Fit Fathers: Reimagining the Dad Bod
The third Sunday in June marks the day to celebrate fathers for all that they do and mean to us. Whether your dad worked tirelessly to provide for your family, or you are the one grinding it out to raise your own, I see you dads out there and I salute you. We also salute those who are going to be fathers, were once fathers, and the father figures in our lives! Originally coined in 2015 by then college student Mackenzie Pearson in internet media company known as The Odyssey, the Dad Bod has become a term of endearment [...]
How to Motivate Older Adults to Exercise
Regular exercise is one of the most important things older adults can do to maintain good health and independence. Yet, it is clear that as an aging population we are not getting the recommended amount of exercise to reap those benefits. As a registered physiotherapist, I need to know how to motivate older adults to exercise in a rehabilitation setting. I also try to encourage my clients to change their exercise behaviours long term and stay active as they age. To better understand why so many people, especially older adults, continue to avoid something that is so clearly beneficial, [...]
Foot Pain: Types, Causes and Physiotherapy Treatment
Our feet do so much for us. They take us places. They ground us. But we likely don’t think about them very much until they hurt. Foot pain is a common occurrence that left untreated can lead to permanent structural changes and disability. Injury, overuse or other conditions can cause inflammation to any of the areas of the foot. It is estimated that 75 percent of Canadians will experience foot problems of varying severity at one point in their life.[i] In this article, we explore the common types and causes of foot pain, discuss the effect of footwear on [...]
Exercise Programs to Connect Mind & Muscle After Brain Injury
Regular exercise can help people who have sustained a traumatic brain injury in many important ways. Studies have shown that regular physical activity — planned or unplanned — can help with improving emotional regulation, decreasing stress and anxiety, improving our relaxation response, decreasing perception of pain, improving symptoms of fatigue, and neurogenesis: the creation of new connections in the brain. Understanding what type of exercises to do and how to do it properly can sometimes be a challenge. However, the benefits of regular exercise far outweigh the costs and obstacles associated with it. In this blog, I outline the [...]
Physiotherapy Exam Cancellations Decrease Access to Physiotherapy Care
The Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators (CAPR)—the governing body that administers and oversees the national Physiotherapy Competency Exam (PCE)—recently made the news when it cancelled its online exam shortly after students began writing the exam due to significant technical difficulties. The PCE must be successfully completed by eligible candidates before applying for an independent licence to practice physiotherapy in Canada. This is the fourth time since the pandemic took hold in Canada in March 2020 that the CAPR has cancelled the PCE. This has left a group of would-be physiotherapists waiting to start their healthcare careers, a hiring shortage [...]
Personal Training for People with Disabilities or Limited Mobility
At Propel Physiotherapy, we take the same approach to personal training for people with disabilities or limited mobility as we do for any other client. By getting to know our clients and what is important to them, we can tailor personalized programs that help keep them motivated towards achieving their goals. My experience with exercise programming for special populations has taught me the importance of meaningful goal setting, not focusing too much on the numbers, and collaborating with other health professionals. Goal-Based Approach to Personal Training for People with Disabilities As a kinesiologist who works with clients with a [...]