No matter how good of a swimmer you claim to be, there are a few good tips for you to remember for your overall safety that you can remind your group you are with, whether it be grown adults, teens, or children.
Review the swimming rules with your group before entering the water.
Understand where you are swimming. For example, is it mud, seaweed, and or rock bottom? This can all make a difference in how you are in the water. Are there any sudden drop-offs?
If have anxiety about swimming with children, I suggest you go to a life-guarded pool or beach.
A rule that we always use for our children, is you don’t touch or bother anyone while swimming. Find rules that work for your family and stick with them – make sure everyone is aware of water safety.
Everyone should always have a swimming buddy
Children should be supervised at all times if you need to use the washroom – either bring everyone with you or get them out of the water.
Listen to your body, if you get tired, make sure to take breaks. Keep well-fed and hydrated.
Do your research and know where you are swimming. I recently took my family to an inlet of the ocean that had a posting for “Swimmers Itch”, apparently this happens every summer in this specific spot. We chose to go elsewhere. If it is a new place you haven’t gone to, it’s best to know about the place you are going to.
Happy Swimming!
MaryAnna xo
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MaryAnna Robbins CSEP-CPT, OFC RHEP – Group Exercise, Resistance Trainer, Yoga Fitness, Pilates Mat Fitness
One month to go before the bell rings. Not to panic, there are still many long summer days to enjoy, but I want to give you my tips for sailing into back to school with a breeze.
Start doing your research – If there are items you really need to purchase for your children, start looking into them now. I find if you wait until the last minute there is the potential for low stock, or out of stock, or you pay full price. Check Facebook Marketplace and or thrift stores if you don’t mind buying it from someone. This is a great way to save.
Closet cleanout – before you do the back-to-school clothes shop check the closets. You don’t want to over-buy or buy items you really don’t need. Go through everything from shoes, coats, bags, tops, and pants and see what really needs to be purchased. Make sure to donate or recycle what you don’t need.
Food preparation – make a list of pantry items you will need, and stock up the freezer on loaves, muffins, and bars. Many of these items can be just fine for a few months in the freezer. Better to be prepared.
Check your route – if you are starting at a new school, do a test drive on a workday to see how much time you will need to get there.
Prepare those Kindergarteners – if you have a child starting school for the first time, I would suggest you start pretending like they are going to school in the morning about a week to two weeks before school begins. This helps them know what the morning routine will be like. Have them go to bed and wake up at the times you will want them to. Give them the appropriate time for breakfast, pack their bags, etc.
Here’s to a successful new school year. All the best.
MaryAnna xo
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MaryAnna Robbins CSEP-CPT, OFC RHEP – Group Exercise, Resistance Trainer, Yoga Fitness, Pilates Mat Fitness
Most of my days I am with children. I want them to explore life to its fullest capacity, but there seem to always be a few reminders we go over on the daily to keep each other safe. Here are my best tips to prevent injuries to children. Read More→
Not much rain in sight these days, what is heat stress? Heat stress is when your body’s cooling system can’t keep up with the heat, you end up dehydrated, and your temperature rises above 38 degrees Celsius. This is when heat-related illnesses can happen such as heat stroke, heat rash, and heat exhaustion. Read More→
The warm weather is upon us and it sure feels good to get outside.
Make sure to dress appropriately, stay hydrated, and protect yourself from the sun. Outdoor workouts can be a great way to enjoy the fresh air as well as save money. Some great places that I recommend to do your workouts in are backyards (depending on space), parks (use all the equipment, local track, and forest. If you prefer cardio over body weight exercises you can find many local trails or tracks to do walks and or runs at. To challenge yourself you can do intervals where once your warm-up is complete you can do three minutes at a moderate pace and one minute at a fast pace.
Body weight exercises that you can easily do without any equipment needed are: squats, walk squats, jump squats, walking lunges or stationary lunges, pushups on a park bench or off a wall, pullups on the monkey bars, step-ups work off park benches.
These are some great exercises that you can get started with. I recommend creating a little circuit, do about 15 reps (level dependent) and doing it two to three times through. Always make sure to stretch afterwards.
Also, don’t forget to check out your local community centre as many offer free outdoor classes and yoga in the park. If there is a fee it is usually minimal or by donation.
Don’t forget to always check with your doctor before taking on any exercise you haven’t tried before.
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MaryAnna Robbins CSEP-CPT, OFC RHEP – Group Exercise, Resistance Trainer, Yoga Fitness, Pilates Mat Fitness
Physical activity saves lives and dollars. Inactivity contributes to 1 in 10 premature deaths.
About 110,000 deaths could be prevented if adults increased moderate-to-vigorous physical activity by even 10 minutes per day.
The total costs of excessive sedentary behavior in Canada were $2.2 billion and $1.8 billion in 2021, representing 1.6% and 1.3% of the overall burden of illness costs, respectively. The two most expensive chronic diseases attributable to excessive sedentary behavior were cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. A 10% decrease in excessive sedentary behavior (from 87.7% to 77.7%) would save an estimated $219 million per year in medical costs.
Immediate Benefits of Physical Activity for Adults
A single bout of moderate-to vigorous physical activity provides immediate benefits for your health.
Long-Term Benefits of Physical Activity for Adults
Regular physical activity provides important health benefits for chronic disease prevention.
● Brain Health
– Reduces risks of developing dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease) and reduces risk of depression
● Heart Health
– Lowers risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes
● Cancer Prevention
– Lowers risk of eight cancers: bladder, breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, lung, and stomach
● Healthy Weight
– Reduces risk of weight gain
● Bone Strength
– Improves bone health
● Balance and Coordination
– Reduces risks of falls
● Improved immune function
● – Helps ward off viral illness
Benefits For Children:
● Academic Performance
– Improves attention and memory
● Brain Health
– Reduces risk of depression
● Muscular Fitness
– Builds strong muscles and endurance
● Heart and Lung Health
– Improves blood pressure and aerobic fitness
● Cardiometabolic Health
– Helps maintain normal blood sugar levels
● Long-term Health
– Reduces risk of several chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and obesity
● Bone Strength
– Strengthens bones
● Healthy Weight
– Helps regulate body weight and reduce body fat.
How do you successfully incorporate exercise into your routine?
1. Identify a physical activity you actually like. There are many ways to work out other than boring yourself senseless on a treadmill. Find a physical activity you can look forward to doing, like tennis, swimming, dancing, softball, or even vigorously playing the drums. You are far more likely to stick with an activity if you genuinely enjoy doing it.
2. Invest in improving your performance. Instead of settling for “getting some exercise,” focus on mastering an activity instead. Mastery goals, which psychologists define as goals that center on achieving new levels of competence, have consistently been shown to predict persistence across a wide range of domains. So hire a coach, enroll in a class, and buy yourself the right clothing and equipment. The additional financial investment will increase your level of commitment, while the steady gains in performance will help sustain your interest over the long term.
3. Become part of a group, not a collective. One recommendation aspiring gym-goers often receive is to find an exercise regimen that involves other people. It’s good advice. Socializing makes exercise more fun, which improves the chances that you’ll keep doing it. It’s also a lot harder to back out on a friend or a trainer than to persuade yourself that just one night off couldn’t hurt.
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Citations
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, July 14). Why should people be active? Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. Retrieved April 28, 2023, from
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/activepeoplehealthynation/why-should-people-be-active.html#:~:text=Inactivity%20co
ntributes%20to%201%20in,even%2010%20minutes%20per%20day.
As women, I believe we sometimes forget some important things that we need to do regularly. I know for many when you become a mother you put your needs to the side and forget about them. I feel that we need to take care of ourselves first so that we can take care of others. If you are finding it hard to take time for your health, wellness, and fitness goals. Here are a few tips that I suggest, work out in the morning, it feels so good to have it done. I personally do not like night workouts as I am done for the day. I feel like I have given most of the energy I have and the last thing I want to do is do a workout. Make sure you begin with breakfast, do not skip this meal. Drink lots of water, and ensure you are getting 7-8 hours of sleep.
Regular appointments, if you have good benefits or can put aside money for a massage, I really recommend this service. Massage relieves tension and stress and it is a good option for self-care. Yearly check-ups include your doctor, eye, and dentist (about two to three), and as you get older don’t forget mammograms and paps are every three years.
Other great tips to improve your health and wellness are to make sure you schedule time for yourself each day if you can. I like to read while my daughter has quiet time. On weekends my husband and I discuss what we both need as well as what we need to do together and as a family. This way we are ensuring we have met everyone’s needs as best as possible.
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MaryAnna Robbins CSEP-CPT, OFC RHEP – Group Exercise, Resistance Trainer, Yoga Fitness, Pilates Mat Fitness
We have been hearing it for years that we need to protect our environment, and that there are consequences if we don’t. Leading Canadian environmentalist, David Suzuki warned us in the 80s that we need to start doing things then, but not many listened. It is never too late to start, and I will give you some very easy ways to start. Read More→
Gas, groceries, rent, you name it, it seems like everything is going up in price. We need to be more creative with our money, find ways to save, and still have fun. Here are some ways to save a few dollars, but still have a fun and eventful Spring Break. Read More→
The month of March is Nutrition Month, I thought it would be a great time to educate on how we can add more vegetables and fruit into our daily meals and snacks. Read More→
Curtis Health Is Partnering With Kintec: Footwear + Orthotics
Kintec is offering all Curtis clients (including friends and family) expert shoe fitting to best suit your needs at a 15% discount on regular price footwear.
