Moderation, rest and it place in creating sustainable change.

Posted on January 26, 2010 by violetquartz

mod⋅er⋅a⋅tion /ˌmɒdəˈreɪʃən/

–noun

1.	the quality of being moderate; restraint; avoidance of extremes or excesses; temperance.

2.	the act of moderating.

3.	moderations, British. the first public examinations at Oxford University for the B.A. degree in mathematics or in classics.

—Idiom

4.	in moderation, without excess; moderately; temperately: to drink in moderation.

There is such a thing as too much of a good thing, even the healthiest foods, exercises can become dangerous and harmful when we abuse them, not only can it become an obsession, but it can also have detrimental effects in the body, thus in the energetic system and so on. Often when trying to maintain healthy habits we begrudge ourselves small slip ups, we feel we must be on the ball one hundred percent of the time, when in fact our changes would be more sustainable if we accept that we will falter, thus we should take it easy, be kind to ourselves and start with small steps. Taking breaks and taking stock are an important part of the process. It is comparable to what happens in the body when exercise training. There is a prescribed rest interval for different types to training which yield different adaptations. When training for increased strength and size, you would not use a rest time appropriate for endurance training. Furthermore you would not for go the rest period all together since it would limit the change in the muscle over time.

If we apply this principle to life and making changes in our lifestyle or perception then it stands to reason that depending on our goals and aspirations, different paths will be appropriate for different types of people. Do not compare your journey to that of another, we are all unique. take your time, as a wise person once said it is not the destination that matters but the journey there.

Olympic spirit

Posted on January 24, 2010 by violetquartz

The olympics are fast approaching, and the flame will be in Squamish in nine days. It is very exciting to be on the world’s stage; show off our beautiful town and get wrapped up in the energy of the Olympics.

I am very proud to say that Rob will be the RCMP representative greeting the torch when it lands in Lion’s Bay on the 4th.

I encourage you to step out and participate, not only for this event, but also throughout February; it is a once in a life time opportunity to be shared with people from all over the world.

For more information on the torch relay click here.

Preparation/Determination: Getting ready to change

Posted on January 6, 2010 by violetquartz

In the preparation/determination stage, people have made a commitment to make a change. Their motivation for changing is reflected by statements such as: I have to do something about this, this is serious. Something has to change. What can I do?

This is sort of a research phase: people are now taking small steps toward change. They are trying to gather information (sometimes by reading things like this) about what they will need to do to change their behavior. Or they will call a professional, trying to find out what strategies and resources are available to help them in their attempt. Too often, people skip this stage: they try to move directly from contemplation into action and fall flat on their faces because they have not adequately researched or accepted what it is going to take to make this major lifestyle change.

Well-rounded Fitness

Posted on April 21, 2009 by violetquartz

There are five components of fitness which together determine your overall physical well-being and ability; Cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and balance.

Together these components provide general health benefits also known as functional fitness. Functional fitness is comprised of exercises and activities which includes two or more of these components. They are all equally important because they contribute to a longer and more importantly independent life.

Cardiovascular endurance is essential to a healthy circulatory system and heart; your body’s transportation system to nourish itself. Because heart health is so vital for everyday living regular cardiovascular exercise, is a sure fire way to ensure it is optimal for as long as possible

Muscular strength is important in everyday movement, getting out of bed, getting dressed etc. These are things we take for granted until we are no longer able to perform them for ourselves. Because we lose muscle mass as we age it is important to build and maintain as much as possible so that you can live independently for as long as possible.

Muscular endurance is the ability to repeatedly move a muscle without tiring and allows us to participate in sport, gardening, hiking; activities which contribute to our quality of life and are essential to our overall well-being.

Flexibility helps us maintain range of motion around our joints reducing stiffness and tension. The more flexible we are the less likely we are to get injured because we can more easily move our joints properly.

Balance is critical in injury prevention especially as we age. Participating in physical activity which requires us to balance helps us build and maintain our stabilization muscle which helps prevent falls and related injuries.

Welcome to my new blog!

Posted on March 27, 2009 by violetquartz

Hello and welcome. I am stating this blog to share my thoughts, experience and expertise on health and wellness. Check in weekly for updates. If you have specific topics you would like me to cover feel free to e-mail me questions and comments.

There is 30 day exercises challenge starting April 1st. It is organized by reach physio. I will leading a chat room discussion Tuesday nights for those taking part. To sign up go here.

Enjoy the sunshine.