Stretching Do's and Don'ts 2.0

Stretching is a largely misunderstood term. People stretch for different reasons whether it's too rehab your body, prepare for exercise, relax, gain flexibility, or just because they enjoy it. There are also many different forms of stretching, some that are safe and effective, and others that are dangerous and outdated. Regardless of your reasons for wanting to stretch, stretching can be a really healthy activity if you are doing is correctly. In my previous stretching post Stretching Do's and Don'ts I talked about the difference between Dynamic stretching and Static stretching and how they are currently being utilized in athletes. Let's do a little refresher on that:

Dynamic stretching is when you move your body through a comfortable range of motion to help warm up the muscles, lubricate the joints, and awaken neuromuscular connections (get your brain involved). This is not to be confused with Ballistic stretching which is an archaic means of stretching were you swing your limbs past the point of comfort with the intention of increasing flexibility. Ballistic stretching is dangerous and ineffective. Dynamic stretching also won't increase flexibility.

Here, Nina demonstrates a popular dynamic stretch for warming up the lower body with focus on the hip flexor and hamstrings. This stretch is useful for many activities, especially those that include running, skating, climbing, and swimming.

Use a wall or a partner for support while you gently swing your leg forward and back 10 times. Switch legs and repeat. You can also turn to face the wall and swing your leg side to side to warm up your outside hip and groin.

Hamstring Stretch

Static Stretching is the most common type of stretching. You will find this style of stretching in many yoga classes, on sports teams, and prescribed by physiotherapists and kinesiologists. It is when you hold a position for about 30 seconds without bouncing or pulsing. The idea is to move your body to a place where you feel a gentle stretch and hold it there until the muscle(s) relax slightly. If you stretch daily after exercise you will notice increased flexibility in that muscle over time, and decreased
muscle soreness.

Hip Flexor Stretch

If you are stretching as a part of injury rehab or prevention, READ THIS next paragraph:

There is growing evidence to support that the most optimal way to static stretch is to hold the stretch, just at the point where you feel a gentle tension in the muscle but no sharp pain, for 30-60 seconds, rest, then repeat 5-10 times. By holding the stretch any longer or deeper (as in some types of yoga) you may overstretch your muscle which puts your joint at risk and may damage your ligaments, or it may actually cause the muscle to try to protect itself from overstretching by contracting and tearing.


Stretching should be an enjoyable experience and a part of everyone's exercise routine. Relaxing and breathing should be a big part of it. Having modest flexibility helps to keep your joints healthy by lubricating them and feeding them nutrients. As you age you will have less muscle injury and a lower incidence of arthritis. Stretching the muscles helps to flush out waste products from exercise and decrease muscle soreness. Technically you can just move your body into a place where you feel a stretch for it to work, but it is important to be aware of body mechanics to stretch safely. The body likes to move in specific directions so keep those in mind as you stretch, or you can take the guesswork out of it and have a professional teach you tried and true safe stretches. And be aware that having too much flexibility is not a good thing either.

If you want to know how to safely stretch a particular muscle or group of muscles please feel free to comment on this post or contact me directly.

Fun with Slacklining

If you've never heard of a slackline before, you're not alone. Slacklining originated with rock climbers and has since become a sport of its own. A slackline is basically a 4 inch wide line tightened between two trees. It is like a wide tightrope but can have some incredible applications. You can simply stand on it or walk on it. Or, when you get really good, you can start to incorporate crazy balance poses, or even bounce on it like a trampoline adding in flips and tricks.

Greg shows us how to get on the slackline in Penticton, BC.

Some people have even taken it to the extreme and created High-lining. This is when the slackline is strung up across a gorge or river high above the ground. It takes a high level of understanding in order set this up safely (I'm certainly no where near this). Most people will use a safety tether but there are some who will walk across with no protection at all.  Some of my favrouite youtube.com videos include appearences by "Sketchy" Andy and Dean Potter.

Tips to get you started:
1) Getting on - I have found that the best way to get on a slackline as a beginner is to stand next to it with one foot on the slackline. Make sure this foot isn't weighted or you will find that it will shake uncontrollably! Hop up off the your other foot on the ground and reach your arms up high. Keep your knee slightly bent and your upper body tall. Also, look forwards, not downwards (I find looking at where the end of the slackline meets the tree works best for me). Make sure you breath and maintain a postitive attitude.

2) Staying on - I promise that you will be shaking in the beginning. This is normal. Don't get frustrated. Try to balance on one foot for 5 seconds. If the line is shaking a lot, you can also try to make a T with your feet, bringing your heels together to settle the line. After you feel balanced, take a step forward onto your other foot and try balancing on that one.

3) Walking - Once you have gotten comfortable balancing on one foot at a time, you can eventually start to quicken the time between each foot and before you know it you'll be walking.

I'm looking pretty shakey here. Notice my right arm is down. I would have been more successful by keeping both arms overhead and making small adjustments for balance.

Even something as simple as walking on a slackline will take a long time so keep up the positive self talk and enjoy the journey. Other basic moves you can do are: walking backwards, turning 180 degrees, jumping on the slack to mount, tree pose, and sitting on it.

What is the meaning of life?

This is a picture of my friend Bianca and me heading out to climb in Red Rocks, Nevada, a couple years ago. She is currently on an amazing personal adventure in Europe and sent this picture back. The message is so profound yet so simple, and answers that big question I sure we've all asked ourselves at one time or another: "what is the meaning of life?"

I've attempted a good ole fashioned "soul search" on many an occasion. Sometimes there is an "aha!" moment when the world becomes translucent and in that instant it all makes beautiful, inspirational sense. As I've grown up and formed more and more opinions about people and the universe, those "aha!" moments became more and more elusive. Perhaps this is a part of being an adult and losing the magic that kids seem to see so easily. It is when you grow up and realize that Santa and the Easter Bunny don't exist, and that you're not going to be an astronaut or a superhero in your lifetime. It is when you accept that your journey of life is going to be a similar, more modest (due to current economic states and housing prices), version that your parents had.

It can be depressing to think about it. If you've ever let yourself believe that what you are doing now in life is the best it's going to get, then you're sabotaging what it could be. I've been struggling with my self-talk in absurd amounts recently as I'm still battling the problems in my pelvis and back, and the uncertainty of my (hopefully) future career. I can honestly testify that having and injury or an illness that prevents you from seeing hope in doing the things you love to do, that bring you joy and inspiration, and lift you up when you fall down, is the hardest obstacle to overcome. I crave running through a shady forest on a hot, sunny day, climbing a mountain to see the view, dancing without limitations in my room to loud music, and playing a game of catch on an empty field. I can't do any of these right now and it brings me to my knees. I feel trapped in a prison and only half living.

But I'm not the only one with problems, and feeling lousy really sucks. Focusing on the negative of what I can't do is turning me into someone I loath to be with, but unfortunately I am stuck with me. Back when I was 17 years old, I was pretty sure I had "found" myself and knew who I was. I seem to remember thinking I was smart and strong and capable. Now at 27 years old I realize that those traits don't really belong to us, they are merely what we want to be. And the fears and limitations we put on ourselves determine whether or not we possess those qualities we desire. If you want to be strong, choose to be strong. If you want to be smart, choose to be smart and take the appropriate actions towards it. All the obstacles in your way a week, a month, a year down the road looks impossible now. So take it one day at a time. Focus on what you can do today to move forward and be proud you're not standing still. Most importantly, have faith you can do it.

"Fear knocked at the door.

Faith answered.

No one was there."

-Unknown

My old martial arts instructor had a saying: "whatever you can conceive and believe, you can achieve." The hardest part is believing. Because I can't do the things I love to do now, the logical step is try to love the things I can do. I looked back into my memory banks and realized that there were in fact, many things that I thought about trying but gave the backseat to. Maybe it's time to let those ideas drive for a while. A change of scenery is never a bad thing, right? Maybe I'll learn a new language or a new instrument. Maybe I'll learn new cooking skills or start a book club. Maybe I'll do all of those things and more. Most importantly I am going to learn about my injury and devote my time and energy every day to take steps toward bettering my health. If you're thinking, "hey, I'm in a similar situation and would like to start moving forward, I just don't know where to go or how to get there", then I'll be your point you in the right direction:

Step 1. Gather resources (family, doctor, friends, google...).
Step 2. Make an Action Plan (set simple, measurable, achievable goals).
Step 3. Determine what obstacle lie in your way and brainstorm ways to overcome them (remember your resources).
Step 4. Wow, you've already taken 3 steps forward! Keep on walking and creating possibilities.

"Today, be more brilliant than anticipated, more courageous than expected, and more human than is commonly seen."

- Robin Sharma

Remember, life is about creating yourself.The only limitations are the ones we place on ourselves. And even though life brings many challenges, every hurdle in your way is in opportunity to create something powerful to jump over it. Never, ever give up. And never forget how powerful the tools of imagination and perseverance are. As children we naturally used those tools all the time. Can you believe that you ever learned how to walk or talk or tie your shoe laces? Those were mega accomplishments back then. It might be time we learn from the children we were and keep dreaming big. Maybe I'll never be an astronaut, but I heard somewhere that it's OK to dream big and fall short. This is because if you aim for the moon and don't quite make it, you'll still land among the stars, and that's pretty rad too.

Active for Life

I was at a wedding a couple weeks ago when a stranger asked what I did to look the way I do (appearently I gave off a "I'm fit and healthy" kinda look). It was a major compliment for me, but what was strange was that I didn't know how to answer the question. In my past I have been committed to training for my black belt, second degree black belt, ringette nationals, and high school sports, but for the last near decade I haven't really trained for anything specifically. Eventually I was able to say that I didn't really do any routine but I just enjoyed doing active things. The more I thought about it the more I realized that I do actually exercise at least an hour every day without even trying to. I simply need to exercise to be happy. And it's not in a crazy, health nut, addictive way. Instead it's more because my favourite things to do involve moving, interacting, and being outside.

It's interesting to think that if everyone felt the same way they did when we were kids, when we were playing tag in the backyard, riding our bikes, and playing road hockey all day long, we could eliminate a huge amount of health problems. What happened between being kids and growing up? I've heard a lot of excuses from a lot of people: "I don't have time anymore", "I have less energy as I get older", "I've lost my imagination".... Excuses or results people!

I don't know if there is anything I could write right now to help people get off the couch and out for a walk. I just hope that in an ever-changing world people will be able to hold on to a sense of appreciation of their bodies and choose the relaxing walk, past a garden, under a clear sky, over the zombie-eyed couch marathon.

Back and Better than Ever!

I apologize for my long absence from posting but I was highly enjoying some travelling. I spent a month rock climbing in Thailand, and a week enjoying my BC coastline on a sailboat. There is something very enlightening about travelling; expanding your awareness and experiencing new stimuli. Both of my trips were very different yet both offered me one common feeling: appreciation. Appreciation for what I have, appreciation for where I live, appreciation for good friends... it would seem that the feeling of appreciation overpowered any negative emotion and still continues to.

People travel for different reasons, whether it's for business, for vacation, or for the pure joy of exploring the world. The one problem people tend to face is usually they either have the money to travel, but no time, or they have the time, but no money. My advice... say screw it and just do it! I met someone recently who has lived in the city of Vancouver their whole life, only to leave the concrete jungle to go snowboarding on the local mountains. This person, although highly successful in life, has never travelled further than the lower mainland, never to see the beautiful holiday destinations in the Okanagan, or the world renowned BC sunshine coast, or even visited our neighbours only 45 minutes to the south. Yes, he is smart and is going to earn a high paying, satisfying career, but has he really lived? By never exploring outside the bubble that is a city, are you ever truly going to understand communications, economics and trade, history, or feel harmonious with our natural world? BC is a province built off of harvesting resources, filled with booming or busting communities, all sending their efforts to the big cities of Vancouver and Victoria. If you live in the heartland you will never understand the hinterlands. It reminds me disturbingly of The Hunger Games trilogy where the Capitol controls the poor surrounding districts that supply the food and fuel for the its greedy needs.

So what am I trying to say here? Get out there and travel! See the world. Meet the people. It would be a pity to live an entire life blinded by sky scrapers and local media. Travel for a reason and expand yourself in ways you never thought possible. You don't need to go far though. You can take a walk near your home and notice all the beautiful things that tourists see but you typically overlook. You can jump in your car and drive an hour to a lake, a mountain, a park, a museum, or a statue. And when you do have the time and the money to do something spectacular, plan a trip worthy of your bucket list and cross it off.

I went to Thailand with my brother purely with the intention of spending time with him in a strange environment. We experienced complete culture shock, found ourselves in unusual places, and met incredible people who I hope to be friends with for the rest of my life. Our trip definitely did not happen the way we expected it to, but it was perfect none the less. I'm happy to report that we didn't just go to famous monuments and towns just to take a picture and say we were there, but we stumbled upon a personal paradise and stayed there. We took a 12 hour overnight bus south out of Bangkok, a 3 hour bus from there, and a longboat ride over to Ton Sai Beach. This nearly empty, low rated beach, became our home for a few weeks, and I couldn't have asked for anything better. We met like-minded travellers, enjoyed local food and culture, and rock climbed nearly every day! This may not be your idea of paradise, so all I have to say to you is... go out and find Your paradise.

My brother rappeling down a route overlooking Ton Sai Beach

Dealing with Injuries

Injuries are my worst nightmare. The only thing worse than not being able to do fun stuff because you are trapped at work/school is that you can't physically do the fun stuff! Sadly, chances are you are going to get injured at some point in your life regardless of what activities you choose to do, so it's good to be able to have a game plan to deal with the horrors that follow the initial pain. I find it rather hilarious that most of my worst injuries happened when I was doing something normal rather than adventurous, like stepping off a sidewalk, stretching, or playing street hockey for fun.

I'm currently suffering from a recurrent SI joint strain that happened while doing a warm up route rock climbing. Mentally it's been challenging not being able to partake in my normal stress release activities, as well as, the added stress of missing work. This is what I call the Injury Snowball Effect - an injury leads to more of a sedentary life and prevents you from following your regular routine, which increases stress and causes more muscle pains, which leads to more injury in other areas and mental distress, and so forth. I have had to deal with my fair share of injuries in the past so I've put together some of what I've learnt for you here so that the Injury Snowball Effect doesn't happen to you.

Arm/Shoulder Injuries:
You can pretty much continue your regular life with the help of a sling and pain killers. As long as it's not your dominant arm you won't have any problems writing or eating. Typing on a keyboard might take a bit longer and working a labor intensive job is a no go, but you otherwise got the best injury you could have asked for. Keep yourself active by doing low impact cardio activities like walking (outside or on a treadmill) or using a recumbent bike (the ones at the gym where you can lean on a back rest so you don't have to use your arms at all). You can also do squats, lunges, and core exercises (on your back) without much difficulty to keep your body moving and strong.

Foot/Ankle/Knee/Leg Injuries:
With crutches and a way to immobilize your injured area (brace, tensor bandage, or cast) you can pretty much keep moving around and being independent. Your pro is that you have full use of your hands, but your con is that you will probably be spending more time sitting down. To this I say that it is important to move you body when you can to keep your back and neck from tensing up. Roll your shoulders, twist side to side, and stretch your neck often. Most gyms will have weight machines that will allow you to sit down (some are even wheel chair accessible) to complete core and upper body exercises safely.

Pelvis/Hip/Back:
These are the worst possible injuries as they will prevent you from most work. Depending on the severity of the injury you could be confined to bed, or if you're lucky, you could be able to get up and move around with some discomfort. Contrary to the last generations' treatment for back pain (staying in bed) it's important to try to move as much as you can without causing further injury. When you're able to try to move your body and get to know it - which movements hurt, which movements don't, and which movements actually feel good. Typically back pain is increased when you lean over as it puts a lot of stress on your back muscles. This makes getting out of bed or up from a sitting position difficult. If possible you can try moving your knees out in more of a plie or sumo squat position when standing up from sitting as it will allow you to keep your back erect and place less strain on the back muscles.

You will be more sedentary so you must think about your eating habits too. Make sure you don't overeat and that you have nutrient dense meals. You will feel better by eating more fruits and vegetables and less foods with sugar and starches. Your body will also require less calories and more vitamins and minerals to heal itself.

Busy yourself by taking advantage of your forced "vacation". Try those things that you kept pushing further down your list, such as, learning a new language, playing your old instrument or learning a new one, cooking/baking, making crafts, writing stories, calling old friends, or reading that book that's been sitting on your shelf for a year. If you are going to watch a movie make it a big deal - make the popcorn and a fancy beverage, invite friends over, and get cozy with a blanket.

Summary:
1) Take care of initial injury by listening to your health care professionals (REST!)
2) Take care of the rest of your body by moving as much as possible by stretching and exercising the other parts of your body in a balanced way (with the OK from your doctor).
3) Take care of your mind by keeping busy and stimulated. Try new things, stay social with friends, and find alternatives for stress release.
4) Take care of your soul by remembering that YOU WILL HEAL and life is just offering you an opportunity to focus on other things (most importantly, your Self).

Ice Climbing for Everyone



The Ice Tower at Big White

When you go for a winter vacation at a ski resort you'll expect to find alpine and cross country skiing, snow shoeing and tubing, and maybe even pond skating and dog sledding. Last month I visited Big White Ski Resort, BC (just outside of Kelowna) and I discovered a new adventure available to anyone willing to try it - Ice Climbing! Typically climbing frozen waterfalls with nothing but crampons and ice axes to keep you from falling to certain doom was left to highly trained adventure seekers, but now it's found a way to accommodate even the most beginner of climbers. Big White (and some other winter resorts) has created a 60 foot tall ice tower with routes of varying difficulty to challenge all levels of ability. They provide harnesses, boots, crampons, helmets, ice axes, and a belayer (someone to manage the rope) so you can safely push yourself to new heights.



I went with my boyfriend, Tommy, who already had some ice climbing training. Because we both are experienced rock climbers with the necessary training in rope management, we were allowed to belay each other on the top ropes set up on the tower. For quite a reasonable price we were able to climb for a few hours trying out all the different routes and practicing our technique. For those who are new to climbing anything, it is an exhilarating experience to use your body and your strategic mind to maneuver your way up. From my experience bringing others climbing I find that the scariest part is actually the coming down. In order to truly trust that the rope and the gear is going to keep you safe you really need to let go of all your animal instincts telling you that letting go of the wall is a very bad thing. Ice climbing requires a different skill set than rock climbing and it took a little while to get used to using ice axes instead of my hands, and crampons instead of tight, rubber climbing shoes. I definitely needed to rest my hands because they were cramping up from hanging onto the axes for dear life. I also recommend wearing goggles to protect your eyes from ice chips falling into your face while you search for decent holds with the axes. While we were climbing, kids as young as 8 years old were giving it a shot and having a lot of fun, so age is no deterrent. The picture to the left is of me as I am getting closer to the overhung section of the hardest graded route. The picture below is of me celebrating at the top. That could be you!

Conquered it!

Find out more information at www. BigWhite.com and start planning for next year. Whether you have a family or are just going with friends, life is all about taking risks and pushing yourself to new altitudes. The only limits preventing you from living fully are the ones you place on yourself.