Top 5 Things To Do This Summer Both Fun and Healthy!

It’s summer and the sun is shining, the air is warm and we want to make the most of it. HANS KAI is all about improving our health or maintaining it and there are small things we can do in summer to help us keep on track.

1. Go for a walk. It is nice out and walking is easier in the summer if you live in a climate that has 4 distinct seasons. So take advantage of the nice long days and walk. Walking in the-surrounding parks makes it even nicer.  Just make sure to take a water bottle.
   

   
2. Visit a Farmers Market. Ah summer when both fruits and veggies are plentiful and fresh. Why not check out a market? Most farmers markets run through the summer. As a bonus they are usually less expensive than the grocery store. Some do stop for the winter. NorWest in Winnipeg offers 2 markets year round at our Community Food Centre 103-61 Tyndall and Blake Gardens 331 Blake St . Both are Thursday afternoons.
   

   

   
3. Walk to the grocery store or for errands. Unless you are doing a massive grocery shop, walking to the store even even the mall for errands is not only a great way to get healthy, it reduces your carbon footprint. Check out this article from Prevention Magazine on the others benefits to walking. https://www.prevention.com/fitness/a20485587/benefits-from-walking-every-day/
4. Check out your community’s local events. Summer is festival time. Even the smallest towns often have festivals or free events. Check out your local city or town’s website and enjoy! It’s a great way to get involved and have fun!
5. Eat more fruits and veggies. Like we said, most fruits and vegetables are in season in the summer so why not enjoy them at their freshest? Epicurious and genius kitchen are excellent resources for easy to follow and low cost fruit and veggie recipes. Also the dieticians of Canada offesr lots of tips, recipes, and resources.

https://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-Month/Recipe-Ideas.aspx

https://www.epicurious.com/

http://www.geniuskitchen.com/

So take advantage of the warm weather, fresh food and festivities and enjoy your summer. Most importantly, you get to stay healthy while you are doing it!

Physical Activity for the Mobility Restricted Person

One of the amazing things you learn in HANS KAI is that you can be active even with limited mobility! Mike Sadlowski, our Exercise Specialist has given us some tips to stay active and keep our body moving with limited mobility!!

Having an injury and being truly mobility restricted are very different things.  In Hans Kai, we speak about the mental side to dealing with pain and strategies to overcome it.  Many people readily accept an injury, or a soreness as being normal, and will actually adapt their entire life around cradling their issue, as if it were a badge of honor.  Of course there are issues that can’t be fully fixed or healed, but many people never truly explore or put the effort into therapies and exercises to help correct themselves.  You have one body and it truly does require proper maintenance, and that does take work.    If you don’t move your body, your body will break down. .  Don’t worry though, just because you have a restriction doesn’t mean you can’t increase your physical activity levels and start to feel better.  I’ll break this into some common restricted areas:

The Bad Back

 

In particular the lower back, if you think critically about your posture and habits, you will probably realize some of the torture you do to your spine.  Pay attention to your shoulders – do they stay rounded forward, do you walk hunched over? Try forcing yourself to walk with a tall posture, pull your shoulders back.  Invest in an exercise band and strengthen the muscles of the upper back.  On the flip side, do you have very tight hips?  Does your belly extend and you have a large curve in your lower back? Find some mobility stretches that you can handle for your hips and stretch religiously.  With all aspects of a bad back, the strength of the muscles of the abdomen and attaching muscles is crucial.  Start your recovery by routinely contracting your stomach muscles and creating tension.  Once you are ready, consult an exercise professional for strengthening activities that you can safely progress with.

 

The Bad Feet/Ankle/Knees/Hips

 

Again, investing in a few exercise bands may help you tremendously.  There are tons of online videos to check out for exercises to help increase the strength of your lower body.  When it comes to general physical activity – learn to pace yourself and pamper yourself.  Walking is hands down the most important activity we can do.  If you struggle with walking, treat it like an exercise and increase your demand progressively, meaning walk for five minutes one day, and the next try and walk for seven.  You may need to wear a knee sleeve if you have to go shopping, but take it off when you’re not stressing the joint later.   Pampering is very important, take care of your feet by soaking them, learn how to self-massage the muscles around your knees and hips with a rolling pin and start a stretching routine each night.

 

The Bad Shoulder/Elbow/Neck

 

Most discomfort comes from tight muscles and poor posture.  Have someone cue you every time they see your posture slump, start a stretching/mobility routine and start with some low-impact exercises to help strengthen your muscles.  Applying heat can often help loosen up your muscles prior to activity.

 

Just remember, you can be active.  You do not have to do high intensity exercises to be fit…but you do have to move.  Treat your mobility issue as a challenge, and accept that tackling a struggle will always make you stronger.