Golfer’s elbow and Tennis elbow are conditions that occur when the tendons in your elbow are over worked, usually be repetitive motions of the wrist and arm (Mayo clinic). Both of these conditions, know more technically as Lateral Epicondylitis (tennis) and Medial Epicondylitis (golfer’s), are tendinitis which is inflammation of the tendons. Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) is tendinitis in the common extensor tendon (all the muscles that extend your wrist attach make up this tendon), and medial epicondylitis (golfer’s elbow) is tendinitis in the common flexor tendon (all the muscles that flex your wrist make up this tendon). With both, you will experience pain, tenderness and inflammation on the side of the elbow (either the inside or the outside depending on the cause). It is important to remember that there are numerous causes of tendinitis, not just sports.

What can you do to help? First and foremost RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation), then Massage Therapy, stretch and strengthen, learn proper form when doing tasks, and decrease the load you place on your elbow (use a ridged wrist when lifting as well).

How will Massage Therapy help? The goal of Massage Therapy during the acute phase of healing is to reduce inflammation, reduce pain, help you relax, treat any muscles that are compensating for the injury, reduce any edema that may be present, reduce any trigger points and help maintain your range of motion. Once your elbow has started to  heal, or if it has become a chronic condition, the goals remain the same as acute, but we also work to reduce any restrictions in the fascia ((fash´e-ah)[L.] a sheet or band of fibrous tissue such as lies deep to the skin or invests muscles and various body organs), improve tissue health, restore range of motion to normal, and stretch shortened muscles.

The most important thing to remember is don’t just ignore that pain in your elbow, take action before it can interrupt while you are in the swing of things.

When I began thinking about including a regular blog posts about exercise and fitness, I knew that I needed to start talking to someone who knows what’s what. My first thought was to talk to someone who had watched train at the gym (when I went), someone who my husband already knew through work, Timea Csotonyi .  Timea is a Registered Nurse, personal trainer and National level Figure competitor.  So that you know a little more about why I asked for her expertise, I introduce Timea...

My name is Timea Csotonyi (now  Redman), I was born in Hungary and came to Canada when I was 3. I have always been active and my parents always stressed an active lifestyle but it was not until my early 20`s that I joined a gym and so began my passion with weight training. I have been weight training for nearly 15 years since then. I began to compete in `figure-fitness`competitions in 2009 and have been very fortunate to place 1st in nearly all of my competitions. Last year I competed in the CBBF Figure Canadian Nationals and placed second. This qualifies me to compete in the Arnold Schwartzenegger Classic in Columbus , Ohio in 2013, and this is what I am currently training towards. I decided to extend my passion for physical fitness and weight training to others and received my personal training certification in 2010 and have been training clients since then. I am always striving to better both myself and this pursuit allows me to pass on my thirst for knowledge to others to help them improve their lives and make astounding changes. No obstacle is ever too big and if you can imagine something, you can achieve it...I am living proof of this.


In preparation to write this blog, I asked her ... How can you get more lean when you only have 30 minutes a day to spare? Here is what she had to say...

There is always so much controversy as to what will make a person "more lean" and that is the quest of most individuals is that elusive lean body. Becoming more lean or fit encompasses many elements with diet being a very large part of the process but so much emphasis has been placed on diet lately that the proper exercise to promote lean muscle mass has lost much of its importance. 

As many of us have limited time in which to bring about change in our bodies it is up to us to engage in activity that will promote the most optimal use of this time. In my experience both with competitive weight loss and with training others, I have found the following important elements to be vital when one has limited time to exercise:

1. High intensity interval training or HIIT. This is a form of cardiovascular training that incorporates short bursts of high intensity, fast, exertion effort followed by a more steady state to allow the body to recover. For example, an individual using this style of training would run all out for one full minute, then back down and run at a light jog for 2 minutes. HIIT should be begun at this interval for 20 minutes then increasing the total exercise time gradually to 30 minutes over a period of 5 weeks. There are different ways in which to vary the intensity to accommodate beginners or advanced individuals. Beginners can alternate work-recovery periods with a light jog as "work" and a walk as "recovery". Intensity can gradually be increased. Advanced individuals can change the ratio of work-recovery from one minute of work, two minutes of recovery to one minute work, one minute recovery and gradually up to one minute work, 30 seconds recovery. HIIT can be practiced on any kind of cadio equipment. 

2. Strength training or more commonly known as "weight lifting" is often misunderstood. Often people avoid this type of exercise as people think they will "bulk up". Speaking from experience as an individual who strives to gain muscle for competition it is very difficult (especially for a woman ) to do this. In fact strength training can be effective in developing lean muscle mass and compliments your cardiovascular training and vice versa, making each more effective. Strength training done with light to moderate weight and high repetitions can reduce inches and increase resting metabolic rates. As the body tightens and tones it also increases in strength all benefitting weight loss. Strength training takes as little time as 30 minutes and needs not involve more that 2 body part (ie shoulders and abs, or back and triceps) and can be done 3 times a week along with HIIT.

This sounds like a pretty easy plan, and most of us can find 30 minutes to spare. So, what do you think, is this worth a try? I think that this is something I can do, and I challenge you to give it an honest try, all you can see is results!

Have more questions, or want more information?
Visit Timea's website
http://www.timeacsotonyi.com/

Don't forget to stay tuned ... We will be bringing an exercise blog to you once a month ...

You are what you eat ...
If this saying is true, what does you food say about you?  Mine would say that I am colourful, eclectic, healthy, full of love, and beautiful. This is because I now choose foods that not only nourish my body, but that are colourful, tasty, and homemade not processed. Now for those of you who don’t know me, I will tell you that my eating has not always been as healthy as it currently is, the main event that shifted my food choices was the discovery of food allergies/intolerances, starting first with my son in 2009, my daughter in 2010, myself in the begining of 2011, and finally my husband in the summer of 2011 (yes, all 4 of us have food allergies/intolerances). These combined with an 8 year (420 week, thanks mom for figuring that out, lol) journey towards maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle, finally made me evaluate what nourished my body and what doesn’t.

Did you know that our bodies are made up of an estimated 100 trillion cells, all of which need constant supply of nutrients in order to function at their optimal level. What you eat effects all of these trillions of cells, and therefore every aspect of you, mood, energy level, thinking capacity and more, will be affected by what you eat. Choosing to eat junk and convenience foods, rather than good healthy foods, can lower your energy level, cause your body to put on more fat, and even decrease your brain power.

So what do you need to do in order to change what your food says about you? Start by cutting out the excess fat (which gets added to the fat cells you already have), excess sugar (foods high in refined sugars typically are not high in nutrients, it is empty calories, and can contribute to weight gain and obesity), and excess salt (which can contribute to high blood pressure). Pull out your cookbooks (and blow off the dust), why make something from a box mix that is full of chemicals when you can make it just as easily from scratch. Try eating like your grandparents did (there is even a website dedicated to this www.cooklikeyourgrandmother.com ). Go back to making good wholesome food for you and your family! You might say that you don’t have the time, but if I can do it while running a business, writing a blog, running a home, and having 2 crazy kids (oh and did I mention that fast food isn’t an option), surely you can find the time too. All it takes is a little planning and preparation ... having a very kitchen handy husband helps too. Make sure to ask your spouse for help, you can't do everything by yourself. 

As you start to make baby steps towards eating healthier, it is important to make sure that you are eating a balanced diet of good carbs (whole grains), protein, lots of fruits and veggies, and drink lots of water. Try to limit you sugar and alcohol. Enjoy things like cookies as treats not snacks. Don’t deprive yourself of your favorite foods, simply eat them in moderation or look for ways to make your recipes healthier. (Wisdom I gained from working as a leader for WW, living the plan every day for 420 weeks, and my current leader the amazing Jane!)

To give you a head start, I feel I should share some of the secrets I have learned about subsisting things in recipes. I choose to make everything in our house totally allergy friendly as well as healthy, and these are some of the tricks I use on a regular basis . . .

-you can replace sugar in a recipe with agave nectar (lower on the GI so it doesn’t affect you blood sugar as much) 1c sugar = 2/3c agave nectar, and decrease the other liquids by 1/4-1/3 c (decrease cook temp by 25 degrees and increase cook time slightly, as agave will brown more rapidly than sugar)

-you can replace the oil (or butter) in breads, muffins, cakes, etc with unsweetened apple sauce, 1c oil or butter  = 1c applesauce (you will want to make sure to put muffins or cupcakes in papers so they come out of the tins easily)

-you can replace the eggs (although good for you, we cannot eat them) in a number of different ways ... store bought egg replacer, chia gel (1tbsp chia seed to 3tbsp water, let sit for 15 min, stir and use as normal in recipe – makes 1 egg), flax gel (same as a chia egg only you use ground flax), there are several other ways to replace eggs, but for best success don’t use recipes that require more than 2 eggs as the chemistry doesn’t work

-you can replace some of your all purpose flour with healthier quinoa flour (I limit to replacing 1/2c with the quinoa flour, you will need to add ½ tsp of xantham gum as there is no gluten in quinoa flour to make it stick)
 

Take a minute to reflect, what does your food say about you and what do you want your food to say about you? Do you want to be healthy and beautiful? Full of life? You deserve to be healthy now, so you can live a long awesome life!

Go ahead ... grab an apple ... you know you want to ...

This week I decided to look at something that has been a part of my life for about 15 years now. Yoga, and although I may not have practiced faithfully for 15 years, I have always been able to go back to it and draw on my experiences with it. I am excited to be finally be at a point where I am able to go back to practicing yoga on a weekly basis, after working for over a year to regain the strength and stability in my lower back and hips. (I suffered from lingering hyper-mobility and joint instability after giving birth to my daughter, and although yoga felt good after she was born, it was actually making my back issues worse.) So now I feel like I am approaching yoga as a beginner again, only this time there are way more options available for what type of yoga to do.

Before we explore the different types of yoga out there, I think we need to start at the beginning. What exactly is yoga?

Yoga is a spiritual and ascetic discipline, a part of which includes breathing control, simple meditation and the adoption of specific bodily postures; it is widely practiced for health and relaxation. The yoga widely known in the West is based on hatha yoga, which forms one aspect of the ancient Hindu system of religious and ascetic observance and meditation, the highest form of which is raja yoga and the ultimate aim of which is spiritual purification and self-understanding leading to samadhi or union with the divine. www.oxforddictionaries.com

Hatha Yoga - has been around since the 15th century in India, and became popular here in the west in the mid 20th century. Hatha is a holistic yoga path, it attempts to balance the mind and body via physical postures (asanas), purification practices, controlled breathing, and calming of the mind through relaxation and meditation. It is great for beginners or to wind down in the evening.

Bikram Yoga - More commonly known as Hot Yoga, is a series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercise performed during a 90 minute class. Bikram is practiced in 105 degree heat and 40% humidity to allow loosening of tight muscles and profuse sweating (thought to be cleansing). It was founded in 1970’s in LA and the postures are  based on the postures or poses in traditional Hatha yoga.

Vinyasa Yoga - Is commonly called Vinyasa flow because you move or flow from one pose to the next. These classes typically start with a sun salutation then move to more postures or poses.

Kundalini Yoga - Kundalini refers to the energy of the root chakra, which surrounds the area around the lower spine. Kundalini yoga uses breath in conjunction with physical movements to free the energy in the lower body and allowing it to move upwards.

Ashtanga Yoga - Also known as Power Yoga, is a physically demanding practice of yoga that requires constant movement. If you are wanting to sculpt and define your muscles while getting cardio, give Ashtanga Yoga a try.

Lyengar Yoga - Lyengar is a methodical yoga practice using lots of props like blocks, straps and cushions. It focuses on body alignment and can be great for those in need of physical therapy because of this.

Anusara Yoga - Anusara may be the most spiritual type of yoga as it focuses on looking inwards, and seeing the light within yourself and others. Because it is a “celebration of the heart”, the classes have an upbeat, uplifting community type vibe that can be welcoming.

Restorative Yoga - Is focused on relaxing your mind and body. It involves a handful of poses that are help for extended periods of time, poses to open your chest for breath work, and more lying down than is typical yoga practice. Restorative yoga will leave you feeling nourished and well rested.

Jivamukti Yoga - Jivamukti means liberation while living, and is a mix of Vinyasa flow sequencing infused with chanting and a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle.

Prenatal Yoga - This type of yoga practice is great not only while you are pregnant, but after your baby is born while you recover and regain your body. It helps to keep the core strong, helps with posture, and helps aid with pregnancy aches and pains. Prenatal yoga also focuses on breathing and can help you to develop good breathing habits before going into labour.

Now that you know what type of yoga you want to try, where do you go? You can search through Yoga Finder, where you will be able to see what type of yoga each studio listed offers.  

Here are 3 of the many yoga studios available in the Peterborough Area (they all link to websites)...         
-Marina MacLean Yoga (this is who I practiced with)                            
-Humanistic Healing Centre                             
-Moksha Yoga 

I hope that this information on the different types of yoga inspires you to give one a try. So grab a mat and allow yourself the time to balance you mind, body and spirit through regular yoga practice . . . you will love it, I am certain!

Namaste