Find Your Balance

Balance. What does it mean to you? There are many definitions for this seemingly simple word. Let’s address a few of them here. And I'll share with you how I interpret balance in my life. 

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1. Balance and your body:  “An even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.” This one is key in my line of work: I help older adults maintain their balance with targeted exercises. Because as you age, losing your balance gets more dangerous. During the winter season, many older adults change their behaviour patterns, venturing outside less and less, because they’re worried of falling on the icy sidewalk. I get it; I’ve fallen too. That’s why I created the Balance Series of online courses - so people could learn how to improve their balance with simple-to-follow home exercises.
2. Balance and business: “A figure representing the difference between credits and debits in an account; the amount of money held in an account.” Running a business involves a lot of behind-the-scenes administrative work - securing new sources of income, paying off business expenses, paying yourself. The latter happens the least. Which is why my business has been evolving away from costly overhead and onerous administrative duties. Balancing the books also means making money in your business.
3. Balance and health (part 1): “A situation in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.” As some of you know, my daughter has type 1 diabetes - an autoimmune disorder in which the body no longer produces insulin. Insulin is a critical hormone that helps your body convert food (carbs and glucose) into energy for your body. Since we have to inject insulin, we also have to balance the insulin with all the factors that influence insulin absorption: food, exercise, illness, and stress. Every. Single. Day. She doesn’t get a vacation from her illness, and she has to factor it into many decisions and actions throughout the day. Want to know more about type 1 diabetes? You can view the video series and website created by the Canadian Paediatric Society (spoiler alert: I was one of the parents on the advisory committee for these projects).
4. Balance and health (part 2): “A situation in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.” Balanced eating, that’s what I mean. As a fitness professional, I regularly have people justifying their food choices to me. First of all, I don’t care what you’re eating - I’m not a dietician or nutritionist, and you haven’t hired me to create a food plan for you. Secondly, I don’t do diets, detoxes, cleanses, or “clean eating”. What does “clean eating” even mean?! I subscribe to the concept of “balanced eating” - fruits and vegetables, protein and carbohydrates - from a variety of sources, and treats on occasion. It’s a sustainable practice; meaning I do it every day. 
5. Balance and emotional well-being: “Mental or emotional stability.” I’ve been running my own business for over 8 years and I’ve learned a lot about what works for me. Early on, I scaled back my business when my daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I needed to help out at school, as her teacher didn’t fully grasp the seriousness of her diagnosis. A few years later, she was more independent and she had a better support system at school. So, I jumped in with both feet to growing my business. You could say I went overboard with expansion. For a time, I was teaching group fitness classes or private sessions every single day. And rushing from one location to the next. It caused a lot of stress in my life. And I landed in the hospital with a suspected heart attack. Luckily, it wasn’t. But, follow-up tests at the Ottawa Heart Institute revealed an atrial flutter. I can keep it under control by managing my stress levels. And when I start to feel my heart flutter, I scale back. My body wants to be in balance too, and the flutter is a warning sign that it’s not.
6. Balance and exercise: “A situation in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.” Regular physical activity is important to maintain optimal health. Non-exercise activity is equally important - the ways we move our body that are not within a structured workout. You know, going for a walk, cleaning the house, gardening. Only 15% of Canadians meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity (150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity). What’s more, Canadian adults spend an average of 10 hours every day being sedentary/physically inactive. And it’s killing them. We need both exercise and non-exercise activity. That’s why I created The Move More Institute™.

How do you define balance in your life? Do you have other ways of balancing?
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Balancing food and insulin, type 1 diabetes