Author: totum

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How Is Your Internal GPS?

Did you know that you have an internal GPS? It allows you to orient yourself in space, respond to changes in the environment, and move through life. Running, picking up your kids, lifting weights, balancing, and even resiliency to stress are affected by this mapping function of the brain. Better maps result in better movement precision, which means better quality of life, improved fitness, and decreased risk of injury.
This process occurs in real time, and begins with the intake of information through three “satellites”: the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems. It then goes through the following stages: sensory input  ➔ integration ➔ motor output ➔ error correction / prediction.
Of these satellites, the visual system accounts for 60–70% of all sensory input, while the other two systems make up 30–40%. This means 60–70% of your awareness of your body in space, which is key for exercise, comes from your eyes. Research supports this, and is showing incredible connections between:

  • Vestibular training and increased bone density
  • Vision, the cerebellum, and low back pain
  • Poor gait and increased risk of dementia

As you can see, a brain-based approach benefits us both short-term and long-term, in fitness and in cognitive health. If we want better quality of life, we have to account for our physiology, include visual / vestibular exercises, and sensory and coordination work in our regimens. Here are a few examples of exercises that you can try for yourself. To test if these are right for you, start by doing a balance or range of motion baseline, try one, and re-assess. If there is an improvement, include it in your current program. If not, it just means there are better drills out there for you!

1. Eye Circles: start seated with a pen at nose height. Slowly draw a small circle with the pen while following it with the eyes, not moving the head or body.

2. Pencil Pushups: start seated with the pen at nose height and the arm extended in front. Focus on the top of the pen and slowly bring it towards your nose; stop before it goes blurry. Follow it back as you slowly straighten your arm to the starting position.

3. VOR: start seated with a pen at nose height. Keep your focus on the pen throughout—and without moving the body, slowly turn the head to the right or left, up or down, and diagonally. Try one direction at a time.
To me, neuroscience is the science of hope. Its application gives us the tools to change, to heal, and to learn almost any skill—at any age. Gone are the days of a static brain; we are inherently plastic.
If you’re intrigued and want to learn more about neuroplasticity and your body’s potential, pick up The Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge, or come see me for a session with a neuro flair!

Varya Kapran is a personal trainer located at: Totum Medisys: 333 Bay Street, 15th floor. For bookings, please contact us at 416-728-5676.
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Recommendations

Are Your Muscles Stuck? Fascial Stretch Therapy 101

What, Why, and How You Can Benefit from FST When Starting or Continuing Your Fitness and Health Regimen

You may have heard about Fascial Stretch Therapy, or FST, and no, it is not stretching of the face. Or, perhaps you have been looking to add another tool to your toolbox when it comes to getting your body to its optimal functionality. If you feel like your body is not moving efficiently or you hold onto tension and stress, then you should consider FST. What is FST?
Primarily made of collagen, your fascia is a web of connective tissue that surrounds, stabilizes, attaches, and separates muscles. Fascias can get tight and hard, causing your muscles to move less freely. As you can imagine, this will limit your range of motion, which in turn causes decreased performance, and higher risk of injury. Nobody likes to feel restricted!
The fascial network is an interwoven mesh-like substance that attaches the muscles of the entire body. Having one large web connecting the whole body can explain why you may have pain in a part of your body when the tightness or hardening is coming from another area. There are many fascial lines that run in all different directions, and a tight and painful shoulder could be a result of fascial issues at the opposite hip.
Your muscles should glide smoothly like two sheets of paper with soap in between—not glue. As you age, recover from injuries, undergo stress, and so on, your fascia will tighten and harden if you do not keep it lubricated. This is where FST can come into play, and make a big difference in your fascial capabilities.
10 Benefits of FST Include:
1. Opening up of tight joint capsules
2. Lubrication of the fascia
3. Mental clarity
4. Stress relief
5. Increased range of motion
6. Improved breathing patterns
7. Better sleep
8. Activation of muscles
9. Injury prevention / rehabilitation
10. Preparation for exercise
As an FST client, you will leave the table feeling lighter. A majority of the session will have you lying on a massage table. The therapist moves your body into different positions to create a deep stretching sensation as you focus on deep breathing while contracting or relaxing muscles when instructed.
If you’re interested in Fascial Stretch Therapy, please contact us to find out more or to book an appointment.

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Resources Tips

New Online Training Resource

In conjunction with Trainer +, a Toronto based fitness tech firm, Totum has developed an excellent resource for exercise selection. The Totum ExerGuide is an app with an incredible selection of exercises from the basics to important post rehabilitation work. It includes:
• a library of over 1,000 exercises
• hi-def video demonstrations
• techniques and common errors for each exercise
• a search function for specific exercises, with filters for muscle groups, equipment type, and movement
• storage for your favourite exercises for easy reference in the future
• is available for Apple and Android Phones
We are happy to provide the Totum ExerGuide for free!
Click here to get it from the iTunes store. Click here to get it for Android.
 

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Meet a Totumite

If Man Invented the Wheel, Woman Invented Spinning

The past, present, and future of RPM Stationary Cycling
Early mornings at 2 Roxborough Street East aren’t your typical wake-up-and-smell-the-coffee days. In fact, they’re quite the opposite. At 6:10 am sharp, ambient beats flood the area as early risers eagerly make their way into Totum’s spin studio. Spin bikes are aligned in front of mirrors so riders can watch themselves grind out to “spinologist” Shelby Pilot’s groovy beats. Spinners take their place on the bikes, and at the cue of Shelby’s battle cry, they lift off their saddles for a 45-minute intensive cardio experience.
With today’s abundance of spin classes at every corner of the city, you’re probably wondering where this fitness phenomenon originated. Tilt your head and look west to the coast of sunny Malibu, California. It’s the early 1990s: palm trees sway in the breeze, light illuminates around you a spectrum of colour made up of the turquoise ocean, taupe and pink stucco, shiny sports cars, and spandex that unapologetically defines the lean curves and bulging muscles of the west coast’s fitness aficionados.
I’m already overwhelmed with images of neon MTV intros, Zach Morris’s perfect hair (Saved By The Bell), and can even hear the melodramatic, Chihuahua-like whining of Tori Spelling (Beverly Hills 90210). You, among a pilgrimage caravan of Angelinos (residents of Los Angeles), make your way into a fitness studio for a new-wave cardio endurance class, respectfully called Spinning. Why “Spinning”? Well, baby, it’s a rush and will leave even the toughest athlete spun.
“Before Gunner Peterson was whipping J-Lo and Kardashian butts, his butt was spinning with me,” Shelby says. “Before Bob Harper was leading the Biggest Losers to fitness victory, he was spinning with me.”
If you don’t know Shelby, pique your curiosity and poke your head into Roxborough studio. Don’t let her smile and love of kittens fool you—she’s a powerhouse and will not take no for an answer. And rightfully so.
Shelby’s background as a triathlete and co-founder of high-endurance RPM stationary cycling has earned her accolades in California’s fitness industry. Developed with South African cyclist “Johnny G” (Jonathan Goldberg), spinning quickly became known across the state as one of the best aerobic group fitness classes. In 1994, Penelope Green wrote for the New York Times that not only was spin class “sexy,” but also terrifying, due to the whirling sounds of pedals in a perpetual state of inertia. On the door of the RPM studio, Shelby posted a sign reading, “If you become uncomfortably overheated, please remind yourself to activate your exhaust system. (Signed) The Grim Reaper.”
 

But the spinning magic didn’t begin in the ’90s. The first spin studio emerged in the late ’80s in Santa Monica. Santa Monica was a seedbed for such celebrities as Kylie Minogue and Michael Hutchence. In addition to pop music superstars, Shelby also led the likes of the Super Bowl XXIV champions. It’s quite the image—and this craze continued on to garner the attention of fitness expert and weight loss author Susan Powter. In her 1994 publication Stop the Insanity, Powter describes her first spin experience with Shelby. She writes,
 

I’m telling you, I’ve seen lots of things in the last couple of years, but this kind of strength, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness level I’ve never seen in the likes of—don’t even ask how perfect her body was…the kind where you can see every muscle, toned, tanned, and lean…I had to accept the fact that I was one big weenie next to this woman—not easy to do when you are a “fitness expert” blasting all over the TV and are kind of recognizable.

 
Evidently, spinning is no easy feat, even for a television fitness star or a heavyweight professional football player. But, as Shelby adds, this was at a time when spinning was not the commodified product it is today. With the rise and influence of social media and image-sharing platforms like Instagram, fitness culture has changed. We often only see the final product—fit bodies and heavily branded studios—but general health and wellness is a holistic process where you experience the good and the bad, not a curatorial assemblage of what appears best for 1,000 likes and 100 new followers.
So what’s in store for the future of spinning? “We created the wheel. Why change a good thing?”
Wanna sweat? Spin classes run:
Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:30 am with Amy Goldberg;
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:15 AM and 10:15 AM; Saturdays at 9:05 AM with Shelby Pilot;
Sundays at 9:30 am with Amy
Classes held at 2 Roxborough Street East | All levels welcome | Sign up online

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Tips

Juicing Your Way to Health

To curb the summer heat, many of us turn to juicing or pulping for refreshment and hydration. Juicing is an easy way to assimilate all the vitamins and minerals that would normally take an hour to digest after eating fruits and vegetables.
Our bodies can uptake the powerful enzymes and phytochemicals from juiced veggies and fruits in only 15 minutes. Rich in vitamins A, C and E, along with minerals like iron, potassium, iodine, magnesium and selenium, juices are incredibly easy to digest, saving the body much time and energy. It allows for the body to rest while detoxifying and cleansing itself.

In with the Good, Out with the Bad

Our cells are composed mainly of water. Juicing, along with ideal water intake, aids to replenish lost fluid on a hot day, provides the body with the necessary vitamins and minerals, alkalizes our body (for ideal PH balance) and is vital for proper immune and metabolic function. Furthermore, juicing is rich in chlorophyll, a unique structure that enhances the body’s ability to produce hemoglobin. Raw juice has a laxative effect, which aids the body in detoxification. It rids the body of unwanted toxins in the digestive tract and colon. It has been known to restore an unbalanced metabolism, stabilize mood, clear the skin, and generally make one feel lighter.
Juice is rich in antioxidants, which counteract the free radicals that can cause cellular damage, aging and susceptibility to cancers. Yes, raw juice contains natural sugars, and may not be suitable for all individuals (considerations include diabetes, hypoglycemia and metabolic issues), and should always accompany a well-balanced diet. The sugars that are typically found in raw juices are bundled from the fruits and raw veggies that are rich in enzymes, vitamins, minerals and other phytochemicals. You won’t find these in refined sugar, e.g. store bought juices, soft drinks, candies and pastries; these natural sugars will deliver energy without the nasty chemicals or fat. That said, juicing alone is not ideal for your overall health and wellness. As juicing diets are complex in nature, they should be done under the supervision and guidance of a health care provider (a naturopathic doctor or a registered nutritionist).

Juicing versus Pulping

Raw juicing or pulping is best, for these contain “life force,” a living power that is present in all living plants. This force is a natural, vital quality that is lost when juices are processed and stored. In pulping, the fibre of the fruits and vegetables is blended into the drink. When fruits and veggies are pulped, their fibre is retained, along with their incredible vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, much like in juicing.
Personally, I prefer pulping to juicing, as the fibre (cellulose, pectin, lignin an hemicellulose) is the powerhouse ingredient for lowering cholesterol, and reducing the risk of heart disease and cancers. It binds onto unwanted toxins and detoxifies the body, works to keep you feeling fuller for longer, and balances blood sugar irregularities. Moreover, insoluble fibre assists in colon health, and works to maintain ideal body composition and a healthy waistline!
Tip: green juices are best consumed through a straw. Blends that are made with dark leafy greens, lemons or beets contain pigments that can build up on your tooth enamel and can stain your smile.
Recipes
Serving size for 2
Detox Tonic
• 3 fresh dandelions (roots and leaves)
• 2 radishes
• 1 handful of watercress
• 1 handful of arugula or kale
• 1 apple
• 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 inch of ginger root
Cucumber Chiller
• 1 cucumber
• 2 cups green grapes
• 1 handful of fresh mint
• 2 apples
• 1/2 lime
For optimal results, juice with organic and local produce and consume the juices as soon as they are prepared.

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Resources Tips

Beat the Bloat: How to Prevent Abdominal Bloating

Summer is in full swing, and that means more barbecues, food festivals and eating out. It may also mean more digestive upset, and in particular, bloating. We’ve all experienced it at some point—when your stomach feels enlarged or swollen and may be accompanied by excessive gas. While bloating can be a symptom of a serious digestive issue, it is usually associated with diet and lifestyle habits or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (1,2). When was the last time you felt bloated? How did you manage it? Sometimes the best treatment is prevention. Here are a few tips to help prevent that uncomfortable symptom of bloating.
Culprit Foods
The first thing to look at is your diet. Certain foods can increase the production of gas in your digestive system, resulting in bloating. One food in particular is artificial zero calorie sweeteners (3). They are not absorbed in the small and large intestine (which is why they are zero calories), but can still be fermented by gut bacteria and produce gas. Other similar foods include beans, legumes and dairy, which are high in FODMAPs (fermentable oligo, di- / mono-saccharides and polyols), an acronym for short-chain carbohydrates that are also poorly absorbed and can cause bloating.
Food Intolerances
Apart from foods that may directly increase gas production, other foods may trigger an immune response, often delayed 2–3 days, and produce low-grade inflammation in the gut. These foods are termed food intolerances and can cause a number of symptoms, including bloating. Following a strict elimination diet may help identify food intolerances specific to each person. However, if not done properly, a general elimination diet may not identify all food intolerances. Another option is completing a Food Sensitivity Test, which measures IgG immune antibodies in your blood, which are specific to certain foods. Avoiding elevated IgG foods in addition to high FODMAP foods may help get bloating under control (4,5).
Probiotics
It has been shown that probiotics have immunomodulatory effects and may help reduce inflammation. As such, if the ratio of “good” bacteria, aka probiotics, to “bad” bacteria is imbalanced, it may lead to inflammation in the digestive system and symptoms such as bloating. Certain probiotic strains have been well studied, and it seems some work better than others in helping reduce distension and gas (6). When it comes to a probiotic supplement, the key is quality over quantity, and making sure it has the appropriate strains in the right ratios. Although, sometimes supplementing with probiotics isn’t enough to rebalance gut flora. In these cases a digestive restoration protocol, alternating anti-microbial herbs and probiotics, may help reset the digestive system and reduce or eliminate symptoms.
Managing Stress
Our fast-paced lifestyles have us reaching for quick meals and eating on the run. The combination of processed food and high stress can take a toll on digestion. When your body is in “fight or flight” mode, aka stress response, it focuses its energy towards muscle and cognitive function instead of digestion. Altering the “gut–brain” axis, experiencing stress can lead to constipation, diarrhea, gas and/or bloating (7). Therefore, taking time out of your day to de-stress with yoga, a run, acupuncture, a 5 minute meditation or just putting your phone down during meals and focusing solely on eating may help support digestive function and prevent symptoms such as bloating.
Overall, the causes of abdominal bloating are multifactorial, but some factors may include what you eat, how you eat and your gut microbiota.
Sources
1. Agrawal, A. Whorwell PJ. (2008). Review article: abdominal bloating and distension in functional gastrointestinal disorders-epidemiology and exploration of possible mechanisms. Aliment Parmacol Ther, 27(1), pp. 2-10.
2. Iovino, P. Bucci, C. (2014). Bloating and functional gastro-intestinal disorders: where are we and where are we going?. World J Gastroenterol, 20(39), pp. 14407-19.
3. Johnson, D.A. (2010). Belching, bloating, and flatus: helping the patient who has intestinal gas. Medscape.
4. Halmos, E.P., Power, V.A. (2014). A diet low in FODMAPs reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Gastroenterology, 146(1), pp. 67-75
5. Drisko, J., Bischoff, B. (2006). Treating irritable bowel syndrome with a food elimination diet followed by food challenge and probiotics. J of Am College of Nutrition, 25(6), pp. 514-22.
6. Schmulson, M., Chang, L. (2011). Review article: the treatment of functional abdominal bloating and distension. Alimentary Pharm & Therapeutics, 33(10), pp. 1071-86.
7. Konturek, P.C., Bronzozowski, T., Konturek, S.J. (2011). Stress and the gut: pathophysiology, clinical consequences, diagnostic approach and treatment options. J of Physiology and Pham, 62(6), pp. 591-599.

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For your Info Resources

The Stress Response

There are two main divisions to our nervous system: the sympathetic and parasympathetic. There is also a third known as the enteric system, but for clarity’s sake, we’ll leave that division out of this conversation.

Fight or Flight? Or Rest and Digest?

Our sympathetic nervous system is our “fight or flight” response, which is the predominant neural output when we exercise or feel stress at work. The sympathetic response can accelerate heart rate, increase muscular tone, decrease motility of the gastrointestinal tract, and increase sweating and blood pressure, as well as secretion of the hormone known as adrenaline (to name a few). An instance of increased sympathetic output means redirecting blood from our abdomen and organs out to the peripheral muscles and skin—whereas the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for our “rest and digest” response.
An increase in the parasympathetic response will have the opposite effects, where muscles relax, heart rate and blood pressure decrease, and gastrointestinal tract motility increases and triggers the release of digestive juices/enzymes. Basically, blood returns to the abdomen to allow for proper functioning of the GI tract and visceral organs.

From Troglodytes to Cosmopolites

The sympathetic response, ie. fight or flight, was a necessary adaptation to human evolution. If our ancestors came across a bear or a tiger in the wild, they would need a fast response to deliver blood to their peripheral muscles and increase their cardiac output, so that they could either run away or fight for survival. Fortunately for us Torontonians, having an interaction with large wild animals that can easily kill us isn’t a reality. However, just because we now live in an industrialized society doesn’t mean that we aren’t affected by an increased sympathetic response.

 
Our society has made survival a lot easier due to modern healthcare and plumbing, but life has certainly become far more complicated than ever before. Between mortgage payments, paying off student loans, deadlines at work, tending to children or parents, et cetera, life has become far more mentally and emotionally complex. This sympathetic stress response in our body is the exact same as the stress response we would have trying to survive in the wild. Although none of the examples listed require physical work, the mental strains of these examples have physical manifestations.

De-stress for Success

In my daily practice, I consistently see personal training clients and osteopathic patients who are seemingly “stuck” in the sympathetic stress response. The byproduct of this is weight gain and/or extreme difficulty losing weight, high blood pressure and heart rate, difficulty digesting a variety of foods, constipation or diarrhea, insomnia, hormonal fluctuations and more. The good news is the human body has all the built-in remedies it needs to self-heal and self-regulate; sometimes it just needs a bump in the right direction.
All of the stress responses listed above can be improved by daily exercise, meditation, avoidance of sugars and heavily refined or processed foods, and avoiding sitting for extended periods of time. On top of these healthy lifestyle changes, an occasional tune-up from a skilled manual therapist will also help to decrease the sympathetic response and increase parasympathetic output.

When it comes to our health, there is no magic pill that will cure all ailments, but there are some manual manipulations that can be done to promote calming of the nervous system and improved quality of sleep. In doing so, the body can process and begin healing the ailments produced by the stress response so many of us suffer from.

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Fitness Promotions

Upcoming Summer Events: Youth Performance Camp Registration

Youth Training. when done correctly, can make a huge difference in athlete performance and resistance to injury.
Registration is now open for our 2018 summer youth performance camp running from Aug 13–17. This year we will be returning to the York School Senior school for the morning portion of the day and then complete the day at Totum Performance (1073 Yonge Street, 2nd Floor).
Earlybird pricing is available before June 15th at $399 + HST. Regular price will be available from June 15th at $449 + HST. For full camp information, you can see all details here.
If you are ready to register, you can do so through this link.
Please contact us at 416.928.2108 | yongestudio@totum.ca if you have any questions.
Here’s to a great summer ahead!

Categories
Tips

Back to the Track: Three Tips To Help You Ease into Running

Shot of a young handsome man running outdoors

Ease into a manageable pace for your first few outdoor runs of the season! Now that warmer weather is upon us, here are the 3 tips you hate to hear for enjoying a sustainable season:
1) Don’t go from zero to hero, build capacity gradually. Running efficiently is key. How to start? Start by skipping in place for 1 to 2 minutes while focusing on being as light on your feet as possible. Then, practise the mid-foot or forefoot technique over shorter running intervals during weekly training runs. You should aim to steadily increase the time and distance of your foot strike pattern by 5% per week.
2) Don’t underestimate the power of recovery: you can over-stride and wear yourself out. Optimize your nutrition and get plenty of rest. Stretching (including Yoga) is also an effective way to strengthen your body and core for cardiovascular endurance.
3) Nip aches and pains in the bud by seeking help from a practitioner or qualified running coach who can help manage and restore more optimal muscle balance / conditioning to save your joints, and get you running faster. Developing correct biomechanics during specific functional exercises, i.e. the single leg partial squat will carry over to maintaining proper form during the running gait. This will inevitably enable an athlete to run longer and faster, both pain and injury-free.

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Success Story

Totum In Action

Chuck Magwood: Father, Grandfather, Farmer, Winemaker—and More.
Chuck is literally client #1 at Totum. Back in the early 90s, Chuck decided he needed some structure to his workouts in order to get the most out of the rest of his life. Wow, has he ever walked the walk! Chuck’s commitment to his own fitness and health have allowed him, at 75 years old, to continue doing everything that he has always done, and more. Below are a couple of examples of both.
Chuck has been a ski racer his whole life, and that continues, as you can see by his recent success this past season. He is pictured with his son Jeff and grandson Gavin who all won their age groups in their club’s championships.
The next two pictures are related to something Chuck picked up several years ago. He makes his own maple syrup by hand, the old-fashioned way. This goes along with wine, vegetables, apples, cider….Well, you get the point.
All of these pursuits take an incredible amount of strength and stamina at any age. They also stimulate his brain and, just as importantly, nourish his soul. They are true passions for Chuck, and they feed him in so many different ways.
Years ago Chuck made a commitment to the right type of approach to health and fitness. He credits Totum with “Enabling me to have the level of fitness necessary to live the life I choose.” Chuck is a living example of the payoff!
Chuck2_sized
Chuck4_sized
TotumInAction_sized
 
 
Chuck enjoying the sap right out of the tree. If you haven’t tried it, you must!