When 71-year-old Ray Fougnier was in his late teens and early 20s, he dreamed of competing internationally in weightlifting, specifically in the Olympics. Then work, marriage and a family took over as top priorities. Little did Fougnier know that a half-century later, he would get to see his vision for international competition come true—he will be competing at the 2014 International Powerlifting … [Read more...]
I was born with what one physician noted in his doctor notes as “grossly flat feet.” While they aren’t the prettiest feet in the world, I believe what my doctor meant by “grossly” was that I had completely flat footsies, with no hint of an arch at all. What this really meant for me was years of shin splints, as well as foot, knee and, sometimes, even lower back pain, when standing or running … [Read more...]
Src: Flickr Creative Commons/Don Hankins "iPod Yoga Stretch"If you're at all like me, the music you listen to while you exercise can make or break your workout. If music is too mellow while you're trying to race for time, your pace can start to drag. If tunes are too uptempo while you are moving through a yoga flow, you may find it difficult to keep your breath and heart rate slow and even, making … [Read more...]
On Wednesday, the American Heart Association (AHA) sponsored National Walk to Work Day to encourage sedentary workers to unhitch themselves from their desks and get their heart pumping by walking at least a half hour of their day, whether it was part of their commute, during their lunch hour or after the work day. Yet the health benefits of walking extend long beyond April 4. The results of … [Read more...]
by Renée Canada With the promise of a new year and a fresh start, many are ringing in 2012 with a list of resolutions and grand expectations for the upcoming year. Some of my friends are committed to heading back to the gym on a regular basis, getting out of credit card debt, quitting smoking, going gluten-free, quitting their full-time job to start their own business, or losing those extra 15 … [Read more...]
by Renée Canada We are more than overdue for a change in modern Western medicine. Rather than just focusing on the use of pills to block or slow the symptoms that signal disease, we need to start looking at the root causes of disease. This requires a total revolution in the Western model of medicine. It is time we learn from our neighbors in the East and not just focus on the body, but also the … [Read more...]