Recently, a former student reached out to ask if I’d be willing to teach an Essentrics session for her and a few friends. I spent more than a decade teaching Essentrics in the Ottawa area, but it’s been a few years since I taught a group fitness session.  
So I thought about it for a few days—specifically, the work involved in setting up and preparing for classes again. In the end, I politely declined and directed her to other possibilities.

I no longer teach Essentrics, but it’s still a part of my life. Even before I began the instructor certification process, I had been following the Classical Stretch by Essentrics episodes and DVDs for almost 10 years. It’s a no-impact, (mostly) equipment-free workout that can be done anywhere, and I still include it in my repertoire of exercise. 

That’s the key for me: it’s part of my exercise options, but it’s not the only one. I believe that variety is the spice of life when it comes to exercise. You see, I don’t live to exercise—and I didn’t either when I was a full-time fitness professional—rather, I exercise to live. As I get older, I appreciate more the importance of switching up workouts to avoid overuse injuries, keeping your brain in the game by learning new things, and making sure that I’m enjoying what I’m doing. 

So, I do still practice Essentrics, but much less frequently than when I was teaching multiple weekly classes. For the itinerant exercise consumers like me, I offer the following recommendations for incorporating Essentrics into your life.

Miranda’s books. Miranda Esmonde-White is the brains, heart, and soul behind Essentrics and is a true Canadian fitness pioneer. She has penned several books on the Essentrics technique, and these are presented below:

• The Miracle of Flexibility: A Head-To-Toe Program to Increase Strength, Improve Mobility, and Become Pain Free (2023)
• Fast Track to Aging Backwards: 6 Ways and 30 Days to Look and Feel Younger (2019)
• Forever Painless: Lasting Relief Through Gentle Movement (2016)
• Aging Backwards: 10 Years Younger and 10 Years Lighter in 30 Minutes a Day (2014)
  
  

DVDs—Classical Stretch & Essentrics. The workouts are hosted by various Essentrics trainers, including Miranda. All of the Classical Stretch DVDs are exclusively hosted by Miranda. These ones are my favourites:

• Classical Stretch Vintage Collection Vol. 1 & 2
• Classical Stretch - The Esmonde Technique: Complete Season 10
• Classical Stretch by ESSENTRICS: Season 12
• Classical Stretch - Age Reversing Workouts for Beginners: Posture & Pain Relief
• Classical Stretch - Age Reversing Workouts for Beginners: Mobility & Bone Strengthening
• Aging Backwards: Connective Tissue Workouts
• ESSENTRICS Pain-Relief Workouts
• ESSENTRICS Miranda's Fan Favorites
• ESSENTRICS The Ultimate Stretch Workouts
• Rebalance and Reboot Your Body
• Essentrics Toning for Beginners
• Essentrics Stretch Series Vol. 1
• ESSENTRICS Body Sculpting Series Vol. 2

No matter how you choose to move your body, please do it often. It will help you in the long run.

​It’s been five years since I published my first book. At the time, I thought I’d be a one-hit wonder. But I’ve gone on to publish a total of 11 books and one audiobook. So I now confidently introduce myself as a writer, especially since I’m working on my next few manuscripts.

In recognition of my five-year authorship anniversary, I’ve been reflecting on what led me to write my first book, Move More, Your Life Depends on It. That was published in 2019, but I founded THE MOVE MORE INSTITUTE™ in 2016. It was an initiative I created to help sedentary individuals learn how to incorporate non-exercise activity into their daily lives. You know, how our grandparents used to live when they didn’t have so many labour-saving devices at their fingertips. 

Here’s a post about it from 2018, when I appeared on local television to promote my initiative:

Living in the nation’s capital—home to the federal government and a multitude of associations and institutes—I wanted a whimsical, tongue-in-cheek title for my initiative. That’s how THE MOVE MORE INSTITUTE™ came into existence. But there was nothing formal or regimented about it. In reality, I was trying to work myself out of a job. You see, as a group fitness instructor and personal trainer, many clients participated in weekly exercise with me. But for many, that was the extent of their physical activity. The rest of their waking hours, they were mostly sedentary at work and home. I was trying to inspire people to sit less, move more--even if that meant they no longer felt the need to attend my classes or hire me for personal training.

And that was a problem, because sitting had been identified as the “new smoking." You see, exercise alone isn’t enough. Daily movement that breaks up long periods of sitting is vital. I first read about this concept in the 2011 book, Sitting Kills, Moving Heals, by Dr. Joan Vernikos—the former Director of NASA’s Life Sciences Division. Vernikos was instrumental in astronaut John Glenn’s return to space at the age of 77.

​Although I wrote about Vernikos’ important work as early as 2014, Vernikos published her first book on the topic a decade earlier— The G-Connection: Harness Gravity and Reverse Aging. Although I can confidently say I’ve been ahead of my time with many of my publications, it is Dr. Vernikos’ ground-breaking research at NASA that led the movement to reduce sedentary time. When I realized in 2018 that many of my blog posts had already touched on this important topic, I knew I wanted to expand on my previous writing and turn it into a book. 

So that’s my story of how NASA inspired my writing career. If you haven’t had a chance to read Dr. Vernikos' work, I’d recommend any of her books. But my favourite is still Sitting Kills, Moving Heals.

Other books by Joan Vernikos, Ph.D.:

1. The G-Connection: Harness Gravity and Reverse Aging (2004)
2. Inactivity: Physiological Effects (2012)
3. Designed to Move: The Science-Backed Program to Fight Sitting Disease and Enjoy Lifelong Health (2016)
4. Stress Beyond 50: Tools & Wisdom For A Healthier, Longer Life (2018)

I fell this morning.
​Correction: I tripped and fell. While I was running. I’m okay, thanks for asking. Just a bit stiff and sore, but I’ll survive. No broken bones and I thankfully didn’t hit my head, so no concussion either.

Here’s how it (I) went down: It was early. It was dark. I was tired. I didn’t notice the uneven sidewalk. I didn’t lift my foot up enough—I was tired, remember? And then it happened.

It happened so fast, I didn’t even realize I was falling. So I didn’t have time to try and prevent myself from hitting the pavement at full force. All of a sudden, I was on the ground thinking to myself, “What just happened?!”

That’s the problem with falling: when it happens, it happens fast. You often don’t have enough time to react. And as we get older, our reaction times slow down even more. Coupled with the fact that our bones can become more brittle, falls in older adults can be life-altering. In some cases, falls can be life-threatening. 

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), falls account for 80% of seniors’ injury hospitalizations. Those same seniors make up half of the injury hospitalizations in Canada. That means when a senior falls, they’re more likely to be severely injured. And if you’ve fallen once, you’re more likely to fall a second time within the next 18 months.

These life-altering falls reduce a person’s independence—they often can no longer stay living in their own home. 

What’s the solution? Avoid falling. I’m not being facetious: fall prevention is a big deal and can mean the difference between injury, hospitalization, even death. Simple exercises that don’t require special equipment, fancy clothing, or sweating. They can be done in your own home. Ideally, they should be done every day to improve balance, coordination, and mobility. These exercises increase muscle and bone strength, as well as posture—which is important to avoid a momentum-based fall.

Not sure where to start? I’ve published 5 books of balance exercises for fall prevention:

1. Balance Exercises for Fall Prevention. It’s available in English and Spanish, as well as in audiobook format.
2. Balance and Your Body: How Exercise Can Help You Avoid a Fall
3. Balance 2.0: Preventing Falls with Exercise
4. Chair Exercises for Fall Prevention

It's clear that fall prevention is more important than ever. But, how can we reduce the risk of falls and stay active and independent as we age?​

The answer is simple: balance exercises. Regular exercise is essential for maintaining strength, flexibility, and balance, which are all critical factors in reducing the risk of falls. The problem is that many older adults struggle to find an exercise routine that is safe, effective, and easy to follow. That's where my new audiobook, Balance Exercises for Fall Prevention, comes in.
Fall prevention is about maintaining independence in our golden years. This allows you to stay in your own home longer.

Balance Exercises for Fall Prevention is a comprehensive guide to the best balance exercises for seniors. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced exerciser, this audiobook provides a wide range of exercises that are easy to follow and can be done from the comfort of your own home. With clear instructions, helpful tips, and modifications for different abilities, you'll be able to tailor your workout to meet your needs and achieve your goals.

One of the best things about Balance Exercises for Fall Prevention is that it's an audiobook, so you can listen and follow along while you exercise. This makes it easy to stay focused and motivated, even when you're feeling tired or uninspired. With regular use, you'll see improvement in your balance, coordination, and overall health, and you'll have the peace of mind of knowing you're reducing your risk of falls.

So, why wait? Start your journey to better balance and fall prevention today with Balance Exercises for Fall Prevention. Whether you're looking for a comprehensive exercise program, a way to stay active and independent, or simply a way to improve your overall health, this audiobook has everything you need.

Try it for free with a 30-day, no-cost trial of Audible.

Late last year—as in, days before the Christmas break—I walked away from my job for the same reasons. I had hit a wall and it was impacting my physical and emotional health. I equate my burnout to a raw onion: it makes your eyes water, leaves a bad taste in your mouth, and can cause indigestion.

I had had enough. My body had had enough. Right before I packed it in, every work email was triggering a fight or flight response: sheer panic about more tasks and responsibilities landing on my plate. 

Post-resignation hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park. It’s been messy and complicated. And it still feels like an onion, where peeling back the layers of recovery requires strength. Not to mention patience in dealing with that sticky onion layer that doesn’t want to let go.

As I’ve peeled these layers back in my own life, I’d like to share with you some of the layers I’ve been through, in hopes that they might help you in your journey back from burnout. 

1. Get comfortable with discomfort (yours and others). The discomfort is just one of many layers you need to peel away, and this one has multiple layers. I’ve had many sleepless nights since I left my job. At first, it was all about my brain processing what had led to the moment when I decided that quitting that very day was the best action. The discomfort here came from reliving a lot of little things that, taken on their own, shouldn’t cause employee burnout. But added up with all the other little things, well, let’s just say the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. 
The next layer of discomfort came from thinking about my colleagues. I felt like I was letting them down by leaving with work on my plate, some of which they would have to pick up and manage along with their own workloads. Unmanageable workloads seem to be quite common in many workplaces, and a wise friend advised me that it wasn’t my responsibility to sort it out for everyone.
A further layer of discomfort reflected back on my actions, when I started thinking, “what was I thinking?!” You know, that I quite possibly made a wrong choice. In the end, I know in my heart that I made the best choice—the only choice--for me at the time. The discomfort comes from acknowledging and sitting with these uncomfortable thoughts, instead of dismissing them outright. 

2. Take some time. At some point, I’ll return to paid work, of that I am sure. But for the moment, I’m taking time for myself—to breathe, to recover, to reset. Of course, I’m still promoting my books and thinking about new books that I might write in the future. But if and when I do return to the paid workforce, my books will once again become a weekend side hustle. For now, though, I’m enjoying having time on weekdays to work on them, with no pressure. I hope you too are able to take some time to recover. 

3. Reject the tired recruiting belief about “finding a job while you still have a job.” Have you had someone spout these supposed words of wisdom to you? That the “best time to find a job is when you already have a job.” Have you said them yourself? I would argue that’s not always true. If you’re suffering from even the early stages of burnout and you jump ship for another organization, you’ll just transfer your burnout baggage to another employer. While it can be considerably less stressful to job hunt when you’re currently receiving a regular paycheque, it may be tough to present your best self during interviews if you’re already burnt out. Take it from me. Enough said. 

4. Be kind to yourself. It can be easy to feel like it’s your fault when your mental wellbeing takes a hit in the workplace—as it does in the case of burnout. It’s not your fault you are experiencing burnout. I tell myself that every day; maybe one of these days I’ll truly believe it. And I hope the same goes for you. Remember why you left in the first place. It was the best choice at the time, so don’t feel guilty that you cut and ran—and I’ll endeavour to keep it in mind too. Bottom line, you need to look out for yourself.

Conclusion. There you have it, my onion layers I’ve been examining as I reset and move beyond burnout. I’m sure I’ll discover more layers, more lessons. When I do, I’ll share them with you. For the record, I try to keep my eyes dry as I peel onions, with varying degrees of success.

It’s another new year, which some see as an opportunity to change their behaviour and incorporate healthy new habits into their daily lives. Can you relate? Have you set a new year’s resolution to, for instance, join a gym and get fit? When I used to teach group fitness classes, I’d often see a bump in attendance figures at the beginning of a new year.
​
Instead of new healthy habits, I’m pausing a long-standing habit. This new year, I’m taking a break from exercise. You can too and still feel good about yourself and your physical wellbeing.

Let me explain. Although I’m not exercising per se, I’m still staying physically active. How is it that possible, you ask? 

Physical activity is not an all-or-nothing thing. In fact, physical activity lies on a continuum, from NEAT to elite. Let me break it down with a few definitions first.

Physical activity encompasses all activities, at any intensity, including exercise. What’s the alternative to exercise? NEAT, non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or incidental activity. NEAT is all the ways your body burns energy that is not eating, sleeping, or dedicated exercise.
​

NEAT relates to moving about in daily life. Our bodies need both exercise and non-exercise activity, but much of that non-exercise activity has been lost to technology and labour-saving devices. 

So, you see, I’m taking a break from exercise, but I’m still moving lots every day. My exercise break isn’t permanent; it’s just a temporary pause while I recover from an injury. I’m still staying physically active with lots of NEAT/incidental activity, because I know that all activity leads to benefits for both physical and mental health. That’s because I don’t live to exercise; I exercise to live. And I want to live a long time. 

If you’re not up to joining a gym this month, if you don’t want to live to exercise, you don’t need to.

Let’s reframe physical activity: All exercise is movement, but not all movement is exercise. No special equipment, change of clothing, fancy exercise sequences, or location changes are required to just get off your butt and move more. If you move more, you will feel better. Guaranteed.

Want more tips to help you incorporate non-exercise activity into your life? Check out my first book, Move More: Your Life Depends On It.
​

Do you have a desk-based job? Are you a professional sitter? The knowledge-based economy means that many adults sit at their desks and in meetings for hours at a time every day. Productivity, profit, and professionalism lead people to remain seated at all times. But we're not in an airplane, and there is no turbulence (hint: you can get up and move about the cabin). This physical inactivity is prematurely aging our mostly sedentary bodies when we sit at a desk all day. It is killing us. 
​

 I am always astounded at how quickly the time goes during live appearances. This appearance was no different. Before I knew it, the host was wrapping up my segment, thanking me for my time and directing folks to visit my website for more information. 
​
The next day, I received an email from someone who did just that. They wanted to know about my books and where they were available. They had seen me on the episode of Daytime Ottawa, and they wanted to access my books. I directed them to my Amazon page first (not knowing yet that they lived locally), then indicated they could buy directly from me if they were in the Ottawa area. 

"I saw you on TV, but I can't afford your books." The email response did not deter me, as I directed them to our library to access them for free. I am so proud that my library has chosen to put their faith in my books by ordering multiple copies. Libraries support education and literary in an equitable fashion. As a child, we didn't have a library branch near our home, but we did have monthly visits from their bookmobile. It was my favourite day of the month. 

When I published my first book, it was a great feeling of accomplishment. It was only when I saw that book in circulation at our library that I truly felt I was an author. Even if you can't afford to buy one of my books, I hope you'll be able to access it via the library. 

If you live in another city, you can request that they purchase a book. This blog explains how to do it. And if you'd like to request they purchase one of my books, you can find details you'll need for your request by following the book links on my Amazon Author Page. 

On that note, I'm off to read a book. That I checked out of the library.

As we age, it's not just our muscles that need daily care and feeding. "Use it or lose it" applies just as much to our brains as to the rest of our real estate south of the cerebellum. Have you ever heard the term neuroplasticity? It has to do with our grey matter's ability to continually develop and adapt over our lifetime. 

Working on creating these new pathways can help reduce the risk of dementia. As with many chronic health conditions, making healthy behaviour choices every day goes a long way to improving life for our future selves. You know: prevention is key.

Several of the recommendations to create new pathways and maintain brain health figure prominently in my balance and fall prevention exercise guides. The first, of course, are the exercises themselves. Even a minute of movement and physical activity counts towards rewiring your noodle. 

But there’s more. You see, I created simplified illustrations to accompany the detailed step-by-step instructions, so you have to work harder to understand the exercise. That’s because learning details of the exercise sequence in writing is like learning a new language, which is a second key recommendation to improving brain health. You’ve spent a lifetime moving your body about without thinking too much about how to move it. When you slow down to read how to complete the exercise and then apply that learning, you’re strengthening both your muscles and your brain.

Finally, the exercise instructions include a visualization cue: “Your feet are a seesaw, moving up and down in a controlled fashion.” Visualizing how to move is yet another way your brain is staying strong and healthy. 

Give yourself a hearty pat on the back if you’re doing at least one of these brain-boosting activities. And if you’re doing all three, that’s even better!

Try this at home: Below you’ll find an example of the exercise instructions, illustration, and visualization cue from my upcoming 10th book, Chair Exercises for Fall Prevention.

I’m a polio survivor in her early seventies and have had seven decades to accumulate knowledge about how to take care of a body that may pose problems—which could be anyone’s body, not just that of a person with a disability. I have a fully paralyzed foot, a partially paralyzed leg, which is two inches shorter, smaller and much weaker than my stronger leg. I have resultant canal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal and disc pinching) from my limp, and arthritis in a few places. I’m also a breast cancer survivor (seventeen years cancer free!).

I’ve travelled all over the world, used to dance for fun, I still garden, and have done probably more than I should have in this life, and now in my—what are these? Golden years? Ha!—I’m learning to take things a little easier but still not just sit around and get fat. Well, a little fat, okay. I do not consider myself heroic and hate being called a hero. I am simply dealing with whatever I have to—just like you.

My second book, No Spring Chicken: Stories and Advice from a Wild Handicapper on Aging and Disability was recently published. It’s full of travel tips, life hacks, care tips, suggestions for family on how to adapt to someone whose body is changing, and is definitely not just for “crips.” It’s for anyone who’s beginning to have any kind of mobility issue, and for the people who love us.
Here's an excerpt:

Okay, so here they are—my practical, and not magic, fixes:

1. Don’t smoke tobacco.
2. Get at least two hours a week of exercise. Chair or bed yoga counts.
3. Eat a balanced diet. Mediterranean is best for most people. 
4. Brush your teeth at least three times a day (yes, three!) and floss.
5. Try to avoid stress, find ways to relax, and socialize. 
6. Get six to eight hours of sleep (on average) per night.
7. Get all the vaccinations recommended for your age and immune system.
8. Wash your hands [especially when you get home from touching flu-laden doorknobs].
9. Get a full checkup [with an MD] every year, or at least every two years.
10. Go easy on alcohol; not more than one drink a day (on average) for women, and one-and-a-half to two max for men.  

Genes matter, and you can’t do anything about those. But you have control over all of the above. I know it’s probably all stuff you know already, but here it is, all in one place!”

I do floor yoga every morning. I know that some people cannot get up and down from the floor, so chair yoga or other stretching works (or see one of Amanda’s books!). I have made it a point to have a “standup” routine, since I am more at risk of falling. I do stretches for twenty to forty minutes and have far less pain and stiffness than when I skip my yoga.

I also do a pool therapy workout for about a half hour to ninety minutes, three to five times a week, all year long. This gives me a light aerobic workout plus more stretching, and includes walking (the water helps hold you up; for me, it’s actually easier than walking on land; my weaker leg doesn’t do much in the support department), leg and arm stretches, kicks suspended on a noodle in the deep end, swimming laps, and more. If I don’t do both of these routines regularly I start to have back pain, and I can manage this with the right combo of regular stretching and swimming.

Given I can’t go for walks, I use a folding, lightweight mobility scooter both to tool around the neighborhood, go to places out of my ability range with friends, and also to travel. It’s a great little trike for airports, city sidewalks, and flat pathways through parks. So I don’t miss out on much.

I do need to keep a balance between eating and resting. I need to lie down in the afternoon for a bit several times a week, and am not supposed to fatigue myself (a big issue with older polio survivors), so because I do less standing and walking than others, I try to watch my diet. Simple carbs tend to be my downfall, especially chips or popcorn. But I step on a scale regularly and try not to let my body mass index get high. I don’t want late-life heart disease or diabetes!

When you start to get aches and pains, or find that you fatigue more than you did when you were younger, I encourage you to look out the window, keep moving, and imagining your best future. If you lose a beloved activity, find another one that is easier. Say yes to invitations, just ask those who love you to adjust to your new normal.

“I may be no spring chicken, but I ain’t ready for the soup!” as my friend Annie said in a song she wrote.