I was out for a walk with my husband and kids the other night when we walked past a driveway filled with sidewalk chalk and the saying “Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep your balance you must keep moving.” Although everyone should be practicing social distancing at this time it is still important for physical and mental health to stay active.
Although the options may be limited compared to times prior to social distancing there are still many options to choose from.
With the weather changing and becoming warmer, walking or biking around your neighbourhood or along many of the walking paths around town is a great option as long as you keep a distance of at least approximately 2 meters from anyone around.
On days when the weather doesn’t cooperate and you are forced indoors, there are many online yoga and exercise classes that you may be able to join. Prior to beginning any class make sure you have been cleared by a medical professional to exercise and pick a class that matches your fitness level. Another fitness activity you may complete if you love the stair master at the gym is walking or running up/down the stairs in your home (if you have any).
If you are lucky enough to be able to still work from home, if your business has closed its doors, try to stand up and move approximately every 30 minutes. My husband is able to work from home, but rather than being able to walk to and from his desk for meetings or to have consultations with different coworkers he is completing those tasks from the same chair in his home office. I educated him to get up and move as much as he can as his sedentary job has become even more sedentary.
If you have been able to continue to be active during these tough times make sure you continue to stay hydrated. Also, if you have been able to stay active but are still struggling with stress and anxiety try some meditation to help with mental health. Taking repetitive deep breaths may also help with relaxation.
Please try to stay healthy during this time but at the same time keep moving to stay balanced.
As a registered massage therapist who provides sports therapy massage, often to complement the physiotherapy center in our clinic, I advise clients to stretch after any physical activity to prevent injury and improve their overall health. Sports physiotherapy or sports physio along with massage is not only for the elite athlete. Customized treatment plans are created for the weekend warrior as well. I recently had a client ask me what muscles they should stretch before and after rock climbing. Laughingly I said I would get back to them with accurate stretches after our health team went for a fun day of indoor rock climbing at Climbers Rock in Burlington.
Climbers Rock was awesome for giving us tips when climbing. We started the day with a lesson to gain confidence with the ropes and equipment. After we all passed the training we were set to start climbing. As a beginner I found that my muscles were fatigued and sore after a few climbs and that rock climbing is truly a full body workout! I highly recommend it and hope to go back someday and improve my technique.
From the experience I can say that some of the key muscles to stretch after your climbing adventure would include your latissimus dorsi, the muscle you use to pull yourself up the wall. Biceps brachii also used to pull up and stabilize on the wall. Forearm flexors that flex your fingers and hang onto the holds and surprisingly your gastrocnemius and soleus used to push up and balance on small toe holds.
Whether you are a seasoned athlete looking for sports therapy or just starting out and considering a physiotherapy clinic with massage to guide you through your athletic goals come visit our team. Using a collaborative approach our team works hard to help you move better, feel better and play better.
Tell someone you have low back pain or sciatica and chances are they will suggest you go see a chiropractor. Eight out of ten Canadians will have back pain at some point in their life, and a least one third of people in Ontario will have back pain at any given time. Chiropractors are well educated and receive focused training to assess, diagnose, treat and prevent conditions or disorder of the spine, joints, muscle and nervous system. Read on to discover what low back pain relief and treatment or sciatica treatment may look like from a chiropractor.
What are the Types of Chiropractic Treatments
Chiropractors use a combination of treatments based on the individual needs of the patient. After taking a complete history and diagnosing a patient, a chiropractor can develop and carry out a treatment plan, recommend therapeutic exercise and other non-invasive therapies. Therapies may include manual therapy such as spinal manipulation or a chiropractic adjustment, acupuncture, exercise rehabilitation, soft tissue techniques or laser therapy.
What is Spinal Manipulation (A Chiropractic Adjustment)
Spinal Manipulation or a chiropractic adjustment is highly skilled and precise movement usually applied by hand to a joint of the body. Adjustments mobilize the joint to restore proper movement and optimize function.
Chiropractic adjustment techniques have been researched extensively. Complications are rare and side-effects, such as temporary soreness, are usually minor. Your chiropractor will determine if your problem will respond to chiropractic care or if you require referral to another health care provider.
Are Chiropractic Adjustments Safe
Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest, drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of headache, and neck and back pain. It has an excellent safety record. However, no health treatment is completely free of potential adverse effects. Even common over-the-counter medicines carry a risk.
Most patients experience immediate relief following a chiropractic adjustment, however, some may experience temporary pain, stiffness or slight swelling. This is often minor and short lived and you chiropractor will provide home care strategies if these do occur
What do Chiropractors Treat
Chiropractors are more widely known for low back pain treatment but they are actually able to treat a number of other conditions that frequently occur. Some of these are:
- Low Back Pain/Sciatica
- Headaches & Neck pain
- Work Related Repetitive Strain Injuries
- Knee Injuries, including ligament and meniscal tears
- Ankle Sprains
- Plantar Fascia and foot pain
- Shoulder Injuries, including Rotator Cuff tears and impingements
- Osteoarthritis
- Numbness and Tingling related conditions
- Wrist and Elbow Conditions, including ‘Tennis’ Elbow