YWCA Encore: After Breast Cancer Exercise Program

A FREE exercise program designed specifically for women who have experienced mastectomy, lumpectomy or breast reconstruction surgery at any time in their lives. Based around floor and pool exercise and relaxation techniques.

How can encore help?

We know that after surgery, many women experience numbness, pins and needles, loss of mobility and discomfort in their upper bodies, encore can help relieves these problems through gentle stretching exercises.

Encore will help you:

• Improve mobility and flexibility in your arms and shoulders
• Boost your self esteem and self image
• Relieve any discomfort as a result of surgery
• Create a positive attitude towards life and health

Encore is more than an exercise program, a supportive environment is also an important part of the recovery process, and you’ll be able to share your experiences, concerns and feelings with women who understand what you’ve been through.

Our next Encore session starts: April 25^th, 2012 Orientation session

For more information or to register please call Rana Aldibs OR Carah Avery

@ 905-522-9922 ext.118

If you want to be happy for the rest of your life…

I heard about this Youtube video earlier this morning and thought of you instantly:)  Pay attention to how big a difference a little effort makes.  Then give yourself a pat on the shoulder for already treating your body and your self right.  And if you haven’t started yet … well, here’s another dose of information but in a fun and interesting format! Enjoy!

S-T-R-E-T-C-H for Flexibility

Posted by Carah…YWCA fitness staff and Sunday Morning Bootcamp Instructor

One of the most important components of fitness is flexibility, yet somehow it is often the component that is most often overlooked. Whether you are an athlete or not, flexibility plays a key role in everything we do in our daily lives.  So tell me…what do you think flexibility means?  If you thinking being flexible means landing the splits at the drop of a hat, then think again. Flexibility is more about gaining functional benefits to improve your everyday movements, such as bending over or reaching for something.  So you see stretching for flexibility is very important especially as we get older. Here are a few reasons why you might want to rethink leaving flexibility training out of your workout routine.

1. To maintain and improve range of motion in your joints

2.  To maintain and improve posture, keeping your body properly aligned

3. To reduce the risk of injuries that can be caused by doing everyday activities

4. Increased mobility allowing you to move more freely without pain or discomfort

Stretching is something our bodies want us to do naturally, but instead of just doing that mindless yawning stretch when we wake up in the morning, we need to be more mindful of our stretching routine and make sure we include flexibility training on a regular basis.  Remember, stretching for flexibility is also different than stretching tight muscles after a workout. So in addition to stretching after a work out try and take 5 minutes out of your day to stretch for flexibility, and aim on doing this 2-3 time each week.

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your S-T-R-E-T-C-H !

*Stretch the muscle to resistance and hold for 8-30 seconds, then take a deep breath in and as you exhale stretch a little deeper until you feel the resistance again, and then let your body relax into the stretch again

*A good stretch should take at least 30 seconds, if it feels good hold it longer

*Relax and focus on the specific muscle you are stretching

*Do not push yourself and know when to stop.  Overdoing it can cause injuries. You should be able to feel the stretch but you should not feel any pain or discomfort.

Now that you know the basics its up to you to get the most out of your stretch! Remember, stretching for flexibility has nothing to do with being athletic; it is about maintaining your quality of life as you age and we can all benefit from it.

http://www.morethanmedication.ca/en/article/index/stretch

Suggestions for a Summer Run Program

If you are currently running 5k comfortably and would like to transition your run fitness to the next level or improve your speed have a look at the following basic program.

 Each week will consist of 3 weekly key runs.  Each of these runs has a specific purpose.  If time and energy permit, feel free to add another optional, short,  easy-paced recovery run to your week.  Run a tempo effort.  This involves a 10 – 12 minute slow warm-up followed by a harder, even,  continuous effort of 18 – 25 minutes.  I suggest starting with 18 minutes the first week and adding a minute per week until you reach 25 minutes.  The tempo segment should feel slightly “less comfortable”  than your regular easy paced run,  but not so difficult that you can’t speak in short sentences.  Find that effort that challenges you and allows you to stay with the pace.  Allow your breath to quicken and heart rate to elevate,  but stay in control.

The second key run mid-week is an interval/speed session OR hill repeats. 

Interval/Speed:  warm-up 10 -12 minutes easy then speed up to a pace quicker than the tempo effort for one minute followed by a minute of walking or light running to recover.  Repeat this two or three times.  Cool-down easy.  In the following weeks try adding one speed burst per session.  As you feel more successful with this workout, try increasing the intensity (speed) of each interval.

Hill Repeats:  warm-up 10 – 12 minutes easy then run steadily up a hill (3 – 6% grade) for a maximum of two minutes.  Recover by running back down slowly.  Repeat this process three or four times the first week.  Add one repeat per week to a maximum of eight hills.

Try 4 – 8 weeks of hills followed by 4 -8 weeks of speed or mix and match to keep it interesting and challenging.

The third effort should be a nice easy-paced longer effort that I recommend for the weekend. Start slow.  Take your longest effort to date and complete this duration at a comfortable steady pace.  Each week add 10% to the duration of this base run.  Be able to speak comfortably.

Things To Remember:

Key workouts are done once per week on non-consecutive days

Stretch thoroughly after each run

Hydrate and fuel your body with care and consistency

Incorporate resistance training into your weekly routine (2-3X per week)

Wear sunscreen!!

Good luck and enjoy.

For more information please see Kim Agostino

(Image source)

So many reasons to try yoga

Written By Kim

(trainer, fitness instructor, yoga instructor and triathlete coach)

Yoga is a 5000 year old tradition originating in India.  It is a connection of mind, body and spirit.

Yoga does not provide a sense of peace,  it helps you quiet your mind and body so that you can experience your true nature,  which is to be peaceful and in harmony.

Yoga is a path toward clarity, pure awareness and consciousness.  It guides us toward understanding that we are not separate from the whole.

The practice of yoga is about coming back to ourselves.

It is NOT a belief system or a religion.

From a purely physical perspective,  yoga can challenge your balance,  improve your muscle strength and endurance,  enhance flexibility,  aid digestion and encourage healthier breathing patterns among many other benefits.

Of equal importance,  yoga allows us to practise being fully present.  Learning to live life with present moment awareness also has many benefits such as:

Improved capacity to regulate emotion

Improved patterns of thinking

Enhanced immune response, healing capacity and feelings of general well-being

Reduced stress and anxiety;  a quieting of the mind

Ability to experience deeper and a more lasting inner peace

If you have never practised yoga,  consider taking a class.  Start slow,  communicate to the instructor that you are new and listen to your body.  If the pose becomes to challenging or the flow of the class to difficult,  take a break and just breathe!!

“Be patient….Be Present…..Move at the right moment and bring contentment with you as you go”

Namaste

(image source)

Looking for a Relaxing Holiday??

 Now that winter has come to an end and the spring season is here with summer trailing closely behind, many of you may be thinking of taking a break from your regular routine and getting away for awhile. If you are one of these people who see a relaxing vacation to a sunny destination or a week at the cottage in their near future, chances are you haven’t thought much about keeping up your exercise routine while you’re away. I know the purpose of a vacation is to get away from the everyday routine of your life (which hopefully includes exercise), however while you are enjoying your “time off” there are some good ways to stay active, while still feeling like you are getting the relaxation you need. These Travel Friendly Yoga Poses can actually help increase your level of relaxation while helping you maintain an active lifestyle during your time away.

Try performing the following 5 poses holding for 30 seconds each when you wake up in the morning/ late morning. Doing these poses in the morning will help you create energy for the day so you can get the most out of your vacation!

1. a) Half Downward-facing Dog: Eases tight hamstrings, calves, and back muscles.

Stand facing a wall, 3 feet away from it, with feet directly under your hips. Press your hands into the wall between belly- and chest-height bringing your spine into a neutral position. With feet and hands shoulder-width apart, bend forward from your hips bringing your torso is almost parallel to the floor.

 

 b)

Gazing at the floor, slowly walk your hands back up the wall with your arms straight, until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings and back muscles. Your back should form a diagonal line.

2. Revolved Triangle Pose: Relieves back pain and improves circulation by stretching your sides.

Stand 3 feet from the wall, still facing it after half dog. Place your legs so they are about 3 feet apart. Looking down at the floor, press your hands firmly into the wall, keeping arms straight and stretching your hamstring and calf muscles. Leave your left hand on the wall and drop your right hand to left thigh. From your belly button up, twist your torso to the left, allowing your right hand to slide down your leg as necessary. Switch sides.

3. a) Bridge Pose: Strengthens glutes, thighs, and core.

Lying on your back with your knees bent, feet flat about 6 to 10 inches from your rear, with arms relaxed at your sides. Contract your abs and press your hips to the ceiling until you form a flat diagonal line from your knees to your shoulders. Roll your shoulders under your back to press up further, clasping your hands beneath you to make a platform.

b)

Once you are stable in your Bridge position, extend your right leg toward the ceiling. Hold, then lower, and repeat with the left leg. Do this move two to three times on each side.

4. Seated Twist: Relieves anxiety and stress along with back pain. 



Sit with legs crossed on the floor, arms at your sides. Gently twist to the right side, using your hands on the floor to leverage your body further. Hold and then repeat to the left side.

5. Seated Forward Bend: Calms nerves by literally letting blood flow to your head. This poses also releases tight hamstrings and lower-back muscles.

Sit on the floor with legs extended hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Close your eyes. Fold your torso forward from your hips, reaching toward your feet. Go as far as you can comfortably, breathing easily. As you exhale and feel your muscles release, allow yourself to bend closer to your legs.

 You can literally do these poses pretty much anywhere, on the beach, in your hotel room, on your balcony, or wherever you choose. And if you are running short on time, and you cannot go through all of these poses, choose one or two poses, whichever one best suit your needs. So next time you are thinking of going on vacation, consider adding these five travel friendly yoga poses to your packing list and get the most out of your vacation experience! You won’t regret it!

Carah

Info sources via

Did you know…

Hope everyone has had a GREAT weekend despite the cold weather. I strongly believe that if you find a way to stay active and motivated through the winter, the cold doesn’t get to you like it would to someone who refuses to step foot outsdie when the Temp. is below 0. Don’t you agree? How do you stay motivated through the winter?

Today, I thought I would post about a few great programs that we run at the YWCA- programs that I wonder if you, our readers, know about them…

1. ywca encore–> I know in a previous post. I mentioned exercise post breast cancer. I talked about what is safe in terms of guidelines and recommended the advice of experts for clients who wish to start exercising post-trauma.  Our YWCAencore program is a great way to meet some new friends, feel comfortable, learn some new land and water exercise, learn how to make some new healthy snacks, etc… and the best part is that it is FREE! for more info on our encore program, check out our website.

2. Living well- did you know that the YWCA Hamilton offers subsidy for all of our membership options? whether you are interested in pool, fitness, classes, etc… all you need to do is come to our facility and ask for a LIVING WELL application, for more information about our membership options, check out our website

3. Gentle FIt- do you, or know someone who has Fibromyalgia, Multiple Sclerosis, Diabetes or who simply cannot acccess regular fitness programs. we have the right program to fit your needs- 2 X 90minutes classes/week of supervised exercise and close monitoring. check it out here

4. Heartbeat- have you, or know someone who has recently suffered from a cardiac rehab? we have a heartbeat program designed to help you get stronger! have you gone through the cardiac rehab program at the general, bring your file and we’ll help you continue to get stronger and continue to be active. more info here

5. Bones Plus- do you have or know someone who has osteoporosis? we know what proper exercise you should be doing and would be happy to help you find the right load-bearing exercises for you, more info here.

and that’s all she wrote  for YWCA plug for the day! keep moving…

A proper Stretch

“Hmm…  is there a proper and improper way of stretching?” Of course there is. This is probably one of the most asked question by our members in our fitness facility; most people think that stretching is easy and that they don’t need cueing or guidelines to follow. “How hard can it be, it’s stretching” mentality is false. Proper stretching is an activity requiring the most mental preparedness.

The biggest mistake we “all” make is NOT stretching at the end of a  workout because we are either lazy, ran out of time or are simply too exhausted to do anything else. You are all probably rolling your eyes when reading this, thinking “I’ve never done that before !”… First, before I can convince you of the importance of stretching, I will explain what stretching does & why we should do it:

” We stretch to improve our flexibility. Flexibility is the range of motion that is available to a joint or joints. Flexibility is important because:  

·  It improves muscle balance around a joint, thus improving posture
·    It reduces the chance of injury when playing a sport or in every day activities
·   It increases the blood and nutrient supply to muscles and cartilage, thereby also reducing muscle soreness after training. ” (via…source)

It is as simple as this/how I would explain stretching to kids: when you stretch a shortening effect happens and in order to lengthen fibers back to orginial- you must stretch! There are many controversies around dynamic & static stretching as well as when each should be performed, but a rule of thumb with which you cannot go wrong- is NEVER stretch a cold or injured muscle.

Here is more information on stretching correctly:

“Stretching should not be done as a warm-up to an activity as you could injure your muscles if stretching them when they are cold. At least 3 to 5 minutes of cardiovascular training is recommended to warm up the muscles sufficiently. Each major muscle group should be stretched slowly and with control, holding each stretch for 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 60 seconds. Hold each stretch at the point of mild tension or tightness, not to the point of pain.  
It is important to stretch after doing any physical activity. When muscles perform any exercise, they tighten and shorten as a result. Stretching them out helps to restore and improve their length. When doing strength training, you could stretch each muscle group directly after performing each set. ” (via…source)

Today, I invite you all to look at your own exercise regimen and think about the amount of time/workout that you dedicate to stretching… for the next 2 weeks- here’s a challenge.. why not add 5 minutes to this time? How often do you stretch and what are some of your favorite stretches?

When not to Stretch:
·         Following muscle strains or ligament sprains
·         When joints or muscles are infected, inflamed or hurt
·         After a recent fracture
·         When sharp pains are felt in the joints or muscles. ” (via…source)

As a challenge for the next 2 weeks; I invite you all to reflect on the amount of time/workout that you dedicate to stretching? Got your magic number? Now, why not add 5 minutes to that time? See what difference this makes to your overall range of motion?

What are some of your favorite stretches? How often do YOU stretch?