Dr. Shaun Mid Back Streches Part 1
April 5th, 2012Introducing The Urban Athlete Tennis Screen
March 5th, 2012The intent of the Tennis Screen is to identify any at-risk players before an injury happens and to educate them on rehabilitation and prevention with the goal of decreasing future time off due to injury.
The Tennis screen consists of functional movements, isometric dynamometer strength testing and goniometer range of motion testing. No screen can supplement for coaching, but a screen can aid in performance by helping to identify weakness, thereby implementing actions that help fend of fatigue and assist in form.
Here are some things to keep in mind for injury prevention:
- Having a concurrent strengthening program is paramount to the health of any athlete in any sport, and tennis is no different
- The posture you have during the day can dramatically affect the health of your upper back, neck and shoulders. It is not enough to stretch a couple times during the day. You need to stand up and break that bad, seated posture 3 or more times an hour.
- Remember that your body needs time to heal and recover. If you play for hours everyday, tissues will fatigue and will not heal properly leading to functional faults and pain
- For optimal performance, full body conditioning is important, including diet. Give your naturopath a visit, and if you don’t have one, have a 15 minute free consultation with our resident Naturopath, just for enlisting in the Screen.
- Old recurrent injuries should be assessed. If you have a pain that is recurrent or due to a specific trauma than it is time to get it checked.
There is no one thing you can do to avoid injury, and some injuries are unavoidable but going into an activity with knowledge and tools for injury prevention, you can enjoy a long and successful tennis season.
For more information or questions about the tennis screen, please contact me at drbatte @ theurbanathlete.ca (no spaces)
Dr. Jen’s Vegan Burgers….in celebration of HEART MONTH!
February 2nd, 2012I’ve been experimenting with living a (mostly) vegan diet since mid-January and I’m planning on continuing for another few weeks. This is not something I thought I would ever do. I’m not a huge meat eater, but I do consume (in moderate portions) organic, happily raised poultry and meats. I also take issue with many vegetarian diets that are initiated because they are “healthier” but contain a lot of dairy and processed soy making them less healthy than a well-rounded omnivorous diet in my books – meatless hot dog, anyone?
Keep reading the “Dr. Jen’s Vegan Burgers….in celebration of HEART MONTH!” post…
Dr. Jen’s Tasty Beets
January 11th, 2012Beets are amazing. First off, they are beautiful in colour, but even more importantly, they are oh so delicious and good for you! I recommend eating lots of beets while on my detox as they help to up-regulate liver enzymes. They are also jam packed with folic acid so they are excellent for pregnant women or those planning to conceive. This recipe uses only the beet root, but you can use the greens in your next salad or pan fry them up with a little olive oil, sea salt and pepper, and serve as a side.
Beets are root vegetables that grow beneath the soil, so the quality and health of the soil is an integral part of the quality of the beets. Choosing organic beets ensures that they have been grown in healthy soil that is free of pesticides and fertilizers. I like Earthbound Farm Organic beets.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound fresh red beets
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove beets greens if they are still attached and scrub beets clean. Most recipes will instruct you to cook beets with skins on and then remove, but as long as you wash the beets very well, you can eat the skins too. Be sure to remove the tough end bits. Chop beets up into 2 inch cubes (or small bite size pieces- the smaller the chunks, the shorter the cooking time). Place beets in a large bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Crush rosemary with your fingers and then add to beets. Add sea salt and pepper. Stir beets to combine. Place beets on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cook in the oven for 40-60 mins (depends on the size of your beet chunks and how well done you like them). They should be soft and sweet when finished! Enjoy alongside a nice piece of fish and some yummy brown rice and you’ve got yourself a detox friendly meal.
Lifelong Exercise and Strength Training in Older Adults
January 11th, 2012Laura McIntyre, Physiotherapist
Maximum strength capacity reaches a peak sometime around the 2nd or 3rd decade of life and by the fifth decade begins a gradual decline. The good news is that 20 weeks of resistance training in older adults can result in a 1 kg increase in lean body mass. This is in contrast to a 0.18 kg annual decline that often occurs with a sedentary lifestyle beyond 50 years of age.Remarkably it is never too late to improve muscle function. Significant strength adaptations have been shown in subjects aged 85 to 97. Procrastination however is not recommended as it is expected that early intervention will translate to better outcomes.
Saturday Hours
November 1st, 2011We have added convenient treatment times to fit with your busy schedule.
Did you know that we now have Chiropractic (Dr. Gavin), Naturopathic (Dr.Jen), Massage Therapy (Slava Tyumkin) and Personal Training services on Saturday?
Call to book an appointment. 416-481-8880.
Project Water – we are collecting your new, unused water bottles
August 2nd, 2011We are proud to announce our newest relationship to a good cause.
One of our clients is the founder of a volunteer organization called Project Water. One of their initiatives is to distribute bottled drinking water and reusable water bottles to the homeless population in the GTA who suffer from dehydration in the summer months. More of these people die of dehydration than they do of hypothermia in the winter.
We are collecting new water bottles that will be passed on to the good people at Project Water. Many of us have unused water bottles at home that have been collected from races, golf tournaments or other events that we have participated in. We all know they take up too much space in our kitchens! So, to help clear some space, we have placed a collection box at our Clinic where you can donate your new unused water bottles to this great cause. Our goal is to collect 250 water bottles for the month of August. We will update our progress as we go.
Please help this worthy cause and bring in your new, unused bottles.
For more information visit ProjectWater.ca
Project Water is a Bargains Group initiative.
Thank you!
Keeping Your Workouts Fresh By Training Outdoors
July 7th, 2011By: Marci Lall
You’ve been locked up in your nice cozy home sipping warm cocoa all winter long. Your only exercise buddy…the treadmill, and just between you and me, we both know it’s not pleasant relationship at all.
Now that the summer weather is here you’ll be able to do a mixture of activities that will keep you active and healthy. Best of all if you enjoy doing the activities, they won’t feel like exercise and you’ll be more motivated to do it again.
But what kinds of activities should you do if you want to lose weight and be fit?
I’ve got the answers for you right here…
Hiking
Hiking forces you to do a lot of up-and-down movement. If you’re looking to shape your lower body this would be perfect because you’ll get a tremendous leg workout along with the added cardiovascular benefits as a bonus.
Also, hiking will provide you with a relaxing environment for a workout session that won’t seem like a workout at all. Like c’mon, does listening to the birds, trickling water, and enjoying the cool summer breeze of the forest sound like a workout?
Sounds more like a vacation to me.
Another great advantage of going on hikes is that it will provide an amazing and rejuvenating break from all of your stresses, and if you’d prefer to do it with a friend you can have them tag along with you.
When you go on hikes just keep in mind that it does take some time to prepare. If you’re new to hiking make sure you do a little research on the area you want to hike in. For beginners try to find a route that’s short, gives you some nice scenery, and no extra equipment is needed.
Be sure to pack bug spray and dress in layers so you’ll be prepared for any change in weather.
Swimming
Swimming is an excellent way to cool off from the heat and increase your cardiovascular conditioning in the summer time. This “Easy on the joints” form of exercise is great for toning your arms and legs.
This is actually a great activity to do as a family. Believe it or not, jumping around in a pool or chasing after your children in the water can be a pretty intense workout. The water acts as the resistance, which makes you put more effort in your movements.
A great tool to have while swimming would be goggles. They will help keep your eyes from getting any irritation and allow you to enjoy your workout without any disruption.
Cycling
Alright, so all winter long you persevered through dozens of spin classes, now it’s time to put your body to the test…
By cycling outdoors.
Cycling provides you with some pretty sweet benefits such as, cardiovascular conditioning and developing the front of you upper thigh muscles (Quadricep) – which women wouldn’t love that?
Cycling can also open some new and exciting fitness doors for you. You’ll be able to visit different neighborhoods and parks that you wouldn’t normally visit if you were walking. You’ll also be introduced to numerous bike paths, and trails that you can explore and get to know.
Like spinning it’s important to know how to set the seat height, and handle bars for your comfort, so you don’t end up with a sore back and pain in your knees.
Any bike shop will be able to help you find a bike that will be a perfect fit for your body.
So this summer be bold and try something new. There are many different sports and activities that you can try out, if one activity doesn’t “float your boat” then move on to the next one on your list until you’re positive you found the one(s) you like.