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In last week's blog I wrote about your plan for springtime physical activity and how what you choose to do will help support your summertime pursuits. If you missed it, you can read more here. This week I want to provide a more direct example with you and share some specific exercises to support your movement. Let's go! Walking. It is an essential movement to our day to day life. Once warmer weather arrives (whatever that means to you), there is an inclination to get out and walk in our neighbourhoods, community parks and anywhere there is fresh air (read: NATURE). With an uptick in walking, have you considered trying something new? You may ask, "Lisa, how can I make my walking new?" Insert - poles. And not just any poles. Nordic walking poles. Nordic walking, as the name reveals, is a form of walking that started in Nordic or Scandinavian countries, more precisely from Finland. It was a form of exercise to support wintertime physical activity pursuit of cross-country skiing. See the trend here. Springtime activities supporting summertime activities. Summertime activities supporting wintertime activities. It is all intertwined! And today I would like to share with you three supportive movements for Nordic walking. Not sure you want to try Nordic walking? Not sure how to do it? I'm your gal. I've been pole walking since 2007. Yep. I'm the one you may have seen walking with poles in the streets of Edmonton and wondered, "where are her skis?!" And for you this Spring, how about trying some Nordic walking as a way to get stronger for your Summer walks and hikes in nature? Not sure? Well, consider this. I am wanting to know if YOU would like to have a workshop or a series of sessions where I can teach YOU how to walk with Nordic walking poles. I've got the poles, you've got the legs and so it would all work just perfectly! Can you please complete this survey to let me know what would suit you best? As always, I am here to support you on your physical activity journey. Will Nordic walking be a part of your journey? Stay well and happy moving, Lisa 📣 Shout out to my gardeners! This April I have a workshop for you! Join me at Yoga Within Edmonton for Gardening Ready Yoga. April 22 will be here in no time so grab your spot today!
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What are your plans for this Spring?
It is the first day of Spring tomorrow and the world is about to come alive. Will you? Imagine all the things you want to do this summer. Go ahead and pause. Look away from your screen for a moment. I'll wait. For those fun, exciting adventures to occur, will you be physically ready? Gosh, it would feel sad to not be able to do what you want to. Spring is you preseason! It is time to set up your strategy. Now is the time. The time to get your preseason training. Not to get that summer bod. Nope. You are on the wrong email list if you are all about the summer bod. Instead, you want to move with ease. Move with strength, endurance and dare I say, pain free, this summer. Now is the time to make a plan and start building in the movement you need for all your anticipated summer adventures. Case in point. One of my clients works at a golf course over the sunny Canadian months. She knows the walking, twisting and bending it requires to pick up golf balls from the green. We devised a plan to get her walking daily for a minimum of 20 minutes. We also planned to have her practice a standing yoga and stretching routine to help mimic some of the movement patterns she needs to do in her job. She is in her preseason of training. Why? She wants to avoid hurting after each shift. She wants to have the mobility to bend with ease. She may even get a game of golf in herself and she wants to walk all 18 holes. Insight to Action: What do you need to do now to get ready for your physical pursuits this summer? Is it mobility? Is it building new brain-body pathways to change undesirable movement patterns? Is it stability? Is it for the endurance to go for a full day of activities outdoors? Is it strength? It is possible to get started now and reap the rewards this summer! I applied the same preseason framework recently in this article for Farm Forum. Farmers' preseason starts earlier than the urban folks and the same principles apply. Start now and reap the benefits for your future self. Got some good ideas? Go ahead and jump on to my Facebook page and post your preseason movement plans. I'd love to hear what you are up to! Stuck on what to do? Consider spending time with me devising a customized plan just for you! Stay well and happy moving, Lisa 📣 Shout out to my gardeners! This April I have a workshop for you! Join me at Yoga Within Edmonton for Gardening Ready Yoga. April 22 will be here in no time so grab your spot today! Thank you, Albert Einstein, for the brilliant self-reflection. Yes to curiosity! In this week's newsletter, I want you to put on your thinking cap. Get curious with me. Don't worry. I'm not going to send you a test to complete. Simply, challenge your mind a bit to learn more about yourself. The more you know about your body, the more you can apply your knowledge to how you move your body. Win-win! I have a series of five questions below. Read the question and stop to think. Don’t just ask Siri or google right away. Can you come up with the answer? Maybe jot your answers down on a piece of paper. Once you have gone through each question, jump onto my website to find the answers! I also share more details there as it applies to physical activity and movement. Drum roll please. Here are the questions!
Support (think the clothes hanger for the muscles), protection, body movement (muscles move joints which are two bones coming together), hemopoiesis (production of blood cells and platelets), mineral storage
A handy way to remember is… - You have breakfast at 7 am - You have lunch at 12 pm - You have dinner at 5 pm - You go to bed at 9 pm (5+4)
On average you take 12-16 breaths per minute. When you exercise, it can go up to as high as 40-60 breaths per minute. Wow!
Two hundred and seventy at birth and 206 by adulthood. Why so many at birth? You don't lose bones as you age. You actually have bones that fuse together with age. Remember the soft spots on babies' heads. These soft spots are spaces between the bones of the skull where bone formation isn't complete. As they come together, they form one bone.  Want to learn more about your body and how it moves? I'd love to help you gain knowledge and skill in my one-on-one sessions. So much fun. The more you know, the more you know! Stay well and happy moving, Lisa If you don't know already, I love how much exercise impacts our health. I could go on and on about the impacts and you can read more about that here and here. So when this particular article crossed my desk this week, I could not not share it (double negative, right!?) A team of researchers reviewed health data of over 81,000 patients between the ages of 42 to 78. And no surprise to me, they found the many health benefits that exercising provided to their sample population. Working in healthcare and the healthcare system, outcomes matter. The big outcome that is so important to the healthcare system is hospitalization. Amazingly the data also showed that people who exercised for at least 20 minutes per day stayed out of the hospital. Exercise is an effective and non-pharmaceutical intervention that keeps you healthy! And away from the emergency department. Yes! It's it great to be able to take care of yourself! I sure think so. Now decide, what is the structured physical activity (aka exercise) that you will do for at least 20 minutes today? Walking Swimming Cycling Yoga Tai Chi Pilates Climbing your stairs Body weight resistance exercise Dancing Cleaning your house All of these activities are great ways to get your body moving without too much preparation and effort! Know your limit and stick within it too. In terms of intensity, of course.
Stay well and happy moving, Lisa Like the data? Here is the actual journal article about the research project. I 💗 data! Is there something in the water? This week many clients came to see me with jaw pain. Jaw pain, sometimes linked with neck pain. Lucky for these clients, I've been taking a new course this month all about breathing. You may wonder, what does breathing have to do with jaw pain? The function of your mouth and jaw is directly related to the function of your airway. When your jaw moves well, your breathing is better. And vice versa. The two go hand in hand. So when jaw pain came up this week as a query, I had a new tool to share. The movement and breathing technique takes us back to elementary school. We use it day to day when speaking and don't think much of it. It is the long vowel sounds. Remember those?  A E I O U The vowels are saying their names!
Even if you don't think you have jaw pain, this little series of movements can both benefit your jaw and your breathing. Let's try it out for size. Find a comfortable position either standing or sitting. Take a deep breath in. Exhale while saying the long A sound. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. Then take a breath in and exhale with the long E sound. You get the drift. Continue the cycle of inhale and exhale with the long vowel sounds. Finish a total of five breaths, ending with the long U sound. It only takes five inhales and five exhales to complete. Maybe a minute of your day! Then go back to your regular breathing pattern. What do you notice? Has anything shifted in your jaw? Which vowel flowed out the easiest? the most strained? Which vowel would you pick? Feel free to repeat up to two to three more times. Notice how your breathing may also shift and how you feel. Who knew the power of the alphabet!? 🤐 Do it in private if you are conscious about what sounds come out. 😲 Do it in front of a mirror to watch your jaw in action. 🌅 Do it in the morning to start your day. Anytime you need to find some ease, give this movement and breathing exercise a try! I'd love to hear how it goes. Drop me a line by simply replying to this email to let me know what shows up for you! Welcome back the forgotten long vowels! Stay well and happy moving, Lisa P.S., Know someone with jaw and/or neck pain who would benefit from this content? Send them a link to this post and be sure to have them sign up for the weekly newsletter that will land directly in their inbox every week! I'm sure you have heard that February is heart month. I decided to jump on the bandwagon and share with you a simple and nurturing heart practice with you this week. I know when I take care of myself (and my heart), I can take care of others. Take some time this coming week to send some love to not only your loved ones but to yourself too. Put your best heart forward! Stay well and happy moving, Lisa 💗 P.S. And if you need more, check out my special Valentine's Day message! Meet Les. Les has been going to his local YMCA at 7:30 am since 1983. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are dedicated to resistance training. Tuesdays and Thursdays are dedicated to cardiovascular exercise. He says, "If I don’t feel like going to the gym, I go anyway because the gym has paid me back many times.” AND Les is 100 years old!  It is the fascinating and inspiring stories like Les' that have driven my passion project, The Why I Move Project, for almost 10 years! The Why I Move Project grew out of my professional realization that when people have a WHY they are more connected and committed to their physical activity and exercise. It is a purpose driven approach that helps you along your journey. Physical activity and exercise IS a journey. I can guarantee that it isn't a linear straight line and it looks more like the Toronto Stock Exchange. However, for all the ups and downs, there is an overall linear climb. The linear climb happens over many years and there is a reason WHY behind it. The goal of The Why I Move Project is to help ignite an inner awareness to what you think, feel and experience when you are physically active. Making your movement more mindful and connected to what you personally receive from it. One of those days when it feels like a slog to be physically active, bringing your attention to your WHY and it can help you move along…literally. What can you do now to connect to mindful movement? ✔️ Head over to The Why I Move Project website and explore all the stories and quotes from people just like you! ✔️ Go to the Resource section and watch the educational video. ✔️ When you are on the Resource page, download the Your Emotions and Physical Activity Choices Worksheet. Complete it for yourself and see how your own emotions are linked to physical activity. ✔️ Formulate your own WHY. And share it! Who knows what your story can do for someone else striving to be more physically active! As always, I am here to support you in your physical activity journey. I help you to move better and move more often. AND find your WHY! Stay well and happy moving, Lisa P.S., Read Les' full story here! Welcome to the next instalment of Real Moves for Real Life. How well do you stand with your legs? Kind of a funny question, right!? Ever notice that you catch yourself tipping over at times or grabbing for something to support you with your hands. Well, my friends, today I have a new exercise for you that will help you out! Watch the video now to find out what you can do to help you stand better. What do you think? Do you feel more stable on your feet after trying out the exercise in the video? Want more? I'm teaching an in person workshop, Yoga for the Hips and Psoas, next Saturday (January 21) at Yoga Within Edmonton. I'd love to help you explore your hip mobility and stability. Find out more here. Stay well and happy moving, Lisa P.S. Did you know I have a YouTube series called Real Moves for Real Life? If you have missed any of the other episodes, here is a link to the playlist. Happy New Year! 🎉 YOU are officially past the first week of 2023! How has the new year been treating you so far? Did you make the traditional New Year's resolution this year? The average New Year’s resolution is kept for 42 days. Forty-two days into 2023 will take us to February 11. Will you keep your resolution until then? Depending on how you define “success,” research has shown that ~33-55% of people who make New Year’s resolutions are “successful” at one year, with “slip-ups” happening ~14 times over two years. Resolutions aimed at “goodness” might be more likely followed. Suggesting resolutions to others, especially spouses and particularly around their weight, is never a good idea. A resolution to have no resolution could save an average of $250! The average Canadian spends $252 per year on failed resolutions. Save your dollars and may I suggest you decide on a goal for yourself instead. Now Lisa, what is the difference between a resolution and a goal? I would argue that goal has some pretty well-defined actions and outcomes that are done over time. Have you ever heard of SMART goals? That is one model that might work for you. However, we are also looking for some short wins and so I would suggest if you make a physical activity or exercise goal for yourself in 2023, set yourself up for success with this daily question… Get your pen and paper or journal ready…. What is ONE thing I will do today to make progress on my physical activity or exercise goal? And THEN…say to yourself (out loud preferably)… "[Your first name} - you are 100% capable of figuring this out. No matter how long it takes, or how inventive, flexible, and creative you have to be - you've got what it takes to be a physically active person." Try that on for size! Short and sweet and to the point (thanks - Marie Forleo for this as I modified it with a physical activity or exercise twist for you, my dear reader).  Okay - you got this? Yes - you got this.
Need some support? I've got your back for 2023. My Friday morning sessions are open for you. It would be an honour to work with you to help achieve your physical activity or exercise goals this year! Stay well and happy moving, Lisa 👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼 What's coming up? My next workshop at Yoga Within Edmonton is on January 21! It is all about the hips. Stay tuned for more about the hips in the weeks ahead. Oh - and one last thing. I personally did not make a resolution this year. I do however have some big goals for this year. Stay tuned to hear more! 🙌🏼 Do you forget how much you've done in a whole entire year? I sure do. In this week's post, I want to you consider taking the time to really reflect on the past year. As we close another year, take this time to write down your physical activity successes of 2022. Here is a real example that I worked through with a client this week.  This physical activity template I created is inspired by the work of Marie Forleo and her year in review blog post, podcast and video. Feel free to check it out as another approach to stepping into a new year with the successes of the outgoing year. We can only change what we are aware of. If you want to be successful (in your own personal way) with your physical activity and movement, you have to know where you've been and where you are going. Grab the free worksheet here: 
What's coming in 2023? Lots! Keep your eyes out on social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) of what is coming. I've got a hips and psoas workshop on January 21, weekly yoga classes and of course, opportunities to work with me one-on-one. If you have missed some newsletters, you can always catch up over on my website. There is always lots of goodies to explore as you transition into a new year. With that, I will sign off for the year. Whoa! 2022 in the books. I will be back in your inbox on the first of the month with my monthly article roundup and then weekly on Sunday mornings into 2023. I wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season! Stay well and happy moving, Lisa |
AuthorMissed my most recent newsletter? Don't worry, I've got your back. Find all my exclusive letters here on this blog. ~Lisa Archives
September 2023
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