Welcome to my new website and my blog. Please note that some of my health articles I’ve written for my regular column “To Your Health” in the Community Press have been archived. I’ll be adding more of these on a regular basis so feel free to check back in from time to time. Please browse through my website and learn about spinal decompression therapy. If you have any further questions feel free to send me a message on the provided email box on the Contact page.

Things have been a wee bit crazy lately with all my scrambling to get the Quinte Decompression & Pain Clinic organized for its opening in April/11. I haven’t had a lot of time to devote to the blog, but that will change soon.

In other news I intend to teach an evening course in September called “Nutrition Demystified” in the Continuing Education department at Loyalist College. I’ve taught nutrition/fitness related courses at the community college level before but haven’t done so for a few years. I’m quite looking forward to doing so again. This course is intended to be a little different from traditional courses on the topic in as much that although it is based on sound science, there will be considerable emphasis on practical information. In fact we’ll even take one evening to visit a grocery store to learn how to understand labels and to demonstrate that it really is inexpensive to eat healthy. More information about this will be available when the fall edition of Loyalist’s magazine “Focus on Lifelong Learning” is delivered.

Well that’s all for now. I’ll be back later.

Don’t Walk Into Injuries

Walking is a terrific form of exercise. However, when first starting out, the first rule should be to not do too much too soon. My recommendation for beginning walkers is the same I give to beginning runners – think in terms of time rather than distance and build from there. In other words, let’s pretend you’re going for your first walk. Instead of determining how far you wish to walk, instead think of how long. Start with a given amount of time depending on your fitness and work up gradually from there by increasing your time walking as your progress. Start modestly and gradually build up.

There are many injuries that are both common to runners and walkers. Wearing decent walking shoes is a necessity.  Sales personnel in stores that sell athletic footwear are generally fairly knowledgeable in helping to select good walking shoes. Improperly fitting shoes can cause chaffing or blistering. Shoes with inadequate arch support will cause or contribute to problems such as shin splints, low back pain or pain along the bottom of the foot called plantar fascitis. Some people may even need orthotics. These are special inserts that fit into the shoe to help correct foot problems. I can testify to this as I need to wear custom orthotics for running. You can buy generic orthotic inserts but custom orthotics are generally more effective since they are custom fitted to your feet. The downside is that they tend to be expensive, but are covered by most employer health plans.

Walking is not only a great way to lose weight, but also has been shown to reduce depression and heart disease. However, like all exercise, it has to be done regularly to be effective. Walk for thirty minutes three or four times a week and you’ll be doing wonders for your health.

Avoid Those Gardening Injuries

As Canadians, we are blessed with a wonderful country that has very limited warm weather. As a result we try to cram a year’s worth of activities into a three or four month summer. After a winter of relative inactivity, people then attack active summer activities with a vengeance.

One of these activities is gardening. Surprisingly, the mechanism of gardening injuries are almost like those of sports injuries, often caused by doing too much too soon at the start of the season. Activities such as bending over while weeding for extended periods of time, trimming branches or even pushing the lawn mower is hard work when our bodies aren’t used to it. Think of gardening as almost like participating in a sport. You shouldn’t go out and play that first season game of golf or tennis without first warming up.

To avoid gardening injuries here are a few basic thoughts to consider.

*stretch and warm up before starting work in the garden just like you would if playing a sport

*don’t try to do it all right away. Spread the work out over a longer period

*Take frequent breaks. Try not to be working in one position for too long.

*Drink lots of fluids when working outside on a warm day.

*Don’t forget sunscreen and/or a hat

Always approach gardening as if it was sport. Use the principles of warm up, stretching and cool down when gardening and injuries can be minimized.