During big games, we make peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwiches for the second intermission.  Keeping on top of nutrition all year long has been a real focus.  I try to ignore the comments about Wendy’s and McDonald’s, I’m sure they don’t eat it that often…..

After games I really encourage a good cool down.  Most often this involves stretching.  I’ve seen a big improvement in some of my dedicated players in their flexibility and range of motion.  You can see the benefits on the ice with our flexibility program.

The rewards come when you get into overtime during game 6.  We score and the team jumps the boards onto the ice.  There’s a trophy and a presentation.  We must of spent an hour on the ice taking pictures of players with the cup and their families.  What a happy moment to see all the smiles, the players hoisting the cup over their heads.  This is what makes all the hard work and long hours worth it.

Now we’re off to Thunder Bay to repeat the same routine, keep the same rhythm, and to walk in with a little swagger.

Jen Mark BSc, CAT(C), CSCS
www.dynamicliving.me

I held a brain!

Last night I found out I had the opportunity to go to a cadaver lab. I jumped at the chance. This morning I was so pumped to get through the morning so I could get into the lab and get a chance to really see the muscles, ligaments, and nerves that have been bugging my clients lately.

I got to the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College early and got to look around their student shop. I saw lots of things that I will buy, soon. I met the group in the lobby and we went down to the anatomy labs. The smell of formaldehyde was strong, and some of the other students passed around Tiger Balm ointment to put under their noses to take away the smell. I work with hockey players so my smell senses are dead anyways, I didn’t take the ointment. Once inside the lab we put our lab coats on and began to unwrap the first body.

All the bodies we saw looked like dried out turkey. Good thing I’m vegetarian. I got to touch and see and move anything I wanted. I liked seeing the muscles and nerves in the legs the most. We saw a pelvis and scoliotic spine, which was great to see the rotation of the vertebrae at each over-curvature. We saw a spinal cord and got to touch and hold all the nerve roots that were still intact.

And then I got to hold a human brain! It took 2 hands. The over layer (that attaches to the skull – the duramater) was still intact but peeled away. The piamater (the layer right on the brain) was still present and shiny. It weighed about 5-6 pounds and was pretty firm.

We saw black, shriveled, smoker’s lungs, and I got to hold a cancerous liver. All the livers were the
size of a football! The skin that was peeled back is so thick. No wonder I have to dig deep in order to influence the muscles. There was fascia still attached to the bones that still housed blood vessels and nerves. Speaking of nerves…wow! They’re huge! I knew the sciatic nerve was fat (the width of your thumb) but the other nerves are nothing to sniff at. I got to poke and pull at the brachial plexus (the bundle of nerves just above your collar bone). You can see all the branches and roots very clearly.

It is such a great experience to impulsively get plunged into a world that you’ve never been to before. I never say no to any experience and this time it paid off. We only had an hour inside the lab, but I could have spent all day. What a fantastic learning experience! Thanks Joe!

Jen Mark BSc., CAT(C), CSCS
Dynamic Living

Listen to your mother!

We’ve all heard it: “Sit up straight!” from our mothers at one point in our life. We would sit very miliatry-like and could only hold it for a few seconds. Do you feel the same way now? What exactly is good posture and can it be for more than good looks?

Let’s start at the base, our pelvis. The spine is attached at the pelvis (Sacral Iliac Joint), and is thus very influenced by your deep core muscles and posture. You need to have a strong core in order to hold your pelvis in its neutral position. Not with your butt stuck out, and not so that your back is flat – somewhere half way in between. Once your pelvis is neutral, your lower back needs to have a small lordotic curve. This provides shock absorption for your spine. If you insist on walking around with your lower back completely flattened, you lose that valuable spring in your movements.

Your thoracic spine (where your ribs meet your vertebra) needs to have a curve also. This time, a very mild kyphotic curve. This continues the “s” shape of the spine for added absorption of movement and shock. This is the curve that can become exaggerated in seniors that is caused by osteoporosis.

Lastly, the neck should have the same curve as the lower back. A small curve oppposite to the thoracic spine. Here lies most of our problems. Many people have too much of a lordotic curve, and many have very little curve at all. If you have too much curvature, it is likely caused by an over kyphotic curve in the thoracic spine. This compensation of the neck helps to keep the eyes level for optimal vision (and we think our bodies aren’t smart!). Having either too much or no curve in the neck causes a lot of neck pain that can last a long time. This is where a therapist needs to step in and work on postural correction.

Finally, I want to touch base on shoulders. Having rounding shoulders with shoulder blades (scapula) that stick out, also causes a lot of problems. When people talk about pulling your shoulders back, it gives the wrong impression. To correct your rounded shoulders, you need to tilt your shoulder blades into your rib cage. A very small movement. Do not squeeze your shoulder blades together, this will cause more neck trouble (something we can talk about later). Having good posture through your shoulders means that your humerus is sitting in the joint in its optimal position. This allows for a greater range of motion (especially being able to lift your arm above your head), allows you to lift heavier weights, and reduces injury during sports and activities in your life.

So, straighten up! Hold your pelvis neutral, maintain a small curve in your lower back, and tilt those shoulder blades into your rib cage. It can be very fatiguing at first to hold, but keep at it. You will see a big difference over time.

For a quick demo on setting your shoulder blades and pelvis, click here. Look at the videos on shoulders and core activation.

Jen Mark BSc., CAT(C), CSCS
Dynamic Living

From “weakness” to “respect” for the Shoulder Joint

Shoulder injuries like rotator cuff injuries, and conditions like frozen shoulder are hugely painful for the sufferer and frustrating for the teacher or trainer. It’s hard to watch a client stall in their progress due to a shoulder injury. Yoga is a helpful practice in preventing and recovering from common shoulder injuries.  Although every person and every injury are different, practice with consciousness, patience and consistency, yoga is a game-changer. Here are two simple ways yoga helps when it comes to the pre-hab and re-hab of the shoulder joint:

 

Stretch + Strength = Stability: Often people injure their joints because the muscles surrounding them are either too weak (and they can’t support the joint) or unbalanced (and they torque the joint out of alignment).  Yoga promotes balance in flexibility and strength exercises, particularly for the upper body.  It also promotes balanced muscle development, not favoring the bi- over the triceps for example. To prevent injury poses like downward dog, eagle, crescent moon and arm balances (only if the student is already strong enough and ready for the pose) will help to strengthen and lengthen the muscles around the shoulder.  To rehab the shoulder, forward folds, table top, and shoulder rotations will help to loosen things up and start to rebuild shoulder strength. Of course, every shoulder is different, and students should listen to and respect their bodies.  Note: Yoga is amazing for rehab, but yoga is not athletic therapy. If your client is badly injured, they need to see Jen or Katy before coming to a yoga class and they should always advise the teacher of any injuries they have before starting their practice.

Knowing Your Limits:  Ego. Everyone has it, and every personal trainer or yoga teacher has seen it in action: a student who knows they don’t yet have the strength to do so jumps into a pose or exercise before they are ready and they injure themselves in the process.  Letting go of the ego is one of the most important things yoga can do for your clients.  Yoga teaches people to recognize and respect their limits. It helps to reframe perceptions of “weakness” and reprogram them as “respect”.  We need to listen to our bodies when we exercise, and yoga teaches us to listen when they whisper rather than waiting until they scream.  This will result in fewer injuries from overexertion. It will also help to create a smooth path to recovery as students discover and respect their new limitations rather than expecting pre-injury performance. 

Working with a Qualified Instructor: The same principle applies to those working with a personal trainer or coach, as with yoga.  Having an instructor that can follow your movements (small groups are best), and make necessary corrections will greatly help guide your recovery.  Your instructor should be willing to work with your limitations and bring about a fun, safe, and goal oriented yoga session.  Building poses and progressions is more important than actually getting to the advanced pose.  

Thanks to my guest blogger, Jenny Foster, who teaches yoga at Dynamic Living.

Shoulder Stability Workshop Feb 21 at 2pm.  Register today.

Jen Mark BSc., CAT(C), CSCS
www.dynamicliving.me