Ruth in Kentucky uses a weighted vest but has been experiencing shoulder problems after using her vest. She has been following my article on weighted vest reviews on my MelioGuide blog.
Ruth’s Question on Weighted Vests
I have osteoporosis (more severe in the hip). I am very interested in the weighted vests and watched your video. However, I have experienced a problem with a weighted vest. The downward pull of the vest exerts a strain on the shoulders after a while of walking — at least, it does with my vest (mine has 10 lbs of weights). I have had to stop wearing my vest because of injury to my shoulder. I started using weights strapped around my legs instead, but was told not to do that either.
How do you avoid the drag on your shoulders that it seems to me all weighted vests (even lighter ones) would cause?
Three Ways to Use Your Weighted Vest
She asked me give her some advice. There are three things Ruth can do to reduce the shoulder pain that she is experiencing:
- Ruth could be careful how she loads her weighted vest.
- She needs to make sure she maintains a good posture.
- Consider a weighted belt as an alternative.
I discuss these options in more detail on my MelioGuide site.
I prepared this video on 3 tips on weighted vest modifications.
The Power Plate Vibration Platform – Does it Build Bone?
By · CommentsI just posted a detailed article on the MelioGuide blog on the Power Plate vibrating platform. The company claims that the Power Plate can increase bone density and on their website refer to a study (completed in 2004) that demonstrates that the product does build bone.
I reviewed the study in detail after several clients and health professionals asked me about the product. I found that the study did not do a fair comparison and believe that the Power Plate people should have encouraged a more balanced study.
How Many Posture Strength Exercise Sets Should I Do?
By · CommentsI was recently asked by a client if they would experience any benefit from two sets of a strengthening exercise as opposed to performing one set.
Strength Exercise to Improve Posture
Floor M - Start
The exercise in question was the Floor M. I recommended this exercise because the client needed to improve and strengthen her posture.
She was doing the exercise with a 3 pound sand weight on her upper back and shoulder region to provide additional resistance. However, she told me that the second set of the exercises was too much. Would one set be adequate?
A Second Set Matters … A Lot!
Studies have shown that that you can achieve up to a 40% increase in strength when you increase your number of sets from one to two. The improvement is significant.
Floor M - Lift
I suggested that my client try to get to the two set threshold. One suggestion that I had for her was to reduce the weight of the sand bag from 3 pounds to 1 or 2 pounds for the second set. That would allow her to gradually build up her strength.
Conclusion
A small change to your exercise program can have a significant effect on your overall success. Adding one set to your strength exercise program can improve your strength dramatically.
Balance Exercises for All Age Groups
By · CommentsAgility and balance are critical to our well being – at any age.
As we get older our risk of fracture from falls increases – unless we gain and maintain our balance and agility through practice. I have 94 year-young client who I have been working with for the past few years. We have been doing agility drills together. This video demonstrates her progress since we started.
If you are interested in learning more about balance exercises and agility drills, you can visit my blog entry Balance Training for the Young and Young at Heart on my MelioGuide blog.
New Review of Weighted Vests for Women’s Workouts
By · CommentsI asked two of my clients, Aline and Farida, to try five different weighted vests and give me (and you) some candid feedback on each of the products.
Aline and Farida have very different statures, tastes and perspectives. Both are dedicated to their health and follow a regular exercise program.
The video below has a review of all five vests and commentary by me. If you would rather look at the individual video reviews of a specific product you will find them at the MelioGuide blog:
- MiR Weighted Vest
- NYKNYC Weighted Vest
- Walkvest Weighted Vest
- Wasatch Weighted Vest
- Weighted Vest 4 Osteoporosis
Take a look at the video below. It is a review of all vests. I think you may be surprised by the results!
On April 28th, the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario recognized the work that I have done with my clients and fellow health professionals with the 2011 Award of Distinction.
I am very proud of receiving this honor. I would like to thank my clients and fellow health professionals for the support they have provided to me.
The College recognized my work with MelioGuide and my role promoting safe and effective exercise for people with osteoporosis.
You can read the College’s announcement here.
Stop the Stoop Seminar
By · CommentsDo you want to know … the best type of exercises for building stronger bones? Which Yoga and Pilates poses are unsafe? How your improved posture will make you look 10 years younger?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to attend Stop the Stoop – my Osteoporosis Exercise and Education Seminar.
My next seminar has been scheduled and will take place at NutriChem Pharmacy Clinic. The date and time:
- Monday, May 9th, 2011, noon to 1:00 PM
The charge for the Seminar is $30 + HST and attendance is limited to ten students per session – so sign up today by calling 613-721-3669.
More information is available on my Events page. Hope to see you there.
Health clubs, fitness centers and gyms are focusing on several key initiatives in 2011 and each can have significant implications for you. There are a number of issues you need to consider before you sign up for that Personal Training program or boot camp at your local gym.
Fitness Trends in 2011
Training Hard!
The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), a fitness trade organization, recently surveyed its members and identified the following key fitness trends they intend on promoting in 2011:
- Age Appropriate Workouts. Health clubs have realized that baby-boomers are the fastest growing segment of the market and that the programs that they offer GenXers (people born in the 1960s and 1970s) have to be different than the ones they offer older adults.
- Specialized Intense Workouts. Clubs are specializing in workouts that are more challenging than usual (for example, boot camps) and niche activities (such as boxing, rock climbing, martial arts, Zumba, etc).
- Group Classes. Group classes are making a come back after declining in the 1990s. For many people they are a more economical way to achieve their fitness goals.
- Personal Training. Personal training is more widely available. In fact over 90% of the health clubs interviewed offered some form of personal training.
What These Fitness Trends Mean for You
While health clubs push these initiatives in 2011, there are a number of factors that you the consumer of these services need to consider:
- Is group exercise training right for you? Many of my clients are busy professionals and they find the fixed group exercise class times too restrictive. They value the one-on-one attention that you get outside a gym.
- Are many of the moves in the group classes safe for you? The class instructor is often too busy, not attending to individual needs and may introduce some moves that are not appropriate for everyone in the class potentially leading to injury.
- Have you selected the right Personal Trainer? Health clubs are aggressively promoting Personal Training as a service. Make sure that the Personal Trainer you get is qualified and able to deal with your unique situation. I wrote an article on How to Choose a Personal Trainer or Exercise Therapist.
- Who is providing the age appropriate exercise programs or classes? As you age your body changes and old injuries and conditions need attention from a qualified trainer or therapist. Make sure that the program you are joining considers things like your bone health.
It is encouraging to see health and fitness grow and become more important for all of us. Exercise is a lifetime pursuit so we just need to make sure we are achieving our fitness goals safely.
Can someone tackle a chronic health problem, such as back pain, and use the opportunity to improve their fitness level and reduce their weight? A client of mine here in Ottawa for both my Physiotherapy and Personal Training services successfully managed to make all those changes.
Monique Before
Monique spent four years working with an Orthopedic Specialist and a Chiropractor to address a chronic lower back condition. Even though she felt she was receiving excellent care, she was not making the progress she hoped for and believed that it was time to try another approach. She also wanted to use the opportunity to change other aspects of her health.
Monique came across my website while doing a Google search for a Physiotherapist with a fitness or Personal Training background in the Ottawa area.
Evaluation
When we first met she told me about her back problem and stated that she wanted to “remake” herself. I sensed that Monique was committed to the changes she needed to make to improve her health and well-being.
I completed her initial evaluation and we reviewed the results together. We agreed to the following:
- She was carrying too much fat and we needed to reduce her weight.
- We would address her back problem with an exercise program that incorporated strength exercises.
- She would modify her eating habits.
Plan
Monique and I agreed on the following action plan:
- Increase her protein, fruit and vegetable intake. Monique needed a more balanced food mix. She needed the right nutrients to support her goals.
- Establish small achievable goals, which included getting up and moving every half hour. Sitting and moving in ways that supported her back as well as taking Omega 3 and drinking plenty of water.
- Daily walks that gradually increased in distance and pace over time. Monique was doing very little exercise when we first met. A daily walking routine is a great start.
- Incorporate strength exercises into her routine. Like most inactive people, Monique needed to increase her strength. This was particularly important given her history of back pain.
- Since Monique lives in a small community just outside of Ottawa (with limited access to gym facilities) her exercise program should be home based. We both wanted to make sure that she had no excuse not to exercise!
Progress
Monique After
How did Monique do? Did she stick with her exercise and nutrition programs and achieve her goals?
Here is Monique’s step-by-step progress plan:
- Meet Regularly with Your Fitness Professional: Monique and I met once a week for the first three weeks to get her started. Follow-up sessions were spread further apart to encourage independence.
- Commit to Change: Her commitment to personal change overcame her resistance to exercise regularly. She forced herself to complete her prescribed walking and strength exercises.
- Reenergize: Her back felt worse when she missed her morning walk and her energy lagged. She was finally getting hooked on feeling reenergized!
As you can see in her photos, Monique is well on her way to her personal transformation.
In Monique’s words:
“Well being is the natural result of putting exercise first in your daily routine.”
Monique has not had a flare up of her back pain for several months.
Congratulations Monique!
Mind Your Posture, Young Lady
By · Comments
Kaitlin
Kaitlin is a fourth year Human Kinetics student at the University of Ottawa who recently completed her internship at my clinic, Function to Fitness Physiotherapy.
She is applying for her Masters in Physiotherapy and plans to start that program once she completes her Kinesiology degree. Kaitlin is committed to her studies and because of her schedule is too busy to take proper care of herself.
The Pain of Daily Headaches
But this hard work and commitment came at a cost: Kaitlin suffered daily painful, debilitating headaches for several years and was unsure of their exact cause. Kaitlin thought that they were the result of dehydration, stress or poor diet. Maybe they were the result of too little sleep?
She frequently used over the counter painkillers such as Tylenol to deal with the problem.
A Headache Appears
Kaitlin and I were at a workshop in Montreal when her usual afternoon headache came on. I encouraged her to massage the areas around her head and neck. This helped but it only lessened her pain a small amount.
Mind Your Posture, Young Lady
Then I thought we should try something else.
During the time we worked together, I noticed that Kaitlin maintained a stooped forward posture. I challenged Kaitlin to sit up straight and maintain a good posture throughout the next day and see if that affected the headache.
The next day her daily headache failed to appear.
Kaitlin realized that she had the habit of slouching. Her head would fall forward over slouched shoulders. This was the pattern she held while in class listening to lectures, while at her computer, when reading her books and while completing her written assignments. In fact, her head was in a forward position for the majority of her waking day.
After the first headache free day, Kaitlin realized the cause of her headaches and what she had to do to eliminate them.
It all made sense; my poor posture was causing me to have terrible headaches. Right away I knew I had to start working towards having better posture. It was definitely not easy at first but sitting up straight with my head completely aligned is now embedded within my brain. I am now headache free; continuing to live my hectic life painlessly.
Function to Fitness Physiotherapy and Personal Training in Ottawa
