It our pleasure to introduce to you our new Sales and Marketing Manager – Sue Conder
Sue is an experienced and successful fitness industry veteran with a mission and passion to inspire people to live stronger, healthier, more balanced lives no matter what their circumstances.
Sue is will fill this long-awaited position to reinforce our objectives to continue to grow and thrive through increase sales and revenue. Sue brings many of our values to the table as a positive, solutions-oriented team player, innovative thinker & problem solver, relationship builder, visionary leader and experienced manager.
Sue’s work background and extensive experience in fitness and wellness includes time at the Jewish Community Centre as aMember & Guest Services Supervisor, UPnGO with ParticipACTION BC Implementation Specialist, president of her own fitness and wellness company, “Sue Condor Yoga and Wellness”, as a health and wellness consultant for TriFit Inc, plus a significant amount of volunteer work and many more service related offerings.
Sue is a CanFit PRO Trainer, Yoga instructor, Fitness and Nutrition Specialist, Fitness Leadership & Recreation Diploma 1997 from Simon Fraser University and an associate Science Degree 1991-1995 from Capilano University plus many other related certificates.
Please join me in welcoming Sue to our family and we looking forward to our continued leading customer service and growth with yourselves and Sue!
Movements occur as a result of many muscles working together. Thus, it makes sense to train movement patterns and not muscles. Movement pattern If we were to only focus on our “problem areas” we would create instability and ultimately injure ourselves because some muscles would become more developed than others.
Movement pattern training, also called functional training, has many benefits including enhanced coordination and balance. It helps to prevent injuries by ensuring that our workout plans are balanced and makes us focus on all major muscle development. This in turn helps with muscle and strength gains over time.
Movement pattern training are multiple-joint movements and include such actions as squatting, lunging, pushing and pulling, which are the most common movement patterns you engage in throughout your day. The following section describes the most common movements typically used along with exercises that fit these patterns.
Push
Pushing patterns focus on pushing weight away from your body which can either result in a horizontal push or a vertical push. A horizontal push is pushing weight away from you horizontally, such as a dumbbell chest press, and typically emphasizes the chest muscles, shoulders and triceps. A vertical push, which is pushing weight away from you vertically, such as dumbbell shoulder press, tends to put the emphasis on your shoulder muscles.
Exercise examples: pushups, barbell shoulder press, dumbbell incline press, military press, and dumbbell chest press
Pull
Pulling motion, which is the opposite of pushing pattern, focuses on bringing the weight in towards you and usually engages your back muscles. There are two types of pulling movements: a vertical pull and a horizontal pull. An example of a vertical pull is a pull-up, which is a very effective exercise for developing your back muscles, and also engages your shoulders, biceps, and even your core. A single arm dumbbell row is an example of a horizontal pulling motion.
Exercise Examples: Pull ups, dumbbell row, seated row, bent over row
Squat
We use squats often in our daily lives such as squatting in and out of a chair. A squat is a movement pattern where both your feet are planted on the ground, chest is up, lower back is straight and you bend your legs to lower your body down. The movement is primarily happening at your hips and knees and a basic squat is a knee-dominant pattern that requires coordination of your knees, hips and ankles with a relatively upright spine to perform the movement correctly. The most common reason why people have trouble squatting is because of tight hip flexors or tight calves.
Exercise Examples: Barbell squats, front squats
Lunges
A lunge is single leg exercise movement that requires one leg to step forward and bend while the other leg remains relatively stationary. A lunge is any time you have a split stance in your movement and occurs even when we do basic movements like walking or running. A lunge requires balance, strength and flexibility. It is a dynamic exercise because you can lunge in any direction with both legs forward, backwards and sideways. To add resistance you can hold dumbbells, barbells or even sandbag on one shoulder to engage the core to a greater degree.
Hope you enjoy the read and try incorporating movement patterns into your workout routines! Contact personaltraining@curtishealth.com to see how a Curtis Health trainer can help you incorporate movement patterns into your routine.
Men’s Health Month is a time to remember the love and appreciation we have for our fathers, brothers, sons, husbands, uncles, nephews, male cousins and friends and how small lifestyle and dietary changes can have an enormous positive impact on their health.
A 2018 study from the CMHF found that 72% of men ages 19-94 years old live an unhealthy lifestyle!
The 5 key health behaviors that require adjusting in order to help prevent chronic disease were listed as:
Diet
Sleep
Exercise
Smoking
Alcohol
Making changes is difficult, especially when trying to balance work and family life. In order for a change to be successfully implemented begin by breaking down your goals into small manageable steps.
1. Eat a healthy breakfast. (recipes below)
Breakfast will fuel you for your morning and balance your blood sugar from the night before fast. A quality protein breakfast along with fruit will satiate you and prevent poor mid-morning snack choices.
Quick easy homemade choices could be overnight oats with almonds, a smoothie with protein and vegetables, egg cups or whole grain toast with avocado or nut butters.
2. Sleep
Sleep heals the body from the stress and free radical damage it has experienced during the day. 7-9 hours of quality sleep is recommended. A bedtime ritual is important to prepare the body and mind for the night’s sleep.
Turn off screens 1 hour prior to bed.
Avoid late night eating so the digestive system can also recovery during the night.
Mind dumb before turning out the lights so your mind is free off clutter
A calming tea or meditation will help prepare the body for rest
Remember the bedroom should be for sleep and intimacy only!
3. Exercise
Exercise a minimal of 150 minutes a week. That’s 30 minutes of moderate – strenuous activity 5x week. Get creative. Swim, bike, hike, run, tennis, pickleball, find an activity you enjoy and “Just do it!” Early mornings, during your lunch hour, while the kids are at soccer practice, while dinner is cooking, with the family after dinner. Ensure exercise is a part of your weekly routine.
4. Smoking
Inquire about smoking cessation programs. Acupuncture, Cognitive Behavior Programs.
5. Alcohol
Alcohol is often used to ‘wind down’ at the end of your day. Instead of pouring that beer or glass of wine get outside and enjoy nature, find a hobby, join a team sport. Try having a minimal of 2 alcohol free days a week.
Check out the website http://hattrick.ok.ubc.ca/ An interdisciplinary research team based out of the UBC Okanogan campus dedicated in building effective, fun and evidence-based health interventions for men. Their website contains great tips for physical activity, healthy eating and mental fitness.
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Breakfast Smoothie: Make and travel in a mason jar. Don’t forget your reusable glass or metal straw
Base: Filtered water, coconut water, tart cherry juice, almond milk
Hemp hearts, chia seeds, flax seeds
Protein – yoghurt, protein powder
½ – ¼ avocado
Mixed berries
Spinach or kale
½ frozen banana
Cucumber or celery (optional)
Ginger, turmeric (optional)
Overnight Oats: Make in a mason jar
½ cup plain old fashion oats or steel cut oats/
½ cup milk of choice (cow, coconut, almond, soy, cashew, oat, hemp)
1Tbs chai seeds &/ or hemp hearts, ground flax, sliced almonds
additional ingredient options: fresh fruits, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, nut butters
spices (cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg)
Other options- plain yoghurt, vanilla, maple syrup or raw honey
Let sit overnight. Can eat cold or heat up.
Homemade Egg Muffins: Can be made the night before and reheated or eaten cold. Will keep for a few days in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 375F
6 large eggs
¼ cup milk (optional)
1 medium red bell pepper
¾ cup chopped Spinach
Dash pepper and sea salt
Add other ingredients as preference
Mix together and divide into oiled muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes
You hear the words all the time. Free radicals, oxidative stress, disease. What exactly does it all mean and what can I do to combat it?
Oxidative Stress:
The body’s inability to counteract the harmful effects of free radicals in the body. An imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body’s ability to counteract or detoxify their harmful effects, thus contributing to cellular damage. Oxidative stress is thought to play a role in many diseases and neurodegenerative disorders.
So, what are free radicals then?
Free Radicals:
The free radicals we are speaking of are oxygen containing molecules that contains one or more unpaired electrons, making them unstable and highly reactive. These unstable oxygen molecules interact with other cell components and steal their electrons in order to become stable. This situation sets off a chain reaction of the now unstable cell component molecule to stealing an electron from another molecule. Free radicals typically alter lipids, proteins and DNA, damaging the cells and contributing to many diseases.
What generates free radicals?
Free radicals are natural by-products from chemical reactions in the cells. Contributing factors are refined processed foods, pollutants in the air, alcohol, tobacco smoke and pesticides.
How can we fight back against these free radicals?
Antioxidants:
Antioxidants keep free radicals in check. Antioxidants are molecules that prevent free radicals from stealing molecules and causing damage by giving an electron to a free radical without destabilizing itself. That’s pretty cool! Antioxidants neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative stress in the body. Just like fibre helps to clean up waste from the intestines, antioxidants clean up free radical waste from the cells!
Best Sources of antioxidants:
Think bright colored fruits and vegetables along with raw nuts and seeds. These foods help build up immunity and decrease inflammation caused by free radical damage.
Sweet cherries, raspberries, cranberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, pecans, walnuts, prunes, green tea, red and green peppers, brussel sprouts, tomatoes, raw nuts and seeds are foods high in antioxidants. Other important vitamins, minerals, carotenoids and flavonoids that support our immune system and help combat free radical damage are vitamins A, C, E, selenium, quercetin, lycopene and beta carotene.
Below is a limited list of good sources of each of the above; however, eating a variety of brightly colored fruits and vegetables, along with regular exercise, quality sleep and stress coping tools are all key to a healthier you!
In a recent study, psychologists from Duke University compared the antidepressant effects of aerobic exercise training to the popular antidepressant medicine sertraline, as well as a placebo sugar pill. They randomized depressed patients to one of the interventions and found that after four months about 40 percent of the subjects were no longer depressed. Those who exercised or received the medicine had higher and comparable response rates, but they were only slightly better than the placebo group. Those who exercised at a moderate level – about 40 minutes three to five days each week – experienced the greatest antidepressant effect. So they interpreted that to mean that exercise was just as good as medicine. And in that particular study, the high placebo response meant that nonspecific influences like patient expectations and the attention from the study personnel during monitoring visits may have caused the therapeutic response. (www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/brain-bootcamp/201009/can-exercise-cure-depression)
So, why does exercise work?
Exercise not only increases blood flow to the brain, it also releases endorphins (the “happy” hormone). Exercise stimulates neurotransmitters like serotonin, which can also improve mood. Furthermore, doing something good for your body can help increase self-esteem. It can be hard to do a workout, but most people feel better afterwards. Exercise can help to improve sleep quality, which can also help improve your overall mood.
Some tips to increase motivation:
Get your gear together so you’re ready to go. Pack a bag and put it in your car so you can head to the gym right after work. Or have it all ready to go first thing in the morning, so you can get your workout done right away.
Make an appointment with yourself and KEEP IT. Schedule it into your day when you are more likely to follow through. If you’re not a morning person, plan for after work or during your lunch break.
Find a workout partner. People who work out with a partner are much more likely to stick with their program.
Don’t overdo it! Go easy to start, and increase your intensity as you feel comfortable. If you do too much too fast, you might get discouraged.
Make sure it’s something you enjoy. A workout is always better if you look forward to doing it!
Ultimately, exercise is beneficial, no matter what the reasons. Why not give it a try, and see how much better it makes you feel? What have you got to lose?
With warmer weather finally upon us, it is natural to think about changing our diet to be in harmony with the new season. This is a natural change that both our mind and body desires. Do you ever wonder why you crave salads all summer long and warm comfort food in the winter?
Our bodies are influenced by the different climates and for optimal health we should live in congruency with those changing seasons.
Seasonal eating means eating foods that are available and locally grown.
Some benefits to seasonal eating are:
It keeps us attune to the earth and the cycles of nature
It is more economical
Cleaner foods because less preservatives are required when foods are not stored
More nutritionally dense
More variety in your diet (offering more support for good gut health)
Less impact on the environment (shipping, preservation)
Supports local farmers
Opportunity to grow your own food
Education for children with a vegetable garden
Provides the right type of fuel to protect and support us for that specific season
Spring: Purification, rejuvenation
Cleansing or fasting can be done in this season. Just like cleaning and purging those closets, your body is ready for purging. Chlorophyll rich green foods are great cleansers. Consume an abundance of leafy greens including beet tops, swiss chard, kale and collards. Add herbs such as parsley, dill and cilantro to meals. Increase your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, sprouted seeds and beans.
Summer: Growth, activity
A lighter fresh diet, high in water foods, is required in hotter weather. Continue with the local fruits and vegetables, including the abundance of local berries available. Include juicy fruits such as melons and citrus with high water content in your diet (may not all be local but find the ones that have travelled the shortest distance). Decrease cooked foods and increase raw salads. Decrease heavy proteins and fats and incorporate more fish and lighter oils. Iced herbal teas infused with berries, citrus or cucumbers will help you consume more water.
Autumn: Harvest, nourishing
As weather cools our bodies require more cooked foods and slightly heavier proteins and fats. Harder fruits such as apples and pears should be consumed along with root vegetables. Other harvest foods would include whole grains, raw seeds and nuts.
Winter: Warming, rebuilding
In the colder temperatures we often need more fuel to generate more energy. This comes in the form of richer, denser foods. A little weight gain may even be normal during these months. Our bodies require complex carbohydrate from whole grains, squashes, potatoes, sweet potatoes and root vegetables. Meat and poultry are usually consumed more as crock pots, stews and soups are made.
Seasonal eating not only fuels your body but nourishes your mind, energy and spirit. It provides the right type of fuel as our cyclical rhythm and needs change.
Embrace the new season with a trip to a local Farmers Market or start planting your own garden for an abundance of fresh, local vegetables throughout the spring, summer and fall!
My name is Charles Curtis, founder and President of Curtis Health. For more than 30 years I have been reading, consulting, discussing and writing on the ever increasing costs of poor health in the workplace and improving workplace well-being.
We know that costs associated with employee health continue to rise regardless of the overwhelming evidence of the positive return on investment (ROI) from effective workplace wellness programs.
So how can we determine what programs result in the positive outcome companies now must strive for?
A 2011 Sun Life-Ivey Business School study, Canadian Wellness Return on Investment Study, identified the five best practices to support optimal wellness strategy, design and implementation as:
Leadership by example from senior and middle management creates a healthy culture.
Policies and practices that reflect a culture of health and a commitment to a healthy workplace.
Communication is critical. Employees must understand the employer’s commitment to employee health and wellness offering.
Targeted programs to identify top health risks.
Evaluate outcomes for analysis and benchmarks.
Leadership
Over the past 30 years, some organizations I’ve worked with exist through a philosophy of wellness for everything they do. Starting from the top, leadership believed that organized wellness activities were to be woven into the fabric of the company. The result was continuous growth, positive energy, pride and better outcomes resulting in organization wide cost savings while allowing the wellness budget to continually grow.
Contrary to this winning approach, I have seen cases where a very small budget was given to outfit fitness centres and see how the attendance would be before any more funds were injected into the program. This “build it and they will come” philosophy without strong leadership or investment usually results in little engagement, accountability and ownership of the program. Simply put, a fitness centre, the odd education communication, a weekly class and workshops as a “wellness program” does not result in positive changes in the workplace.
Policies and Practices
A strong business case with solid policies and practices is a must in order to sustain a wellness program over time. The strongest programs have a team of dedicated employees supported by leadership and an outside expert to help guide them through the pitfalls of a start up or refresh. Forming a committee to establish guidelines sets the tone for a strong program. The key to this is having a solid plan and committee members that are committed to the program, the company and the people. Without a dedicated group willing to work hard and support the policies it is an uphill battle.
Communication
The best programs have the strongest methods of communications. If the communication system is not effective then it doesn’t matter if you have the greatest programs available.
One example of this I have seen, had a middle management who believed in the program but there was little budget to promote the services. That created a situation where the organization had little “skin in the game” and left the program and sign ups to the employees without financial support, leadership or ownership. That was not a sustainable model. Opposite to that, I have seen programs that have a strong web presence, communication policy and plans. Consistent messages and programs are promoted well in advance throughout the locations and levels of organization, and supported by champions spreading the good word. Again, the more the investment and programs are communicated effectively, the better the returns.
Targeted Programs
Using passive forms of communication alone, such as educational handouts on fitness, health and wellness, does not achieve a positive return on investment. Behavioral health interventions will provide a much better result, establishing a winning plan for reducing those costly areas of concern and enabling the employee population of your company to flourish.
In my experience, using a health risk identification process and interest survey as a program launching point will ensure all data and health trends are collected from the beginning. This data is paramount in identifying and targeting the key areas of risk and interest in order to establish the most effective services and programs and maintain program accountability.
Evaluation
As a follow up to the risk identification process, it is suggested organizations develop a comparative feedback measurement to evaluate program success and establish accountability. The most successful programs are under constant scrutiny and evaluation. Evaluation can come in many forms: participation levels, participation feedback, pre and post test results and financial cost benefits just to name a few. This process motivates the organization to keep on top of the program and make adjustments as needed in a timely matter.
Charles Curtis is President of Curtis Personalized Health Management and owner and General Manager of 12 Weeks to Wellness: Premier services in providing fitness, health, wellness and coaching programs to individuals and organizations since 1985.
Good Cardiovascular health requires good circulation as blood carries oxygen and other essential nutrients to the body cells while removing cellular waste and toxins. In order to effectively do this your blood vessels, need to be strong, flexible (relax and contract) and free of blocking debris.
Cholesterol often gets blamed for poor CV health however recent research is finding that inflammation and diets high in refined carbohydrates and sugars are major contributing factors to poor CV health.
Cholesterol is essential for life. It is present in every cell in the body and is crucial for:
Strengthening cell walls
Aiding in the exchange of nutrients and waste across cell membranes
Maintaining the myelin sheath in central nervous system
The production of cortisol and reproductive hormones
The production of bile for the breakdown of fats
The production of vitamin D from UVB sun rays.
Lipoproteins carry cholesterol through the blood stream. Low density lipoproteins (LDL) carry cholesterol from the liver to the blood stream while high density lipoproteins (HDL) moves cholesterol from the blood stream back to the liver.
LDL particles, which are often referred to as ‘bad cholesterol’, come in two sizes, large and small. It is the small dense LDL that are most damaging if left in the arteries and can contribute to arterial disease. Balance of the HDL and LDL is important to limit any buildup of blood cholesterol in the blood stream.
Exercise directly impacts lipoprotein metabolism by increasing HDL and decreasing the small dense LDL and triglycerides. (Triglycerides are part of small dense LDL process)
This positive change from exercise is not permanent though and therefore exercise must be repeated on a regular basis. The frequency and duration of exercise is more important than intensity when it comes to balancing cholesterol levels.
Diet is important in maintaining good CV health as it can effectively decrease small dense LDL particles. Recommendations for healthy cholesterol levels include:
Consume high fibre foods, found in vegetables, fruit, legumes and whole grains. Fibre can act like a sponge and remove cholesterol from the gut.
Eat Vitamin C foods (berries, cantaloupe, kiwi, mangos) as vitamin C decreases LDL and increases the strength and compliance of blood vessels.
Ensure good gut flora. Healthy microbiomes assist in decreasing LDL levels. Eating fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha can support healthy gut flora.
Consume copious amounts of garlic, onions, celery, raw walnuts and almonds. These foods decrease LDL and triglycerides and increase HDL.
Eat a variety of colorful fresh fruits and vegetables for a high intake of antioxidants. Antioxidants help the body detoxify damaging free radicals
Increase consumption of dark leafy greens
Drink lots of filtered water
Reduce the intake of refined carbohydrates and sugars. These foods increase blood sugar levels and contribute to the liver converting the extra blood glucose to cholesterol and triglycerides. They also contribute to overall inflammation in the body.
Avoid all trans fats – hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats. These are found in most processed foods.
Replace coffee with green tea as green tea decreases LDL. Green tea does still contain some caffeine so be cautious of intake.
Consume moderate amounts of healthy fats such as olive oil, avocado oil, sesame oil and grapeseed oil.
Avoid processed foods as they are high in refined carbohydrates, sugar and unhealthy fats. All of which contribute to high LDL levels.
Stress hormones increase blood glucose levels and therefore contribute to inflammation and increased LDL and triglycerides. Managing stress can have a direct effect on decreasing LDL levels.
Laugh often!! Laughter dilates small blood vessels which can improve circulation! J
Curtis Health, a Vancouver-based workplace health and wellness provider, has been named one of Canada’s top wellness companies by CoreHealth Technologies, a wellness technology vendor.
“As a leader in individual and Corporate Health and Wellness since 1985, we have built a foundation of creative programming, unprecedented service and proven, effective health promotion and wellness solutions. These services include a full scope of individual and corporate fitness, health and wellness services, fitness facility management, space planning and operations,” says President, Charles Curtis.
Curtis Health, and its partner 12 Weeks to Wellness, provide shared wellness and health coaching services to a variety of industries and organizations including technology, gaming, government, utilities, manufacturing and transportation as well as Employee Assistance Providers and property development / business park fitness facility management. Curtis Health currently provides these corporate health and wellness services to over 12 companies and multiple properties, office towers business parks onsite, encompassing more than 28 fitness centers.
“We are very proud of our accomplishments and how effective we are in making a positive, notable difference in the well-being and health or our clients and their employees. We are committed to evolving our workplace wellness programs to meet the unique needs of each of our clients,” says Curtis.
It’s January, the time of year when people start asking you, “So, what are your resolutions for 2019?”. Ugggg!
You know the statistics; By the 2nd week in January most resolutions have been broken, by February the gym is quiet again and by March most people can’t even remember what their resolutions were.
January can be a great time to reflect on what’s important to you, and where you would like to make some changes. It should be a positive experience with enthusiasm for the outcome.
Goal setting is about aiming for success, not setting yourself up for failure.
Weather it is to learn a new activity, travel more, volunteer, lose some body fat, gain some muscle mass, add yoga to your routine, breath more, eat more whole foods, add more leafy greens to your day, decrease your sugar intake, drink one less coffee a day, be mindful when eating, cut down on alcohol consumption, discover better stress coping mechanisms or smile more often, all goals should be based on the S.M.A.R.T. principle
Specific – Be specific, goals should be clear and distinct. Write them down.
Measurable – How will you know when you have been successful? What is the criteria?
Attainable /achievable – Set yourself up for success. Be realistic with what you can achieve.
Realistic and relevant to you and your life. Are you able to commit to the goal?
Timely or time based – Each goal should have a completion date or timeline.
Remember SMALL changes can make HUGE differences.
Give the goal(s) some thought. Is it really important to you? How will it make a difference in your life? Write it down and then edit it.
Plan:
If you are eliminating something from your diet or lifestyle, what healthier choice could you replace it with?
If you are starting something new where do you see it fitting into your schedule?
Should you hire a professional in that field to support and guide you?
When do you expect to feel/see the benefits?
Can you afford it? Can you afford not to do it?
Making S.M.A.R.T. goals adds motivation, gives you direction, organization and a timeline.
Set yourself up for success in 2019!!
Happy planning and remember the Curtis Health Team is here to assist you. Be accountable to a Curtis Health Team member and we will cheer you on!
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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.
It our pleasure to introduce to you our new Sales and Marketing Manager – Sue Conder
