Your answers might relate to a lack of money, time, support from family, or all of these. Obstacles can seem so numerous, so obvious, and so tough to change.

You can relate to obstacles in many ways. Typical responses are to explain them or resist them.
Both responses take a lot of time and energy. And both anchor you firmly in the past, keeping your focus on areas of your life that are not working.
To immediately generate alternatives, remember a simple analogy…
Imagine that you’re driving down a scenic highway. Suddenly you come to a huge rock in the middle of the road.
At this moment you have several options. You could try to explain how the rock ended up there. You could also go into resistance mode, complaining about the carelessness of highway construction or the lack of state funding for rock removal.
Or, you could bypass all this negativity and remove the obstacle from your life at once. Instead of explaining the rock or resisting it, just drive around it.
When faced with obstacles, people often respond with questions based on explanation and resistance, such as:
- Why am I so alone? ?- Why does this always happen to me??- Why am I such a failure?
However, you always have another option. You can ask questions that help you drive around any obstacle in your life.

Questions have uncanny power. Questions direct your attention— and along with it, how you think and how you feel. If you want to create different thoughts, feelings, and results into your life, then ask different questions.
Start now by skipping the why questions and begin asking what questions, such as:

1) What’s the lesson here?
There’s an old saying about learning from experience: Beware the person with twenty years of experience. This may consist of one year of learning and nineteen years of repetition.
The point is that experiences do not come prepackaged with empowering lessons. Everything hinges on how you interpret experiences, and your interpretations can change over the years. A single event can take you a step closer to emotional contraction or expansion. It all depends on how you interpret that event.
Psychologist Martin Seligman has made a career by studying how human beings interpret their experience. He notes that each of us has an explanatory style. People who chronically feel helpless tend to explain events in ways that are:
    •    Permanent: “I always get confused when trying to learn something new.”
    •    Personal: “I’m just no good at meeting people.”
    •    Pervasive: “I’m just the kind of person who fails to follow through, no matter what kind of goals I set.”
Optimistic people use a different style. They explain events in ways that are:
    1.    Temporary: “When I feel confused, I ask questions that lead me to understanding.”
    2.    External: “I find it hard to talk to people in bars, so I invite them to quiet restaurants instead.”
    3.    Specific: “I find it challenging to meet long-term goals, so for now I will focus on achieving short-term objectives.”
You should interpret these obstacles as yield signs rather than stop signs.
These are signals that the world is expanding to accommodate your growth. Instead of resisting a challenge, just lean into it. Ask yourself: How can I interpret this event in a more powerful way? What’s a positive lesson that’s waiting here to be learned?

2) What’s great about having this problem?
There’s an easy answer to this question: “Nothing!” However, looking beyond that knee-jerk response can quickly open up your perspective.
Tony Robbins offers an example in his book Awakening the Giant Within. He recalls a time when he’d been on the road for nearly 100 days out of 120. Returning to his office, he found a stack of urgent memos and a list of 100 phone calls that he needed to personally return. Before making these discoveries, he was tired. Now he felt exhausted.
Tony managed to shift his internal state simply by asking: What’s great about having this problem? He then realized that just a few years ago he would have been grateful to get calls from twenty people—let alone one hundred people with national reputations.
This insight was enough to break his pattern of frustration. He found himself feeling grateful that so many people he loved and respected were willing to connect with him.

3) What’s my next action?
This question shines a spotlight on solutions. No matter what happens, you can choose what to say and do in response. Rather than manifesting resistance or explanation, you can choose your next action.
Successful people hold a bias for action. Add inspiration and intention to the mix, and you gain an unstoppable momentum.
* * *
Jack Canfield, America’s #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you’re ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: http://www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com

Seeing initials after a professional’s name can cause a little intimidation for some, “awe” or respect for others and plain old confusion for the rest! Here are some designations your physiotherapist might have after his or her name and what difference it might mean to you, the patient.

Physiotherapy Degrees:

Typically, the first (and essential) set of letters are those indicating the type of University degree that the therapist has obtained that allows them to practice physiotherapy. Usually, if the therapist graduated before 2007, it is a Bachelors degree. After that, most universities progressed to make the degree a Masters degree, meaning that the student had to have obtained a bachelor’s degree prior to entering the Master’s program.

The Masters degree is completed in a shorter period of time but the graduate leaves university having studied for a longer time OVERALL. What can be confusing still is that different universities sometimes have different names for the same “type” of degree- one school may label their Masters degree MPT and another labels is a MScPT translating to a Master in Science in Physical Therapy. Angela Newton, Maggie Phillips-Scarlett and Patrick McKinnon all have entry level Masters degrees.

Each registered physiotherapist will be a graduate of one of these programs. Those with “entry-level” Masters degrees will also have a Bachelors degree. At our clinic, some of our therapists have previous degrees in Science BSc (Karen Ogilvie & Mina), in Kinesiology BKin (Angela & Patrick) and even a Masters in Kinesiology MKin (Maggie). 

Advanced Degrees:

To add to the different “Masters” titles, a therapist who qualified as a Bachelor in Physical Therapy can then go on and complete a Masters which would be considered an “Advanced” degree and is done with a focus on clinical studies or research, typically, and is above and beyond the requirements of practice as a physiotherapist. There is only one school in Canada offering this option (University of Western Ontario) but physios may choose to study abroad to receive this advanced schooling, in Australia, for example, where these programs are more abundant. Physiotherapist Mina Kavia holds an (advanced) Masters from Queensland University in Australia (MPThy).

Acupuncture & IMS Designations:

For clients looking for various needling therapies, things get yet a little more complex. At our clinic, we offer two different styles of treatment…acupuncture and IMS (intramuscular stimulation).  The Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute offers acupuncture training & certification to medical practitioners (such as doctors, dentists, chiropractors, registered nurses and naturopaths to name some). The completion of their required courses and exams gives the therapist the letters CAFCI. Both Karen & Angela are trained through the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada and Maggie & Shelley Cottle are in the midst of completing the courses to be certified.

Physiotherapists who wish to specialize in IMS or dry needling (which is a technique focused on needling muscles instead of following meridian channels) can study with Dr. Chan Gunn (founder of iSTOP clinic in Vancouver) and receive the designation CGIMS (Sue, Karen & Mina have these credentials). Students who choose this route must by physiotherapists or physicians and have completed a certain level of post-graduate training prior to be admitted to the course.

A third route to obtain qualifications to use acupuncture needles in treatment is by getting a degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine such as Mina has obtained from the University of Nanjing, China, which gives her dual certification as both a Registered Physiotherapist AND Registered Acupuncturist (RAc).

Manual Therapy Credentials:

Lastly, with regards to Canadian physiotherapists who want advancement in the field of manual therapy (hands on treatment), there is a governing body that regulates this special group of physiotherapists and grants them certain designations after they complete post-graduate education in their system. The highest designation is that of Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Physiotherapy (FCAMPT) and represents years of study and a high level of skill. Mina has these initials FCAMPT after her name. Linda Belanger is currently completing requirements for this title. If an intermediate exam has been completed, a temporary designation of Registrant also exists and Sue  has the initials RCAMPT as part of her list.

I hope this helps clear up a few things. I am happy to answer any questions that may arise. Feel free to visit the section about our therapists by clicking here.

Sue Shalanski
 (BScPT RCAMPT CGIMS)

    1.    For 2008 through to 2010, the first and foremost trend is that of educated and experienced fitness professionals. This means that there are certification and education programs that are fully “accredited” by third party organizations and these lead to recognized designations. In Canada, this might involve carrying a degree from a university in kinesiology or “exercise science”. The graduate can then apply to be registered with the provincial College of Kinesiologists. Each province has it’s own recognized programs, in BC fr example, fitness professionals can gain certification for teaching  land-based or aquatic classes through BCRPA. Ask the trainers you are keen to work with what their certifications are. Do an internet search to find out if it is widely recognized. There is a very wide range of education and backgrounds and you should be informed.
    2.    Strength Training. While this was number 6 on the list of trends in 2007, it is now number 2, possibly as it is becoming common knowledge that increasing muscle mass helps with weight management and in rehabilitation to name but two benefits. This is where there is a broad range of WAYS to go about strength training, from weight-lifting at the gym (traditionally) to all the latest gadgets and classes that have been developed to alleviate boredom. The list for 2010 includes things like kettlebells and the TRX systems, which involves a system of webbing with handles attached firmly to a door or the ceiling using your own body weight as resistance!
    3.    A focus on childhood obesity. This issue has been making the news and is beginning to be seen as an issue in not only the US but in Canada as well.  Obese kids today will be the obese adults of tomorrow so there is an increased focus on programs designed to prevent this. Check out the TV program X-Weighted Families on Slice Network  to see what it takes to turn overweight families around- it’s a multifactorial approach.

    4.    Personal training now seems to be for everyone, not just the celebrities or the very well-off. Personal training requires a higher level of financial and personal commitment which, I suspect, helps foster accountability and results! The cost maybe higher but often the effectiveness of the workouts will also be much higher. Back to point number 2, find out what your potential trainers credentials are and ask them if they have experience working with clients like yourself (if you have any special requirements, ie. recently post-partum, recovering from cancer, have had surgery recently etc etc.)
    5.    Core training. This trend has been around a while now and describes the focus of exercise on strengthening of the back and abdominal muscles. The equipment could include BOSU balls, stability balls, foam rollers, wobble boards and the like. This is a form of strength training (as in #2) but it is thought that the focus on the abs and back muscles helps support the spine. From a physiotherapy perspective, this is not an absolute correlation, but that is an entirely different article and I won’t go into that here!
    6.    Special Fitness Programs for Older Adults- there’s no limit as to when you can benefit from exercise, so even at 70+, there are health benefits to exercise.
    7.     Functional Fitness. This refers to exercise programs that the reflect actual activities that someone might do during the day.
    8.     Sports-Specific Training.  Twist Conditioning has built a reputation in this area by providing products and training systems to build speed and coordination to name but a few benefits for sports like soccer and hockey. They are located in North Vancouver and offer programs for kids and adults alike who wish to improve their sports performance.
    9.   Pilates.  This form of exercise focuses on alignment, breathing, coordination and the entire body in progressively challenging positions and variations. Exercises can be done on a mat or with complex (and expensive) equipment. These exercises work well for clients recovering for various medical conditions but require highly trained teachers to get you to perform the exercises with the exactitude they require. Caution: It looks much easier than it is!
    10.    Group Personal Training. For the budget conscious, these sessions offer guidance in appropriate technique but with a social element. Groups can be small (as in 2-3 clients) making it more affordable but  still giving many of the benefits of a trained instructor who can give personalized exercises for the most efficiency in training.

So if you’re feeling bored  or stalled with your  exercise routine, this is what’s trendy on 2010. If you’re not sure how to proceed, talk to your favorite health practitioner.

Sue Shalanski BScPT

Registered Physical Therapist and Owner of Reach Physio Solutions in Squamish, BC

Which describes you best? Are you someone who is active every day, without giving it much thought, or are you someone who jumps on a bandwagon of exercise for bouts at a time, in between periods of inactivity. I was very lucky to grow up being active nearly every day. I’ve remained this way pretty much throughout my life. If I’m unable to be active (due to injury, for example) I’m a bit lost, to be honest. But I know not everyone is driven this way about exercising.

It’s fairly commonly known that exercise has a multitude of health benefits. Not only does it help the immune system, it also improves our mood. So why do some people find it so hard to choose lifelong exercising habits?

One reason could be starting out a new exercise habit with too much volume or intensity. Depending on your age and past activity, this could be a recipe for injury. Injury leads to time off exercise, which leads to inactivity…a law of physics that I have never forgotten from high school was “a body at rest tends to STAY at rest” whereas “a body IN MOTION tends to stay in motion”. This is a bit of a mantra for me, when I start feeling a little sluggish. Slow motion is still motion! If you are just beginning to be active, start SLOW rather than blasting and then crashing!

An unfortunate finding from the America College of Sports Medicine is that 50% of people who begin an exercise plan drop out after 6 months. So what do the 50% of exercisers who sustain their exercise do differently?

Well, maybe they talk about exercise differently. Remember when you were a kid running around the neighborhood with friends, on bikes, building forts, making snow angels. Did you ever say “I HAVE to go out and play now” the way we might say “I HAVE to go to the gym after work”. Being active as a kid was natural and FUN. Is it possible to view exercise in your life as PLAY instead of more “work” to get done?

Becoming a lifelong exerciser is all about making it a habit that becomes integrated and natural. Experts say it takes 21 days to make a habit. I suspect it could take ONE day if you choose to accept the new habit as you. But if suddenly taking on a new persona isn’t you, and you’d prefer social support and a FUN focus, why not join our next 30 Day Challenge, starting May 3^rd. Everyday we will have an exercise “event” you can attend. Group exercise and a goal (completing 30 minutes of activity for 30 days in a row) can be what will take you from being an “dabbler” in the world of exercise to a full fledged “fitness-freak”! Find out how to sign up for our event by clicking here.

Sue Shalanski

Registered Physiotherapist, Clinic Owner and regular exerciser

Ugh. The painful element of exercise…the BURN in the muscles, the struggle to breathe. It’s what’s necessary to get results and that’s such a kicker. It’s one of the aspects of exercise that deters many people. But if you’re seeking results in the form of improved fitness or some weight-loss from your exercise efforts, it is a necessary element.

It’s pretty straight forward-  walking faster burns more calories than walking slower- due to simple physics required to move a mass (the body) at a higher velocity/speed means more energy is being generated to propel the body! What also happens if the body registers a “challenge” (ie. the fatigue point you reach when you can’t possibly do another repetition) is that it prompts the build itself up after the activity to prepare for the next bout that might be tougher!

But HOW intense must it be? There was a trend that involved promotion of the “fat-burning” zone to be labeled on cardio equipment  a while back, which could be from 50-60% of max heart rate (we’ll get to that in a minute). People LOVED this because the intensity was very very comfortable. One would barely have to breathe hard. This was bliss, except that the “fat burning” would only happen if the exercise lasted for a LONG time (usually longer than the 20 minutes most people would use on cardio equipment but certainly acceptable for those new to exercise or better than NO EXERCISE, of course). It was thought that exercising too hard would only burn up carbohydrates, a fast burning fuel. More recently, we’ve come to learn that burning off fat requires more intensity than the 50-60% of max heart rate because OVERALL calories burnt is muc higher (and that’s great news given that we continue to burn calories AFTER the exercise is over at a more elevated rate too).

Now, I confess, I am not a exercise scientist but consider myself a “translator of the information” for the public (and my patients). What this all means to me is that we need to feel a little uncomfortable during exercise!

If you like to be a bit more technical than that, there are two ways (one electronic and one not) that I think can help you determine if you are working hard enough.

Way #1 (non technical) is to use THE BORG RATE OF PERCEIVED EXERTION SCALE. This is a scale from 6-20 that helps you personally “rate” the level of effort you are expending. It is well linked with heart rate so that adding a zero (so a score of 12 is equivalent to 120 beats per minute in heart rate). More info on heart rates comes a bit later. This link contains more detailed info on the Borg Scale.

Way #2 (technical) is to use a heart rate monitor. A heart rate monitor uses a strap around your chest to detect your heart rate and is transmitted wirelessly to a device shaped like a wrist watch for you to read. It’s instantaneous and quite accurate, depending on the model and can we worn during most activity even swimming. If you are “normal” (ha ha), your maximum heart rate can be estimated as 220-your age. This is then multiplied by the percentage you wish to work at (say 70%) and can be even set to beat when you are not exercise hard enough (this feature can be quite annoying). This is a great tool, if you can program a watch, you can use a heart rate monitor. Some are very fancy and can link to your computer, be uploaded to the internet, graphed out etc etc. A basic one can be about $90. Definitely get some advice from shop clerks in a specialty shop when purchasing (like a running or cycling shop) as the options/choice can be quite stunning.

A few caveats about intensity…if you are NEW to exercise or have any cardiovascular conditions or take certain medications, you may not be a good candidate for this kind of training and should stick to a personalized (ie. appropriate for you) program. The best thing to do would be to consult your physician then a  qualified exercise specialist such as a kinesiologist (one local Kinesiologist we recommend is Erica Otto) or a physical therapist to help you exercise safely at a level right for you. No need to get injured or worse yet, find yourself in the hospital undergoing stress-tests.

I encourage you to post your own suggestions below. Comments have a short delay before they appear so please be patient. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for next week’s post on breaking through a plateau in your fitness level.

Til then,

Sue Shalanski

Registered Physiotherapist

Clinic Owner of Reach Physio Solutions

Exercise Boredom got you?

Are YOU guilty of doing the same exercise routine day in and day out? I see this often in my practice as a physiotherapist in Squamish, BC. Some of us are creatures of habit but there are some good reasons to change it up once in a while. Here are some of them.

Being active is supposed to be a lifelong pursuit. Changing up an exercise routine helps to promote motivation and create a “lifestyle” of exercise. When I talk about doing the SAME exercises, I mean the exact moves, in the same order, using the same resistance, for the same number of reps week after week. For some, this has been going on for years. Routine is comfortable but not exactly going to move you to be excited and engaged about a life of physical activity, is it? TIP: Most regular exercise programs should change every 6 weeks to maximize benefits. If you are going to make the time to exercise, why not get the most benefit. Changing an exercise program can be as simple as modifying the order of your exercises, increasing some of the intensity or resistance as appropriate or changing the “form” the exercise takes (elastic bands instead of dumbbells is just one possibility). See below for 10 Ways to change things up.

Secondly, having a bit of variety to your routine can help you achieve your goals more quickly and effectively. Let’s say you plan on backpacking along the Inca Trail in Peru in six months (ie. considerable elevation) but your daily exercise routine is to walk (at sea level) on flat soft chip trails at a mellow pace for 45 minutes with a coffee in hand. To bridge the gap between your current activity and your goal, some variety is key. You could add some hills, some different/rocky terrain, some increased intensity, wearing a pack etc etc. This will help ease your body into increasing levels of fitness through a process called “adaptation” so that the anticipated activity isn’t a shock to the body!

Which brings me to the last of my “change it up” benefits and that has to do with creating new neural pathways. What is a neural pathway, you ask? Very good question. I like to use an analogy of an obscure trail in the woods that’s hard to pick out due to the branches covering the trail & the recent growth. As the trail gets used more and more, it becomes more defined and obvious to follow. Left for many years with heavy use, eventually it could become a super-highway if it is the most established point from A to B. This is how I see pathways developing between the cortex (where movement is “planned”) to the muscles (where movement is executed). Learning a new task or changing a skill challenges us by demanding that new neural pathways get created (the new path in the woods). We recruit muscles in different patterns, perhaps increasing our muscles mass being increasing its use. By moving in a new way, we might take our joints through different ranges of motion, which helps provide lubrication to the joint. This makes me think of the old adage “use it or lose it”. Creating new neural pathways may be able to keep your joints feeling younger and your muscles primed and ready for activity!

So, having established that a little break in routine could do your body good, here are 10 WAYS YOU CAN CHANGE IT UP!

If you normally exercise indoors, go outside. If you normally play outside, see how others get fit by going to the swimming pool or a taking a class at a local fitness facility, especially when the weather isn’t cooperating!

Get a new gadget! Maybe you can go “techie” and pick up a GPS, heart rate monitor or just a simple pedometer. Or try the latest in “get fit gear” such as a Bosu, TRX system or some kettle balls. Curious? Do a google search.

Change partners! If you normally exercise alone, bring a friend along who is at a different fitness level than you- it will either push you a bit more or allow you to slow down and appreciate new elements. Always surrounded by a group? How about heading out alone and reveling in the sound of your own (heavy) breathing for something different.

Turn an activity into exercise by picking up the pace a little (put on your iPod while cleaning, washing your car, raking leaves and add a few dance steps for a more energetic pace).

Pick up a fitness magazine. See what’s new. Not all these exercises are recommended, of course, but maybe your can scoop a variation on an old standby.

Watch one of the many weight loss shows like The Biggest Loser or The Last Ten Pounds Bootcamp. Not only could you be inspired, you might find some new moves too.

Hire a personal trainer and let THEM come up with the new challenging exercises. This could likely lead to working a little harder than you would alone (AKA getting your butt kicked, this is a good thing every once in a while!)

Sign up for an event. First marathons and first triathlons are very popular events to get people making changes in their exercise routine. Find an event, register so that you commit to it and start a progressive training program. There are many resources both online and in person to help you with this.

Exergaming. Yes, this word was new to me too. It refers to the use of video game platforms to do active movements such as WiiFit.

If you normally do SLOW activities, challenge yourself with something faster or vice versa. Love yoga, add in some cardio and you will create a balanced body. If you’re always doing some cardio, maybe you need to make time for a little stretching

I encourage you to post your own suggestions below. Comments have a short delay before they appear so please be patient. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for next week’s post on breaking through a plateau in your fitness level.

Sue Shalanski

Registered Physiotherapist

Clinic Owner of Reach Physio Solutions

Not getting enough sleep may cause us to age more quickly and certainly reduces our perception of our quality of life. It may put us at a higher risk of illness too. But most significantly regarding weight management, it can also affect our metabolism. One theory is that the level of growth hormone, produced during our deepest sleep goes down when we don’t sleep well. While this hormone becomes more scarce as we age, naturally, keeping as much of it around as possible does helps muscle mass. This makes sense to me when you think of how as a kid or a teen, when you’r in a growing phase, it seems we could eat as much of anything that we wanted (well almost anything!).

The last connection to make between sleep and weight management is the “leptin link”. Low sleep means less leptin (the feeling-full hormone) and more ghrelin (the feeling hungry hormone). Makes sense to me- when I’m tired I crave snacks more, and on top of food cravings, I tend to choose less healthy options because I’m feeling too lazy to peel/clean veggies and go for the chips or cookies instead.

So, when your head hits the pillow at a reasonable hour, remember you are also helping your metabolism stay young and balanced.

Walking is the simplest form of exercise to do and also the mode of exercise that is practiced most consistently. Put on some shoes and a pedometer and off you go! A pedometer??? What’s that? It is a small device worn on the side of the waist that measures the swing of your hip to calculate your steps. Some pedometers also offer other features- like calories burnt (measured only when you are stepping at a rate fast enough to be considered exercising aerobically), distance walked (based on measuring your stride length when you set up your pedometer).

10000 steps a day is recommended as a benchmark for an active lifestyle. This is roughly equivalent to 5 miles or 8km for us in the metric system. If you sit in a car to get to work and sit at a desk for your job and don’t engage in other activities, you may be walking as little as 3000 steps a day. Studies have shown that people who wear pedometers walk 2900 steps more, on average, when they wear on versus when the go through their day without one!

Newer models can be worn in a pocket rather than on the outside of clothing so they are less conspicuous. Others have a radio combined with the unit so you can plug in some headphones and listen while you walk. There is some variation in accuracy so for a decent pedometer, you may have to pay a bit more. Here’s is a short video on testing pedometers that was done here in BC by the ladies known as The Shopping Bags on the W Network.

On January 1st, I decided to apply the same principle to my eating, just to see what I ate, if I was getting enough veggies in my diet (I was pretty sure I wasn’t!) and see if I was over-consuming (I WAS!). One evening, while at my laptop with a box of ginger snaps next to me, I had to decide if I was willing to write down how many cookies I planned to eat that night. Having to put down in my food journal made me stop, think, and put half the cookies back!

I did this for two weeks and I observed some habits and some trends (although no graphs were created). Speaking of graphs though, some people like to use online journaling  sites such as FitnessJournal.org or Nutrition Data.com to have more sophisticated  measurements from calories to percentages of daily nutrients to how much if a certain vitamin or mineral you still need to consume that day (WOW, technology is amazing!). My suggestion is if you like this stuff, find a site that works, maybe even one that links to your iPhone (like Fitness Journal.org does) so that it’s convenient. I found that I had to journal  on paper once a day because that was most convenient and quick.

Studies of clients on diets who had to write down their food lost twice as much weight as others who didn’t. I would add that if you are one who eats when emotions or fatigue are involved, perhaps adding some notes about your "state" along with what you ate can help you see your relationship to being angry, anxious, tired or lonely. This can be the "awareness" you need to find a true means of dealing with over-eating, if that maybe the case. I hope this helps. Please feel free to leave your comments below!

Sue Shalanski is a physiotherapist and the clinic owner of Reach Physio Solutions who’s taken up this recent hobby of  blogging about living a healthier life! If you have topic suggestions for her to write about during the 10 week weight-loss competition that The Chief is running starting this week.