Exercise Archives - Page 8 of 8 - Plattsville Natural Health Clinic

Exercise with a Busy Schedule

December 2, 2014July 16, 2014 by elisha

Exercise can be hard to fit into schedules despite how good it is for us. What most do not realize is that exercise does not have to be a structured event. Exercise needs only be something to get you moving and preferably the heart pumping. Unfortunately, our society has moved from an active lifestyle to a more sedentary (sitting more often) one, and any activity that gets you off of the couch or out from behind your desk is ideal. Here are some ways you can keep active without necessarily going to the gym:

Take the Stairs

Sometimes this is easier said than done, but adopting lifestyle habits such as taking the stairs whenever possible helps to make you more active in other areas of your life.

Park Further from Buildings

Parking further from your destination helps once again to encourage a more active lifestyle. Please do use caution with this as some areas might be unsafe to do this in.

Step Counters

Many people use different pedometers or step counters in order to track how many steps they are taking throughout the day. It is a good way to make sure you are keeping active enough and track how active you are throughout the day. Most people suggest that 10,000 steps is classified as achieving an active day. You can download different apps on your phone to track your steps, or purchase step counters such as “fit bits” (I am not associated with this company in any way) for example.

Dance to Music

Dancing to music is a great way to keep moving and get your heart pumping, while benefiting your mood.

Make Exercise a Family Activity

Exercise can be challenging to incorporate into your daily routine when you are the only one in your family being active. By making exercise a family activity, for example going for a walk together, it encourages not only you to develop healthy habits, but your family as well.

Use your Break Time

Making exercise part of your break time at work is a great way to make sure you get some exercise into your day. This doesn’t mean you have to go to a gym during your break, but it could even be going outside for a 10 minute walk for your break. Not only is it good for your body, but it will help you to refocus for work.

Cleaning or Yard Work Counts

Though it is quite the chore, cleaning or yard work counts as exercise. You are up off the couch and active, and it provides a means for burning calories and getting your heart pumping.

Join a Class with Friends

Joining a class at your local gym with friends is a great way to be kept accountable to your active lifestyle changes, but also helps you to stay active and continue to have an active social life.

Work-out Videos

Finally, there are many workout videos available online that you can use to help you exercise at home.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC today and let me help you achieve your health goals.

The Benefits of Exercise

December 2, 2014July 2, 2014 by elisha

Many people know that exercise is good for you, but what exactly is it good for other than getting that “beach body”. Aside from helping maintain or gain a healthy weight, exercise has also been shown to have the following benefits:

Boosts energy
Encourages healthy sleep
Relieves stress
Improves mood
Lowers blood pressure
Lowers bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol
Reduces sensation of pain through release of endorphins (natural pain killers)
Reduces risk of future disease such as heart dsease and cancer
Enables more time in nature – causing more exposure to fresh air

Even as little as 30 minutes a day for 3 days of the week has been shown to have benefits for one’s overall health. With having more of a focus on being active, one might be better able to achieve their health goals.

Beach Body Tips and Tricks

November 26, 2014June 18, 2014 by elisha

Billions of dollars are being made on the topic of weight loss. Whether it is self-help books, diets, pills, or programs, a fortune is to be made in regards to helping people lose weight. There is no magic pill for weight loss. Ultimately, the way that you will achieve your weight loss goals is through making appropriate changes to your diet and lifestyle. However, there are some tips and tricks that might help encourage your body to lose weight:

Sleep

It might be surprising and sound very simple, but adequate, good – quality sleep is one of the ways we can prevent our bodies from “packing on” extra weight. When you do not get a good quality sleep, the following day you are more likely to eat 200-400 more calories! Giving your body the rest it needs will also help give you energy needed to exercise and make other lifestyle changes.

Water

Starting your day off with a glass of water will help not only with appetite but also with energy. You are asleep for 8 hours (give or take), at which point you are not drinking any water. This causes your body to wake up in a dehydrated and depleted state. Drinking a glass of water helps to replenish those water stores causing you to have more energy and a fuller stomach before meals. Often, when we are feeling hungry, it might even be our bodies trying to tell us that we are actually thirsty.

Slow Down

In our society, everyone is on the run, and that includes meals. By slowing down our eating, we are giving our body time to release the appropriate hormones that will tell our body that we are full. It takes 20 minutes to release this hormone, and so, by rushing through meals, we are not allowing our body to know precisely when we are full. “Mindful Eating” can help slow down our eating to help our bodies know when they are full. For more information on Mindful Eating please see my Handouts page at https://www.plattsvilledoctor.ca.

Smaller Portions

Everyone has heard time and time again to limit portions. A contributing factor to our larger portions might be the size of your plate. By using a smaller plate this will help to encourage smaller portions, as well as trick your mind into being satisfied (fuller plates tend to be more appealing to the eye hence why you normally want a full plate of food).

Note that anything beyond change in diet and lifestyle will not adequately retain weight loss goals. Please contact your doctor to inquire about how to make the appropriate diet and lifestyle changes to achieve appropriate weight loss. You can also come see me, Elisha Cook, at the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic (416-498-9763) and let me help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Spring: The Season of Detox Part 2 – Six Ways to Detox Everyday

November 26, 2014May 7, 2014 by elisha

Last week I presented what a detox was. I received quite a bit of interest in detox’s, so I decided to give my viewers some easy ways to encourage the detoxification process in your own home. I would advise my readers to use caution, as the detoxification process can cause headaches along with other symptoms, do to the elimination of toxins. As always, please consult with your Health Care Provider before trying any of the following:

1. Lemon in hot water

Start your day off by having a hot glass of water with lemon in it. Not only is this good for making you feel full but it also helps stimulate the liver (the detox center) to “clean up” your system.

2. Exercise

Among the many health benefits that exercise can provide, it can also provide a way to detoxify our bodies. Exercise does so by promoting sweat, which is one of the ways our body removes wastes and toxins from the body.

3. Dry Skin Brushing

Dry skin brushing is a method of stimulating the skin through an external stimulus such as a brush or cloth. By brushing away the dead skin, it allows the skin to “breathe” easier, thereby detoxifying it. For more information on how to perform dry skin brushing (as well as cautions to be aware of), refer to my Handout page at https://www.plattsvilledoctor.ca.

4. Alternating Hot and Cold Shower

Alternating hot and cold showers are a simple addition to your morning or nightly routine. It simply involves alternating hot and cold water for therapeutic benefit (refer to my Handout page at https://www.plattsvilledoctor.ca to find detailed instructions). By alternating hot with cold, it shocks your immune and circulatory system into working. By doing this, it causes toxins to be removed from the body. Along with this benefit, it can also stimulate brain function, help with digestion, and increase metabolism.

5. Eat more fruits and veggies

Fruits and vegetables have many nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to health. Along with their nutritional value, they can also improve digestion. By improving “transit time” (i.e. helping you go to the washroom/defecate), they help your body to detox as going #2 is another way our body detoxifies.

6. Castor Oil Packs to Abdomen

Finally, applying castor oil packs to the abdomen is a great way to encourage your body to detoxify. Though they can be messy, castor oil packs decrease inflammation and increase circulation, particularly in the liver is placed over it. This causes the liver to function properly and makes it better able to eliminate toxins. To learn more about how to perform a castor oil pack and the cautions associated with it, refer to my Handouts page at https://www.plattsvilledoctor.ca.