December ~ MINDFULNESS

We are not going to offer the usual Fitness Centre “Surviving the Holiday Season” messages.  Instead we are going to recommend a different approach – “Enjoy the Holiday Season”.  We are going to challenge you to replace the feelings of guilt and stress with those of joy and gratitude.

The month of December traditionally offers up more options for events and get-togethers, special treats and later nights. We are going to encourage you to embrace these opportunities to get together with friends, spend time with family or help out in your community…Don’t Miss Out!  And when you are there, be present in that moment making the choices and decisions that are right for you at that time.  Rather than judging, mitigating and regretting, just own and enjoy the moment!  This is called practicing Mindfulness and it allows you to be in the moment, responding in a way that brings you less suffering and more ease and enjoyment.

“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself but to your own estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”  Marcus Aurelius

We do want to challenge you to prioritize your personal care and wellness as well this month.  We want to encourage you to allow yourself time and space to rest, to reflect, to be quiet, and to breath; to take care of yourself as it is defined in that moment.  It may be a workout, a stretch, or even a sleep.  Only you can answer that need or desire. 

Of course, the Pulse Generator will be here to support your needs with our 24 hour facilities and the

December additions of free stretching classes in all locations. We are grateful to you all for your support and participation over this past year and we wish you all a joyful and beautiful Holiday Season.

Women's Health Summary

Women's Health

We hope you enjoyed our Women’s Health Theme for the month of November.  We started off with a guest blog addressing the topic of body image, we held 2 workshops on Bone Health and The Dos and Don’ts of Exercise with Osteoporosis and Osteopenia, and provided some links to information on Peri-Menopause and Menopause.

 

What we learned is that Women’s Health is a huge topic and we couldn’t begin to address everything.  However we also learned that when it comes to  Women’s Health topics, exercise can have a positive impact.

 

 If there are future topics you would like us to address, we’d love to hear from you!  Email us at pulsegen@ahs.ca

 

If you’d like to share your expertise in an area related to our Exercise is Medicine theme, we’d love to hear from you!


The Pulse Generator Team

Natalie's Story

Exercise is Medicine, but like all medicine it needs to be taken in appropriate doses.  Sometimes there can be too much of a good thing.  In a quest to achieve a particular body image, or by placing too much focus on the number on the scale some people spiral into disordered eating and exercise.  We are grateful Natalie has shared her story with us so that we may share it with you.  If you are struggling with disordered eating or exercise you can find help at the Calgary & Edmonton Eating Disorder Clinics. 

Natalie Shanahan’s Story

Exercise is medicine in so many ways. It has been my go to therapy in so many ways for so many years.  But like most things, too much of a good thing isn’t healthy either. My weight became an obsession and when I could no longer cut out any more calories, the best and easiest way to control it was exercise.

What was once a love for running and weight training became an obsession with spending time in the gym. No longer was it quality, but quantity focused. Yes I controlled my weight and became sickly thin, but what suffered was my ability to perform in races and events. Without proper fueling, and with over training I was chronically injured, and had no fuel in the tank. Exercise became a burden and a chore. Not only did my performance suffer, but so did my relationships. My only friend was the weights I lifted, and let me tell you, they aren’t very social or good at being there for you when things get tough. 

In time I was diagnosed with anorexia athletica. Yup, over exercising and restricting calories has a real name and is a real illness. It took years of treatment and counseling to begin to overcome. It is still a battle I fight! Why? Because I can’t give up my passion for running and sports, I can’t give up eating completely and you know what? It’s healthy not to give it up! It’s about learning balance,

self-confidence and self-acceptance. I had to re learn who I was and more importantly, that I was more than just a number on a scale. It took time to learn that people don’t value me or think any more or less of me because I weigh a certain amount. 

Over time I have had great success with my running. The past year as I prepped for running on Team Canada at the World 24 hour Championships I completely embraced eating and exercising. I learned that without proper fueling, I could not get my high level of training in. I developed a regiment of eating and fueling before, after and during my runs. I ensured I had days off from training to recover from my efforts and learned to listen to my body. The hard work and mental prep it took to eat and run paid off as I had a record setting run. 

Do I still struggle? All the time! But I value what my body can do with proper fueling and without over training. Am I as thin as I was when I over trained?Nope! But I’m a fitter, faster, stronger athlete now because I eat and fuel. I am also happier and healthier than I’ve ever been and my life is so much fuller now that I’ve learned balance. I still get to enjoy all the activities I love, but I also get to succeed at them.  Going to the gym and going for a run is no longer a chore or a burden I have to endure. I have the energy to enjoy them because I’ve learned to fuel myself properly. The stress of trying to be a certain size or shape has been lifted and I can simply enjoy my activities and life the way it is meant to be.

We have great resources available to those struggling. You aren’t alone and help is waiting for you. It is worth the hard work, the incredible ups and downs of recovery. I am living proof that recovery is worth it and life is better when you embrace exercise, eating and maintaining a healthy weight.

Sneak Physical Activity into your Everyday

Contributed by: Matt Thomas


The world we live in is built around efficiency. Machinery and technology takes away from a lot of our basic movements, which although can be very beneficial, it can unfortunately make us unknowingly lazy. Exercise does not have to be complicated and basic/ ambulatory activity can really be beneficial to your health.

Here are my some of my favorite sneaky fitness tips whilst out and about:

Use stairs – Not Elevators or Escalators
If you have the option of stairs at your job or while you are out shopping, use them. Even if you only climb a few flights of stairs at first, it is better than hopping in that elevator. Some movement is always better than no movement! To make things more interesting, try challenging yourself at work and each week set yourself a goal to climb a whole floor…you will be shocked at how quickly your body gets used to it and how good you will feel.

Push/Pull, Don’t Push
You do realize the activation push buttons to open doors are primarily for people with who have actual impairments, making it hard to open right?! It’s all too easy to use the buttons to make life easier (me included), rather than push or pull that door open. That little bit of extra effort all adds up… the majority of us are lucky enough to have fully functioning arms and muscles, so use them!




Stoplight/Stair Calf Raises
Whenever you are walking, especially downtown where there are many stoplights, instead of wasting time just standing for those lights to change, do some calf raises on the spot. Go onto the balls of your feet, hold and squeeze your calves for a couple of seconds and relax. Do as many as time/those lights permit.

Use Those Legs
I never understand why people don’t walk more. It’s convenient sometimes to use public transport and cars for really long journeys, but for your next short trip, why not use your legs!!


It is amazing what they can do, but as a basic function we can walk a lot further than you think. If you are used to jumping in the car for short trips, try changing that habit. Once you start, there will be no stopping you and the health benefits – for example decrease in stress, weight management, prevention and maintenance of diabetes etc. will outweigh the convenience.

Subway Surfing
Whenever you use the subway or the streetcar for that matter, try standing especially if you are sedentary for most of the day i.e. a desk job. I know this may sound crazy, especially if there are plenty of seats available but this is a great opportunity to stretch those legs, engage that core and squeeze those glutes! It takes some time to get used to and to find your balance but after a while it becomes second nature. It also means not having to touch any seats and handles!


Water- Double Duty
While this one seems a little strange it actually kill two birds with one stone with regards to your health! Have a bottle of water sitting at your desk at all times and set a timer. If you haven’t finished it within 2 hours, make sure you are drinking more, this will A) cause you to drink more water, which many of us are lacking day to day and B) cause you to walk to the bathroom more! This was a great tip for being in school and spending large amounts of time sedentary! It enables you to take a mental and short physical break!

Shopping Workout
When you are out grocery or clothes shopping ditch the cart and use baskets to sneak in a quick arm, shoulder, and core workout! Yes, it is more difficult and slightly more inconvenient, however, keep it up and your body will thank you!


Sneaking physical activity into your day can be fun and as simple as lifting a milk jug, or contracting your abs or glutes while waiting in line, or just getting out to work on your garden! Fitness does not have to be contained within the gym! Get out, have fun and use your bodies!

EXERCISE IS MEDICINE

Exercise is Medicine is a concept that is committed to the belief that physical activity is integral in the prevention and treatments of disease and should be regularly assessed and "treated" as part of all health care.

The Pulse Generator is adopting "Exercise is Medicine" as our theme for the 2017 - 2018 year.  We are supporting our commitment to EDUCATE by changing perspectives about the importance of daily exercise, COMMUNICATE by sharing this commitment in activities and presentations, and MOTIVATE by supporting all levels of fitness and wellness with variety and diversity.

Our goal is not to tell medical professionals how to do their job, but rather support the goal of good health and incident prevention by encouraging our AHS community members to include exercise as an important part of their personal care and wellness.  Over the next year we will present information, activities, ideas and incentives with the purpose of:
- encouraging the incorporation and importance of activity into daily life.

- offering strategies and options in a variety of ways to support all levels
of fitness and capabilities.
- developing and presenting information about physical activity and exercise
as a key health indicator.

- share the talent, ability and knowledge that Pulse Generator Team have and how they can be a resource, an assistant and a motivator in accepting the challenge and
initiative of daily activity.

Over the next year monthly themes, activities, incentives and presentations will holistically support the concept of "Exercise is Medicine" and the integration of exercise into daily life as a benefit to everyone in an accessible and honest way.

What do you members in our community say?
"The is awesome! I'm on board with this kind of thinking.  Being active is important for everyone! Staying active, along with good nutrition and getting enough sleep, is important to be healthy, happy, and leading a good life".         Dr. J MacLean


"If we (AHS employees) don't keep ourselves in reasonable shape, who will be left
to take care of our patients?!".         AHS Physician

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

OUR NEWEST STAFF MEMBER - MATT!!

Hello Pulse Generator Membership,

My name is Matt Thomas and I am the newest member of the Pulse Generator team. I will be managing the five new Pulse Generator facilities down here in Calgary. I am an avid sports enthusiast and let’s just address the elephant in the room… I am a Flames fan! Now, after I have made most of the Edmonton members angry, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I have always been passionately involved in sports and physical activities. Beginning with my dad teaching me to bat switch behind our first house (for which his dreams of an early retirement sadly did not come true). During middle/ high school I participated, and did quite well, in basketball, volleyball, and track (as well as many other various activities). After an ACL injury in my senior year, I switched from team to individual sports including: running and weight lifting. 

I have recently finished my graduate degree in exercise science from the University of Lethbridge, during which I gained both theoretical knowledge and practical training experience. I have had the opportunity to assess and train individuals in every walk of life ranging from children to Lethbridge Hurricanes hockey players to middle aged adults.  I believe in diverse, functional training including holistic weight lifting techniques and varying intensities of cardiovascular training. I specialize in optimizing workouts and making use of short workout durations, as within the hospital setting time is at a definite premium. My focus is on translating theoretical knowledge to practical application and am always trying to keep up with the newest research in order to provide clients with interesting, novel, and research based workouts. 

In my spare time I enjoy being outdoors, hiking, biking and camping with my family; which includes my new fiancé, Kara, and two young pets Kobe and Lebron (I still don’t know how she allowed me to name them :P) 

I am very excited for the opportunity to work with such great people and looking forward to meet all of you in the facilities.

Cheers,
Matt