Author: David Perry

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Get The Most Out Of Your Running With Some Resistance Training

By: Brandon D’Orazio

During lockdown, popular apps such as Nike free run, Couch to 5k, as well as many others, have been coming up with running workouts to help people start a new fitness journey. Getting people moving is great, but once the program reaches it’s natural end point, what do we do? How do we add more to these programs besides additional running? That’s where resistance training comes in.

We don’t run to get in shape; we need to get in shape in order to run. As we know, running trains our aerobic system and is great for our cardiovascular/ respiratory health. There is also repetitive impact on the body’s joints as we continue to run faster or increase our mileage. We suggest incorporating two days/week of strength training to your program. This will help you to get more out of the running you are working on, and, more importantly, help you minimize your risk of injury.

Each runner will have differences in capability of movement due to their training background, injury history, and experience. Understanding how your body works for the impacts of running will make it a much more enjoyable experience. A little planning goes a long way which it’s wise to assess your body’s functional abilities and your personal running style. This will help to guide the plan of action.

Progressive training has us prepare our bodies for the new work to come. Warm-ups are still important as are mobility and functional movement patterns. A proper plan of progress has a block of training that emphasizes these important areas in order to restore proper function before getting into strength training. Once again, being patient with this process helps to keep the injury bug away and also helps performance.

As we continue to improve our running, we can measure our performance by our economy. This refers to how efficient we are during each of our strides (how far we propel our body forward during each stride length). We leak energy and lose efficiency during our running if we do not have enough stability through joints such as our ankles, knees, and hips. Essentially this means we are more prone to injury during running, as well as missing out on opportunity to move further/ stride and run faster times or for longer distances.

Strength training routines do not need to be the traditional body building workouts or mean throwing around big weights. Strength training for runners should aim to increase functional stability and joint control. Through resistance training, increases in power and strength occur, as well as muscular endurance. That’s how your running economy is improved. An added benefit is this all happens without impact on the body.

Here is a sample program that any runner could benefit from!

Day 1:

3 sets of each combination

  1. A) Turkish get up 15 reps/ side
  2. B) plank marching 30 seconds
  1. A) Forward lunge 15 reps/ side
  2. B) Glute bridge 30 seconds
  1. A) lateral lunge 15 reps/ side
  2. B) reverse crunches 30 seconds

Day 2:

3 sets of each combination

  1. A) Weighted step up 15 reps each leg
  2. B) bird dog 30 seconds alternating
  1. A) Romanian deadlift staggered 15 reps each leg
  2. B) side plank 30 seconds with hip flexion/ side
  1. A) Split squat 15 reps/ leg
  2. B) Banded clamshell 10 reps/ leg

Reference:

https://www.nsca.com/contentassets/ebac89dcf2eb4ce8a3d0702cff0e498c/coach5.3.8-year-round-strength-training-for-collegiate-female-cross-country-runnerssample-program.pdf

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How To Add Fitness Into Your Daily Routine

We as humans, to a lesser or greater extent, crave routine. If you are like most people, your regular routine has probably been completely disrupted as you have been required to work from home. For most people, a change or absence of routine creates more stress. The majority of the population are still struggling with this and, unwittingly, creating more stress for themselves in an already stressful time.

In order to help you with this important and fairly straight forward stress reliever, here are some top tips.

  1. Have a weekday schedule and a weekend schedule.
    1. Monday – Friday, wake up at the same time, eat your meals at the same time and start and stop work at the same times.
    2. Evenings and Weekends – this is your free time and you should treat it as you normally would.
  2. Each morning (or previous evening) plan to accomplish a minimum of two tasks in the day. Ideally, one for the morning and one for the afternoon. The satisfaction of accomplishing these will provide you with a mental boost. If one of your tasks has a physical element, you have the added benefit of a physical boost as well.
  3. Plan some sort of mental break into your day. Exercise, meditate, read or watch a funny clip on TV or Youtube. These mini ‘escapes’ will help to provide you with mental breaks and some variety in how you use your brain and/or body.
  4. Go to sleep at the same time each night. Being consistent with your bed time (within 30min) will help you to get the next day started the way you like, thereby increasing the success level of your routine.
  5. Try to limit your intake of Alcohol and junk food. Both of these things will deplete your energy and make you feel more lethargic the following day.
  6. Take movement breaks as much as you possibly can. Remember that working from home will decrease your overall steps during the day. Eventually this has a negative impact on your health.  Movement breaks can be as simple as going for a walk outside, or even standing up to do a few stretches.

Let’s make things more interesting…

’30 Minute Daily Movement Challenge!’

You are challenged to find a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity a day, over and above what you have been getting. This can be a walk, a run, stairs in your house, biking, or one or both of the virtual classes Totum is providing each day. It can be a 15 min stretch twice a day. Anything!!

So, if this interests you even a little bit, take action right now with these three simple success producing steps!

  1. In the next five minutes, plan out how you will get that 30 minutes of extra movement each day next week. Build it in right now. It should take no more than five minutes.
  2. Put a sticky on your bathroom mirror with what you have decided on so it’s front and center when you look there.
  3. Just as importantly, let someone else know that you are doing it. As you know, the buddy system builds support and accountability.

It’s as simple as that. So, are you up for it? Great! Let’s get moving more this week.

The most important step is the first one. Take five minutes to decide on your Monday-Friday routine and start implementing it right away. You can adjust accordingly as you go forward, but it is important to give your routine a few days to settle in. If you have children, your family as a whole can benefit from the same sort of routine.

By: Tim Irvine, President & Co-founder

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The Importance Of Sleep

The Importance of Sleep.
Tara Postnikoff, RNCP, PTS, Coach
Sleep is a key pillar in our health, wellness and athletic performance.  It’s often overlooked, or put on the back burner because we perceive we don’t have time. However, sleep is something we are in control of and making changes cost very little
Sleep allows the entire body to rest and the mind to repair itself. The brain and organs are still active while you sleep but it’s a lower grade activity.  Sleep is absolutely essential to a health. While you are asleep a lot is going on to help your body recover and rebuild.  Sleep is actually a highly metabolic process that helps optimize our brain structure, repair damaged cells in the body and to restore energy levels.

  • Impaired sleep patterns and sleep deprivation impair physical function and performance.  Studies have shown sleep deprived persons experience a 9% increase in reaction time and accuracy when performing tasks and sports.
  • Impaired sleep decreases cognitive functions like learning, skill acquisition, emotional intelligence, decision making and social interactions.
  • Too little sleep increases your tendency to over eat and gain weight. Sleep deprivation causes you to look for additional calories to stimulate the brain and typically when you are tired you make poor decisions about food and look for quick hits of energy from stimulants and sugar.  Studies have shown an increase of 11% in body composition for those who are chronically sleep deprived.
  • Too little sleep also reduces your immune system and increases your risk of getting sick.  Increased inflammation markers, increased risk of disease like CVD, stroke and dementia are all seen with sleep deprivation.

How much sleep is enough?
Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep and try to get a couple of those hours before mid night as this is when you typically get the most deep sleep, where as the REM sleep is more active closer to waking..  Ideally you want to hit 5 sleep cycles per night and each sleep cycle is about 90 minutes.  Women tend to need more sleep them men.   Athletes also need sleep to help with recover from the stresses of training, so consider increasing sleep priority during heavy training blocks or before your big race.
There are 5 stages to sleep: Stage 1 and 2 are light sleep, stage 3 and 4 are deep sleep and stage 5 or stage R is REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.
Light sleep initiates your sleep cycle and is a transition point for deeper sleep stages.  Approximately 45-55% of your sleep time is spent in light sleep.
Deep sleep is where a lot the cellular repair occurs through increased blood flow to the muscles, release of growth hormone, and clearance of waste products from the brain.  Approximately 13-23% of your sleep time is spent in deep sleep.
REM sleep is associated with memory consolidation, learning, problem solving and dreaming.  Approximately 20-25% of your sleep time is spent in REM sleep.
Quality vs Quantity
Sleep quality is just as if not more important than sleep quantity, so if you have trouble sleeping, here are some tips to improve sleep quality.
Create your Optimal Sleep Routine and Sleep Sanctuary

  1. No Screens!  Avoid electronics for 60 minutes prior to bed (TVs, phones, tablets) as these all stimulate the brain.  Blue light actually stimulates the brain (think of the sunrise) and red lights are a bit more calming (sunset).   Melatonin (a hormone which regulates sleep) is inhibited by light.  So you need darkness to sleep well.
  2. Reading is a great way to relax before bed, maybe just not horror stories or true crime.  And choose and actual book vs a device to avoid the flashing/bright lights.  Event on evening mode your brain is still affected by the light.
  3. Routine! Go to sleep and get up at the same time every day (+/- 30-60 mins).  Your body loves routine.

Physical

  1. Sleep in a cooler environment.  Turn your thermostat down to around 16-18 C.  In the evening melatonin levels in the body cause the blood vessels in the skin to dilate, releasing heat into the environment.  Cooling promotes drowsiness and helps you fall asleep.
  2. Sleep in a completely dark room.  Close the blinds and make sure those red dots from your alarm clock aren’t in view.  If your sleep-cave is not dark enough, your brain is signalled to wake up.  No phones or tablets in the bedroom either!
  3. Take a warm shower before bed.  This will aid in a faster cooling of the body which will help promote the release of melatonin.
  4. Exercise.  Regular physical exercise is good to promote sleep quality.  Over training or large amounts of exercise on the other hand can impair sleep. High intensity exercise before bed can also impair sleep, so if you are trying to improve sleep try to do that intensity workout earlier in the day.
  5. Self-Massage.  Try some light foam rolling or rub some lavender oil into your feet to help get you more into your para-sympathetic nervous system.
  6. Clean Linens.  Change your pillow case every three days and sheets weekly.

Food & Drink

  1. Avoid caffeine after 1pm.  This includes coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate and energy drinks as well as certain over the counter medications.  Caffeine sensitivity varies greatly from one person to the next, but it’s best to lay off it if you have trouble sleeping.
  2. Avoid alcohol before bed as it impairs sleep by releasing adrenaline and inhibits the transport of tryptophan to the brain (which is the source of serotonin).  While you may feel relaxed you are not.   Alcohol is also sugar which can inhibit sleep further.
  3. Don’t go to sleep with a full belly.  Have dinner at least 2 hours before going to bed.   If you need a small snack have something with a little carbohydrate and protein.
  4. Reduce sugar intake to improve sleep as sugar is a stimulant.  Sugar too close to bed will likely lead to you waking up at 1-2 am due to a hypo-glycemic response (low blood sugar) which causes a response to hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, that do not promote sleep.

Mind

  1. Take 4 slow deep breathes to calm the body and mind.  This is called progressive relaxation, and you can use to help your body reach a state of deep relaxation.  Inhale for 4 counts, pause, exhale for 4 counts.  Repeat 4-6 times.
  2. Write it down! Keep a note pad next to the bed to write down your thoughts and stresses so you can sleep with a clear mind.  Or journaling can also be helpful.

Sleep trackers and interpreting your data.
Wearable devices that track your sleep are becoming more common and more sophisticated, but what does the data mean and how can you use it.  First you can identify how much sleep you are getting night in and night out and compare that over the course of a month, season or year. You can compare the quality of sleep and the performance in your workout(s), race or identify if you are getting sick or burnt out.
Use the data to adjust your alarm / wake up time to be inline with trends you see on your device. For example, if you are being woke up in deep sleep or REM sleep you might feel groggy or shocked. Whereas if you adjusted your wake up time (and maybe bed time) by 15-30 mins you might wake up in a light sleep phase and actually feel more refreshed. Play around with your data and alarm time and see what impact it has.
Nutrients/Supplements to support sleep.
Here are some foods, nutrients and supplements to consider that can help support your sleep. If you have any questions about supplements it is best to consult a qualified health care practitioner and check for any contraindications with existing medications or health concerns.

  1. Magnesium– is a nervous system relaxant that can help you calm your mind and body to produce sleep. Start small with 250mg of magnesium citrate or bis-glycinate before bed and see if that helps. Increase your dosage to bowel tolerance (soft, incomplete stools) then back off a bit to find an ideal dose.
  2. Melatonin can be effective if your levels are low. Dosages of 3-9mg of melatonin can be used short term to help restore your circadian rhythm after time zone changes or periods of stress and impaired sleep.
  3. Cold Tart Cherry juice contains melatonin, the hormone responsible for sleepiness. Cold tart cherry juice can also help cool down the body and help the body release more melatonin.
  4. Herbals.  Valerian root, passionflower, lemon balm, chamomile, and skull cap are all great sleep promoting herbs. Try a blend of these teas 45 minutes before bed to help with relaxation.  There are blends like this in your health food store likely called Sleepy Time Tea.

 
How to Take Action

  • Assess where you currently are. How do you rate your sleep?
  • Analyze what small changes can do to improve your sleep.
  • Put your plan in place, take action and reassess.

 
If you already know you don’t sleep well, identify the areas in your sleep routine that you can improve on.
If you think you sleep well, but are only getting less than 6 hours of sleep, then choose to prioritize you sleep for the next 2 weeks and focus on setting an earlier bed time and see how you feel with more sleep.
Sleep is something we are in control of and making changes cost very little.  Remember, that email can wait until the next day. The TV show can be recorded and the friends you text at night will be OK too. Turn off those lights and go to bed!!

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Totum Clinic Re-Opening

We are so excited to let you know that our clinic services will be open for in-person sessions as of Monday, June 1st!
This has been a long journey for all of us, but the return of in-person services is an amazing sign that we are on the right track. A big debt of gratitude is owed to all the front line workers who have helped us as a society. To those who have been directly affected by this virus, we send you strength and love.
Safety for you and our team is critically important. We have taken many precautions to help keep everyone safe when you come in.
Book For Your In-Person Clinic Appointment
We feel extremely fortunate that Totum was never built to provide a “mass” model of health care and this should be a significant advantage to our business as we proceed carefully toward the opening. We have many friends in the West that are currently opening their clinics operating in a similar way. We are in regular connection with these experts to find the best and safest path forward for our team and our clients.
Tim and Stacy Irvine and the Totum Family

Physical Distancing Protocols

  • Physical distancing signage and policies in place to keep all of us safe.
  • Reduced capacity in waiting rooms along with outside waiting areas (one person in waiting area only).
  • Staggered appointment times to reduce the number of people in common areas.
  • Plexiglass barriers at reception.

Cleaning Protocols

Totum facilities will undergo a deep clean prior to re-opening.
  • Hand sanitization provided and required before and after sessions.
  • Use of hospital grade disinfectant and cleaning products.
  • Regular and repeated cleaning of high touch surfaces.
  • ‘Fresh Start’ protocol for each treatment room. This includes cleaning and disinfecting of all surfaces within a treatment room.
  • Disinfectant wipes and sanitizer will be available throughout the facilities.
  • Our team-oriented approach is to be constantly cleaning in order to make the spaces as safe as possible.

What To Expect At Your Appointment

  • All clients will be asked to put on a mask when entering the facility. Please come with your own.
  • The Totum team will be wearing protective equipment such as masks and eye protection.
  • Please wear loose clothing that is conducive to various treatment styles.
  • We will have a QR code posted on our doors each day which can be used to check-in through your Totum booking app. This notifies us of your arrival if you need to wait outside.
  • Our inside waiting areas will be limited as noted below. Outside waiting is available at all locations.
    • Roxborough – 1 person
    • King St. – 3 people
    • Medisys – 2 people
  • You will be asked to sanitize your hands soon as you enter the space. Hand sanitization will occur again when you are finished your appointment.
  • Your clinician will come to get you when they are ready for you.
  • There may be separate entrances and exits depending on the facility you visit.
  • Contactless booking/payment (no cards or interactions with the front desk team where possible).
  • Please attend your session alone as no additional visitors will be allowed unless absolutely necessary. Any necessary, additional visitors will need to be screened.
  • **Please note, we are required to screen for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 at the time of booking, the day of your appointment, and at the start of your appointment by your practitioner. The day of appointment screen will arrive in your inbox 2-3 hours before your appointment and must be completed in order for your appointment to go ahead. If you have symptoms please contact us and we will re-book your appointment.
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3 Stress Reducing Tips Fuelled By Health & Wellness

Stress Reducing Health Tip #1: Breathing – Alternate Nostril Breathing

Controlled deep breathing is known to induce calm and focus. Try this exercise to help reduce stress and/or to improve mental acuity before an important task.

  1. Sitting comfortably, exhale completely and then use your right thumb to close your right nostril.
  2. Breath in slowly and deeply for a minimum of 5 seconds and then close your left nostril with your right index finger while at the same time removing your right thumb.
  3. Exhale slowly for a minimum of 5 seconds but ideally longer.
  4. Inhale through your right nostril for a minimum of 5 seconds before closing it with your thumb and beginning while at the same time removing your finger from your left nostril.
  5. Exhale slowly for a minimum of 5 seconds.
  6. Repeat this cycle for a minimum of 6 times. Ideally 10.

Stress Reducing Health Tip #2 – A great habit change hack

Habit change can seem daunting. In James Clear’s book Atomic Habits, he outlines an incredible approach to establishing habits that can help you in all areas of your life. It is a very good, inspirational approach to habit change. For the purposes of our health and wellness initiative, there is one clear concept that stands out. Begin with the start in mind and make it very, very simple. What exactly does that mean?

Psychology tells us that motivation actually kicks in or ramps up once you have gotten going. We get energized by the small victories in the initial stages of habit change. For this reason, a simple, easy first step is the most important one. Just getting going is the critical part. Let’s look at a couple of practical examples.

  1. Yoga lover not finding time for classes: Simple start plan – Perform one yoga move each morning or evening for one week. Increase to two moves in the weeks following.
  2. Team member wants to bring their lunches to work instead of always eating out: Simple start plan – bring a piece of fruit or some vegetables every weekday for a month. Increase the number of these small snacks in the following months.
  3. Less screens before bed: Simple start plan – set a repeating alarm on your phone for each weekday of a month that is notifies you to turn your screen (phone, tv, games, etc.) off 5 minutes earlier than you normally would. Replace that five minutes of screens with a magazine or book that you are really interested in.

Do you have a habit you want to establish? What is your simple start plan of action?


Stress Reducing Health Tip #3 – Exercise is a great form of stress management

The title of this tip is likely not surprising to you. Let’s get right into it and look at an actual example to illustrate how this translates to real life.

Our daily commute into the office can sometimes produce stress that we didn’t anticipate. Crowding, interactions with irritable people around us and a fear of being late are all triggers to increase stress. If our day begins with some version of this and we are then thrust into a meeting where there is some pressure placed on us, our stress is compounded. Add into this personal stressors with family or friends, and you can see how by mid morning stress levels can be high.

Now it’s lunch time. It’s a sunny but cool day and you just need a break. You bundle up, put your head phones in with your favourite playlist or pod cast on, and you walk over to Nathan Phillips Square to spend 20 minutes skating in the sunshine. By the time you are done, you have had your 20min of skating plus 15 minutes of walking to and from. That’s 35 minutes of physical activity. Not only have you triggered physical responses that help to combat the stress of your morning, but you have literally taken yourself to a different place mentally and physically.

The type of activity you choose does not have to be vigorous as you can read in the reference article provided in this link. If you do decide to do something that perhaps makes your legs burn, you can be sure your mental focus will be on how that feels instead of what caused the stress in your day. Yet another way exercise helps to ‘reset’ mentally and dial the stress dial down.

By: Tim Irvine, President & Co-founder

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Totum Virtual Bingo!

To help you get ready for our eventual return to work and a more normal life, Totum has put together a challenge to focus on getting you and your immune system in great shape! Just follow the instructions below and start playing. The challenge will run for five weeks (April 27th-June 3rd).
 
How to play:

  1. Get your Totum bingo card by downloading it here.
  2. Complete five activities in one week. Complete a row, a column or diagonal and you get a Bingo. One bingo per week only
  3. Let us know you you have a BINGO by emailing roxstudio@totum.ca or kingstudio@totum.ca.

Extra points:

  1. Post on Instagram and tag 3 friends. Use #TotumBingo and #TheTotumApproach
  2. Challenge three friends or family.
  3. Post a picture or video of you working on one part of the card
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How To Support Your Immune System

Totum’s naturopathic medicine and nutritional counseling can help you achieve your overall health, illness management or weight loss goals.

How To Support Your Immune System

Tara Postnikoff, RNCP/ROHP, Holistic Nutritionist

Book An Appointment

The immune system is your body’s primary mechanism of defence, responsible for protecting you from potentially harmful invaders. It is made up of various cells, tissues, and substances including the skin barrier, red and white blood cells, microbiota, antibodies, and cytokines (cell signalling molecules). Your immune system consists of your innate immune system aka your first line of defence and the adaptive immune system which is highly specific against particular intruders.  A dysfunction in the immune system may result in allergies, infections, tumors and autoimmunity.

A nutritious and balanced diet, good sleep, regular moderate exercise and stress mitigation techniques may help support your immune system.

Food First!

Vegetables and fruit offer a wide spectrum of antioxidants to support the immune system.  These bioflavonoids, phytonutrients and other phytochemicals are unique and as such as eating a wide variety will over you the best support. They also contain vitamins and minerals needed to support a functioning immune system.  Look for brightly coloured and dark green leafy vegetables as well as garlic, ginger and turmeric which have anti-microbial properties

Quality Protein

Protein contains the amino acid building blocks that our body uses to repair the body structure and create enzymes to carry out necessary functions.  Deficiencies in protein intake can increase your risk for getting sick as these amino acids are the building blocks for creating anti-bodies to fight pathogens.  Have protein with each meal, as well as post workout.

Vitamin D

Often only thought of in reference to bone health, this fat-soluble vitamin plays a vital role in our immune system and deficiency has been associated with increased risk of auto-immune conditions as well as protecting against respiratory tract infections.  Found in salmon, mushrooms, fortified milk and milk substitutes, tuna and egg yolks.  But supplementing with Vitamin D3 in the winter months can be helpful to get adequate levels.  Best consumed with a meal / food containing food.

Vitamin C

Found in a wide variety of vegetables and fruits, Vitamin C plays an important role in immune function and fighting infections.  Found in red bell peppers, strawberries, kiwi, oranges, dark cherries, kale, broccoli and Brussels sprouts.  Aim to get a vitamin food with each meal.

Zinc

Helps strengthen immunity by supporting helper T cells.  Specifically zinc lozenges as coronavirus hangs out in the larynx before heading down into the lungs.  Zinc is found in seafood, clams, oysters, mussels, firm tofu, lentils, pumpkin seeds, yogurt, oats.

Support your gut microbiome

Supporting a healthy gut microbiome through healthy foods is a major way to support your immune system.  You have 10x more bacteria cells in your body vs human cells.  Fermented foods (sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi and unsweetened kombucha) and fibrous vegetables can help provide a good environment for positive bacteria to thrive.  Oral probiotics of the right type and amount for the specific issue have been show to help maintain immune health.

Prioritize Sleep

During quality sleep our bodies repair and recovery.  Sleep deprivation has been shown to reduce immunity and increase risk of infection.  Stick to a sleep schedule where you get at least 7.5 hours of sleep.  Avoid caffeine after noon and avoid screens for at least 1 hour prior to bed.  Sleep in a cool dark room.

Reduce Excess

Excess sugar and alcohol stress the system and contain very few nutrients.  Eating large quantities of processed food maybe open up room for nutrient deficiencies due to their lack of nutrients.  Also beware of any foods that cause allergy or sensitivity in your body and reduce those.

Hydrate

Adequate hydration is key for a healthy body and allows for the transport of nutrients and elimination of waste products.  Be mindful that if you have fever, vomiting or diarrhea you will be dehydrating yourself quickly.

Moderate Exercise

Regular exercise helps improve circulation which may allow cells and components of the immune system to move through the body to combat invaders.  Too much intense exercise may weaken the immune system immediately following exercise so allow adequate time for recovery.

Relax & De-stress

Too much stress drives the production of cortisol which decreases cells in your immune system.  Take a break from screens, read a book, listen to music, mediated or practice mindfulness, go for a walk, take a warm bath.

Looking to boost your immune system? Book a virtual treatment with our naturopath or nutritionists today!

By: Tara Postnikoff, RNCP/ROHP, Holistic Nutritionist

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Eating Well While Stuck At Home

Written by Tara Postnikoff, Hon B. A., RNCP/ROHP, CNP

While the current Covid-19 pandemic is changing many areas of our lives and no doubt increasing our stress levels, it is also providing us many opportunities as well.   Spending time at home can be a struggle, especially with the kitchen and pantry open for business 24 X 7.   Here are 5 tips for eating well while trapped at home.

  1. Create a schedule.  We do better with schedule and routine in our lives and if we stick to this, it can set us up for success.  This means a sleeping schedule, an exercise schedule and you got it, an eating schedule.  Write down your meal times and keep this visible so that the kitchen is off limits except for meal time.
  2. Stock your fridge and pantry well.  If you have a well stocked fridge and pantry it becomes easy to make healthy, nutritious and tasty meals with ease.  Make a menu plan for the week and then make a shopping list before heading out to do your grocery shop.  If eating and cooking at home is new to you, this might feel like a challenge.  A good example of key nutritious staples are cans of organic beans.  You can create a quick chilli or boost a soup or salad with extra protein and healthy complex fibrous carbs.
  3. Prepare a veggie bucket.  Before putting your produce away, take and extra few minutes to wash and chop veggies for easy snacks and use later.  Put them in an air-tight container and then they are there if you need a quick something to munch on or prepping a quick meal.  We often want the easy choice of we are tired and stressed and this allows us to make healthy choices more frequently. These good, nutrient dense options will help support our immune system, our brain and will help us feel better.
  4. Stay Hydrated.  There is a good chance you are not hungry but are actually thirsty.  Have a glass of water or cup of tea and then re-evaluate your desire for food. Adequate hydration is key for a healthy body and allows for the transport of nutrients and elimination of waste products.
  5. Distract yourself.  If you start to feel peckish and its not time to eat, add some simple quick movement to get you up and out of your chair.  This will help boost your feel good hormones and settle that need to snack.  Try 20-30s of jumping jacks or burpees.

If you have more questions about what to eat or how to meal plan at this time, reach out to our amazing team of nutritionists and naturopaths.  Now is a great time to focus on your overall health and wellness.

 

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Running & Core Strength

We know the “core” to be different muscles that help stabilize the spine and pelvis, but there are specific groups of core muscles that are especially important in running in Toronto and other cities. We call this the “outer unit” or “slings”.
Slings are groups of muscles that cross the pelvis to create dynamic stability during movement. Three of these slings are particularly important in running: 

Anterior Oblique Sling (AOS)

  • AOS = Hip adductors + internal obliques of the same side + opposite external obliques
  • During the swing phase of running, the hip adductors help bring the hip into flexion (knee up to chest), and the internal obliques of the same side + opposite external obliques rotate the trunk towards the flexed hip, creating stability through the pelvis.
  • Exercise to work on AOS: Dead Bug, 1X10

Posterior Oblique Sling (POS)

  • POS = gluteus maximus + opposite latissimus dorsi
  • During the push-off phase of running, the gluteus maximus pushes the hip into extension to propel the body forward while the opposite lattissimus dorsi pulls the shoulder into extension (pulls the elbow back), creating stability through the pelvis.
  • Exercise to work on POS: Bridge with alternating knee extension while pushing down into the ground, 1X10

Lateral Sling (LS)

  • LS = gluteus medius + opposite hip adductors
  • During the stance phase of running, the gluteus medius engages to stabilize the pelvis/hip/knee while the opposite hip adductors engage to begin the swing phase, creating stability across the pelvis
  • Exercise to work on LS: Side plank 3X30sec

A strong core allows for more efficient limb movement (i.e. less energy wasted). Adding these exercises to your strengthening programs in Toronto can therefore increase your running efficiency, helping you prevent injuries and improve your performance!
If you’re training for a half-marathon in Toronto, or looking to extend your running exercises further, check out our most recent blog post from Victoria, one of our Top Rated Physiotherapists recent blog here: https://www.totum.ca/half-marathon-training/
Looking for programming & training advice during these times? Totum is offering Virtual Training & Programming Services Here!

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Registering For a Half-Marathon This Year?


Are you thinking of registering for a half-marathon this year? Wondering what the key elements to a solid half-marathon training program are? Here’s Totum team member & running specialists, Victoria Lavinska’s two cents…
Long Runs

  • Goal: endurance – the longer these runs, the more you will work on your endurance, helping you prepare for race day
  • Pace: these should be performed at a slower pace, i.e. this should be a long, but “easy” run
  • These runs will build up throughout your program
  • For a half-marathon (21.1km), you can work up to 18-19km in your long runs – the idea is to run for a similar amount of TIME as race day, so, given the slower pace, your 18-19km run time should approach your race time

Speed Work

  • Goal: increase your speed, improve your cardiovascular performance (get your heart stronger!)
  • Pace: 5-10km pace, i.e. fast, but not so fast that you’re gassed out and can’t continue
  • Start with an easy pace 1km
  • 2 ways to work on speed:
    • Speed intervals – either by distance or time (e.g. 5X400m or 5X2min), separated by either walking/light jogging intervals
    • Tempo runs – continuous run with a gradual build-up to a 10km pace in the middle (holding that for 1-2 min) and then gradually slowing back down

Hills

  • Goal: improve your hill running technique (as this is different than running on a flat surface), improve your cardiovascular performance (get your heart stronger!)
  • Pace: try to maintain pace while going uphill, increase pace while going downhill (you want to use the advantage of the decline to get some quick mileage in)
  • Start with an easy pace 1km (flat)
  • 2 ways to work on hills
    • Hill intervals: intervals of short (steep-ish) hills (running up and down), separated by running flats
    • Hill endurance: longer intervals of small-incline hills, separated by running flats

Technique

  • Goal: improve running efficiency (improve performance, decrease risk of injury)
  • Use a run/walk program to work on technique – this will give your body a chance to get used to the new technique with a decreased risk of injury
  • Examples:
    • Increased cadence (170-190 bpm), i.e. smaller steps
    • Decreased noise, i.e. being “light on your feet”
    • Running barefoot (on a treadmill)

Cross-training

  • Goal: get your body working different muscle groups to allow an “active” recovery from running, helping muscles be more adaptable
  • Ideally another cardiovascular activity (e.g. cycling, swimming, etc)
  • Yoga and Pilates are also good complements to running as these activities focus on core strengthening and stretching

Rest Days

  • Goal: allow your body to recover from your week’s workouts
  • You could also do an easy yoga class on rest days

Here’s an example of a balanced and gradual half-marathon program :
 

Week/DayDay 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Day 6Day 7
RestSpeedX-trainHillsX-trainTechniqueLong
Week 1Rest5X400mX-train1X100mX-train30min 1R/1W8km
Week 2Rest30 min tempoX-train2X100mX-train30min 2R/1W10km
Week 3Rest6X400mX-train3X100mX-train30min 3R/1W5km race
Week 4Rest35 min tempoX-train4X100mX-train30min 4R/1W11km
Week 5Rest7X400mX-train5X100mX-train30min 5R/1W13km
Week 6Rest40 min tempoX-train6X100mX-train30min 6R/1W10km race
Week 7Rest8X400mX-train7X100mX-train30min 7R/1W14km
Week 8Rest45 min tempoX-train8X100mX-train30min 8R/1W16km
Week 9Rest9X400mX-train9X100mX-train30min 9R/1W15km race
Week 10Rest50 min tempoX-train10X100mX-train30min 14R/1W18km
Week 11Rest10X400mX-train10X100mX-train30min continuous19km
Week 12Rest30 min tempoX-train3X100mX-train30min 1R/1W21.1km race

 
Want a half-marathon program that is tailored to your specific needs/level of experience? Come see one of Totum’s running specialists to get a detailed running assessment and step-by-step plan to help you reach your running goals!