Category: Wellness

By Kristy Whyte, MOVATI Holistic Nutritionist (RHN) 

The body repairs and rejuvenates between the hours of 11pm and 3am. During this period, the body gets its deepest and most restorative sleep.  Ensuring that you are getting sufficient shut eye during this time frame will help you stay healthy and functioning optimally.  

Melatonin – a hormone naturally released by the pineal gland in the brain that helps to regulate your 24 hour sleep-wake cycle aka your circadian rhythm.  The release of melatonin is triggered by darkness and gradually rises signalling the body to prepare for sleep.  Once melatonin is released into the bloodstream, physiological changes occur such as decreased body temperature and respiration rate along with drowsiness.  

Melatonin production also correlates with the secretion of Human Growth Hormone that is released during sleep which affects the repair and rejuvenation of your cells and organs.  Therefore, it is essential that melatonin production is optimized if we want to maintain our youthful glow and vigour.  

Taking a melatonin supplement for a brief period to help you regulate your sleep cycle may be necessary during times of high stress when your cycle has been affected or for shift workers on their off days.  Note – this should not be used as a long term solution where your body becomes reliant upon the external source of melatonin to be able to sleep.  

Magnesium – a natural relaxant and sleep aid.  Food sources of magnesium include chlorophyll rich foods (green leafy vegetables), sea vegetables, seafood, meats, nuts, seeds, legumes (including tofu), avocado, and dried apricot.  You may also choose to supplement with magnesium glycinate.  

Looking to improve your sleep? Try some of the following strategies: 

GET TO BED. Aim to get to bed before 11am; this is the period during which the body gets the deepest and most restorative sleep. Preparing for bed at least one hour before is a good habit to create, as this will start the process of melatonin elevation, allowing the body time to unwind for sleep.  Ideally you need at least 6-8 hours of sleep each night to allow your body to fully restore.  

SHUT DOWN ELECTRONICS. Turn off all artificial lights at least 1 hour or more before you plan to go to sleep.  Artificial sources of light will negatively affect the amount of melatonin being produced.  Streetlights, televisions, phones, computers, even the small amount of light from an alarm clock can have a detrimental effect on your ability to sleep.  Use a soft lightbulb to read, relax, or meditate.  

CREATE A COMFORTABLE SLEEP ENVIRONMENT. If you want to have a good sleep, it helps to create a comfortable sleep environment. Make sure that you have a supportive mattress and fresh, comfortable bedding. Also, try to ensure that your room is not too hot or cold, minimize noise, and block out light. 

RELAX. Try doing something to relax your body and mind before going to bed. Try taking a hot bath 90 minutes before you plan to go to bed or try a relaxation exercise such as progressive muscle relaxation or calm breathing, meditation, or listening to calming music. 

HAVE A SNACK. Although a heavy meal late in the evening can disrupt sleep, a healthy light snack in the evening can improve sleep. Try eating a piece of cheese and a few crackers, turkey slices, or an apple and natural peanut butter.  A little bit of healthy fat will have a calming effect on your brain and body.  Avoid heavy, spicy, or sugary foods. 

GET PHYSICAL. People who exercise tend to have more restful sleep. Exercising for at least 30 minutes three to four times a week can improve your sleep. So, get moving! Go for a walk or a run.  Keep in mind however that exercising less than two hours before bedtime can interfere with sleep. 

GET SOME NATURAL LIGHT. Try to spend some time outdoors or in natural light every day. Getting some sunlight early in the day can be helpful for setting your body’s natural wake and sleep cycle

CREATE A BEDTIME ROUTINE. Having a bedtime routine cues your body that it’s time to sleep. So, establish a set routine that you follow every night. For example, have a hot bath, put on your pajamas, brush your teeth, and then listen to soft music and read on the couch until you start to feel sleepy and then go to bed. 

ESTABLISH A WAKE-UP TIME. Try waking up at the same time every day (even on weekends) no matter how well or how poorly you have slept. This way your body will begin to get used to a regular sleep rhythm. 

JUST FOR SLEEPING. Your bed should be used strictly for sleeping (sex is the only exception and can help you sleep like a baby!). Try to avoid reading, watching television, working, or studying in bed, these activities keep your mind active, which gets in the way of sleep. 

GET OUT OF BED. If you can’t fall asleep after 20 to 30 minutes, get out of bed and do something boring (e.g., read the manual on how to program your clock radio, or try relaxing (e.g., meditate, listen to calm music, have a warm herbal tea). When you start to feel sleepy, try going back to bed. This strategy can feel like you are making things worse, but if you stick with it, it can really help. 

PUT YOUR WORRIES BEHIND YOU. Leave your worries about work, school, health, relationships, etc. out of the bedroom. Try scheduling a “worry time” earlier in the evening to deal with your stressors. If you wake up in the middle of the night worrying, try writing down your worries and tell yourself that you will address them in the morning. Worrying about not sleeping doesn’t help – it just makes it more likely that you won’t sleep. Let go of your belief that you have to get eight hours of sleep, or you can’t function. Stop looking at the clock and stop trying to make yourself fall sleep. It will happen when it happens. 

AVOID CAFFEINE AND ALCOHOL.  Avoid consuming caffeine at least six hours before bedtime. This includes coffee, some teas, soft drinks, and chocolate. Caffeine is a stimulant, and it can keep you awake.  Although you may think that alcohol will help you fall asleep, it interferes with sleep later in the evening as your blood glucose levels drop.  Try to avoid consuming alcohol at least four hours before bed. 

Interested in learning more about how to optimize your sleep and nutrition? Speak with your MOVATI Holistic Nutritionist today and schedule a complimentary 30min coaching call. Email Kristy Whyte for more information – kwhyte@movatiprod.redpiston.com 

MOVATI is excited to welcome Nicole Colman as an addition to our growing Nutrition program! As a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and with over 10 years of experience in the fitness and personal training industries, Nicole holds in-depth knowledge of women’s health and stress management, as well as nutrition focused towards mental health, anti-inflammatory, weight-loss, muscle-gain, anti-aging and improved sleep. 

Learn more about Nicole and her role with MOVATI Nutrition below!

Q: What makes you passionate about nutrition?

A: “I started in nutrition as a means to help my personal training clients. They asked valuable questions that I was unable to provide answers to as it was beyond my scope of practice.  As a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, I can now answer those questions and more!  I am passionate about nutrition because it is such an integral part of our lives that is often taken for granted.  We need to begin to look at what we put into our bodies and how it can make a huge difference towards a life of health.”  

Q: What is your favourite part of your role with MOVATI?

A: “The members! It is great fun to meet all these new faces, especially now that I work virtually and I can connect with members throughout Ontario and in Edmonton.  To be able to make a difference in someone’s life, be their cheerleader and support them as they make progress is my favourite part.”

Q: How have you seen nutrition make a difference in your clients’ lives? 

A: “I have seen many clients gain confidence and find the inner strength to make big changes.   I think the best part, though, is watching my clients educate themselves and change their own lives – they learn to make good nutritional choices that allow them to feel good and enjoy their lives.  I’ve seen people come off medications that their doctor has told them they would be on forever; simply by taking control of their nutrition.  It is very humbling to be a part of.”

Q: What are the benefits of having a Nutritionist/Nutrition Strategy as part of your overall wellness plan?

A: “We provide you with a strategy that is personalized for YOU. There is so much conflicting information on the internet and social media. What works for your best friend might not be the best approach for you and any health issues you may have.  We can identify the best strategy for your body and lifestyle, educate you on how and what to eat, as well as support you and encourage you on your journey.  We not only discuss nutrition, but also factors that influence and impact your nutrition such as stress, sleep and exercise.  Our approach is very comprehensive and tailored to suit you.” 

Q: Why do you think someone should give MOVATI Nutrition a try?

A: “I think people will be very pleased with how they learn to take control of their lives.  Not only can MOVATI Nutrition help with weight loss or muscle gain, our purpose is also to education and provide knowledge so that each member can learn how to be in charge of their journey. It’s an affordable and supportive way to start making steps towards the change someone has been dreaming of.”

Maintaining a healthy life in this crazy, busy and rapid world we are living in is a must. To maintain that we need to increase self-awareness by spending more quality and present moments discovering who we are. We need to be present with experience to avoid letting our minds to jump into judging and comparing. Keeping in mind that judgement, comparison and jealousy are the enemy of joy and all of us deserves to be happy. We can’t drive by looking at the back mirror, so let go of the past and look through your windshield because by doing that you will shape your past and determine your future.

Meditation is a key element in maintaining a healthy life, that focuses on training awareness, attention, and compassion. There are multiple types of Meditation, below are few examples:

• Mindfulness Meditation
• Focused Meditation
• Mantra Meditation
• Visualization Meditation
• Movement Meditation

There is no one size that fits all of us, so try different types of meditation till you find the one that serves your body and mind. Once you start practicing, please do that with compassion and love and remember success is a journey and not a destination. So, there is no magic button in our journey, we are going to go through ups and downs. We need to embrace both and more the downs because those are the gifted moments where we need to step out from our comfort zone to uncover potentials in us that we weren’t even aware of majority of the time. “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars”

Anger and stress won’t help you, yet they will drain your energy. We need to let go of all the conditioning/mental images we carry with us that won’t serve us anymore. To grow up means that we are able to look at what we could only look through before not only that but also, we need to walk away from interpretation and embrace more facts. “When was the last time we updated our operating system?” Ask yourself and if it has been long time then it’s the time to do so.

Last but not least, continue believing in yourself and in your capabilities nothing is impossible. Be like the birds flying from one branch to another without caring if the branches breaks simply because they believe in their wings. So, believe in your wings and remember the 3C’s Commitment, Consistency and Courage, if you have those three C’s then you are on the right journey and defiantly you will enjoy every step to come to your destination. Once you come to the peak of the mountain celebrate the outcome and look up and ……………

Keep your heart healthy with exercise! The Heart and Stroke Foundation recommends “adults should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, in bouts of 10 minutes or more. The activity doesn’t have to be non-stop, such as an aerobics class. You can do 10 minutes or more at a time throughout the day to reach your daily total.”

Benefits of Exercise on the Heart

There is no limit to the benefits of exercise on the health of your heart, but we’ve highlighted a few key ones…

• Exercise decreases your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. 

• Exercise helps to lower your blood pressure and improve your blood flow. 

• Being physically active is known to help lower your cholesterol. 

• Incorporating exercise into your life will help promote other heart-healthy habits. 

• Exercise reduces the incidence of heart arrhythmia, like atrial fibrillation.

• Regular exercise helps improve your overall aerobic performance.

Best Exercises for Heart Health

Like all muscles, the heart needs a good workout too! A combination of aerobic exercise and strength training is what’s best for improving the health of your heart. 

Aerobic exercise is anything that gets your heart beating faster and you breathing faster. Physical activity such as walking, running, swimming, playing soccer, or taking part in a group fitness class are all examples of aerobic exercise. 

If you’re new to exercise, don’t worry! Any aerobic activity that gets you breathing faster is giving your heart a workout – so even just going for a walk is great for heart health! Start your day with a morning walk, take a stroll on your lunch break, opt for the stairs over the elevator or park farther away at stores. Even small bouts of aerobic exercise are great for your heart! 

Tip: Finding aerobic activities you enjoy and adding some variety is a great way to keep your workouts fun plus you’re more likely to stick with it. 

Don’t forget about weight training! Weight training is just as important as aerobic activity when it comes to heart health. Strengthening the other muscles in your body has benefits for you heart because it builds muscle mass and burns fat! Short on time or can’t make it to the gym? Use your own body weight for an effective weight training session. Push-ups, sit-ups and squats are fantastic muscle building exercises that you can do anywhere!  

Whether you take part in a cycle class three times a week, go hiking with a friend, or start your day with yoga, regular exercise is so important for taking care of your heart. 

*Remember, always speak to your doctor before beginning an exercise program.

We all know that we need sleep but how much do we actually require and what can we do to ensure we are getting the best quality of sleep each night. 

Why is Sleep So Important? 

Sleep enhances our ability to learn, memorize, and make logical decisions. It recalibrates our emotions, restocks our immune system, fine-tunes our metabolism, and regulates our appetite. 

Some of the benefits of sleep include;

• Lowers blood pressure
• Reduces stress
• Reduces the risk of illness
• Improves memory
• Improves your mood
• Aids in heart health
• Aids in weight management

When we don’t get enough sleep, it significantly effects our health. Lack of sleep is associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, immune system failure, stroke, heart failure, cancer, dementia, skin problems, and overeating…just to name a few! Sleep deprivation shows consistent bad outcomes. Even if you think you are gaining time by sleeping less, it’s compensated for with lower productivity and creativity.

Recommended Hours of Sleep

Newborns (0-3 months) 14-17 hours of sleep

Infants (4-11 months) 12-15 hours of sleep

Toddlers (1-2 years) 11-14 hours of sleep

Preschoolers (3-5 years) 10-13 hours of sleep

School-age Children (6-13 years) 9-11 hours of sleep

Teenagers (14-17 years) 8-10 hour of sleep

Young Adults (18-25 years) 7-9 hours of sleep

Adults (26-64 years) 7-9 years of sleep

Older Adults (65+ years) 7-8 hours of sleep

How to Improve Your Sleep

There are numerous ways to help improve your quality of sleep each night. We’ve narrowed them down to our top 6 recommended ways that are easy for anyone to try. 

Eliminate Light – the absence of light tells your body it’s bedtime.

Keep it cool – the body loses heat as it sleeps. Keep the temperature low to help your body cool down and drift off. A fan can also be a great noise blocker! 

Listen to music – playing relaxing music can help you drift off to sleep.

Stay off your device – blue light from screens can interfere with melatonin, a chemical essential to sleep. 

Hide your clock – watching time pass when you can’t sleep causes anxiety that delays fatigue. Set your alarm but hide your clock!

Write or read – journaling your feelings at bedtime can help you let go and drift off. Reading a book can have the same effect.

Would you like to learn more about sleep? Our TRY IT TUESDAY for February is all about sleep! Visit the personal training desk for more details! 

Unsupported postures cause the loads on your spine to disperse incorrectly, weakening the tissues in your lower back. As a result, the intricate network of muscles, discs, and joints in your back tend to be pushed beyond their tolerable limit, causing pain. Common unsupported postural habits come from everyday activities that typically involves a combination of actions, such as walking, sitting, standing, bending, lifting, and lying down. Common habits that you may develop while performing these actions include:

• Slouching or sitting slumped on your office chair or couch.

• Lying on your stomach on the bed while working on a laptop/reading a book.

• Sitting on a bed and working on your laptop.

• Hunching forward while weeding your garden or washing dishes for a long time.

• Using your vacuum cleaner with one hand and long arm movements.

• Standing with the weight of your body concentrated on one leg.

• Walking in a hunched manner without supporting the head or the trunk.

• Lifting heavy objects off the floor by bending your back.

When you use incorrect posture, several areas of stress may develop within your muscle tissue, spinal joints (lumbar facets), and discs. These stresses may be relieved once the offending posture is corrected or may continue to accumulate, slowly weakening the affected structure.

Ask Yourself: Does the posture that I use increase the pain or decrease the pain?

Note: One of the more common postures that drives low back pain is flexion. A neutral spine 

should be held in all aspects of training!

Follow these tips for supportive posture

1. WALK TALL – poor posture can contribute to chronic back pain. While walking, it is important to look straight ahead and to keep your head balanced above your spine. Keep your spine straight and relax your shoulders. Make sure to land on your heel and then gently roll forward to push off the front of your foot. With each step, a gentle spinal rotation must be achieved by reaching the opposite arm forward.
2. LIFT CAREFULLY – common everyday activities like lifting your groceries or picking up your child can cause low back problems. It is essential to lift correctly in order to avoid injury. To lift a heavy object from the floor, squat down in front of the object by keeping a straight back and bending your knees. Hold the object close to your chest while you straighten your knees to stand up.
3. SIT WITH SUPPORT AND GET UP EVERY HOUR – while sitting and working on an office chair, keep your back flush against your chair, your head over your spine, your shoulders rolled back, and shoulder blades down. Bend your arms at a 75 to 90-degree angle at the elbows. Your legs must be hip-distance apart with both feet flat on the floor. If you are unable to reach the floor, use a footrest. Try placing a small pillow or rolled-up towel to support your lower back and maintain the lumbar curve. Aim to get up every hour and walk a short distance to relieve pressure off your discs.

If you have questions about this blog or would like to speak to a Personal Trainer regarding exercises to strengthen your lower back please visit the Personal Training Desk or fill out our Personal Training Enquiry Form.

What Causes Lower Back Pain?

MOTION: HOW YOU MOVE

Our spines are remarkable—they’re made up of incredibly intricate systems of bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles that work together to enable movement in all directions. While all of this movement is great, the potential downside is that it can contribute to injuries and wear-and-tear damage over time that may lead to back pain and stiffness. Back pain is commonly caused from everyday movements as seen below:

• Lifting a heavy object or twisting the spine while lifting.

• Sudden movements that place too much stress on the low back, such as a fall.

• Poor posture over time.

• Sports injuries, especially in sports that involve twisting or large forces of impact.

POSTURE: THE POSITION YOU ARE IN

Unsupported postures cause the loads on your spine to disperse incorrectly, weakening the tissues in your lower back. As a result, the intricate network of muscles, discs, and joints in your back tend to be pushed beyond their tolerable limit, causing pain. Common unsupported postural habits come from everyday activities that typically involves a combination of actions, such as walking, sitting, standing, bending, lifting, and lying down. Common habits that you may develop while performing these actions include:

• Slouching or sitting slumped on your office chair or couch.

• Lying on your stomach on the bed while working on a laptop/reading a book.

• Sitting on a bed and working on your laptop.

• Hunching forward while weeding your garden or washing dishes for a long time.

• Using your vacuum cleaner with one hand and long arm movements.

• Standing with the weight of your body concentrated on one leg.

• Walking in a hunched manner without supporting the head or the trunk.

• Lifting heavy objects off the floor by bending your back.

When you use incorrect posture, several areas of stress may develop within your muscle tissue, spinal joints (lumbar facets), and discs. These stresses may be relieved once the offending posture is corrected or may continue to accumulate, slowly weakening the affected structure.

LOADS: COMPRESSION OR SHEAR ON THE SPINE

The lumbar spine is subjected to a multitude of loading combinations in everyday life, both on and off the job. Loading modalities on the spine are frequently categorized as compressive forces (forces acting down the long axis of the spine), shear forces (forces acting at 90° from the compressive forces defined above, in both lateral and anterior–posterior [A–P] directions) and torsional forces (rotation forces acting around the long axis of the spine). 

Shear: This is the load or weight away from the center of mass or hip. The farther away the load 

is the greater the shear on the spine.

You’ve probably heard it before that a sedentary lifestyle is contributing to so many chronic illnesses and conditions in the modern-day society. Being sedentary means that most of your daily tasks do not involve very much activity and can be completed from a seated position.

However, there are ways to intentionally help combat a sedentary lifestyle to help not only your health, but mobility and help improve overall body composition.

Wake Up and Stretch

One of the best ways to start your day is with some activity. Depending on how early you wake up you can even go for a walk, but at the very least, do a 10-minute stretch and get the blood flowing through your system.

Want a mobility routine to try out? Check out our YouTube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1oLXCHbo2w

Go For a Mid-Morning/Noon Walk

Walking is a highly underrated way to staying active and is accessible to most people! Just one 30-minute walk can take your daily step count from 4000 to 10,0000, which is a big deal. This will not only keep your joints, heart and muscles healthy but also increase your total daily caloric expenditure.

This is especially important for anyone with weight loss goals or even those who are struggling with their mental health. Going outside and getting fresh air and sunlight is a great strategy for feeling more energized and healthier.

Standing Afternoon Break

Don’t have time for another walk or to exercise in the middle of your day? No problem! Try standing during meetings or between meetings. If you work from home, step away from the computer and do a quick household chore or walk over and talk to a family member.

Depending on the nature of your work this can look different for different people, but try setting reminders to get up from your desk at least twice per afternoon.

Evening Workout

Exercise is the way to ultimately build a strong body and mind. There are plenty of ways to exercise and the most important factor is that you enjoy the process. While it may be challenging at times, find a way to move that motivates you to be better every single day.

Check out any of our videos here to help you get started: https://movatiathletic.com/on-demand-video/

While breaking up your day like this may not work for you, take this opportunity to look for ways to find a way to place activity breaks throughout your day to help you live a long, healthy and mobile life.

When it comes to exercising during pregnancy, it turns out that as a society we were wrong about a lot. You likely know people who hold many beliefs that are considered now to be outdated and you may still hold some of them yourself.

As a facility that has many members who will perhaps one day end up pregnant, it’s prudent we reinforce current recommendations and clear up common myths when it comes to keeping the pregnant body fit and healthy!

MYTH #1: If you didn’t exercise before pregnancy, you shouldn’t start

This one is probably the most common one you’ll hear, and it may surprise you that it is indeed a myth. While it’s true you shouldn’t start intense and frequent training all at once if you were sedentary pre-pregnancy, starting to exercise and building the habit of moving your body is highly recommended assuming you have been cleared by your physician to do so.

In fact, according to the 2019 Canadian Guideline for physical activity throughout pregnancy, it is strongly recommended that women who were previously inactive to be physically active throughout pregnancy unless they have specific contraindications.

MYTH #2: Pregnant women should stop lifting weights and only do very light exercise

This is not true! While pregnant people go through many bodily changes and some adjustments may have to be made to accommodate, the pregnant body is still quite resistant and should be moved in a variety of ways.

According to the 2019 Canadian Guideline for physical activity throughout pregnancy:

• Pregnant women should incorporate a variety of aerobic exercise and resistance training activities to achieve greater benefits.
• Pregnant women should accumulate at least 150 min of moderate-intensity physical activity each week to achieve clinically meaningful reductions in pregnancy complications.

MYTH #3: You don’t have to change anything about your exercise regime

While most types of exercise are encouraged, to assume that every activity should get the green light would also be incorrect.

There are several contraindications for moderate-intense exercise that you should discuss with your doctor and in that case, you should follow their specific advice on how to proceed.

For otherwise healthy pregnancies, you should still avoid activities where you are at risk of falling or experiencing impact to the abdomen. Examples of this may include one legged exercises and step ups without any balance support, or even sports like skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking etc.

There is also some evidence to suggest high intensity interval training should also be avoided especially for those with complications and it’s best to review your exercise plans with a medical professional who is well versed in the most updated recommendations.

Gone are the days of not lifting a finger for 9 months out of fear that it will negatively affect your pregnancy. The reality is that the moment you deliver the baby you will be expected to carry strollers out of cars, car seats, or even just carry your child, and so deconditioning yourself entirely for more than half a year isn’t in your best interest.

With the proper guidance, most pregnant individuals can continue to exercise throughout their pregnancy, and it will likely lead to better outcomes for parent and child.

References: 2019 Canadian guideline for physical activity throughout pregnancy, Mottola et. Al. (https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/21/1339)