YEGFITNESS - Sept/Oct 2018

FITNESS + NUTRITION + WELLNESS

PLUS

#IAMYEGFIT FT. DAO HADDAD, MOUNTAIN ADVENTURES + MORE!

ISSUE #26

FINDING BALANCE

SE P TE M B ER /OCTOBE R 201 8 YEGFITNESS.CA

CHELSEA BIRD

Pure l uxury in Cameron Hei ghts !

T his archit ect ural mas terpi ece features a f lat roof desi gn wi th a roof top t errace, b reat htaki ng vi ews of the Nort h Sas kat chewan river val l ey and downtown Edmont on. Vis i t our webs i t e for more!

www.lenamills.ca

contents

sept/oct 18

08 THE POWER OF DOING SQUAT!

30 FINDING BALANCE

12 #IAMYEGFIT

35 CROSSFIT OPEN REALITY CHECK

18 SUCCESSFUL WEIGHT LOSS 24 BEGINNER GUIDE TO HOT YOGA

38 CRYOTHERAPY COLD HARD FACTS

26 HOOP YOUR WAY TO HEALTHY

39 A MOUNTAIN ESCAPE

FEATURE

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CHELSEA BIRD ON THE COVER: CHELSEA BIRD PHOTO BY DES ILES

We can help you tell your story.

ADVERTISE WITH US Contact info@yegfitness.ca for more information.

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editor’s note W

e get asked one question over and over again, and to be honest, I wish it wasn’t something that had to be asked.

We started YEG Fitness as a way to show everything wellness related happening in the city.

Everything from that cool new plant-based restaurant downtown, to the spin or boxing studio getting people out of their comfort zones and getting fit. Those of us who have lived here our whole lives and are over the age of 40 know that the city wasn’t always a place of strong community support and the phrase “Deadmonton” is still only recently being forgotten.

Another goal of YEG Fitness was to showcase fitness in a way that was attainable by anyone. You don’t like squats and riding the elliptical? Cool. There’s a great yoga studio in your neighborhood. You just haven’t bought into the spin culture but love riding your bike? That’s fine. There’s a few dozen cycling clubs that you can join for free. There truly is something for everyBODY in YEG. The main purpose though (and getting back to my opening statement) is the reason we don’t only feature people in amazing shape in our magazine. Sure, we had Othieno Chi Bey on our cover a couple years back, but he was one of only a few cover models (or people inside the cover for that matter) who were in that type of shape.

The purpose of this has been a conscious one from the start.

When we ask people to be on the cover of YEG Fitness, the first comment I typically hear is that they would love to, but that they need about a month or so before the photoshoot to get into shape… My response is typically that same stating that this isn’t what we’re about or why we asked them. We ask people to be on our cover not because they have ripped arms, or quads that could crush your head. We want “real people” on our cover and not a fantasy that media has forced on us for decades about what it means to be fit.

EDITOR TJ Sadler tj@yegfitness.ca

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Joel Verhagen

COMMUNITY MANAGER Patricia Doiron

ACCOUNT MANAGER Meaghan Becker meaghan@yegfitness.ca

PHOTOGRAPHERS Des Iles Jeff Kelly Patricia Doiron

For those who know him, Othieno works his ass off. He has spent years creating his body and has the explosive power to go along with it. It’s for this latter part that we asked him to be in the magazine. Not his physique, but his commitment to training and attitude towards always learning and improving.

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Melissa Lilley

It is still our hope after 5 years of bringing you YEG Fitness that people will continue the movement away from thinking fitness is all about body size or shape. It’s not about someone on the cover of a magazine in a bikini doing deadlifts (which may be fine for their magazine if that’s what they want to portray… it’s just not for OUR cover).

Printed in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

This might sound conceited, but I hope more fitness magazines, and media in general, follow our example of making people feel comfortable in their own skin and that they can achieve whatever level of fitness that means for them.

CONNECT WITH US @yegfit /yegfitness

GET YEGFITNESS DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR. SUBSCRIBE at yegfitness.ca/subscribe

@yegfitness For advertising inquiries, contact info@yegfitness.ca

No part of this publication may be copied or reprinted without the permission of YEG Fitness.

The fitness and nutritional information in this publication are not intended to replace professional medical advice. Readers are encouraged to consult a health professional before beginning or changing in their fitness or nutritional activities. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the contributor and not those of YEG Fitness or its employees and associates. Advertising in this publication does not indicate an endorsement by YEG Fitness.

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UNFU*K YOURSELF: GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD AND INTO YOUR LIFE

By Gary John Bishop

Joining the ranks of The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, You Are a Badas*, and F*ck Feelings comes this refreshing, BS-free, self-empowerment guide that offers an honest, no-nonsense, tough-love approach to help you move past self-imposed limitations.

Are you tired of feeling fu*ked up? If you are, Gary John Bishop has the answer. In this straightforward handbook, he gives you the tools and advice you need to demolish the slag weighing you down and become the truly unfu*ked version of yourself. 'Wake up to the miracle you are,' he directs. 'Here's what you've forgotten: You're a fu*king miracle of being.' It isn't other people that are standing in your way, it isn't even your circumstances that are blocking your ability to thrive, it's yourself and the negative self-talk you keep telling yourself.

In Unfu*k Yourself, Bishop leads you through a series of seven assertions: I am willing.

I am wired to win.

I got this.

I embrace the uncertainty.

I am not my thoughts; I am what I do.

I am relentless.

I expect nothing and accept everything.

Lead the life you were meant to have—Unfu*k Yourself.

contributors Liam Armstrong

Liam is a Certified Personal Trainer and graduate of the NAIT Personal Fitness Trainer program. He started his own business, PRIME Personal Fitness Training, to help his clients realize their full potential through exercise. He is passionate about helping his clients realize the physical, mental, and social benefits of an active lifestyle. When he’s not at the gym you might find Liam playing in one of Edmonton’s basketball leagues or enjoying the incredible Edmonton food scene.

Stacey Head

Stacey is a former Math teacher, turned Fitness Professional. Her passion for sports has always consumed her time with practice and competition.

She was a competitive gymnast for many years, and transitioned to other sports. Throughout postsecondary, she played volleyball and pole vaulted.

She completed her Education degree at the U of A in 2010, and began working and coaching. Her love for teaching and coaching has always been prevalent, but it did not suite her to be in a classroom. She recently completed her Personal Training Diploma at NAIT, which exceeded her expectations.

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Ruhee Kassam, M.Aud., R.Aud

Ruhee completed her Bachelor of Education degree in Elementary Education with a focus on Educational Psychology from the University of Alberta in 2008.

She then went on to complete her Masters of Audiology degree at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia in December 2011. When Ruhee is not working at the clinic, you can often find her at YEG Cycle where she is a spin motivator or spending time with her family.

The Power of Doing Squat!

By Richard Millns The more we research movement and its benefits there is no doubt that one can see that at every level, activity is important for the body to engage in. No matter the age, ability or living circumstances there are very few situations where exercise and activity isn’t a complete asset.

People have several different backgrounds and interests when it comes to exercising and as a result the more someone does something active, the more our bodies adapt to build a physique that leads to improved competency. For example, if you decide that you love rock climbing, and pursue your hobby for a number of months, eventually you will develop a strength and flexibility that allows for greater ability to climb. For better or for worse our body creates physiological and mental changes that allow you to move in a number of ways. With specific movement patterns and an enjoyment for these patterns, the for worse part of our adaptations is the fact that some activities and movements can cause mis-alignments and overuse of certain tissues, muscles or joints, thus limiting someone’s enjoyment and safety. As a trainer we have a number of areas where we can help our clients, and at the end of the day the whole point of being athletic is to experience superior health. In my studies as a trainer I have looked for a staple activity that is conclusively beneficial for any athlete of any movement type. In my search for the ultimate exercise, the leader of healthy movement has come forward, it is called the squat!

Like all areas of exercise, the squat isn’t perfect, nothing in this world is.

If you want an activity that will have both specific and general benefits to yourself as an athlete, learning to do an excellent squat is a wonderful tool to have in your tool box. The number of joints the squat requires of the body, and the number of muscles accessed through the full range of the squat have a healthy pedigree of strains and stretches to encourage the body towards a state of relative alignment. The key is to ensure excellent execution of the squat. It is important to understand that when executing a squat, precision and alignment outweigh the importance of moving a heavy load. Being sensitive to technique and fluidity will maximize your benefits while minimizing your risk of injury.

PHOTO BY VIVID RIBBON PHOTOGRAPHY

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The execution of a beneficial squat starts with your feet. When teaching squat fundamentals, I use a sand box with damp sand. In this sand box we look at the foot print. We want to see even pressure on the whole foot, a comfortable level of external rotation where the foot arches are intact.

The goal of the movement is to drive the center of gravity towards the space between your feet. Ideally, we want to avoid a forward lean, and move towards a straight and aligned movement. Locking the hands behind the head and moving the hips strait down encourage a straight up and down movement that work much more than just the legs. An interesting finding for people first learning to do squats is that when the weight gets to be overloaded, most of the squat will still look technically good, but the foot print in the sand shows that the arches have collapsed, and the feet have additional external rotation. Like most ailments the key is in early detection. If your foot placement isn’t correct, this is the first sign that your squat load is too heavy. Making adjustments to your weight load based on how your feet are placed will be an effective method of ensuring you have as many technically correct squats as possible.

Before you lift heavier weight in a squat, be sure to observe your foot work, observe your range of motion, and observe the fluidity of your movement.

A personal fitness trainer with a good sense of vision, and a strong eye for technical movement can help with these observations. With the squat as a staple to your lifting, and done consistently correct, the chances of being a strong athlete increase. There are a number of regressions to break down the squat and allow one to execute a technically correct squat with even a minimal level of physical training experience. Once again, a personal fitness trainer can prescribe correct regressions for those who are needing baby steps towards a technically correct squat.

The testimony is in the science, no matter your athletic ability, a healthy activity is the squat! Be sure to talk to your doctor, and make sure that your knees and hips are healthy, and squatting is appropriate. Also ensure that your personal trainer or fitness coordinator at your fitness facility can assess your squat to ensure correct and proper movement.

If all checks out, be sure to add doing the squat to your exercise regime.

Strength Training For Better Health

By Chris Shu Strength training definitely has its pros and cons. And no, I’m not trying to persuade you to become a powerlifter or a strongman, indeed, these athletes are from another realm in this universe. My point is that strength training or resistance training is good and healthy for the body and I believe everyone should do it.

One of my classmates when I was at MacEwan University introduced me to strength training. The former high school football jock taught me how to do the “barbell big 3,” back-squats, bench press, and deadlifts. At that time, I possessed a mentality that strength training would make me big and heavy when I just wanted to remain light, fast, and explosive. Little did I know that strength training caters to all those aspects. I also had a few knee injuries from sports and physical activities including 2 ligament strains in one knee that took me 7 months to recover from and a bursa sac inflammation in my right knee which put me out for 2 months. You’d think and have to question, if you had those injuries, why even bother doing any type of physical activity? Me? I can’t help but move around and be active.

I became more consistent with working out over the time I was at MacEwan and I noticed that the period of time where I usually expected to get issues in the legs which made it a yearly occurring pattern where my unintelligent youth-side spurred me on to “push through the pain.”

However, I did not get injured or have any issues. I rarely got cramps in my calves, runners knee, pull my hamstrings, and my knees weren’t having any pains. From this, I became obsessed with strength training because I felt like I found my magic pill and it became one of my coping mechanisms to relieve stress as I went through a tough relationship period during that time.

PHOTOS BY VIVID RIBBON PHOTOGRAPHY

Fast forward to a year later where I did not possess a gym membership and I mainly engaged in 2 sports, volleyball and soccer.

Short-story-told, I basically developed runners knee, pulled my hamstring, cramped all the time in my calf, and dropped weight due to losing the muscle mass I had gained. The adaptations from my training were merely not enough and obviously not planned accordingly.

However, compared then to the knowledge I have developed from NAIT’s PFT program, I’ve learned that consistency in strength training is mandatory to witness growth and an improved neuromusculoskeletal system where longevity makes it harder for muscle mass to decrease. I should also mention that not all programs will work accordingly, it all comes down to

analyzing your needs, background, daily lifestyle, and what’s healthy for you.

I have strength trained consistently for the past 2 years and have witnessed minimal injuries while gaining more benefits than I would have initially thought. Let me back-up my story with a few research citations of why strength training is good, and everyone should do it. Motor units are made up of skeletal muscle fibers and a motor neuron, innervated by motor neuron terminals. So, when you have groups of motor units together, they work together with coordination by contracting a single muscle. So, the total sum of a motor unit within a muscle is coined, motor pool. A pool of motor units in a muscle. I spent my time strength training with back squats and deadlifts mainly because my goals were to develop a strong base of strength, so I could reduce the potential risks of injuries, have a good base for developing explosive strength and speed, and have fun! Muscle units are recruited in a sequenced manner based on their size (smallest to largest) which means that depending on the intensity and load of the exercise, the bigger the load or intensity, the more motor units are recruited. For example, I racked up 8 sets of 5 repetitions for a deadlift when I had the flu (don’t ask) and managed to hit a personal record on that day of 355 pounds. I definitely recruited more motor units compared to if I were to deadlift 200 pounds for 5 sets of 5 repetitions.

High threshold motor units during training can be expanded to high intensity or magnitude during resistance training and many other ways to train as long as it’s high-threshold type of training. I have managed to indeed gain numbers in my strength training in order to strengthen the adaptations. A study was conducted with elite young soccer players by Ben Moussa and Hassane Zouha where they tested ages 13-14-year-old male athletes for one season. The results showed that soccer training simultaneously with 12 weeks of combined plyometric and resistance training leads to enhancement of anthropometric and explosive strength and related parameters, and also improvement in endurance performance, and reduces the injury occurrence in young elite soccer players. I find it absolutely amazing that these are some of the benefits to strength training, and this is why I think everyone should embrace it as an activity for themselves. I mean why not reduce the amount of injuries through strength training? No one likes getting injured.

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Athletes and Postseason Blues

By Brittney Savard – NAIT Women’s Hockey As an athlete who plays at a collegiate level I know what it’s like to finish the season on a low. It’s never something that we (as competitive athletes) prepare ourselves for. After the last game whether you win or lose, it usually means it’s all over. The practises, training sessions, and games; It just all stops. No one prepares you for what’s to come next. On top of dealing with an all time high of winning, or a devastating loss; It eventually ends, and tears of joy, or tears of disappointment are almost guaranteed. With everything finishing, its difficult to handle not being able too see your ‘second family’ anymore. You and your teammates have formed a special bond throughout the season and it’s not something that is easy to accept when the season finishes. We simply don’t prepare for it, but we need to start.

I’ve played hockey since I was 4 years old, and if I’m being completely honest, dealing with the emotions of finishing the season never gets any easier. Leaving a team is one of the hardest things I am faced with every year. The reality doesn’t set in that you won’t be on the ice, court, or field with these people probably ever again. It’s a tough pill to swallow. I’ve struggled with it since I was little, but in the past few seasons I’ve found a way to lessen the postseason depression that I’ve gone through.

A mindset of looking ahead to upcoming seasons, and the idea that 10

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there are so many new experiences to come and memories to be made.

I’ve learned that it’s okay to be upset for a few days, and that it’s a big part of your life that is changing. Give yourself a few days to look back on the memories and the successes that you and your teammates have had together. After those few days of grief, it’s time to start preparing yourself for the next step of your life - whatever that may be. Finding a new off-season hobby is something that I believe takes your mind away from your recent loss. Personally, I focus most of my energy on training. It has been said that “exercise is medicine” and can really help relieve the mind and body of the stress and emotions that you are carrying. Making sure that you take care of yourself, and your mental and physical well being. Continuing to fuel your body with proper nutrition and exercising regularly will help to keep you as an athlete feeling good.

Although hockey is always one of my main priorities during the season, I find that I have more time to do other things that I enjoy (things that I don’t get to do as much during the season). Playing different sports and going on hikes are a few ways to stay active and keep your mind occupied. There is no specific cure, or remedy for the emotions that athletes go through when finishing a season. Finding something that works for you specifically is the key. STAY IN CONTACT with the friends you’ve made throughout the season. Once you get to a higher level in sport, the relationships that you form are ones that usually last a lifetime no matter where you each end up. Keep in touch by going for coffee, working out together, or even facetiming/texting helps. Giving yourself those friends as an outlet, usually helps to destress and allows for some time to reminisce together. Even though you may not be on the same team anymore, it doesn’t mean that you can’t still be best friends like you were during the season. Remember that your teammates may be going through this as well, so don’t be afraid to reach out and share your knowledge!

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Dr. Rao is a frequent resource for TV, radio and magazine media regarding various skin-related issues.

With his passion for dermatology, people and technology, Dr. Rao has distinguished himself as a renowned scientific and artistic dermatologist, skin and cosmetic surgeon, researcher, author and educator. He has authored over 50 scientific papers and textbook chapters and has been an invited speaker for over 500 lectures worldwide.

Dr. Rao serves as an expert consultant to numerous physicians, business and industry, and academia. Dr. Rao has won several awards including the 2011 Canadian Dermatology Association’s Teacher of the Year Award, and Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 Award.

Dr. Rao is a full Clinical Professor of Medicine and had serve as the Program Director for the Dermatology Residency Program at the University of Alberta for several years, training future skin specialists in the science and art of dermatology. He is also a medical and surgical Director of Alberta DermaSurgery Centre on 7609-109 Street.

Dr. Rao continues to lend his expertise to various organizations. He sits on the board of directors for CAAM (Canadian Association of Aesthetics Medicine) and acts as a consultant to the government (such as the Canadian Standards Association), laser and pharmaceutical industry, and professional sports teams.

He is the creator and visionary behind ConsultDERM™, Canada’s largest teledermatology service, allowing health care providers timely access to assistance for patients with skin-related problems. Due to his well-known expertise in laser technologies, he is the co-founder of AMT (Aesthetics Medicine Training Academy of Canada) which has hosted the only nonbiased comprehensive course in the fundamentals of laser therapy. As he has luminary status in advanced injection techniques, Dr. Rao is an official trainer of injectables (neuromodulators and fillers).

With his talent and passion for dermatology and cosmetic surgery, Dr. Rao is always ready to provide education, expert advice and top notch patient care.

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Assistant Principal – Delton School

DAO HADDAD PHOTOS BY DES ILES 12

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1. It's Sunday morning. What are you having for breakfast?

Scrambled eggs with spinach and mushrooms with some ketchup for dipping, a slice of whole wheat toast with butter, some fruit, a glass of milk and a cup of coffee.

2. When you're headed to the gym, what's on your music playlist?

You can definitely find me singing at the top of my lungs to Aaliyah, Janet Jackson and Toni Braxton. Yes, I'm that person you pull up next to at red lights. Tupac, YG, Drake and Nas usually gets me hyped up if I'm rolling up to Champs to teach a class. But now and then when I need to be in a steady, focused mood, Hans Zimmer, The Last Samurai soundtrack just does the job to settle me into calm, confident mindset, especially after a long stressful day at work.

3. If you came into a $1 million inheritance, what would you do with it?

In order of spending: take my parents on a trip, set some aside for my son’s education, donate to All in for Youth and WABIY, fly to Masa New York and eat my heart out, buy nicer furniture and a good set of chef knives and get Botox for the 3 lines in between my eyes (evidence of my best thinking and learning).

4. What's the best thing about the fitness scene in YEG? It's like Cheers, everyone knows your name and if you're new to a studio, soon everyone WILL know your name.

Instructors and trainers invest their time into making connections, listening to stories, journeys, struggles and accomplishments while holding you accountable to achieving whatever it is you want for yourself. Some people start with their own personal fitness goals then over time it develops into a lifestyle of physical, mental and social well-being.

Particularly at boutique studios, friends can be made quickly, and they almost become people's second home and families.

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5. Favourite 90's Jam? I'm a sucker for 90s R&B slow jams.

My go-to jams that puts me in all sorts of moods is Come & Talk To Me

by Jodeci, and Can We Talk by Tevin Campbell. They just don't make slow jams like this anymore.

6. What was the last fitness activity you did?

I went to Hogfit in Beaumont. Becky Layton always runs the best 1-hour small group CrossFit workouts out of her garage. Today we started with a run around her crescent followed by mobility floor mop, double Tabata back squats and double unders for a warm up. We moved onto some strength exercises with front rack lunges and some core work. By this time, I was drenched in sweat, but she assures you with a huge smile that there's more.

7. What's on the top of your bucket list?

I love cooking and the only thing I watch on TV is food related so I would love to one day be on Chop Canada or Beat Bobby Flay or any of those competition cooking shows. I'd also like to learn how to drive standard, so I can rent a Ferrari while on vacation.

8. Where would you like to go on your next vacation?

I'm planning to go to Japan with my son, Sebastian, in the next couple of years. We are both sushi addicts and want to learn more about the culture!

I really want to drive those real-life Mario go-carts dressed up as Yoshi.

9. What's in your gym bag right now?

Tensor tape, hand wraps, lap top, clipboard, shampoo, cap, hair ties, running shoes, Chapstick, t-shirt, bikini and sunscreen.

10. What words do you live by?

Have the courage to speak up for what you believe in.

Keep moving keep moving.

so

you

can

Live passionately and authentically.

Meet as many people as you can and learn as much as you can from them.

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Training Tips For Enhanced Abdominal Muscle Gains

By Spencer Booth Plastered all over the internet is information about how to get a six pack or the best ways to work your abdominals for quick results. Most of the time this information is coming with no scientific backing whatsoever.

Gym goers are also presented with various forms of equipment to work their core that may not elicit the best muscle activation.

People need to know that fancy equipment and quick tips aren’t always the best option when it comes to their bodies. A study on the traditional crunch versus various training devices found that the most muscle fibres of the upper and lower abs were used during a regular crunch. This was compared to various devices like the ab swing or scissor.

This isn’t to say that all types of abdominal equipment are lesser than the basic crunch. An ab roller or wheel was shown to use a higher percentage of upper and lower muscle fibres than a regular crunch does. A pike also engages the lower abdominal fibres more than a crunch. It also depends on how the equipment is being utilized.

A Swiss ball can be a valuable tool in abdominal training. According to an article in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, training the core with a Swiss ball can provide a wide range of muscle activation throughout the entire mid-section. Think about how a regular crunch is performed, you are lying front side up, eyes to the sky. You want the action to mimic a crunch to elicit the same results as a crunch.

Now, you may be wondering when you should train your core. Do you do an ab workout every day? Do you train them once a week? For aesthetic gains you want to train a minimum of three days a week all the way up to six. But you need a minimum of forty-eight hours to recover glycogen, which is key in muscle building. To get the best out of your abdominal workout you should train them every two days when glycogen is restored.

This means you can work them three to four days a week depending on how your periodize your workouts.

I am not trying to prescribe you the end all be all to your ab training. I am just saying that if you include at least a pike, crunch or ab roller into your training, you will see results faster due to the muscle activation.

Especially if you combine those with the proper rest of forty-eight hours.

587.521.0667 info@hemingwaymedicalspa.com 6905 – 172 Street NW www.hemingwaymedicalspa.ca

Life's tough.

Work it out. edmonton.ca/tcrc

SKATING FUN AT CITY OF EDMONTON ARENAS Free Public Skating is available year round for everyone at arenas around the city. During our high season from September to April, we have additional opportunities including: PUBLIC SKATE For everyone.

PARENTS & TOTS SKATE (INCLUDING “STICKS & PUCKS”)

For parents and their 3-5 year olds. Half the ice is for Parents & Tots skating, and half for “Sticks & Pucks” (practice shooting at the net)

OLDER ADULT SKATE

Forolder adultsto skate and socialize.

EARLY MORNING FITNESS SKATE (ADULT ONLY)

Early morning fitness skating opportunity for adults (18 years +)

EARLY MORNING FIGURE SKATING

An opportunity for individuals to practice figure and choreographed free skating. Figure skates required.

OUTDOOR LEISURE ICE

Skating for everyone at the Meadows Outdoor Leisure Ice. Outdoor accessible change rooms are available 8AM-11PM daily and 7AM-9PM on Statutory Holidays.

ADULT SHINNY

18+ offered year round

MEMBER SKATE

Enjoy this public skate opportunity for City of Edmonton Recreation Centre members of all ages. Valid admission/membership is required.

Shinny/Open Hockey is an admission-based program. Patrons may arrive up to 45 minutes early to purchase admission for a spot to participate as we have a maximum capacity of 26 participants.

CHILDREN’S OPEN HOCKEY

Drop-in opportunity for children to use sticks and pucks. If participant numbers and demographics allow staff will provide organized play opportunities.

ADULT/CHILD STICKS & PUCKS

Designed for children ages 6-12 to have the opportunity to practice basic hockey or ringette skills. Children must be accompanied and actively supervised on ice by a parent/guardian.

Minimum of a CSA approved helmet and gloves required for adults and children.

The City of Edmonton also offers a Learn to Play Hockey program in partnership with NCHL (Non Contact Hockey League), which teaches the fundamentals of playing fun and competitive hockey through 12 on-ice sessions and 2 classroom instruction sessions. This is a registered program for adults 18 and over who want to learn how to play hockey.

Costs $399+GST

A Story Of Successful Weight Loss

By Kiersten Zimmermann Just like a lot of people I’ve struggled with my weight, but I decided at a young age that I didn’t want to be another statistic. I am a 19-year-old Personal Fitness Trainer who has lost over 100 pounds in one year and managed to keep it off. Ever since I was 14 years old I struggled with my weight, at only 5’ tall I weighed over 235lbs. I came from a family that cared about their health. As much as they wanted to help me, at the time I couldn’t see that there was anything to help. I was oblivious. I would eat 3 cans of ravioli in my pantry as fast as I could without my family walking into the kitchen (I swear) I was a closet eater... Can’t say I was proud of that title. Food and television were my outlets and comfort after a day at school or work. I couldn’t climb up stairs without getting out of breath and I would make up excuses to make sure I wouldn’t have to participate in physical activities, my weight resulted in bullying which seemed like an everyday occurrence when I was at school or on social media.

One day after babysitting a young boy, a light switched in my brain, I realized that I genuinely wasn’t healthy, what I thought I looked like was nothing like I really looked… something needed to be done, in order to save myself from the devastating path that I was on.

The following day I did hours of research and started to take my weight loss journey into my own hands without the help of anyone else. Within one year I lost over 100 pounds through clean eating and working out, primarily focusing on cardio. After that initial year, my love for cardio slowly started to disappear, trust me hours a day isn’t maintainable. I knew that I needed to find another outlet to ensure that I didn’t go back to the way I was. I started to find myself spending more and more time in the weight lifting area of the gym more so than the cardio machines.

Just like a lot of women, I didn’t know how to use the machines properly and I was scared that lifting heavier weights would make me more “manly” or “bulky”, so I would always opt for the lighter weight and high reps which was great at the beginning, until I plateaued. I wasn’t 18

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losing the weight I wanted, my body composition wasn’t changing, and I wasn’t finding pleasure in what I was doing. As I always do, I did some research and realized that women actually don’t become bulky or “super muscular” because our hormone make up is different from that of men.

This ultimately lead me to weight lifting.

Recently, I found multiple empowering women on YouTube who were powerlifters and I decided to try something new. I would spend hours reading articles and watching videos of people pushing these mindblowing weights, it mesmerized me with what the human body was capable of… The first day I tried to increase my weight on squat I failed.

I was embarrassed but that didn’t stop me from trying again and again and again until I accomplished the goal I set out for myself. I remember that for the longest time I never picked up a barbell for deadlifting because I felt like my form was off and everyone would judge me (don’t worry, no one is looking at you), but I picked it up and was confident in the lift and kicked butt.

Every time I didn’t reach my goal the failure gave me a fire, and I fell in love with the feeling that I would get when I hit a PR (Personal Record) in the gym. That feeling would give me so much satisfaction and drive to become better. I went from squatting 85lbs for 3 reps to squatting 315lb for 3 reps and it grew my confidence ten-fold not only mentally but physically as well.

My journey has been all over the place, I’ve dealt with depression, obesity, eating disorders, struggling to find self-love and everything in between. It all changed when I allowed health and fitness into my life, it was by far the best thing that I ever could have done. When anyone asks me what to do to lose weight or change their body shape I always tell them that health is a lifestyle. It isn’t a quick fad diet. It isn’t hours of cardio. It is about finding a plan and regime that works for you. Everyone is different, some people love eating chicken and rice every day whereas some people (like myself) enjoy the ability to be flexible and that is so important to remember.

No two people are the same, what might be easy for one person might be difficult for the next and that is okay, it will take time and it will take patience, but if you have those two things nothing is out of your reach!

PHOTOS BY TJ SADLER AT EVOLVE STRENGTH DOWNTOWN

780- 455- 5068 / / w w w. o pt imize physio. c om mo bilize • s t a bilize • o pt imize

HIPS DON’T LIE! Whether you’re sitting for hours at a time, lifting heavy things all day or driving back and forth across our beautiful city for a living, you have to understand that your hips take a beating whether you like it or not! Tightness in the hips can add tension to so many areas of the body. If you come to the clinic with back pain, knee pain, hip pain, or general mobility problems there’s one common area we will always assess – the hips! In the words of Grammy Award winning artist Shakira, “the hips don’t lie!”. They are the center of all movement that comes from your torso and lower extremities. There are so many important implications to hip mobility and strength that will transfer into maintaining proper posture, and simple movements such as squatting and deadlifting. Try these three simple stretches to improve your back pain, knee pain and overall hip range of motion. This will help you to accomplish day to day tasks such as sitting at a computer for several hours, lifting something heavy up off the floor, or crushing a new squat PR!

Pigeon Pose // Set up with the stretching leg in front of the body with the knee and hip rotated to the side. Keep your hands on your foot to anchor the leg in this position. Maneuver your upper body as shown in the picture in order to feel a stretch in the muscle along the side of the hip. Hold for 2 minutes per side.

Butterfly Groin Stretch //

Sit with your back against the wall, with the knees bent and feet together.

Pull your heels towards you in order to feel a stretch in the groin on both hips. Hold for 2 minutes

Couch Stretch // Set up with

the back foot up on a couch or chair (or against the wall as shown in this picture). Lunge forward so that a stretch is felt in the front of the thigh.

Try and rotate the pelvis backwards and avoid over extending the low back. Hold for 2 minutes per side.

Proper Sleep Matters

2. Create a pre-bedtime ritual- Do something relaxing before bed such as taking a bath or reading a book.

By Alan McNally

3. Don’t stress about not falling asleep right away- If you are finding it hard to fall asleep, try and leave the room or do something relaxing and come back and try it again. Repeat as necessary.

Trying to learn something new? Trying to make that personal best at the gym? Try sleeping on it. Nutrition and fitness lifestyle are only two of the major pillars when it comes to living a completely healthy lifestyle. Sleep deprivation could be holding you back. According to a Sleep in America poll, sleep is ranked lower as a priority in daily life than fitness and nutrition (35%), work (27%), and hobbies and interests (17%).

At just 10%, sleep ranked slightly higher than social life at 9%.

It’s pretty interesting to see that the majority of us don’t look at sleep as an important, productive part of the day.

The research is overwhelming, the consequences of sleep deprivation can be life threatening and can cause a number of health issues from cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, depression, and many injuries due to lack of sleep. According to Statistics Canada, short sleep duration and poor sleep quality are prevalent among Canadian adults between the ages of 18-79.

Our society has become so driven to succeed and get ahead in life that we often forget to take care of the important aspects such as self-care and most importantly sleep. Think about it, we should be spending at least 8 hours sleeping which is one third of our life. If we could rearrange our priorities and place sleep as a higher priority than work, would that make a difference in our productivity? I would definitely say I agree with the statement.

Let’s face it! We now live in a world full of demands and bright screens. It may not seem easy to shut off at the end of the day, so let’s look at a few tips to help improve sleep efficiency: 1. Try and stick to a sleep schedule- Creating a consistent sleep time allows the body to adjust each night to the sleepwake cycle.

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4. Create a restful environment- Keep a cooler temperature in the room, make sure your mattress is comfortable, ensure that you also have a dark room to sleep (no lights of any kind, especially phones, TVs, or laptops). Minimize sound (if you live somewhere with lots of traffic, consider earplugs.

5. Write down things that are weighing on your mind- Stress happens, but if not dealt with can lead to anxiety which can result in restless night. Keep a note pad by your bed and write down anything that may be on your mind, try to create a stress-free sleep environment.

6. Include physical activity into your schedule-As mentioned above priorities such as fitness and nutrition are looked at as priority; however, a lack of sleep can cause a lack of activity.

As a full- time student, working a full-time job and balancing home life this has been extremely eye opening for me. I have many anxious nights thinking about a paper that is due soon, a work conflict, or just a way I could have made the day better.

Trying to balance life is hard and getting a good night’s sleep can at times be even harder. Following these steps have helped me.

lead to stagnation and boredom. Add new healthy habits slowly, but not so slow that you get comfortable. Once you feel like you’re on a roll with something, it might be a good time to implement the next step.

Comparatively, if you’re struggling with one thing (diet for instance), then it might not be a great time to add in the next one (exercise for instance).

Pay attention to how you are handling each step and objectively decide whether or not you can handle more.

3. Listen to your body. Sleep when you need sleep. Rest when you are sick. Do more when you’re feeling unstoppable. Pay Attention, your body knows what it needs.

4. Don’t beat yourself up. Missed the gym one day? Neglected to eat properly? Don’t sweat it. It happens to everyone and stressing about it won’t help. Just get back on track as soon as you can and forget about it.

7 Ways Beginners Can Build Healthy, Effective and Life Long Fitness Habits

By Rebecca Hammon 1. Start slow. Rome wasn’t built in a day and solid fitness habits won’t be either. If you’re new to the fitness lifestyle, trying to change every bad habit you’ve created over the course of your life all at once can be overwhelming. Often, people give up because they try to do too much, too fast. Slow down. This is a lifelong journey and you can’t rush greatness.

2. Don’t go too slow. Going too slow when implementing change can

5. Pay attention to what triggers bad habits into resurfacing. If you can’t avoid these triggers, then proactively prepare for them.

6. Find activities you enjoy. Hate doing cardio on a treadmill? Don’t.

Find an alternative, such as playing indoor basketball, running outside, biking etc. The opportunities are endless. If you don’t love it, it becomes a chore, which sets you up for failure.

7. Surround yourself with positive, supportive people. Finding a gym buddy is a great way to keep yourself and a friend accountable to your goals and it makes it more fun too. Your support network is crucial in helping build healthy habits and making sure they last because they are the ones who will push you when you feel like giving up and help you get back on track when you do slip up!

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Take a Deep Breath

By Kyle Acuna We’ve heard it everywhere, from a colleague, friend, and even family members. When you’re stressed out, take a deep breath and there is a good reason for that phrase.

Our breathing changes depending on the state of feeling we are in. It goes from short and shallow when stressed to deeper when we are very relaxed. We breathe differently whether it be a yawn, a sigh, a sob or laugh. Am I saying you can reduce anxiety, anger, or even talk yourself into falling asleep when a lot is on your mind?

Sadly no!

But we can simply ease these feelings through the practice of “pranayama” (the control of breath) this is a practice that involves controlling ones’ breath in order to shift the individuals’ consciousness from a more stressed/frantic state to one that is meditative. This practice is done commonly in all varieties of yoga.

Breathing influences how we process thoughts and also our own physiology. By diverting your attention to your own breathing, you can help direct yourself into relaxation. Too much attention on unwanted thought may cause anxiety, guilt and unhappiness.

“If you are perpetually angry, depressed, confused, and unloving, or your attention is elsewhere, it won’t matter how successful you become or who is in your life—you won’t enjoy any of it,” says best-selling author Sam Harris.

By shifting your awareness to the mechanics of your breathing whenever you find yourself in being negative or dwelling on a situation, it’s best to try to “take a deep breath.” One technique you can use yourself is called the “4-7-8” rule - Close your mouth and inhale quietly through nose to a mental count of four - Hold your breath for a count of seven - Exhale completely through your mouth, to a count of eight This will count as one breath. Repeat again and go for a total of four breaths. The most important part of this rule is holding the count for eight because by keeping the breath in, it will allow oxygen to fill your

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lungs and circulate your body producing a “relaxing effect” Try to practice this at least twice a day, and don’t do it too frequently for the first month of practice as you are just getting used to this method.

Our breath will wake us up or energize us. It can provide relaxation and even balance to us.

By being conscious of your own breathing you can train the body’s reaction to a stressful situation and dampen the production of harmful stress hormones. When you are rapidly breathing it is being controlled by the sympathetic nervous system, this is part of the “fight or flight” response and is activated by stress.

When participating in slow, deep breathing, you are stimulating an opposing “parasympathetic reaction” the one that is associated with calming us down. This response is all controlled by a separate set of nerves including the “Vagus nerve” which aids in reducing the response to stressful situations.

Meditation and respiration have always gone hand-in-hand. Ever meet a yogi or a Buddhist? How much more relaxed are they comparatively to the average individual? Now, this doesn’t mean you can only focus on your breathing during meditation. You can do this while driving or walking around too.

Learn to breathe with your diaphragm 1. Breathe in slowly through the nostrils so that your stomach moves against your hand. Chest should remain as still as possible.

2. Place on hand on upper chest and the other just below rib cage, this allows you to feel your diaphragm move as you breathe.

3. Tighten your stomach muscles, let them fall inward as you exhale through “pursed lips”.

Through learning how to deeply breathe from the diaphragm or lower abdomen you aid in, • increasing your lung capacity • increasing the lungs capacity to oxygenate your blood • increase the restorative ability of your body and facilitate removal of waste products.

• reducing stress “Breathing is about staying alive on one level, but it’s also connected to emotional life” – Christopher Del Negro (neurophysiologist) College of William & Mary

Yoga Workshop Series

Expand

For those students who are looking for that next challenge, expect to see Inversion and Hand Balancing workshops, the art of Back Bending safely for potent physical and energetic shifts, Acroyoga, the Ashtanga series, Rocket Yoga, and more!

Balance

Set up a strong foundation through fundamental yoga principals such as breath work, safe body alignment, basic yoga postures, and mental focus. On the first Saturday of each month we will strengthen our foundation through our 2-hour Yoga Fundamentals Workshop. (September 15)

Balance is a key aspect to living a healthy and harmonious life. We will explore different senses through Aromatherapy or Wine Tasting; become more connected through the Chakras, Pranayama or Kundalini; and gain tools to harmonize the mind through Mindfulness, Mantra, or Meditation.

Nurture

Establish

With our Lotus studio available for room temperature workshops, watch for the new Bliss YogaSpa Workshop Series, running every Saturday afternoon. This 4-week cycled series emphasizes the four pillars that support integrity and growth in our practice.

We recognize the need to unwind and truly rest the body and the mind so that we can continue to thrive in life. In this series we will be offering Yin & Massage, Yoga Nidra, Restorative Yoga & Reiki, Sound Healing Journeys, and more!

mybalancedbox.com

Watch our website and newsletter for more details.

Register online at blissyogaspa.com.

5954 Mullen Way

blissyogaspa.com

A Beginners Guide to Hot Yoga

By Courtney A

PHOTO BY VIVID RIBBON PHOTOGRAPHY

I remember walking into my first class and feeling like I had no idea what I was doing and everyone else knew it. The instructors gave me the rules of the studio and told me to roll my mat and towel out and wait for the class to start. When I walked into the room I remember thinking how warm is was. I laid there on my mat for about 15 minutes before the class started and the thought of how in the world was I going to survive my first class kept running through my mind. But here I am a year and a half later and I look forward to my practice every week.

Everyone has heard of and probably tried some form of yoga. This physical and mental practice dates back to the fifth and sixth centuries BCE. Hot yoga as a mainstream practice has been around since the late 1960’s and can provide many health benefits. It is practiced in a room at about 41 degrees Celsius with 40% humidity. Classes are traditionally 90 minutes long and include 26 postures with 2 breathing techniques. The poses flow together smoothly and will ensure to get your heart rate up. It improves your flexibility, balance and strength. The classes start with a savasana or corpse pose where you lie face up on the floor with your hands down by your side, and will end in a final savasna. If you are thinking about trying a class there are many benefits you can get.

Hot yoga is great for getting a little deeper into your poses, and for a really good sweat! Whether you are looking for a new way to improve your health or something to challenge you that week hot yoga is a great addition to any week! Another benefit of yoga is improving an individual’s mental health, yoga has been shown to greatly improve the severity of anxiety and depression in individuals. Doing yoga activates the autonomic nervous system which helps lower the levels of the stress hormone cortisol, this helps you sleep better and increase self-efficacy.

With all the great benefits of this practice I wish I had started it earlier but there are some things I wish someone had told me before my first class.

PHOTOS BY VIVID RIBBON

1. Prepare for your practice

Drink extra water throughout the day and plenty after class, ensure you do not have lotion on your skin, or makeup on your face (it will feel awful when you start to sweat), and avoid eating a large meal before your class.

2. Bring the essentials: • Yoga mat and mat towel (if you don’t have you can always rent from the studio) • Large water bottle • A hair tie • Change of clothes if you arrived in your yoga clothes

3. Arrive early to class By arriving early, you can ask the instructors where the cool spot is in the room. Set your mat up there for your first class. After you pick your spot lay down in savasna, I like to lay for at least 10 minuets to get used to the heat and to warm up before I start my practice.

4. Listen to your body During your practice pay attention to how your muscles are feeling, what your breathing is like and how you feel overall.

In positions, you should feel a stretch, but you should never feel pain.

5. Downward dog & child’s pose is always safe At any time, it is okay you take downward dog or child’s pose to either gain your breath back or take a break. The poses are great for giving yourself the break you need so you able to finish your practice.

6. Pick the right class Classes are traditionally 90 minutes, but some studios also offer 60-minute sessions. Those classes are great for beginners who want to try it out. Avoid power or flow classes as they involve constant movement and few rest periods.

A great first timers class is a Karma class.

They are typically 60-minute class offered at various studios for a minimum donation and all the money collected from these classes goes to charity!

Although hot yoga has many benefits it is very important you consult your doctor if you have high blood pressure, any cardiovascular concerns, are pregnant, or have any other medical conditions. The intense heat and humidity can affect every individual different so take precautions.

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Hoop Your Way to Healthy!

By Olivia Campbell Hula hoops have been around for thousands of years and have been entertaining children for eternities… but have you ever thought of using a hula hoop to get in shape? In 1957, hula hoops gained huge popularity when they started to be manufactured from plastic. Hoops come in a variety of sizes, weights, and materials…and best of all, they are inexpensive to buy and will last a lifetime if taken care of!

BENEFITS OF HOOPING: Burns calories Hooping burns a ton of calories!

Just 30 minutes of hula hooping a day can burn over 200 calories, however, if you get the rest of the body working as well, one could burn up to 600 calories in an hour.

However, in order to burn this many calories, the participant must be able to keep the hoop up!

Relieves stress Hula hooping is a great way to relieve stress! Exercise releases endorphins in your brain which control your mood, and lead to positive feelings or a meditative effect. Cranking some tunes and hula hooping for 30 minutes is a great way to relieve the stress and get a great workout!

Improves posture Hula hooping requires full activation of the core, which in turn can help tone the core and hips and bring out the abs! The abdomen has deep stabilization muscles, if these muscles are weak, poor posture is often the circumstance. The circular motion associated with hula hooping requires activation of different parts of the core in different parts of the motion.

Generally, when the hoop crosses a part of the body, the muscle should be engaged and slightly contracted; when the hoop moves along, relax that muscles and activate the next one. By activating the individual muscles, the entire core is working!

By strengthening these core muscles, the back can develop and maintain a neutral body alignment.

Remember to hula hoop in both directions!

Improves body proprioception/ kinesthetic awareness Hooping improves total body coordination since the core muscles play a large role in balance.

If one hoops not just around the waist, but with various parts of their 26

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body, the muscles will get used to the new movements. Many hooping tricks require precise timing and placement to perform correctly, by improving this awareness, the body can become more coordinated and balanced.

Tones the Body Hula hooping tones the core, hips, and thighs! Due to the continuous activation of the core while hula hooping, the muscles are working for periods long enough to improve endurance of the trunk, which can help to build lean muscle mass in the area. It is not possible to lose fat in a specific area of the body as body fat percentage is a percentage measure from the mass of the whole body; this means if one loses fat, they loose that amount of fat total off their total body, and not just the area that was being trained.

Lean muscle mass is developed through training with high reps, and low weight. For this reason, hula hooping is great for toning the waist!

Boosts metabolism By building lean muscle mass through hooping, one’s metabolism will improve. By improving the amount of lean muscle mass in a body, there is more muscle to burn fat for energy, which will lead to fat loss!

Improves heart function All exercise places some form of stress on the heart; however, the body must go through these stresses to adapt and improve.

Inactivity is estimated to be the cause of death for two million people annually, since inactivity can lead to diabetes, heart disease, and obesity just to name a few.

Its Fun! Hula hooping is a fun way to get the heart pumping! Once one has the hang of keeping the hoop up, they can start hooping with different parts of the body which can be a lot of fun! One can challenge themselves by trying to hoop with multiple hoops at a time, getting weighted hoops, or getting hoops with a smaller circumference. When choosing a hoop, choose one with a little bit of weight to it as ones with little to no weight are harder to get going and keep up.

One can expect to be sore after hooping the first couple of times…. but what did you expect? This is working out after all!

ADVERTORIAL

PARK INTEGRATIVE HEALTH

Make Massage Part of Your Fall Fitness Regime September is here again and for many of us that means a change in our routines. Maybe it’s changing the morning routine to get the kids to school on time, or it could be a shift in working hours as colleagues return from their summer vacations. As we switch things up in our lives, many of us might find this the optimal time to change our fitness regime too.

It might be opting for something new indoors since we know the dreaded “s-word” will soon fly, or maybe the exercise that worked for our summer schedule no longer works with the fall one.

the scar tissue that builds up in muscles, reducing the amount of soreness, stiffness, and inflammation you might experience after your workout.

Whatever the case, as we change things and challenge our body to reach new fitness goals, there’s bound to be some soreness, stiffness, and a little inflammation. One of the best ways to help alleviate the uncomfortable symptoms of a new fitness routine is through regular massage therapy. We love massage not only for its physical benefits, but for its mental ones too. Here are a few ways massage therapy can help ease you in to your new fitness regime:

Decrease Recovery Time

Improve Circulation

The act of having someone massage your muscles helps to increase blood circulation within the body, providing more oxygen and nutrients to your tissues, which will help with recovery and provide your muscles with he nourishment they need to heal and get stronger.

Reduce Pain and Inflammation

Massage therapy can work like a natural ibuprofen. Massage is known to help increase serotonin, which is our body’s natural painkiller. A massage will also help to breakdown

Release Toxins from the Body

Massage helps to get rid of the toxins that build up in your body during exercise, such as lactic acid. Lactic acid is known to increase muscle soreness and fatigue, but massage will help to break up the lactic acid buildup and remove it from your muscles, reducing the soreness you might feel post-workout.

For all of the benefits listed above and more, getting a massage will reduce the recovery time your body needs between workouts.

This will enable you to carry on in your new fitness routine without needing as much time to recover.

To get the most out of your massage be sure to drink plenty of water before and after the treatment, take some time to rest after your massage to let the benefits sink in, and make sure to communicate with your massage therapist about any specific areas of your body that are causing you discomfort or pain.

There are so many benefits to receiving a massage, especially as you find yourself in a fitness transition this fall. If you would like to learn more or speak to one of our Registered Massage Therapists about your specific needs, get in touch! We would be honoured to help you get the most from your new fitness routine this fall.

Unit 970, 3890 Sherwood Drive Sherwood Park, Alberta T8H 0Z9 (780) 570-8480 pihealth.ca @parkintegrative

Our Hours Monday – Friday 8:00 A.M. – 8:30 P.M. Saturday – Sunday 8:00 A.M. – 3:30 P.M.

Park Integrative Health

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Hearing Health Intervention and Prevention

By Ruhee Kassam, M.Aud., R.Aud

Have you ever gone to a restaurant or a bar and found it difficult to hear the conversation around you? Do you ever find that you have to raise your voice just to chat with the person next to you because the music is so loud?

Did you know that 40% of adults between the age of 20-79 have at least a slight hearing loss?

Did you know that noise related hearing loss is PREVENTABLE, but is also IRREVERSIBLE? It is my opinion that we should have our first audiological evaluation by the time we are 25.

It serves as a great baseline for you and gives you the ability to monitor any changes in your hearing.

The question I am often asked as an audiologist is, how long have I had my hearing loss for? My question back to the client is always, when was your last audiometric evaluation? More often than not, the client will come for an assessment once they have come to terms with the idea that they have hearing loss. This can take anywhere between 7 to 10 years, and then another 7 to 10 years before something is usually done about it. That is a lot of sound to be missing over a long period of time.

I wish we would value the idea of early intervention and prevention.

Noise Induced Hearing Loss Noise induced hearing loss, is the most common hearing loss after presbycusis (agerelated) hearing loss. We live in a society where we are exposed to loud noises all the time, whether it be from our headphones, to the vehicle, restaurants, lounges, pubs, bars, or that dope spin class! Not to mention the noises some of us are exposed to at work or at home, such as the snow or leaf blower, the lawn 28

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mower, hand held saws and other tools, as well as heavy equipment, and guns.

Going back to high school biology, you might recall that in the inner ear we have a structure called the cochlea. It’s a tiny little snail like shaped organ that houses thousands and thousands of hair cells. Through age, medication, noise and head injury, these hair cells can damage over time leading to permanent hearing loss. If we are talking specifically about noise, this is something that can happen in an instant; for example, if a speaker goes off next to your ear, or a gun shot, OR it is something that can happen over time.

I like to think of those hair cells like grass. You can only step on grass so many times before it doesn’t pop right back up! It’s the same idea with those hair cells, they can only withstand so much noise before they stop to come back up, getting weaker and weaker each time.

So, what can you do to try and lower your risk of noise related hearing loss? I would strongly suggest using hearing protection. While foam ear plugs can be really effective, they need to be used and inserted correctly. Alternatively, the use of custom noise defenders are available too. These are really great, especially if you are working in a noisy environment, and there really is only one way to insert it, therefore way less chance of a mistake being made.

There are other types of hearing protection as well, and they are by far my favorite. Musician ear plugs. These are custom made ear plugs which have a filter. This filter allows some sounds to come in, while keeping other, more harmful sounds out. I find these to be most effective when you want to drown out some sounds, but still want the ability to be social. For example, they are a great option for sporting events, concerts, bar/club/lounge, noise restaurants

or that loud group fitness class. It will give you the opportunity to hear the music, but also to enjoy the conversation or instruction around you without your ears hurting.

Some signs that you may have hearing loss and should have your hearing tested If you notice that you miss some speech, or ask people to repeat themselves. If you notice when there is background noise, it is harder to hear.

If you notice that the telephone, television and/ or radio is louder than your family would like it, I would encourage you to have your hearing assessed by an audiologist.

Did you know that there is a direct correlation between hearing loss and tinnitus? Tinnitus can be defined as a noise that is only audible to you, and no one else. For example, tinnitus is commonly referred to as ringing or buzzing sounds, however it can take form in a variety of different ways, such as sounding like birds chirping, music, or people chattering.

If you experience this, make an appointment to see an audiologist today.

To sum up, two of the most important things to keep in mind when it comes to hearing health is: 1. Prevention 2. Early intervention.

We can be preventative by using things like hearing protection. We can consider early intervention by having our hearing assessed regularly just like we do our eyes. Having your hearing tested every 2 to 3 years by an audiologist is a great idea to keep on top of your hearing health!

Effects of Compression Garments on Performance and Recovery

By Liam Armstrong Chances are that you’ve seen them. At the gym or on the street. The tighter than skin tight sleeves, socks, shirts and tights that seem ready to burst at the seams with every movement.

And yet, these stretchy and secure garments hold their form and keep the wearer looking and feeling confident in their actions. They’re called compression gear, or compression garments.

These unique articles of clothing have gained popularity in the fitness world for a number of reasons, but they raise some interesting questions. Is compression gear just for show?

Can they help with performance? What do these clothes actually do? Thankfully, there’s been an abundance of research done into the effects of compression garments as they pertain to exercise and performance.

Improved Performance Studies have shown small improvements in performance when wearing compression garments.

Greatest improvements are shown for short sprints, vertical jumps, and maximal running endurance. The cause of these improvements is unclear but can be associated with the recovery factors that have been mentioned. Another reason may have to do with body awareness. Wearing compression garments stimulates receptors on the skin that provides more feedback to the brain about where your appendages are relative to your body. A study examined golf drives and baseball pitching accuracy when athletes wore upper body compression gear. They found that athletes were more accurate in their shots or pitches when wearing the compression garments compared to when they wore their usual gear.

A separate study examined soccer players wearing whole body compression gear for high intensity and low intensity running activities.

They found that players wearing compression gear covered more distance at both intensities and were able to sustain high intensities for longer periods versus a control group wearing standard soccer gear.

Improved Comfort The popularity of compression garments goes beyond the potential performance enhancing effects. Perhaps most importantly, they are considered to be more comfortable than traditional underwear during physical activity.

Surveys have been conducted in multiple studies to examine feelings of comfort and pain when wearing compression gear. Ratings were typically high for comfort and low for pain or discomfort among the athletes. Something to keep in mind is that compression gear can come with varying levels of pressure depending on their purpose. Studies found that as the applied pressure of the garment increased, comfort decreased. Peak comfort levels were found with low-pressure compression garments.

The study that looked at golf and baseball performance also examined how the athletes felt about wearing the garments. Both the golf and baseball athletes rated the compression gear as being more comfortable and enjoyable than their usual underwear.

Improve Blood Flow and Recovery The compressing effect of these garments has been shown to improve blood flow thereby improving waste product removal and nutrient supply at the muscles. This is beneficial because more efficient nutrient/ waste exchange enhances muscular efficiency and can slow the effects of fatigue during highintensity exercise. This effect is also useful during recovery periods when blood flow isn’t

facilitated by muscle actions. Waste products such as lactic acid build up during exercise and can cause soreness after exercise. Faster removal of these products has been shown to reduce muscle soreness and reduce recovery time.

Improved blood flow is especially beneficial for warming up the muscles prior to exercise.

An appropriate warm-up has been shown to reduce the likelihood of injury and improve muscular performance during exercise.

Compression garments have been shown to increase skin temperature of the covered areas but did not increase core body temperature.

A word of caution: Wearing compression garments in hot conditions can have negative effects when exercising. The insulating effect of wearing a compression layer can hinder sweat evaporation and cause muscles to overheat and impair performance.

Summary You would be hard pressed to find a professional athlete who doesn’t have some form of compression garment in their training or performance wardrobe. Whether you think they look cool or goofy, the research is supportive of using them to improve exercise performance and facilitate the recovery process after training or competition. Ultimately, there has been no evidence to suggest that there are negative effects to wearing compression gear in appropriate environments. Although the improvements might be slight, the slimmest of margins could be the difference in getting onto the podium.

Photo Credit: New Balance

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Finding Balance with Chelsea Bird PHOTOS BY DES ILES

When it comes to pageants, Canadians just don’t understand them the way our neighbours to the south do. Perhaps it’s because of TV series like “Toddlers & Tiaras” and the many others that showcase them in a negative light, or maybe it’s due to our Canadian way of thinking where we value a person for more than just their beauty. We tend to view them as an antiquated way of measuring women against one another in a superficial way and in the age of Trump and Weinstein, people are finally coming to the realization that this way of thinking is better left in the past. Few know this feeling better than Chelsea Bird.

Chelsea grew up in Saskatoon, moving to Edmonton when she was twenty to finish her drama degree after going to the University of Saskatchewan. After doing some travelling and taking some time away from school working as a bartender on Whyte Ave, she decided to pursue a different path. Once she heard about the radio and TV broadcasting program at NAIT she knew that this was where she wanted to build her career.

As the majority of her colleagues would attest to, it’s standard practice when starting your career in broadcasting to move to a ‘small market’ to learn the ropes. Luckily for Chelsea, she took a chance doing the graveyard shift on CISN Radio right out of school and after six months, was offered the afternoon drive. Needless to say, she jumped at the opportunity and began her path up a steep learning curve, cutting her teeth in the most competitive radio market in Canada.

After nearly three years, a new calling came for her. 104.9 Virgin Radio came knocking and offered her the morning show and the opportunity to get some exposure on CTV. She made the switch and has been there for the last three years, as one half of the Ian and Chelsea Morning Show.

For Chelsea, her pageant days feels like a lifetime ago. She began competing after being scouted and was quite sceptical about the whole thing. It wasn’t until she decided to start training for Miss Universe Canada, that she realized that the women that she was competing against weren’t just beautiful women. They had double degrees, had started charities, had overcome adversity as they pursued their careers and dreams. It forced her to push herself towards a whole new level of goal setting that she feels that she wouldn’t have sought had it not been for pageants.

“That is the aspect of pageants that I wish people understood,” she says. “That these women aren’t just being judged on their looks. It’s more about your personality and your drive and your accomplishments than people understand. And that’s what I really benefited from.”

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Chelsea also saw that there were tremendous opportunities to travel, and that’s what kept her competing. She represented Canada in Colombia at an international pageant and had opportunities to go to China and Thailand. However, at the end of the day, she always felt that they were “beauty pageants” which had a superficial side to them that she wishes pageant promoters would get rid of. Miss America is doing away with the bikini part of their competition and she applauds the move. In 2018, the idea of comparing women to one another based on their looks is absurd. If the competition is truly about more than looks, then let’s prove it with our actions and actually make it about more than looks.

“A lot of people are quick to assume that because of my pageant experience, that’s why I had an eating disorder,” says Chelsea.

In her case, bulimia was something she struggled with for about six years. Largely based on maintaining control while other aspects of her life seemed not to be, it was the manifestation of a larger unhappiness that revealed itself in the form of binging and purging.

The stigma that goes along with pageants and similar shows where beauty is determined by the contestant’s weight and body shape may have changed recently but the effects experienced by past participants and the negative view of them due to this has stuck and will take a while for people’s view of them to change. Former contestants talk about the many health challenges as a result of their participation in pageants. Everything from physical illnesses to mental health issues including depression and eating disorders are not uncommon. However, in many cases these illnesses are often already part of the persons makeup and were made worse by the drive for perfection that is required to be at the top.

Chelsea sought help and credits her own hard work and determination to be where she is today with her health. There were several, long periods of time where she thought she would live with the disease forever, and that’s no longer the case.

“It’s a lot like an addiction. It becomes a habit and a crutch, and soon, you don’t know any other existence than a sick one,” she says. “Eating disorders are a perfect storm of several factors and I would have had one regardless of my pageant experience.”

“I have moments where my mind veers to those dark places, yes but it doesn’t have control over me anymore by any stretch,” she says.

According to a recent study 1.5% of Canadian women aged 15-24 have an eating disorder. This may not seem like a startling statistic until you dig deeper into the research and see that the number of adolescent girls who engage in weightloss behaviours (29% of grade 10 girls) or perceive themselves as fat (40% for that same demographic)

show the beginnings at that young age of what often turns into an eating disorder as an adult. With events like pageants, magazines and social media showing what an “ideal body type” looks like, it shouldn’t be a shock to anyone that the demographic who spends the greatest amount of time watching those sources would feel this way.

Women are taught to have a love-hate relationship with food in ways that are difficult to recognize. Media has taught them to watch what they eat and that it’s better to look good and be popular than to find happiness from within and accept who you are in ways that go far beyond the number on the scale or the size of your waist. The slogan of “a minute on the lips beats a lifetime on the hips” is still a Google trend after typing in the first three words of that saying.

One positive thing to note is that it does appear that people’s opinions of “self-love” are changing. More and more, we are seeing people sharing images on social media of their “imperfections”. It helps that the celebrities that teens and young women look up to are leading by example with this. It also helps that media is starting to take note and are running ad campaigns more often with women of all shapes and sizes and promoting a “you’re perfect the way you are” mentality. Even with all this however, advertisements often still prey on the lack of self-confidence many young women have by showing images that for many are simply unattainable regardless of how hard they work out or how little they eat.

Chelsea feels hopeful though knowing that if she can come from rock bottom where she was throwing up blood on a daily basis and thinking that bulimia would kill her, that anyone can change their outlook towards food and body image. She credits the use of online support groups that helped her maintain anonymity in seeking help. Eating disorders are built around shame and secrecy so telling someone to ‘tell someone’ or ‘reach out’ is a big ask for them. For her, being able to have a support network that ‘reached in’ was a lot more comfortable.

“It doesn’t get better overnight,” she says. “You’ll relapse and pick up the pieces again and again, but you can and will get better. For good.”

Today, physical fitness is something that Chelsea enjoys for the endorphins and not just for her appearance. With Edmonton’s long winters, it’s tough to get outdoors all the time and hitting the gym day in and day out for many can become boring.

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“I’ll go in the winter months because I need to keep my body active, but fitness for me is an overall lifestyle thing that ties in with my mind, too. I like to lose myself on my bike in the river valley trails for hours or go for a long walk to clear my head. It’s all about balance for me,” she says.

She puts herself on the fitness spectrum somewhere between a couch potato and a gym rat. Rather than setting rules for herself about how often she exercises or the type of food she eats, she simply focusses on what feels right.

By tuning in and listening to what her body needs, she is able to make healthy choices.

“People hear that and go: “if I listened to my body I’d eat McDonald’s every day”, and panic. Yeah-you might...for a few days, but when you really tune in, you realize that’s NOT actually what you want. And when you allow yourself to have what’s ‘forbidden’, the excitement really dissipates, and the freedom begins,” she says.

This lifestyle of health and wellness carries over to the support she offers to her favourite charity – the MS Society. Chelsea has been working with the MS Society for four years taking part in their annual bike tour, MC’ing their golf tournament and singing their praises to everyone she meets. The disease hits close to home for her as her mother was diagnosed with MS when she was twelve and with Alberta having the highest rates of MS worldwide, it’s a disease she is committed to helping find a cure for.

Although a relatively recent transplant to YEG, she has fallen in love with the community here. For years Edmontonians have bonded by griping about everything wrong with the city and the lack of things to do. For Chelsea, she sees Edmonton with a fresh set of eyes seeing all that is happening in the city in a new light.

There’s so much happening in Edmonton today, and there are so many creative minds that are building this city up into something to be extremely proud of. There’s so much young influence making Edmonton a vibrant and thriving place to be that it’s exciting to think about where we’re collectively going to continue to take it. From public art to technology to architecture and entertainment, it’s all happening right now in YEG. “I f*cking LOVE Edmonton,” she says. “I feel like we’ve finally reached a point where complaining about Edmonton makes you a loser now. Now? No way. At least, I don’t want to hear it hahaha.”

CrossFit Open Reality Check

By Stacey Head

So, let’s be real, the 2018 CrossFit Open didn’t hold anything back. The workouts challenged many aspects of fitness including gymnastics, max lifts, and aerobic and anaerobic endurance. As the labeled gymnast in the gym, I came into Friday night lights with support and encouragement stating I would kill each work out. I knew this would not be the case. I see myself as a wellrounded athlete; however, I have many areas to improve in. Following 18.3, I went home and cried. The double unders got the best of me, and I was unable to get to the bar muscle ups. After my melt down, I did some reflecting of my life and CrossFit.

What is the open?

The open is designed for a few reasons. The first being to celebrate the CrossFit community. The second is to compete to qualify for regionals and the CrossFit games.

Five workouts, in five weeks with multiple attempts to submit those final scores on Monday night. For the majority of us, it is about showcasing our community.

Our gym hosted “Friday Night Lights,” where individuals would complete each work out with the support of teammates and family.

PHOTOS BY TJ SADLER AT CROSSFIT ARMOURY

How the open impacted me My first time competing in the open was when I started CrossFit back in 2016. But I had no expectations, and barely remember it, other than my terrible double unders.

Entering the 2018 open, I was excited to be tested on my skills. Yet, each week I was disappointing myself and I was struggling mentally, making that excitement disappear, and I felt like I let myself down. I needed to rethink my mindset. I will not stand for feeling disappointed in my performances each week. So I did some reflecting…

Figuring out my why…

Why do I train? Because I love being strong and active!

Why CrossFit? Because I love the variety, the gymnastics, the intensity, and the community I get to share each sweaty session with. I love teaching and seeing my fellow CrossFitter’s improve and learn new skills. I’ve always been an athlete and CrossFit is the perfect balance of sport and fitness, hence why it is known as the “Sport of Fitness.” I have no desire to go to the games, which is why the “disappointment” I felt after some of the workouts should not have made me that sad. The time I put into my own training placed me in the top 300 in Western Canada and I am so proud of that. I didn’t repeat any of the workouts; so my scores were a true representation in competition.

Achieving my own standards…

As most women know, there are these ridiculous standards that are produced on magazine covers and online on what we should look like. Be muscular or toned, but not too bulky. Be skinny, but not too skinny. With these standards, I find it quite easy to judge my own body type, and even my abilities. And now that there are professional CrossFit athletes, that places another standard for us.

Our gym posts daily class results and you can’t help but compare your own numbers with another person. I’ll find myself wanting to be like someone, and have what they have, or accomplish what they accomplished. But this is not possible. My own standards need to be set in order to measure my success. This can only be done with setting realistic goals, and then putting in the work to achieve those goals. Only then, will I achieve my own standards and feel proud of my accomplishment.

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It is in my control…

There is no greater feeling than achieving something you never thought possible. And in CrossFit, you often feel the impossible (another reason why I love it). In the end, I am the one in control of how much work I put in and how far I will take it. I can’t control how others perform or the workout that will be released. There is no value in obsessing over the little details, like getting more reps or completing the work out faster. I will focus on the process it takes to reach my goals in training and in each work out.

Acknowledging my successes…

Not so long ago I couldn’t even do double unders and now I can consistently string them together. That is a success! And in this year’s open, I completed 339. Another success! When I sit back and compare my results with my standard, I can see my transformation and improvement over the last few years.

These successes and values are now written in my journal, which helps keep me focused and motivated.

For gymnastics, support is everything! Support from your teammates and coaches, and support for yourself. In the end, your mind will give you the confidence your body needs to complete a skill. Physically, you need to have strength to support your body both on your feet and hands.

This sport has changed my life. Through the ups and down, I will always challenge myself to be better both mentally and physically. The reality is, high intensity training will not be easy. So we need tools to help us succeed. Mental training is one of those tools. Whether it’s writing in a journal or meditating, we should all find time for it. In my list of goals, this is number one.

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Thanksgiving on a low-carb lifestyle – It is entirely possible!

By Dr. Blair O’Neill and Barbara O’Neill, RN, Ketocule Health Coaching So, it’s almost Thanksgiving – a time to gather with family and friends at If you are invited over to dinner, and you are worried about being tempted by carbohydrates, then plan to eat a fatty snack before going. Hard the end of summer and before our brutally long Alberta winter sets in! cheeses or boiled eggs really helped to quell the hunger and allow you It is completely possible to stay low-carb during Thanksgiving, recognizing to make wise choices at the dinner table. Remember that meats are always safe. Although most non-keto-gravies are made with processed it is a time to celebrate life, relationships, and good overall health. flour, and therefore are not desirable, again, in small quantities won’t It is important to carry a few important principles into the holidays to help be harmful. Obviously, mashed potatoes are very high in carbohydrates you remain low-carb. If you’re drinking alcohol, you have to be smart about and should be avoided. However, salads with oil-based dressings, most it. If you’re eating with family and friends, you have to anticipate that there other vegetables, will be good choices to satiate your hunger and enjoy a may be high-carb offerings that, while your cravings are under pretty good sociable Thanksgiving dinner. control, are still going to tempt the most seasoned low-carber amongst us! If you’re preparing Thanksgiving dinner for your family or friends, how Preparing a low-carb Thanksgiving feast is not difficult. Turkey is actually do you ensure they won’t be shocked by the lack of potatoes and apple a higher-fat meat than chicken, especially the darker meats of the drumsticks and thighs. Duck and geese are even better for fat content. pie?

Unless you make it yourself, it is better to avoid stuffing, as usually these First, a word on alcohol. Obviously, it’s common and enjoyable. The most are made with bread or potatoes. There are many low-carb dressings important thing to remember about alcohol is that if you are in active available made with either protein breads or cauliflower-based. Add weight loss mode, too much alcohol can kick you out of ketosis and stall sautéed mushrooms, onions, season with poultry, sage, parsley, salt, your weight loss. Further, alcohol lowers your inhibitions and you may end and pepper and even add bacon or sausage, or perhaps, even some up eating foods, that you wished you hadn’t afterwards. Also, on a very nuts such as walnuts, they can be a delicious accompaniment to a low-carb diet your alcohol-tolerance is lower, and so you should avoid turkey dinner. Mashed potatoes can easily be replaced with cauliflower drinking and driving - and also be aware that hangovers come much more puree. Vegetables that grow above the ground are all okay, and if you are easily! In general, wine remains the best option but limited to 3-6 ounces. at or near your weight loss gains then even some root vegetables are Low-carb beers are becoming more common at only 2-4 grams of carbs acceptable. per serving. Again, 1-2 are keto-compatible. Mixed drinks with sugar-based Salads with olive oil and vinegar, blue cheese, or Caesar salad dressing, mixes are definitely off the menu. as long as not “low-fat” are perfectly acceptable. Always check the labels for carbs to be sure. Dessert is perfectly okay. How about a “nobake cheesecake” or chocolate lava cake? An assortment of cheeses is always acceptable on the low-carb lifestyle for dessert.

Finally, don’t be too hard on yourself. Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate.

If you choose to let your hair down realizing that you’re going to eat too many carbs then simply be prepared to go back to your low-carb lifestyle on Tuesday morning.

Check out our website, www.ketocule.com for some great holiday recipe ideas and more tips on how to live healthy and lean! @ketocule

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Cryotherapy: The Cold Hard Facts.

By Taylor Jones

For centuries our ancestors have bathed in freezing water. The Greeks, the Romans, and most famously the Scandinavians have used this method to clean themselves and obtain health benefits unavailable from the comfortable steamy showers that we in the twenty first century have become so accustomed to.

Cryotherapy is the simple act of exposing the body to a cold environment to facilitate recovery after exercise.

There have been many anecdotal reports that individuals feel better after cold exposure and one study from the Journal of Thermal Biology conducted research to “iceolate” the truth.

In this experiment thirty-six physically active men aged twenty to twenty-seven who were not professional athletes participated in a minute-long test that involved jumping as high as they could from a full squat. The men were split evenly into three groups and they either passively recovered, were massaged with ice, or had a full cold-water exposure (an ice bath). Both cold techniques were administered for three minutes. The lactic acid levels in the blood of all the participants were measured and the results found that in the ice massage group the levels decreased by 4.25 mmol/L, while in the cold-water immersion group they decreased by 4.96 mmol/L when compared to the passive recovery group. When it comes to the reduction of delayed onset muscle soreness (the pain after working out that occurs between twelve to seventy-two hours after exercise), twenty-four hours after the test there was no significant differences in discomfort between the groups however forty-eight hours later the cold-water immersion group reported to be in the least amount of pain compared to the other two based off of a subjective scale. After seventy-two hours both the groups exposed to the cryotherapy reported to be in less discomfort than the passive group.

The physiological responses to a cold environment are truly a marvel to behold. To obtain the numbing effect of cryotherapy the skin temperature has to be lowered by five to fifteen degrees Celsius, this is rather easy if you leave some water in a container (such as a garbage bin) outside in our Canadian tundra or have a nice cold shower. Hop in when the water has reached a refreshing temperature between fifteen and zero degrees Celsius.

Initially your blood vessels will constrict, and this will increase, then after two to six minutes the reverse happens! Your blood vessels dilate and blood fills all your tissues even faster carrying away toxins like lactic acid, carbon dioxide, and lymph while replenishing the oxygen, macro and micronutrients. This condition has been shown to last up to six hours after exiting the water. Blood contents change with an increase in levels of hemoglobin (the part that carries oxygen in the blood), leukocytes, and platelets (your white blood cells that reinforce your immune system). The cold environment “calms down” the nervous system stimulating the parasympathetic part of the nervous system (the rest and digest area), this has shown to reduce the perception of pain and relieve symptoms of anxiety or depression through the secretion of norepinephrine. Since your body is cold your body must burn more energy to heat you up therefore burning more fat. Other benefits of cold exposure include improving the skin by closing the pores, boosting testosterone in men, and improving sleep at night.

In conclusion there is empirical evidence that cryotherapy has the potential to increase recovery from physical activity and improve many other characteristics of the body. Now go hop in that icy cold shower!

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A Mountain Escape

By Patricia Doiron

The road is winding, and the prairies begin to meet the foothills that transform into towering mountains overlooking the road. Entering Banff National Park is like entering a different world. Banff is the place to go for a winter escape and is an easy four-hour drive from Edmonton. Four days is the perfect amount of time to spend playing in Alberta’s backyard.

Day 1: Checking into the Moose Hotel and Dinner at The Block We walked into the elegant lobby of the Moose Hotel which is filled with wood accents and cozy chairs by the grand fire. After checking into our room, we walked the streets of Banff slowly wandering towards The Block for where we planned to have dinner.

Cheerful music played in the small restaurant housing several tables and a few cozy spots at the bar. Wooden beams were accompanied by differing light fixtures- a perfectly imperfect place to dine for the evening. Ice clinked against the metal as cocktails were being made behind the bar. We started with green olives and Gin Beetroot sours; No.3 gin, fresh beet juice, lemon and chickpea brine. I ordered the Zen salad, which was made up of Quinoa, golden beets, walnuts, pea shoots and a sesame ginger dressing— a meal I would highly recommend.

The night fell quickly, and we headed up to the rooftop pool at the Moose Hotel. We sat in the warm pool and admired mother nature at night- we were in the town, but the stars made us feel isolated in the middle of nowhere.

Day 2: Yoga and Skating The next morning, we woke up to the sun shining through the window. We walked to a modern cafe called Whitebark for a small breakfast and almond milk lattes. Next up was a yoga class at Rocky Mountain Yoga. Natural light spilled into the studio from two large windows which provided a view of the snowy mountain tops perched above the town With a full afternoon to continue exploring, we rented skates from Banff Adventure Unlimited and picked up flatbread to-go from Rocky Mountain Flatbread (located in Cascade Mall). We laced up, ate lunch and skated around admiring the snow-covered mountains that surrounded us.

We had dinner at Nourish Bistro- A stylish eco-bar with Kombucha on tap! The menu offers gluten-free and vegan options including 29 ingredient nachos (who knew strawberries, pickles and tortilla chips tasted so good together).

Day 3: The Journey to the Backcountry Lodge We woke up early and made our way to Wild Flour Bakery Cafe for breakfast and to get snack or the trail. The next stop was Snowtips Backrax to collect our cross-country ski rentals.

With full bellies we parked the car at Healy Creek and clipped in for a 4-hour adventure up the mountain. The beginning of the trail is covered with trees and is relatively flat. As we approached a small bridge, the trees opened up to a valley with clear blue water running through. After skiing up the mountain for quite some time, we spotted a small opening in the trees. We unclipped our boots and hiked in little bit further to find a place to rest. The large trees suddenly cleared to reveal the valley below with the stream appearing as a small blue thread weaving between the mountains.

The lodge cook, Skye, had cookies and freshly made coffee waiting for us once we arrived. We sat in the wooden cabin at a long table with benches on either side recovering from our trek. After picking out our bedroom in the small cabin, we grabbed large wool blankets and sat on the front porch as more people finished their journey in. The sounds of the backcountry on a winter afternoon are tranquil; melting snow dripping down icicles off the roof and the distant breeze gently twirling the snow from the ground.

As Skye began preparing dinner, the cabin filled with aromas resembling a thanksgiving feast. We passed the time to dinner by flipping through the guest book which was filled with short stories from people all over the world: Singapore, Germany, Canada and Australia. People that we will probably never meet, but for a moment there is a comforting sense of similarity. The lodge is heated by a fire that is centrally located in the main room where Mitch, another host, softly played guitar- a sound which the guests naturally gravitated towards.

After a delicious home cooked meal, we went stargazing near the cabin. Stars blanketed the night sky- the longer we looked up, the more stars we were able to see. The Big Dipper had a strong presence- so clear, resting just above the mountain top which the cabin stood at the base of. The cold of the night seemed to quickly disappear as we stared at the stars. Outside, under the stars, you can hear the sound of the other guests laughing and playing board games into the night.

Day 4: A Morning in the Backcountry With no service and no clock to tell the time, I woke up in what seemed to be the early hours of the morning. The sky was still dark, and the cabin was lit with a few lanterns and a small fire. I wandered down the stairs and sat beside the fire. I watched as the logs cracked inside- orange, black and white. The cabin had never seemed so cozy as it did in this moment— outside it was still dark and the birds were chirping. The sun began to turn the sky purple as more people began waking up to the smell of breakfast which filled the cabin. Smoke was coming out of the chimney and was disappeared into the crisp morning air. As I sat outside in the cold appreciating the slow morning, I saw through a small snowy window, Skye beginning to make coffee over the stove.

The cabin got busier as more people made their way down the steep log staircase. After breakfast Skye made us a snack to bring on the journey back to the car. We packed up, clipped into our skis, and headed on the trail. The cold night caused the melting snow to freeze over making the conditions more difficult to ski in than the day before. We made the decision to unclip our skis and hike down the mountain— a new perspective on a familiar trail. Once we arrived at the car, we returned our ski rentals and headed back to Edmonton full of new memories and a want for more adventure.

YEGFIT RECIPES

5-Ingredient Salmon Alfredo Keto Recipe Being on a low-carb diet, like keto, doesn’t necessarily mean the absence of some of your favorite foods. Just make a few easy swaps and you can recreate those comfort foods in a much more calorie conscious, and even more nutritious, way!

INGREDIENTS • 3/4 lb raw, wild salmon • 4 medium raw zucchini • 8oz whipping cream or heavy cream • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan • fresh dill to taste Garnish • 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan • sea salt & pepper to taste INSTRUCTIONS 1. Set oven to 400F/204C. 2. Season raw salmon with a little sea salt & pepper. Place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes at 400F. Once it finishes baking, mash and flake the salmon with a fork. Set aside.

3. While the salmon bakes, spiralize zucchini using a spiralizer or Julienne shredder. Once you’ve cut the noodles, sprinkle them with a little sea salt to help soften the noodles and release excess water. Set the noodles aside for 510 minutes, then pat them dry with a paper towel to remove excess water.

4. Set a nonstick skillet on medium heat, then pour in the cream. Bring it to a light simmer, then sprinkle in parmesan and a little pepper. Stir until smooth, then reduce the heat to low to thicken the sauce.

5. Let the sauce thicken and cool for about 2 minutes, then add zucchini pasta. Toss the noodles in the sauce before adding the flaked salmon.

6. Season to taste with fresh dill and sea salt & pepper.

7. Garnish with remaining parmesan.

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YEGFIT RECIPES

Thai Chopped Salad with Crispy Onions and Peanut Dressing Creamy and satisfying, peanut dressing pairs perfectly with crunchy chopped romaine lettuce and shredded red and green cabbage. Feel free to use your grill to char the eggplant and tofu in Steps 2 and 3. Simply slice the eggplant and tofu instead of dicing, then drizzle with a touch of oil before grilling over high heat.

INGREDIENTS • 1 eggplant • 1 package organic extra firm tofu • 1 romaine heart • 2 scallions • 2 Thai chiles • 1 lime • 3 tbsp peanut butter • 1 tbsp tamari • 1 tbsp rice vinegar • 4 oz coleslaw blend • ½ cup crispy onions • Fresh cilantro • 2 tbsp vegetable oil • Salt and pepper INSTRUCTIONS 1. Trim and chop the eggplant into 1 inch pieces. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Drain the tofu and pat dry with paper towels, then chop into 1 inch cubes. Roughly chop the romaine heart. Thinly slice the scallions. Mince the Thai chiles.

2. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Once hot, add the eggplant and cook until browned in places, about 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and return to the plate.

3. Return the skillet to medium-high heat with 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Add the tofu and a pinch of salt and cook until browned and crispy in places, about 4 to 5 minutes.

4. In a medium bowl, add the juice from the lime, peanut butter, tamari, rice vinegar, and ¼ cup warm water. Whisk the peanut dressing until smooth.

5. In a large bowl, combine the chopped romaine, coleslaw blend, 2 tbsp of peanut dressing, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss the chopped salad well to combine.

6. Pick the cilantro leaves. Divide the chopped salad onto large plates and top with eggplant, tofu, cilantro, chiles, and drizzle with the remaining peanut dressing. Top with crispy onions.

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8 Steps in a successful Fat to Fit journey.

By Cody Dale The Obesity epidemic is an ongoing war in not only Canada, but the world. Since 1975 Obesity rates have almost tripled! In 2016, 39% (1.9billion) of the world’s adults were in the overweight category (based on BMI scale). Within that, 13% (650million) were considered obese.

With numbers this high, there’s likely a fair number of people whom are not comfortable with their current body composition and ready to make a change. These simple steps will help you with battling towards a happier-healthier you.

1. Get up/stretch

People sit now more than ever. Unfortunately, the less we stand the more difficult life and basic mobility becomes. Sitting also promotes postural imbalances that cause low back pain due to overactive muscles restricting hip mobility. Stretching out the hips will alleviate these symptoms. Every 15-20 minutes get up and walk around for a bit, or at the very least just stand!

2. Eat less calories

There are many websites that have calculators to determine your ‘resting metabolic rate’ (RMR), or simply the amount of fuel your body needs to maintain its current state. A daily caloric deficit of 500-1000 calories a day will result in 1-2lbs of weight loss. There are 3500 calories in 1lb of fat. Do note, as your body weight changes so does your RMR. It’s important to recalculate this as you lose significant weight.

3. Follow the Canadian Food Guide

The most important piece of information on the Canadian Food Guide is what to look out for when choosing foods in each of the food groups. This will help you with determining what to look out for when picking your meals.

4. Eat more lean protein

Studies show that diets high in protein during a caloric deficit accompanied with physical activity results in an increased lean mass and greater fat loss than diets low in protein. It is important to choose proteins low in fat, sodium, and cholesterol.

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5. Get your motor running

Start getting some cardio in! Either with HIIT training or continuous aerobics, it is important to start moving and prime those fat burning engines. Contacting a certified personal trainer is the most effective way to receive the perfect exercise prescription for your specific needs and starting point. That said, when just starting out simply doing anything consistently will have a positive impact in achieving your fat loss goals. Aim for at least 15-30min a day when starting out.

6. Pick things up and put them down

Resistance training has many benefits for the endocrine and metabolic systems. When first starting, a certified personal trainer can help you with learning how to perform the correct exercises in association with your current state and goals. But until then, start with performing multi-joint exercises on machines for your whole body as a safe way to get started. Do note, when you first start out you should not train to failure! Going to hard too fast will result in being incredibly sore for days, likely limiting your ability to move and motivation to continue with your transformation.

7. Love yourself more than you judge yourself

Gym’s are filled with mirrors and strangers, and we tend to be our own worst critics. Remember why you’re there; to make a positive difference in your health. Gym’s can be intimidating, do not let all those strangers get to you.

No one is judging you, only you are. This is your journey, stay the course.

8. Repetition

Committing to your new lifestyle is the most important step. Too often do we see people find substantial success during a diet/exercise program diminish by reverting to their old habits and level of sedentary behaviour. If you don’t use it, you lose it, so use it!

As a personal trainer who has battled this epidemic, I know how tough it can be, but I also know its not an impossible journey. I entered this career to help as many people as possible. You are not alone, you got this, let your pride shine, and stay the course. One step at a time.

LOCKER ROOM MEDICINE At HealthPointe Rehabilitation & Sport Therapy our professionals have been assembled like the medical teams in professional sport. We like to call our concept “Locker Room Medicine” and our staff have true experience working in elite sport.

Dr. Dhiren Naidu

Tahisha Naidu

Carrie Mussbacher

Team Physician, Edmonton Oilers Team Physician, Edmonton Eskimos Team Physician, UofA Football

Head Therapist, Saskatchewan Rush Lacrosse

Athletic Therapist Edmonton Storm Football Edmonton Huskies Football

MD FRCPC DIP. SPORT MED.

B.SC. PT

CAT (C), BPE, CSEP-CPT, PPFS

Dr. Martin Mrazik

Kelsey Fleury

Matt Goertzen

Consultant Neuropsychologist Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Eskimos University of Alberta Athletics

Athlete - UofA Pandas Wrestling

Team Physiotherapist Edmonton Oil Kings Camp Physiotherapist Edmonton Oilers Former Head Therapist Concordia Thunder

PhD, R.Psych.

B.SC. KIN

MSc PT

We bring the expertise needed in “locker room medicine” to all people and apply it to all injuries. Whether your goal is to walk around the block or make it to the CFL we will get you properly diagnosed and treated.

We look forward to treating you!

Suite 710, Hys Centre 11010 – 101 Street Edmonton, AB

Book Now! 780-453-5255 www.healthpointe.com

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