Category Archives: Health

Monthly Challenge – Move Your Body

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This months challenge is to get your body moving consistently throughout the ENTIRE day. This challenge is for those of you who are stuck in front of the computer, or perhaps you are moving throughout your work day, but your bodies biomechanics are put at risk. This challenge is also for those of us who find it tricky to get into a regular exercise routine or are wanting to add some extra movement into the week.

Getting motivated to move is half the battle, after that, you need to figure out read more

7 Steps to Better Sleep!

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SLEEP! There are many reasons why good quality sleep eludes so many of us. Physiological reasons, emotional reasons, external substances, neurological….the list is endless. Some of these things we cannot change on our own. However, many of our daily habits can be adjusted to maximize our quality of sleep.

So, why is good sleep even important? Besides falling asleep at the most inopportune times, such as in class, or, say, driving (!), studies have shown that sleep is crucial for immune read more

MONTHLY CHALLENGE – SUN SALUTATIONS

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Ask any massage therapist, and they will tell you about the days when all their clients seem to have the same clinical issue. “I treated 5 shoulder problems today”!

Last week was tension week. It seemed the majority of my patients suffered from tension related issues. Headaches, shoulder and neck pain and an inability to find a life balance between work, family and self. Over the last 12 years of treating various pathologies, the one constant reoccurring problem that my clients seem to face is read more

Monthly Challenge – Eat Better Food

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This challenge isn’t about loosing weight or going on a crazy uber-wholesome diet. This challenge is about taking a good look at your food intake and making a few tweaks. To change a few bad habits into healthy ones. The biggest test may be analyzing what it is you actually eat throughout an entire day. Do you skip breakfast? Do you graze throughout the day? Do you love your carbohydrates? What about protein? Sweets? Fruits and veggies?

We all have our ideas of what healthy eating can be. Some read more

MONTHLY CHALLENGE: DEVICE-FREE-ZONE

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(A Monthly Challenge is the introduction of a specific change that you would like to make in your life for the purpose of gaining a healthier lifestyle. These changes may be to add a healthy habit, or to get rid of an unhealthy one. I will be suggesting a number of Challenges throughout the year and you can choose which ones you would like to take on. The goal is to live happier and healthier lives.)

As you can imagine, being device free might be tricky in this day and age, but I read more

Proper Workstation Ergonomics

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Proper Workstation Ergonomics

An average working day is 8 hours long. For an office worker, the majority of that time is spent at a computer. With the advancement of technology, we are also spending our spare time interacting with screens. Poor ergonomics and lack of movement negatively impacts our body, from our muscles to our organs. Many people suffer from headaches, neck and shoulder pain, wrist and elbow pain, low back and leg pain….all from sitting too long in one position! What is even more intriguing, is that read more

Breathe Like A Kid

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Breathe Like A Kid

Breathing is a fairly simple act. You rarely need to think about it. You inhale in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide effortlessly from the moment you’re born. In fact, newborns are probably the best breathers out there. Infants and young children seem to effortlessly use their main muscle of respiration, the diaphragm. When you watch kids breathe, their little tummies move outwards when they inhale and move inwards when they exhale. This is because our diaphragm, which is a dome shaped read more

What are “HOMECARE EXERCISES”?

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What are “HOMECARE EXERCISES”?

A typical massage therapy treatment takes about an hour. The majority of people that I treat have a goal for that hour. They want to treat a recent injury, address a chronic problem, release shoulder tension or reoccurring headaches. The intention behind making that massage appointment is to get rid of something that is hurting, or, perhaps to add something that is missing, like relaxation.

For that hour, I will assess their problem and proceed with several techniques to hopefully meet read more

5 Tips For A Safe Hike

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5 Tips For a Safe Hike

As the weather warms up and the trails dry out, some of us will start exploring the vast expanse of hikes throughout Vancouver Island. Most of us will make sure to bring water, a camera and maybe some sunscreen, however, being aware of common potential hazards can save you from a disastrous experience. A wilderness first aid course is something to consider taking if you are an avid hiker, but even minor preparations can help make your trek one to remember and not one to regret.

Here is a read more

Massage Therapy for Digestion

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Massage Therapy for Digestion

Digestion is the process in which food is broken down into substances that can be used for energy and basic nutrients to feed the body.

Physically, food moves from your mouth, down your esophagus to your stomach where it churns and moves the liquefied food through your small intestines, into your large intestines, and finally out the “other end”. Anywhere along this line, digestive problems can crop up from ulcers, reflux, cramping, bloating, gas, constipation and diarrhoea. Poor read more