Reader, Sometimes finding what works means discovering what doesn't. I saw both sides of that in my clinical work this week. A few clients returned after some time away feeling really good in their bodies. There was less pain—or no pain at all. Movement felt freer and lighter. One person even commented that she felt like she could go for a run. What struck me wasn't simply the absence of pain. It was the sense of possibility that came with it. The usual activities of daily life weren't using...
11 days ago • 3 min read
Reader, This past weekend, I spent a lot of time at the pool. My son was competing at the Alberta Summer Swimming Association Provincial Championships, and it was an exciting weekend for our family. He became Provincial Champion in the 200-metre, 400-metre and 800-metre freestyle events in the 13–14-year-old age category. Yes, I am a very proud mom. Liam swimming the 400m Freestyle with a personal best finishing time. But as I sat in the stands watching race after race, I found myself...
18 days ago • 2 min read
Reader, Every Thursday evening, there's a moment I look forward to. It isn't a yoga pose. It isn't the end of class. It happens during the first five minutes. People arrive carrying their day with them. Some have come straight from work. Others have rushed through supper, errands, or family responsibilities to make it there. Their minds are often still on the conversation they just had, the email they forgot to send, or the list waiting for them when they get home. As people arrive, there's...
25 days ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, Have you ever learned a new word or idea, and then suddenly started seeing it everywhere? That happened to me this week. I was listening to The Curiosity Shop podcast when Adam Grant introduced a phrase I'd never heard before: a just manageable difficulty. I couldn't stop thinking about it. He described it as a challenge that's right at the edge of our capability—enough to stretch us, but not so much that it overwhelms or overloads us. As soon as I heard it, I started seeing...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Last week, I asked you to consider a question: How much is enough today? A member of our email community replied to say that she agreed wholeheartedly with the message—and that it was a unique way of thinking about physical activity and exercise. I think it feels different because most of us have been taught to measure movement by the maximum. How far did you walk?How much weight did you lift?How many minutes did you exercise?Did you complete the entire workout? We don’t often talk...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Good morning Reader, A few months ago, I wrote about how better movement starts with better questions. Lately, one question has come up again and again in conversations with clients. "How much should I do?" It's a great question. As a Clinical Exercise Physiologist, I can absolutely help answer it. I can recommend sets, repetitions, intensity, and progression. But I've realized that sometimes my job isn't telling someone how much to do. Sometimes my job is helping them learn how to know....
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, Here's something that people often don't expect about my work. Sometimes I'm not helping someone prepare for today's exercise. I'm helping them prepare for something that's happening weeks—or even months—from now. It might be a vacation. A hiking trip. Playing with grandchildren. Or, in one recent case... A snorkeling adventure. At first, you might think the concern was the snorkeling itself. It wasn't. It was getting there. Many snorkeling adventures don't begin by jumping off...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, I hope you've been enjoying this little series on resistance training. One of the things I love about exercise science is that it continues to evolve. As new research emerges, we have opportunities to refine what we know and, perhaps more importantly, how we apply it to everyday life. Last week, we explored research suggesting that approximately 90–120 minutes of resistance training per week may provide the greatest long-term health benefits. As encouraging as those findings...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, It's interesting how more and more research is emerging around resistance training. Just a few weeks ago, I shared some of the updated recommendations around resistance training. Now, hot off the press, another study is adding to what we know about the role resistance training plays in our long-term health. What caught my attention wasn't simply that resistance training was associated with better long-term health outcomes. It was the amount. Researchers followed more than...
3 months ago • 3 min read