My oldest sister recently gave birth to two beautiful twins. She had a cesarean section and is doing very well! At her 6 week check up post-surgery, her doctor gave her the "all clear" to exercise without restrictions. While this is great news, as a Physiotherapist, it disheartens me that there is no guideline for her recovery and safe return to exercise. For most surgeries, there is usually a strict guideline or protocol for returning to exercise, like a knee ACL reconstruction or a hip replacement. So why should it be any different for a Cesarean section, a major abdominal surgery? After being inactive for 6 weeks (likely longer depending on how your pregnancy was), it is not safe to...
I just finished my sister Vanessa’s workout and man am I sweating! It got me thinking about sweat and why it happens. Little do we realize, we are actually sweating all day, not just during exercise; sometimes we notice it in more areas than others. Sweating is a way to cool our bodies down and it is also produced when we are stressed or anxious (think sweaty palms). So let’s talk about what sweat is. Sweat is primarily composed of water along with tiny amounts of salt and other chemicals (protein, urea, and ammonia to get technical). There are different...
Low back pain is one of the most common conditions that I treat in clinic. It has likely caused you, or a loved one, discomfort at some point. The good news is that our spines are resilient and you can learn how to manage your back pain. With any medical diagnosis, there is a treatment recommended and with this a lifestyle change. The same applies for back pain treatment. Learning to manage back pain takes persistence and a change to your daily routine. Our spines do not like being in one position for too long as repetitive postures can put an unnecessary amount of pressure on our discs and joints in our back. I cannot stress enough how important it...
In light of National Wiggle Your Toes Day, I thought I would share some exercises to help get those toes wiggling and feet moving. Why is it important to wiggle your toes and move your feet? The majority of shoes are not designed to allow your feet to function to their full potential, which can impact how the rest of your body moves. High heels cause calf tightening, narrow toe boxes squish your poor toes together, and rigid soles restrict your foot’s motion. These are a few of the problems associated with the modern shoes we wear today. Hence, why we need to exercise our feet outside of our shoes! Can you wiggle your toes? It can be surprisingly difficult because it is not something...
Running is an excellent form of exercise as it is great for your cardiovascular health, bone density, strength, and endurance. Further, running is convenient, affordable, and for most, enjoyable. The “runner’s high” can be explained by the release of endorphins, the "feel good” hormones. Like any sport, running requires concentration and focus on your body’s biomechanics. A lot of people forget to stay mindful of how their body is moving while they are running, as they simply just go, which can be harmful as running with poor form can cause injury over time. I hope the following head-to-toe scan is something that you can utilize on your next run as a way to monitor your running form. Head and Neck: to...
