Now that my second book, Balance and Your Body: How Exercise Can Help You Avoid a Fall, is available to the public, I’ve had several people ask me who this book is for. As in, who is my target audience? 

I wrote this book as a self-help exercise guide for caregivers, family members, and, most importantly, seniors. It features a dozen foundational exercises with step-by-step instructions and illustrations that they can use as a home-based exercise plan.

​What’s different about my book? The exercises don’t require special equipment or the need to get on the floor. Each exercise also includes modifications on how to make it easier or harder, depending on abilities.  Falls are the leading cause of injury, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations for seniors in North America. The goal with my book is to help seniors increase their confidence — after all, the fear of falling contributes to the risk of falling — and improve their strength and balance so they won’t sustain a life-altering fall.

So let’s see how these distinct groups can utilize my book.

Caregivers. “Would you present to our staff about how to help our senior clients? You know, teach them easy exercises that they can do with clients during visits.” Be it a personal support worker, care aide, nursing assistant, or nurse, there are many professionals that provide care and support to seniors in their homes, in retirement homes, and in long term care facilities. Knowing how to help senior clients maintain balance and strength improves their ability to serve their client group. When I’ve presented to caregiver groups, they are so appreciative of the information I have shared. My book is easy to read and compact, so they can easily carry it from one appointment to the next.

Family Members. “Can You Help My Aging Parent? They’re living alone and I’m in another city. I’m worried they’re going to fall and hurt themselves. They won’t go to a gym, and I saw on your website that you offer in-home fitness training to older adults.” I’ve seen many emails and received just as many phone calls like this. Increasingly, adult children are living in different cities from their elderly parents and they feel helpless. They may see their parents infrequently, and each time, the changes in their loved ones can be an eye-opener. Time is marching on and the physical declines are more marked with each passing visit. In many cases, they want to help their parents maintain their independence and stay in their homes. And they know one slip, trip, or fall is all that separates their mother or father from permanent residency at a long-term care facility. When I do visit their parents, we begin to work on the main components of fall prevention: balance, strength, and mobility.
​Do you have aging parents or grandparents whose lives you need to monitor in addition to your own life? You can pick up a copy of Balance and Your Body for your loved one, go through the exercises with them — remember, each exercise includes instructions on how to make it harder if you’re doing it with them — and/or leave the book with them for their own practice. Or are you an employer whose staff have aging parents? I’ve also presented to businesses, so their employees can help aging parents stay in their homes longer. These card-carrying members of the sandwich generation don’t have the time to research fall prevention exercises that they can teach their parents/grandparents. A lunch and learn to cover the basics of balance and how to prevent a fall will ease their minds and let them focus on how to help their aging loved ones when they’re not at work.

Seniors. “I want to be able to go for a walk with my husband.” This is just one of many fitness goals I hear from my senior clients. Finding time to do these exercises doesn’t have to be complicated. When I work with clients in their homes, I send follow-up emails that list and describe the exercises we’ve done together. My goal is to make clients comfortable doing the exercises on their own. In many cases, they write out the exercises on a sheet of paper for quick reference. You know, something that they can leave on the counter and refer to throughout the day. They often tell me that their list allows them to tackle the exercises one at a time, without feeling overwhelmed. I decided to compile these exercises in a book, as a quick reference guide for other seniors. And each exercise is a standalone passage. You can start with just one or try them all in one session. Whatever works for you. You will benefit either way.

How to buy. Would you like a paperback or e-book version of Balance and Your Body? It’s available for sale worldwide on Amazon.  And if you’re in Ottawa on July 11th, why don’t you join me for the official book launch? Because even if this book isn't geared to you, there's probably someone in your life who could benefit from it.

Recently, one of my class participants chimed in with the following, “Will you please tell us what we should do for exercise over the summer?” To which I replied, “Move more.” You see, I take a teaching break every July and August, and she was wondering about workout suggestions.
​I was only partly kidding when I responded with “move more.” Most people sit too much, even if they do attend weekly exercise classes. Heck, I’m in the process of writing my third book on the topic. ​But I would also like to address her question more specifically.

When I take a break from teaching Essentrics, I take a break from Essentrics altogether. Don’t get me wrong, I love Essentrics. But I also love other ways of moving and working out. And our bodies need variety in movement and exercise. ​

That’s what fellow fitness professional Kathryn Bruni-Young says about variety in exercise. Kathryn is the founder of Mindful Strength and I’m taking one of her online courses this summer. ​Her amazing Facebook group is one of the reasons I’ll never be able to fully extricate myself from Facebook. She is a pioneer in the fitness industry and an ardent promoter of mindfulness as it relates to body awareness. Her podcasts, blog posts, and online workouts take me outside my comfort zone both as a teacher and a student.
But please don’t ask me what class you should take when we’re on a break. Before I became a group fitness instructor, I rarely attended group fitness classes. I’m more of a loner when it comes to exercise. If you’re interested in joining a group fitness class, we are fortunate in Ottawa to have so many exercise options available. I honestly don’t keep track of other group fitness options — I’m busy enough with my own classes and clients. But if someone asks me about a different type of class, I tell them, “Try it! You may love it.” One of my other regulars recently tried Nia dance for the first time. She commented that she enjoyed how it was a bit similar and a bit different from Essentrics. 
With that in mind, I thought instead I’d share what my fitness plans are this summer. You may have different plans entirely, and that’s okay.  Try a few things and see what sticks. You may be surprised at what motivates you to move. And I’ll tell you now, many of my workouts happen in my living room — thanks to YouTube!
​

​​I hope this list helps you choose your fitness options this summer.
​Remember: Move more, feel better. And have a great summer!

"Can you help my aging parent? They’re living alone and I’m in another city. I’m worried they’re going to fall and hurt themselves. They won’t go to a gym, and I saw on your website that you offer in-home fitness training to older adults.”
​
I’ve seen many emails and received just as many phone calls like this. Increasingly, adult children are living in different cities from their elderly parents and they feel helpless. They may see their parents infrequently, and each time, the changes in their loved ones can be an eye-opener. Time is marching on and the physical declines are more marked with each passing visit. 

​In many cases, they want to help their parents maintain their independence and stay in their homes. And they know one slip, trip, or fall is all that separates them from permanent residency at a long-term care facility. When I do visit their parents, we begin to work on the main components of fall prevention: balance, strength, and mobility. The exercises I teach them all help to alleviate the fear of falling.
​
And it inspired the topic of my next book, Balance and Your Body: How Exercise Can Help You Avoid a Fall. The rest of this post is an excerpt from my upcoming book. As we age, our risk of falling increases, as does the likelihood that a fall will cause an injury. In Canada, falls are the leading cause of injury among older Canadians. Twenty to thirty percent of seniors experience one or more falls each year. Falls are the cause of 85 per cent of seniors' injury-related hospitalizations. You may be surprised to learn that falls are the cause of 95 per cent of all hip fractures. And fully half of all falls causing hospitalization happen at home.

In the United States, data reported by the National Council on Aging show that one quarter of Americans over the age of sixty-five will fall each year. A fall is the prevailing source for hospital admissions in the elderly. An emergency room in the United States treats a senior fall victim every 11 seconds. And if you’re an older adult, you’re more likely to die from a fall than any other cause.

In the past, research attributed the risk of falls exclusively to aging. That is, the older we got, the more likely it was that we will fall. In fact, it’s more like aging and lack of physical activity are working in concert to increase the likelihood that we will fall: as we age, we are typically less active, our bodies gets weaker, our bones get more brittle, and we’re more likely to fall. And when we do sustain a fall later in life, we’re also more likely to be injured. 

Finding time to do these exercises doesn’t have to be complicated. When I work with clients in their homes, I send follow-up emails that list and describe the exercises we’ve done together. My goal is to make them comfortable with doing the exercises on their own. In many cases, they write out the exercises on a sheet of paper for quick reference. You know, something that they can leave on the counter and refer to throughout the day. The following list is your quick reference guide. 

Want to learn more? Balance and Your Body will be available in paperback and e-book format this summer. 

Guest post by Mel Fiala, CAT(C)

We live in a society where most of us understand and operate our electronic technologies better than our own bodies. This is our norm, we don’t question physical inability because we don’t realize that there is an issue. We have the luxury of having everything we need literally at our fingertips—a click away. But your fingers don’t even contain any muscles… and your body has over 600. What if you understand them, use them, OWN them. Imagine how much power you would have at your fingertips!

‘Natural’ and ‘Functional’ movement is our birthright. It is not a fancy new innovative way of working out or training. The human body is a remarkably perfect movement machine. We are born with every muscle, bone and joint we need to move in a fluid, deliberate and healthy way. If we take the time to understand how it works and take care and ownership of our well-oiled machine it can become a liberating, energizing and empowering experience. 

One of the biggest misconceptions is that movement is reserved for athletes, sports or working out. But the world of high performance and professional sport is filled with bodies that move in inefficient ways. Understanding the way your core muscles work to support your body and the way your limbs move around your core is the first step to owning the way your body moves. For example, similar movement principles can be applied whether you’re reaching for a book high up on a shelf or performing a layup in basketball, whether you’re standing at the sink doing dishes or standing in first position in ballet. Natural, functional and healthy movement is about ownership, understanding and capability—and you don’t have to be an athlete to take ownership of your body!.

Enter ‘Magnetize.’ It is a concept that breaks down and marries the basic steps to activate and stabilize the foundation of movement. 

It is a model that I created for a conditioning workshop, I further refined it on the soccer field with professional athletes, and eventually named it with the assistance of an energetic group of young acrobats. Its diverse pathway to conception demonstrates its versatility and adaptability to all movements and physical activities. When you boil it down, we all have bodies made up of the same building blocks. It is from these building blocks we can move naturally — functionally — without any bells and whistles.

The concept of magnetize revolves around the idea of understanding how your core muscles set the foundation for all other movements. This is done by accessing and differentiating your stabilizing muscles (pelvic floor, glutes, abdominals, obliques, etc.) from your movement muscles (quads, hamstrings, biceps… there are too many to name). This is done by imagining all the parts of your core ‘container’ activating, while pulling towards your center without yielding — like a magnet.

​So we break down the concept of the ‘core’ (cue your eye roll, please! Core is both an overused and a misunderstood concept)  Here is how to magnetize in five steps:

​First, pull in your diamond. Imagine a diamond shape on the lower part of your abdomen, each point represented by an anatomical landmark: your pubic bone, your two hip bones and your belly button. Try to pull those four points towards each other as if they are magnets. This will help access the lower part of your whole abdominals which wrap around your ‘core container’ like a can of soup.
Second, stop your pee. This is the same muscle that is activated when you perform a Kegel exercise. This helps access your pelvic floor and stabilize the bottom part of the ‘core container’.
Third, squeeze your butt cheeks. Activate your glutes to help stabilize your legs and protect your knees. This will help access the other bottom and back part of the ‘core container’.
Fourth, knit your ribcage. Starting from the back (where your ribs attach to your spine), pull each rib down onto the top of your ‘core container’. This should allow your ribcage and shoulders to stack over your hips.
Finally, BREATHE! Don’t forget your diaphragm, it is your principal breathing muscle as well as being the top portion of your ‘core container’. Breathing will help you relax and integrate the muscles you’ve magnetized.

You can break down this method and practice each part on its own, get familiar with how your body reacts when you engage it in that way, and then put them all together. When they work together, when you magnetize, your core muscles are functioning in a stable and healthy way. This stability translates into better posture, healthier movement, and injury prevention.

Bringing this concept to my patients and clients has allowed me to empower them to do just that! Healthy bodies that have better posture, more whole-istic rehabilitation and of course, fewer injuries. Your body belongs to you, goes everywhere you go and you spend your whole life in it. Why should you depend on a health care practitioner or trainer to tell you what to do with it. Not only have I seen individual patients move healthier when they own this knowledge but I have seen improvements across groups I have worked with. In the dance company I currently work with, no single dancer has suffered from a knee injury since we have implemented the concept of magnetize across all dance classes. This was over three years ago and in a demographic that is notorious for knee injuries (girls and young women aged 11 to 21).

Magnetize is a concept that can help you understand your core and set the foundation for healthy movement. But it is just beginning to scratch the surface! Get to know how your body works and feels, observe how your legs and arms move around your ‘core container’ with and without magnetizing. Observe your alignment in the mirror when you magnetize: do your knees, feet or shoulders shift or change in any way? Those limbs of yours are also an important part of your well-oiled machine. When you magnetize, your stabilizing muscles are taking on their designated role (i.e., to stabilize) and the rest of your body and limbs are free to do the movements they were originally and perfectly designed to do.

Love, own and understand how your body works and it will take care of you. Movement is your birthright--MAGNETIZE!

“One size fits all” is an erroneous premise, be it with hats, socks, or fitness. As a fitness professional, I get leery of statements that “everyone can do this workout.” Sure, everyone can, but does everyone want to? 

Let’s be honest, what motivates you isn’t going to motivate the next person. And you’re more likely to stick with a program if you find it motivating. So how do you figure that out? My suggestion is that you break it down by the five W’s of fitness.

The five W’s can be traced back to Aristotle. They’re an investigative device that have been used by journalists, police, and authors, to name a few. In Aristotle’s case, he was examining ethics and determining voluntary versus involuntary action.(1) If an action is voluntary, these 5 questions should have answers:

1. Who
2. What
3. When
4. Where
5. Why

And in the case of choosing of workout that’s right for you, it’s very much a voluntary endeavour. So let’s dive in and examine each component.

“Why” appears last on this list. But the past decade has seen the order and prevalence of the five W’s flipped, thanks in large part to Simon Sinek’s 2009 book, Start with Why.(2) Beginning with the end — why — will help to answer the other W’s in the case of fitness too.

1. Why
Why exercise? For the fun of it. I’m not being facetious, I truly mean that. Think about it: if you enjoy your workout regimen, you’re more likely to stick with it. But there are many other reasons you may choose to begin a new exercise program, and equally solid reasons for why you will stick with your current workout. 
I’ll help you begin your thought process by sharing my “why.” For me, I want to live a long and healthy life. So I exercise for life. And disease prevention, because exercise IS medicine. That was easy, now it’s your turn. Is it because you want to go for a walk with your spouse? Do you want to have the energy to play with your grandchildren? Do you like the feeling of strength from lifting heavy weights? There is no wrong answer here.

2. Who
The first “who” is of course you. But that can be the beginning or the end of it. If you feel motivated to exercise on your own, or if you prefer the solitary aspect of solo workouts, there’s no need to include others. This is your fitness journey and yours alone. I get it if you want to opt for solo workouts. When I’m teaching group fitness classes or training private clients, I’m working on their fitness goals. So when it comes time to do my own workout, I prefer being with my own thoughts and going at my own pace.
But that may not appeal to you. Perhaps you want the company of a friend or loved one, the anonymity of strangers in a group class, or the motivation of a personal trainer. If external accountability is important to you, you’ll probably want to recruit someone else to propel you forward in your fitness journey. 

3. What 
    At a broad level, fitness can be divided into four main components: cardiovascular  or aerobic, strength, flexibility, and balance. But that only scratches the surface of what, exactly, you can do in terms of exercise. Different things will appeal to different people. And at different times in your life, the “what” of exercise will also change.
Take me, for example. In my twenties, my go-to workout was cardio via running, including training for and competing in road races. I did it all: 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon. In my thirties, I discovered flexibility training with Essentrics. In my forties, I started picking up dumbbells and barbells to incorporate strength training into my life. And as I get ready to enter my fifties, I do all the same balance exercises that I teach to my senior clients. I do a little bit of everything in the “what" category, but in different proportions than in the past. 


4. When
Are you an early bird or a night owl? Do you prefer to exercise in the middle of the day? When you choose to get physically active will also dictate whether you’ll stick with your program. Although I get up early, I’m not a fan of early morning exercise. For me, early mornings are all about easing into the day. I once tried to teach an early morning Essentrics class. My body was there, but my brain and vocal cords preferred to stay at home. I was a babbling idiot, trying to string together coherent sentences. And I failed miserably. So, learn from my missteps: understand your motivation levels at different times of the day. It’s another key factor in sticking with it. 
I’m not just referring to time of day, but also number of times per week. Your body needs and craves movement every single day. If you think “getting it over with” in one monster session will get you through the week, think again. You may be overdoing it with too much exercise at once, and risk an injury as your body and mind tire and lose focus on proper form. Remember, I want you to exercise for life. As in, a daily habit that you’ll maintain for the long term.


5. Where
There are so many options for where to workout. Weather permitting, outside is one of my favourite locations for exercise. You can also join a gym, but you don’t have to. Lots of people opt for exercising at home, which is why I go to my clients in their homes. I want to them to feel confident about exercising anywhere, including their own living room. 
And if you don’t want to hire a personal trainer, you can always use workout videos, streaming services, or YouTube to find a workout that’s right for you. That’s what I do when I don’t feel like heading outside or to the gym — I head to my living room instead. And often, I’ll work out in my pjs, because, why not?!

So there you have it — the five W’s of fitness. I hope this list will help you make choices in your own fitness journey. And remember, one size doesn’t fit all.


Epilogue: How Much
    
You may be wondering why I haven’t addressed “how much” you should workout. While this is an important topic, the answer is likely not going to motivate you to get moving. And frankly, it’s the same for everyone; the guidelines apply to all and thus fit in the realm of “one size fits all.” Be that as it may, I’ll share the “how much” with you now. Perhaps it will encourage you to get moving. 
The Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that adults engage in 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every week to maintain optimal health.(3) Although some health and fitness professionals recommend five bouts of 30 minutes each, it’s really up to you how accumulate your activity. Indeed, the guidelines highlight that the bouts be 10 minutes or more.* And we’re talking here about aerobic physical activity — hence the emphasis on “moderate to vigorous.” The point is to get your heart rate up. They also recommend two days to four days per week of strength training activities and four to seven days per week of flexibility and balance training. (4) 
    

*The US Physical Activity Guidelines were updated late last year, and they dispensed with the “10 minutes or more” guidance, in favour of physical activity in any amount.(5) This shift emphasizes the cumulative effect of physical activity throughout the day. 

Falls are not age-specific, but your risk of falling increases as you age. And if sidewalks are slippery due to snow and ice, anyone is at risk of falling.
Intrepid volunteers like the Snow Moles are making the sidewalks safe for walking. But before you leave home, there are things you can do to reduce your risk of falling. 

As a fitness professional, I often get asked about the “best” exercise for a particular fitness goal or body part: eg, “What’s the best exercise to improve my balance?” Or, “what’s the best exercise to strengthen my quads?” The best exercise is the one you’re going to do.

The exercises listed below are some of my clients’ favourites, and include both strength and balance components. Both are key factors in fall prevention. Strong muscles and bones allow us to lift our legs and feet over obstacles like pesky snow banks that haven’t been cleared. Or your big toe: when the muscles along the shin bone are weak, it’s more difficult to lift the front of your foot off the ground as you walk. Then your own body becomes a trip hazard.

And balance is a critical component of walking - because walking is essentially a weight transfer and balance exercise. One foot, then the other. Repeat. If you’re having trouble with balance, how will you be with walking? Well, walking will also be difficult, and that’s when you’re most likely to risk a fall.

Try these exercises in your home. Focus on slow, purposeful movements. Hang on to something solid if you need help with balance. And make sure the area is free of obstacles if you’re moving around.

Alphabet
Draw the letters of the alphabet with your foot to strengthen muscles around your ankle.

High March (Stomp)
Lift one knee to hip level and hold for 5 seconds. Lower the leg and switch sides.

Heel raises
Stand tall with your feet shoulder width apart. Rise up onto the balls of your feet, avoiding leaning forward. Hold for 3 seconds, then lower. 

Kitchen squats
Face your kitchen counter and hang on with both hands. Open your legs to shoulder width and lower your behind down and back as if you’re sitting in a chair. Keep your back straight, knees above the feet, and weight on the heels. Push into your heels to come back up to standing.

Switch Up Your Walking
Sideways walking strengthens little-used muscles along the inside and outside of your legs. Backwards walking helps you strengthen your brain-body connection by creating new pathways in your brain, teaches your body to rely on the messages the nerves in your feet are sending to the penthouse, and it improves coordination in your lower body. NOTE: make sure the space is clear of obstacles and hang on to something solid.

Balance
Stand on one leg and try to hold for 30 seconds. Put your foot back down and repeat on the other side. To make it more challenging, try turning your head to one side.

As we age, our balance is impacted negatively by our aging bodies: 
cells die in our vestibular system, which is connected to the centre in our brain that controls balance;
- our vision declines and with it, our depth perception;
- changes to our blood pressure may cause dizziness, lightheadness or blurriness;
- we lose muscle mass, strength, and power — this can slow our reaction time if we trip;
- our reflexes and coordination also decline; and
- a variety of health problems may also impact our balance, including arthritis, stroke, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. (1)

Regular physical activity is key to maintaining good balance. An exercise program that focuses on specific balance exercises as well as core strengthening and movement patterns will improve balance and stability, not to mention daily function. Working on improving your balance and strengthening your muscles will increase your confidence and reduce the risk of a fall.

References

1. http://www.askdoctork.com/why-does-balance-decline-with-age-201306054928

The following is an excerpt from my book, Move More, Your Life Depends On It: Practical Tips to Add More Movement to Your Day.* As a Canadian, I researched and wrote about Canadians’ physical activity levels, or lack thereof. But the shockingly high levels of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour are seen across the globe. Indeed, the newest physical activity guidelines for Americans emphasize that every minute of movement counts, and they should sit less and move more.(1)

How Much Should Canadians Move Every Day?

According to the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines, adults need 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity per week to maintain optimal health.(6) In the “moderate” category, examples include brisk walking and bike riding, whilst in the “vigorous” category, jogging and cross-country skiing are listed. 

So, why exercise? It improves your fitness, strength, and mental health (morale and self-esteem), and it reduces your risk of premature death, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, certain types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and obesity.(7)

These are the minimum guidelines for physical activity. However, Statistics Canada data indicates that only 15 per cent of adult Canadians meet these minimum requirements.(8) Broken down to a daily level, the minimum exercise requirements—which were measured with accelerometers—equate to 21.42 minutes of daily exercise. 

What are Canadian adults doing with their time when they are not exercising? They’re being mostly sedentary, that’s what—over 9.5 hours per day, which accounts for 69 per cent of their waking hours.(9) And, as we saw earlier, too much sedentary behaviour is creating a global health-care crisis. 
​
Even if you meet the recommended physical activity guidelines, sedentary behaviour in the remaining hours of your day is still detrimental to your health.(10) Those remaining hours are the focus of this book. I will help you add non-exercise activity in common sense ways. Consistent with my original goal when I first created The Move More Institute™, I will share easy to implement and low-cost or free options. Let’s go.

How Do You Accumulate Physical Activity?

Ready for some good news? The activity our bodies crave and need can happen in minuscule increments. Indeed, a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association reported that physical activity that was accumulated in sporadic bouts throughout the day still reduced the risk of early death.(11) The total amount of daily physical activity is more important than how you accumulate that activity. 

What are your health or fitness goals? Disease prevention or injury prevention? Enjoyment of life? If you fall into one of these categories, there really is no need to go all out at the gym. For many people, their unspoken goals of fitness are basic to existence—prevent premature death and live life fully and pain-free. If you fall into this group, don’t despair about people who may have more specific or rigorous fitness goals. You can focus instead on accumulating small, sporadic bouts of movement throughout your day. Every little bit counts toward your total physical activity: walking to the store, taking the stairs, or getting up from your desk and pacing during a conference call. As I mentioned before when describing my mission with The Move More Institute™, I call them “snacks of exercise.” And these snacks don’t require fancy workout clothes or special equipment, or the need to shower before continuing your day. Every little bit of movement matters. Just ask actress Eva Marie Saint.

“Did you know I’m older than the Oscars? Just keep moving.”(12) Just. Keep. Moving. Those were the words Saint uttered at the 2017 Oscars. She was pondering the fact that the awards show was celebrating 90 years, and she was older at 93. And she looked fantastic, standing proudly, displaying every inch of her 5’4” frame—not stooped over and shuffling like many others later in their lives. 

And she’s right, you know. There is no secret elixir for aging well. You just have to keep moving. No fancy equipment or expensive gym membership required!
​
You know the drill: Time for a break! You’ve been sitting long enough; time to get up and move. Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right here, waiting for you. Now go move your beautiful body!

If you enjoyed this excerpt, please consider buying the book. It’s available globally on Amazon  and locally in Ottawa (contact me for more details).

I wasn’t always in the fitness industry; I studied psychology at school. During my university days in the late 1980s/early 1990s, a professor announced that our generation would not have jobs for life. ​Instead, we would become the “continuous learning generation” and cycle through three to five career changes. 

​To be honest, I breathed a sigh of relief. At that point, I wasn’t entirely sure of two points:
1. that I could make a career with a Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, and
2. that I wanted a career in psychology.

The first realization drove me to extend my post-secondary study — first, to complete an honours thesis, and then to complete a Master of Arts, Psychology. And so I began my career in health promotion research. Not psychology — health promotion research — which I suppose qualifies as my first career change. And I loved it. I even toyed with completing a PhD in the field. But then research funding started to dry up, and the opportunities became scarcer.

That’s when I conjured my next career transition, which landed me in human resources. In high tech during the 90s tech boom. Talk about a trial by fire. Given my penchant for research, I found a home on the compensation side of HR. Numbers didn’t scare me, but having employees crying in my office did. 

The HR career sandwiched two maternity leaves, and I realized that I loved being a stay-at-home mom. More on this later; be patient, grasshopper.

During a return to the workforce, a foot injury sidelined my hobby as an occasional runner, I was devastated to hear that I needed orthotics and “indoor shoes.” Indoor shoes?! I’m a barefoot babe, and in my world, shoes are for outside only. Sometimes. 

During my first maternity leave, I had discovered the TV version of Essentrics® - Classical Stretch™ with Miranda Esmonde-White. I stumbled upon Classical Stretch again shortly after the shock of indoor shoes was thrust upon me. I’m not kidding when I say I was an “occasional runner.” I’ve never been a huge fan of structured exercise, which is partly why I stopped following Classical Stretch a few years earlier. 

But when my foot problems began to recede, I decided I needed to become more diligent about working out. Let’s be clear, I’ve always led an active lifestyle — walking and biking almost everywhere, taking the stairs instead of the elevator — but at the same time, I eschewed structured workouts.

One day, as I was searching for a Classical Stretch DVD online, I discovered that I could train to become a “Classical Stretch instructor” from home. You mean, I could get paid to exercise? Having the accountability of teaching others whilst working out appealed to me, because it forced me to be more consistent with my workouts. And actually get out of my pjs to exercise.

Over four years — 2010 to 2013 — I studied and passed the four levels of certification to become a fully certified Essentrics instructor.* And I taught A LOT of classes. In 2014, I was teaching 15 classes a week, in eight different locations across the city. In addition to teaching a lot, I was also travelling a lot between these classes. And spending a significant amount of time in front of my computer to market and promote the classes. 

All of a sudden, my enjoyment of teaching a workout I loved was taking its toll on my body: 

- I developed a serious shoulder injury from too much computer use;
- I fell down the stairs when I was rushing and carrying too much (you can’t really see the stairs when your arms are overflowing with stuff);
- I was involved in a car accident when I was hurrying to complete an errand before class; and
- I generally felt burnt out all the time.
Too much rushing. Too much on my plate. Something had to give. And it did. 

Around the same time, I was reading and writing about the risks of too much sedentary time. Headlines like “Sitting is the new smoking” preceded articles that were imploring people to sit less, move more. It was from this zeitgeist that The Move More Institute™ began to take shape. Even if people were going to the gym or a fitness class on a regular basis, they still needed to get off their butts in more frequent intervals. Every. Single. Day.

I wrote multiple blog posts and social media posts on the topic. And I also created workshops entitled, “I’m not sitting anymore. What now?!” The workshops were well-received. In addition to my Essentrics certification, I began taking other fitness courses and certifications, including my personal trainer certification. I was spending a great deal of time teaching my clients about body awareness. How? By teaching them how to use their muscles for their intended purposes. Even though I worked part-time at several gyms in this period, I much preferred to meet people on their home turf. In so doing, I could show them that they could be physically active without spending tons of money. Do we really need fancy clothes, complicated equipment or expensive memberships to use our bodies? Of course not! If you choose to hire a trainer, join a gym or exercise class to workout, that’s fantastic. But it’s not the only way to move your body. You also don’t need to get sweaty to get your body working. The World Health Organization defines physical activity as "any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure.”* Bottom line, all exercise is movement, but not all movement is exercise. 

As I looked back over the past 10 years, I realized that I was at my healthiest when my kids were young and movement was the name of the game. We were active all day long, whether I was playing with my kids or just taking care of them and running our household. Injuries began when I was sitting too much in an office job and then running myself ragged with my fitness business. 

The Move More Institute™ began to take shape. My slogan became “Move More, Feel Better.” Not exercise more. Not head to the gym and lift more weights. Just move more. My goal with movement coaching is short-term coaching, long-term results. And this goal is woven throughout my book Move More, Your Life Depends On It: Practical Tips to Add More Movement to Your Day. As I say in the book’s dedication, I wrote it for people who think physical fitness is beyond their reach. 

So there you have it. That’s my origin story, so to speak. After my book was published, someone asked if I had always wanted to write a book. Initially, I said no. But then I remembered a project from school; I believe I was in grade five. Our task was to create a family crest. One of the quadrants had to be how you saw yourself in the future, as an adult. I had drawn a book cover, complete with title and author - me. So I suppose I have always wanted to write a book.

Even though you may have heard the term “physio-terrorist” used before, I promise you, we physiotherapists do not derive any joy from giving you work. We do, however, prescribe just what we believe it’ll take to get you feeling better and moving more, free from pain and hesitation. 

​But why do we have to prescribe specific exercises if you’re already moving and keeping active? In a nutshell, we’re trying to get to the source of the issue to avoid the formation of compensations. 

A physiotherapist is trained to find and treat problems in muscles, joints, and the nervous system throughout the body. During an assessment, your therapist is looking for areas of weakness, points of tension, joints with decreased range of motion, and asymmetries in the way your body moves. The results from these evaluations guide your therapist as they prescribe the right treatment for you. This treatment plan should almost always include personalized exercises, tailored to your condition and your goals. 

With these exercises, you and your therapist are working to resolve elements that were found to be lacking during the assessment. These exercises are specifically chosen in order to target the proper element in question, whether it’s strength, flexibility, range of motion, or balance. What’s more, specific parameters will be specified for your exercises, including intensity, frequency, and number of repetitions. These parameters play a vital role in getting the desired results from the exercises your given. 

The law of parsimony states that things are usually connected or behave in the simplest or most efficient way. This law applies to our bodies and to the way we move. Muscles work in groups and chains, each with their own role, movements, and proper time to work. With that and the law of parsimony in mind, a weak or damaged muscle in a chain or group will continue to be weak, while the stronger muscles will be recruited to perform the majority of the work. This leads to muscles imbalances as well as strains of overstressed muscles if not addressed. 

By creating and following a tailored exercise plan with specifically chosen exercises, these compensations can be fixed or avoided entirely. 

I assure you, your “physio-terrorist” is not trying to overwhelm you with exercises. Rather, your therapist is trying to help your muscles work in harmony, sharing the workload correctly to avoid compensations and further harm. 
If ever it’s too much to do or too hard to perform, just let your physiotherapist know! Your home exercise plan is meant for YOU! It can be adjusted, modified, or tweaked to suit not only your problem, but also your way of life and abilities. 

Right exercises = right healing so you can move more and do more. 

About the author: Brad Lafortune is a registered physiotherapist with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario and the founder of Function Physiotherapy. Brad is committed to providing quality care through an active, hands-on approach to better health.
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What, exactly, is balance? It’s “the state of having your weight spread equally so that you do not fall”.(1) Think about it like this: it’s your centre of gravity over your base of support. That’s why four-legged creatures have an easier time maintaining balance on slippery surfaces: they have a lower centre of gravity and a wider base of support. 

We all need good balance to safely move around our world on a daily basis, but have you ever thought about it? If you’ve ever lost your balance, fallen and sustained an injury, you get it. Balance is a critical component of walking - because walking is essentially a weight transfer and balance exercise. One foot, then the other. Repeat. If you’re having trouble with balance, how will you be with walking? Well, walking will also be difficult, and that’s when you’re most likely to risk a fall.

If balance is a challenge for you, you’re likely more aware of its importance. The ability to maintain an upright position without falling over — it’s cute when a toddler is learning to walk unaided. A young child falls regularly, but over time, their balance improves and they fall less. As adults, poor balance can be life-threatening and, frankly, quite frightening. 

As we age, our balance is impacted negatively by our aging bodies: 
- cells die in our vestibular system, which is connected to the centre in our brain that controls balance,
- our vision declines and with it, our depth perception,
- changes to our blood pressure may cause dizziness, lightheadness or blurriness,
- we lose muscle mass, strength, and power — this can slow our reaction time if we trip,
- our reflexes and coordination also decline, and 
- a variety of health problems may also impact our balance, including arthritis, stroke, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.(2)

So, how is your balance? Did you know it’s actually one of your senses?(3) The myth that we have only 5 senses - sight, taste, touch, feeling, & hearing - can be traced back to Aristotle. But scientists know that we have many more than five. These include the sense of movement, temperature, hunger, thirst, pain, balance, and proprioception. Fitness professionals in the functional fitness realm regularly refer to proprioception - your ability to sense where the parts of your body are without seeing them. You know, how you can get up in the dark and walk to your bathroom without falling over. And think about a law-enforcement official asking you to close your eyes and touch your nose as a sobriety test. That’s proprioception!

​Regular physical activity is key to maintaining good balance. An exercise program that focuses on specific balance exercises as well as core strengthening and movement patterns will improve balance and stability, not to mention daily function. 

- Test yourself: set a timer and stand on one leg; repeat on the other side (this is your baseline)
- Check your feet/remove your shoes to engage proprioception
- Bend your standing leg to lower your centre of gravity
- Focus on a static point (e.g., during class, not me, but a point above my head)
- Think about your joints, making them as light as possible
- Slight pelvic tilt, engage the abs
- If in doubt, reset by lowering your leg to the ground
- Airplane arms out to the side to increase your base of support
- Stand near a wall/chair or gently touch a wall/chair with your hand
- Need more help? Sign up for one of my online courses, “3 Days to Better Balance” or “Balance 2.0”

Balance Courses

What’s on your bucket list? Are you missing out on life? Has a fear of falling or a past fall impacted how and when you go out? As we get older, the risk of falls that can injure us increases. As a result, individuals like you curb their activity levels. But it doesn’t have to be that way. If you take ownership of your body, you can be as active as you like. Working on improving your balance and strengthening your muscles will increase your confidence and reduce the risk of a fall. So you can get back to enjoying your life, and continue to tackle that bucket list.

Your body was designed to last a lifetime; but you need to use it daily for lasting effects. I have created online courses that can help: “3 Days to Better Balance” and “Balance 2.0: Progressions in Motion”. Both include daily videos with exercises and instructions on how to use more muscles in daily life. You’ll also receive daily check-ins with me via email or text message - this will help keep you on track with your goals. 
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Here’s some feedback from participants completed my online balance courses:
“I found as I stood at the sink doing my teeth, and at the bus stop, being very aware of my standing base.”
“Wow so great for my unconscious winter hunched shoulders’ posture!”
“I really needed the 3 Day Balance work. It was great.”

A. How often do you walk sideways? It’s a great way to strengthen your inner and outer thighs - aka, your adductor and abductor muscles. Sideways walking can help improve your balance, by strengthening these smaller stabilizing muscles. And it’s great brain training too - since we don’t typically walk sideways, your body and brain have to exert more effort to move.

B. Backwards walking to improve your balance? You betcha! It’s important to rely on more than just your eyes when you’re moving around in life. Walking backwards helps you improve your proprioception, by relying on the input from your feet.
It’s also strengthening your brain-body connection by creating new pathways in your brain. AND improving coordination in the lower half of your body.