The green machine and driven to drink....

    I work hard to keep up with the current trends in health, wellness, fitness and nutrition. It's more than my  profession; it's my passion. However, I'm a natural born skeptic, and I question everything. My skepticism is coupled with an adventurous spirit and a desire to try new things. Especially when it comes to the subject of health, wellness, fitness and nutrition. I know, it's a conflict, but maybe you can appreciate my confusion.

    I heard about green juicing several months ago from an acquaintance online. The scientist in me could understand the value of drinking raw vegetable juice. The skeptic in me wondered if it really would boost my energy and my immune system. The dancer in me wondered about the calorie content in the juice. The practical part of me wondered how much it would cost, how much work it would be, and if it was worth the effort. After balancing the pros and cons, I decided it wasn't for me.

    However, I couldn't stop thinking about it. A friend of mine told me she was juicing and feeling remarkably better, but I still wasn't convinced. I wasn't sure I could drink something that looked like the pond water behind our house where we went looking for tadpoles each spring when we were kids. It wasn't until a client of mine walked into my office after being gone for a month. She looked fabulous! Her eyes were bright, she had a spring in her step, and her skin positively glowed. She was juicing. Bring on the tadpoles!

    The skeptic in me got in my own way, and instead of buying the high quality juicer that was recommended, I bought a cheaper brand. The motor blew out four days later. Sheesh! I returned it and tried a different brand, but still a less expensive one than the one everyone raved about. I am not only a skeptic, I am also frugal, and I didn't want to invest in a high quality Goodwill donation.

    The new juicer worked just fine. For the first week. Then, one afternoon I had it loaded with vegetables and hit the "on" button. Nothing happened. I checked all the connections, made a few adjustments and tried again. Nothing. I unloaded it, reloaded and tried one more time. Still nothing. Frustrated, I walked away, thinking that ordering a pizza and opening a beer might not be as healthy, but it certainly would be easier. After a few minutes, I tried one last time. Viola! It worked.

    From that moment on, my juicer had a mind of it's own. It decided when and under what conditions it would work, until it finally gave it's last gasp. In two weeks I had gone through two juicers. Time for another one. Still not ready for the high end yet, my third juicer is the cheapest one I can find, but it's been working beautifully for the past month.

    I have been juicing every day since then, and I have graduated to green smoothies. I even bought a new blender, but I didn't go for the high end quality blender. I figured that would be far too extravagant considering how much money I was spending on juicers. Besides, in case I didn't like smoothies I didn't want an expensive blender sitting in my pantry collecting dust.

    I've noticed a few changes in myself since I started juicing. Instead of moaning for coffee as I crawl out of bed in the morning, I now gleefully tap my fingers together and wonder what I can pulverize for breakfast. I get giddy grinding greens, and I love watching those liquid phytonutrients come spewing out. I have more energy, my eyes are brighter, clearer, and less puffy. I even have a nice glow to my skin.

    I suppose it's time to upgrade to the high end juicer now, but I'm still not quite ready to make that leap. after all, I may not keep up with it. In the meantime, I better sign off. I have some greens to grind.

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

Adding the minutes on the hands of time....

    Changing the clocks twice a year seems like a huge waste of time, so to speak. It doesn't matter if we fall back or spring forward, I always feel like I've lost an hour. Even worse, I can't find it anywhere, no matter how hard I look.

    Time is a funny thing anyway; it seems to slip away when you're not looking. Add that pesky one hour time change and it's amazing how it gets away from us. It disrupts our schedule and our circadian rhythm. On the other hand, if one hour can mess us up, doesn't it make sense that one hour can work to our advantage?

    A lot of my clients tell me that they are simply too busy to exercise. Between work, family and other obligations, they just don't have the time. I know, and I understand. However, I explain that just a few minutes of exercise a day quickly adds up and can have a huge positive cumulative effect on their basic fitness goals. Certainly they can manage that.

    They usually look at me as if they don't believe me. After all, conventional wisdom tells them that they should go to the gym five days a week or at least get down on the floor and do an hour of tedious exercises to get into some sort of shape. But, small changes have a huge impact. And, they are easier to implement and result in longer lasting healthy habits. 

    If you exercise just ten minutes a day, six days a week, you'll log in an hour a week to get started on a path to fitness and better health. It might not seem like much at first, but it's a start. If you already have an exercise routine, try adding an additional ten minutes of light weights, core strengthening, stretching or balance training. You'll be amazed at how much better you feel, and that is a powerful motivator to keep going. It's worth a try. After all, the time is going to pass anyway. Why not make good use of it?

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

Everything in moderation.....

    We all know that sitting and standing for prolonged periods of time is not good for our health. For my clients who have a desk job, I encourage them not to sit still; fidgeting and squirming is good for us. You know, the kind of behaviour that used to get us in trouble when we were kids. I also suggest that they sit on an exercise ball intermittently during they, as well as get up and move as often as possible. For my clients that have a job which requires prolonged standing, I have several tricks to relieve stress on their back, legs, hips and feet.

   It's important to keep moving during the day, including at work. But I was amused to learn that some businesses are introducing office furniture that allow employees to enjoy a new concept called "active work stations."  These work stations allow employees to stand, walk, cycle, or sit on an exercise ball while they are at work. All day long. I am a huge fan of all of these activities, but to engage in them for hours on end sounds ridiculous to me.

    What sounds like a good idea in theory can be a disaster in reality. Not only are you risking injuries from repetitive movements, I believe you are risking job performance as well. After all, would you want your pilot to be pedaling a stationary bike while they fly your plane? Or your surgeon walking on a treadmill in the operating room? Our attention is best served when we focus on the task at hand, regardless of what it is.

    If you sit at a desk all day long, standing or walking on a treadmill at your desk sounds heavenly. Until you try it for a few hours. If you stand at work all day, you would probably give your eyeteeth for a chance to sit down at work. Until your butt gets numb. Too much of any one thing is exactly that: too much.

    It's also important to have clear boundaries between work, recreation, rest, exercise and play. However, you can still find a way to move through your work day to relieve stress, stay alert, maintain your focus, and still keep yourself healthy, happy and active. I just think it can be done in a more sensible and effective way.

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP    

From low back pain to no back pain....

    It amazes me how many people suffer from low back pain when they simply do not have to. By using a combination of gentle therapeutic exercise, core strengthening, postural awareness and movement exploration you can transition from low back pain to no back pain. It's actually easier than you may think.

    First, let's address sitting. Most of us sit for long periods at a time, and I have never met a chair that is comfortable and provides proper support for anyone, let alone everyone. And don't even get me started on airplane seats. You can't change the chair, but you can make a few easy adjustments to support yourself and reduce unnecessary strain on your back by following these easy steps:

      1). Make sure your spine is properly supported by using a small towel roll behind your lumbar spine.
      2). Make sure your feet are always flat on the floor. I know, sometimes we like to tuck our feet under our chair, but it's not good for your back.
      3). Most of all, get up and move as often as possible.

    Next, it's important to pay attention to how you stand, especially if you have to stand for prolonged periods of time. Notice if your knees are locked and stiff, and how your back feels. Now relax and slightly bend your knees, and notice how your back feels. Key points:

       1). Keep your knees relaxed and slightly bent when standing. This reduces excess stress on your lumbar spine.
       2). Whenever possible, place one foot on a small step to decrease the pressure on your back. You can use a small step stool, a phone book or a small trash can on it's side. Switch your feet often.
       3). With your knees relaxed, slowly sway and shift your weight side to side. This helps decrease stress and strain on your low back, distributes your weight more evenly, and it feels good. As an added bonus it makes people wonder what you're up to.

    Now, find your core muscles. No, I don't mean by doing sit ups. Sit ups and crunches are often done incorrectly, resulting in stress and strain on your neck and spine with ab-solutely no benefit to your abdominals. Try this easy exercise to activate your abdominals, specifically your transverse abdominus, the muscle responsible for stabilizing your low back.

      1). Sit on the edge of a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Bring your attention to your lower abs. Breathe in, and as you breathe out gently but firmly pull your lower abdominals in toward your spine. Yes, it really is that easy, but I highly recommend that you get some professional help with that one.

    Finally, really pay attention to how you move. Slow yourself down and notice how you move in and out of the car; up and down stairs; picking up objects; unloading groceries, etc. You may find that you are actually aggravating you back with certain movement patterns. Changing these movement patterns can cause a huge relief for your back.

    The most important point is that you are not at the mercy of low back pain. Rather, you have the power to help yourself and heal your own back. Even if you have been given a strange and scary name for the cause of your low back pain (a diagnosis), you can still go from low back pain to no back pain. And now you know that it's actually much easier than you previously thought.

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

Don't settle.... for short expectations.

    When I was a little girl, I used to worry about getting old, because I knew I would no longer be able to speak English. After all, everyone I knew over the age of fifty spoke broken English with a heavy Eastern European accent. In my four year old mind, it was a logical conclusion that this was a natural part of aging. I once asked my mother what I would do when I was a Baba and couldn't speak English anymore. She laughed so hard she couldn't speak. Uh-oh, perhaps it was already happening to her. Sad, because she still looked so young.

    It's a funny story, but the point is that we sometimes get predetermined ideas about the aging process, and we think that we have to sit back and accept certain inevitable changes. Sometimes these expectations are silly, like I had when I was a child. But sometimes, these expectations may cause us to be resigned to certain changes, especially when they come from experts. 

    I recently read an article that proclaimed getting shorter was a natural part of the aging process. According to the article, this shrinking begins at age thirty, and we lose one half to three quarters of an inch each decade after that. Along with this disheartening news came the laundry list of projected health problems that we can look forward to related to our height loss and the aging process, including bone loss, osteoporosis, decreased balance and fractures. The list also included heart and digestive problems, related to the increased pressure put on internal organs as a result of the flexed posture that comes with aging. Yikes!

    But these dire predictions aren't inevitable. You can prevent the loss of height by staying active and doing practices that help stretch your spine and improve your posture. Activities such as dance, yoga, tai chi and my personal favorites, Pilates and Feldenkrais, will help you stay strong and supple as you get older. As you add birthdays, you do not have to settle for subtracting inches, simply because the experts told you that's what you can expect.

    I have always been a planner and a problem solver. Even as a very small child, I thought about taking English lessons as I got older so I would still be able to speak the language. I have also always been a talker, and the idea that people wouldn't understand me was simply intolerable. Here I am, well into middle age, and I still have a fairly good command of the English language. I'm also the same height that I was in college. But according to the article I should  be an inch and a half to two inches shorter by now.

    So, instead of settling for what the experts tell us is sure to happen, I have another idea. Let's prove the experts wrong, and show them what graceful aging looks like. Let's do what we can to keep our spines (and ourselves) long, strong, fit and flexible. After all, why in the world would we settle for less, when we simply don't have to?

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

Move it or lose it....

    We have always known that a sedentary lifestyle has a negative impact on our health. But I recently read an article in the WSJ which described how sitting for more than three hours a day can decrease a person's life expectancy by two years. The article went on to describe that this decrease in life expectancy also applies to people who are physically active and follow a healthy lifestyle.

    What do you do if you have a sedentary job where you are required to sit at a desk all day long?  In the article, the author stated that when we are sitting, our leg muscles are completely inactive. That wasn't a big surprise; to me it seemed like an obvious statement. He recommended that people stand as often as possible during the day. However, I have a few additional ideas to activate those muscles and keep you healthy.

    1). Fidget. You know, that thing that we all used to do when we were kids until the adults told us to sit still. Don't sit still. Instead, move around in your seat, change positions, tap your feet, and swing your legs. While you are sitting, you can exercise your legs by doing ankle pumps, leg extensions, leg lifts and isometric exercises. Believe it or not, fidgeting also boosts your metabolism and helps burn calories.

    2). Pace. Pacing is a close relative of fidgeting, kind of like a mature older cousin. Pacing is a great way to work your leg muscles, get your circulation going, keep your ankles and feet flexible, relieve stress and burn a few more calories. Just in case you're still not convinced, many of my clients have reported that pacing helps them think better. So, if you are saddled with a problem and can't find a solution, try pacing.

    3). Don't just stand there, do something. When you are standing, shift your weight side to side. Add toe raises, mini squats, and small lunges to your routine. Try standing on one leg to improve your standing balance. The movements don't have to be big; small gentle movements done slowly and correctly has a huge positive impact.
  
    Just a few minutes of exercise during your work day can improve your health, level of fitness, increase your energy, and improve your concentration. The key to getting the maximum benefit from your exercise is not how many repetitions you do, but how you do them. The focus should be on the quality of your movement, not the quantity. You will also enjoy the additional benefits of strengthening your back and postural muscles, as well as a decrease in back pain and neck pain.

    Most of all, remember that if you don't move it, you will lose it. And wouldn't it be a shame to lose all that leg power? So, move it or lose it. Your legs will thank you!

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

Mid-March Resolutions.

    I drove past the local health club a few days ago and noticed their sign boldly advertising, "Resolutions? Join today!" That was strange, considering it is already mid-March. Maybe it was a mistake. A few days later, I noticed the sign had changed. It now proclaimed, "A New You in 2012!" Okay, so maybe it wasn't a mistake.

    But, it's the middle of March. It's St. Patrick's Day. The New Year's resolutions have long been forgotten. The weather is getting warmer, the days are getting longer, and people are coming out of their winter hibernation with the promise of spring. Everyone is dusting off their bicycles, pulling out their golf clubs, signing up for runs, pouring into the local parks, and dreaming about picnics and cookouts. Why in the world would anyone chose joining a stuffy old gym over the seduction of a beautiful spring day and outdoor activities? It seemed like an odd marketing and advertising strategy to me.

    Then I started thinking about it. Why do we set our New Year's resolutions on January 1st, anyway? Is it just because it's the beginning of a new calendar year? Or maybe it's because some of us are feeling  guilty about over indulging during the holidays. So, we set lofty goals that sound pretty good during the mad rush of the holidays, only to face the harsh reality of squeezing into spandex, braving the cold harsh weather and short dark days to get to the gym. As an extra bonus, we will be surrounded by those folks who kept their New Year's resolutions from the previous year. Yikes!

    It's a recipe for disaster, and almost a set up for failure. No wonder why we throw in the towel after a few weeks. But, I have another idea. Wouldn't it make more sense to hunker down, snuggle in, and slowly recover from the holidays and enjoy the long winter nights? Rather than setting unrealistic goals for ourselves, maybe we could take some time to nurture ourselves, and carefully plan moderate changes over the next three months. We can begin to implement these changes at a reasonable pace. Then, when spring arrives and the days start getting longer and warmer, we can address our resolutions with a renewed energy and enthusiasm. And, increase our chances of success.

    So much for my skepticism about the wisdom of the health club and their marketing strategy. This health club may be on to something. They certainly got my attention. The problem is, St. Patrick's Day Resolutions doesn't have the zip that New Year's Resolutions does. March Madness is already taken. April Fool's hardly seems appropriate. The truth is, it doesn't matter when you begin, as long as you start moving in the right direction. Remember, if it's physical, it's therapy!


Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

Strong arms, soft shoulders.

    Here is a wonderful exploration for finding the connection of your arms through your shoulders and spine.

    1) Sit on the floor with your knees bent out to the sides and the soles of your feet facing (but not touching) each other. You may need to place a folded towel under your sit bones for comfort. Place your hands on the floor behind your pelvis and lean into your arms and hands. Play with the placement of your hands. Do you prefer your fingers pointing away from yourself? Towards yourself? Somewhere in between? Take a few minutes and very slowly explore where your arms and hands can be so you feel your arms can easily support you. Stop. Take your hands away from the floor and rest.

    2) Return to sitting with your knees bent, soles of the feet facing each other and place your hands behind your pelvis in the place where you feel your arms can easily support you. Very slowly and gently bend and straighten your elbows, several times. Stop. Even more slowly bend and straighten your elbows. How can your arms accept your weight? How can your arms connect with the floor? Stop. Take your hands away from the floor and rest.

    3) Return again to the sitting position with your hands behind your pelvis. Slowly, slowly bend and straighten the elbows. Notice what happens in your chest as you bend and straighten your arms. How does your head respond to this simple movement? How are you breathing? What is happening in your pelvis? How can you make this movement easy? Effortless? How do your shoulders feel? Stop. Slowly stand up. Notice how your arms rest at your sides. Notice the shape of your shoulders. Walk a bit and notice how your shoulders respond to the simple act of walking.

    Remember to always move slowly and gently, and in the spirit of interest and curiosity, rather than self-judgement. This allows for changes to take place in your nervous system (neuroplasticity). It's also important to be comfortable so you are able to pay attention to yourself as you move. In Feldenkrais(R) we have a saying: there is no right or wrong, good or bad, better or worse, just opportunities to learn.

    Be healthy!

Cheryl Ilov, GCFP

A New Year........

    As I was driving home a few days ago, I saw a sign in front of a local health club boldly advertising "A New Year, A New You"! I was struck by the implication that the "old you" wasn't good enough, and if you would join this gym, you would be transformed into the "you" that the health club thought you should strive to be. I started wondering how many of us made New Year's resolutions to join a gym (or actually go if you already have a membership), exercise more, get into better shape and transform ourselves into a stronger, healthier person in 2011.

    Here we are, already in the second month of the New Year. Our resolutions may have sounded quite reasonable during the festivities of the holiday season, but now it's February. The cold bleak weather, demands of work, family and the reality of time constraints may sabotage our efforts to achieve our goals. Perhaps we are even overwhelmed by our goals and have already given up.

    But here's another idea: why not change your strategy to make your goals more achievable? Start with small, simple changes at home and at work that could easily be incorporated into your daily routine. Just a few minutes of exercise each and every day can have a huge, positive impact on your strength, flexibility, overall health and fitness.

    Let me give you a few examples. Keep a set of light weights at home for your arms and shoulders. Do a few mini squats and lunges for your hips, thighs and buttocks. Sit and gently bounce on an exercise ball while watching TV to improve your posture, balance, stimulate circulation and strengthen your low back and abdominal muscles.

    While doing household chores, slow down and really focus on the quality of your movements as you move about your work. The simple act of cleaning the kitchen then turns into an opportunity to improve your gait, balance, strength, flexibility, posture, body awareness and body mechanics. And it surely makes cleaning the kitchen more interesting! The possibilities are endless. Use your imagination; be creative and design a program that is unique for yourself. Make it fun, playful and interesting.

    Remember, if it's physical, it's therapy, and every move counts!

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP