Andrew Hume, MSc

10/12/2022

Another round of registration is open for fall programs!

These classes are great for Islanders who have a chronic disease and want to make improvements to their health through safe, effective exercise/movement. The programs are 6 weeks long and offered virtually (using Zoom). There are modifications for all levels and abilities.

Please visit https://www.beckexercisephysiology.ca/exercise-for-health-program-1 and complete the form.

Please help share the word with friends and family who may be interested and benefit from movement that works for them.

04/21/2022

I absolutely love this video! There is no denying the plethora of scientific data supporting the immense benefit of true strength training for the health, longevity, and quality of life of older adults. It has to be programmed properly, don't forget that...and I am very happy to see places like this sprouting up and showing some real-world anecdotal evidence of it's effectiveness.

People say the stupidest things about strength training after fifty. Sully takes down 10 of the Stupidest! Don't let mythology keep you from getting strong a...

04/15/2022

I've worked with people suffering from persistent pain for over 10 years now. During my numerous conversations, observations, and interventions with such folks I have found the information in this video to be very accurate. I want people to understand I do realize that sometimes people's issues with pain do not fit this description (e.g. people needing joint replacements, surgery to correct a significant nerve impingement or large scale rotator cuff tear, etc)...but, my point here is that more often than not I believe that they do.

Please use the info in this brief video to help you start thinking about persistent pain differently, for yourself or maybe a loved one. The pain that you feel is very real, pain always is...but long term pain more often than not does not mean that something is horribly wrong with your body. A lot of times, it is that your nervous system has become VERY sensitive to stimuli that otherwise would be benign. This may happen in one particular area, or even several. Have a listen...

Pain scientists starting to think differently about persistent (chronic) pain and its causes, are they're making exciting discoveries - like how you think ab...

02/28/2022

Done 3x/week, on the regular...it just works

Myofascial Release lengthens your body’s muscles and connective tissue to relieve pain common in soft tissue disorders. Fascia is a thin white layer of tissu...

10/17/2021

Kinesiologists have been helping people improve their quality of life for decades, but public education on who we are and what we do is still lacking. Kinesiologists can work with a wide variety of health conditions, in a variety of settings - but there are 2 primary areas of positive change needed to help this 'movement' be most effective for both the practitioners and the general public: improved coverage for kinesiology services by your private insurance company (blue cross, sunlife, Manulife, etc.) and more health and wellness locations around the country that employ kinesiologists to work independently. Please take a second to share this message, and please consider contacting your insurance company to simply request coverage for kinesiology services. Thank you 🙂

08/15/2021

RESEARCH CORNER - A very large (over 6400 people from 29 countries) study shows that a decline in adult metabolism doesn't actually occur until about age 60. This means that the gradual weight gain that typically starts happening to most of us at around age 30...it can't be blamed on a 'slowed metabolism' as we often say. So what can we 'blame' it on? The research study did not attempt to directly answer this question - but my opinion would be a simple increase in caloric intake as the main factor (with less overall activity as another variable). Generally speaking...we eat too much food folks, and much of it is not as healthy as it should be. My own personal experience with weight loss has definitely illuminated the fact that even when we think we are not eating much in the run of a day, we typically are still taking in too many calories.

For instance, I currently need about 3000 calories to maintain my weight, when I was in the process of losing weight I measured a lot of my food for accurate caloric counting - so that I knew for sure I was consistently staying about 500 calories below my maintenance calories, literally everyday - and it worked. What I found quite interesting was that a typical meal could EASILY be close to 1000 calories (or more), an unhealthy evening snack (e.g. chips) could pack on several hundred calories without breaking a sweat, and going for your money's worth when eating out...well you don't even want to know the result of that one. I'm not a dietitian, I'm a kinesiologist, so while I am not trying to tell people how to lose weight - I am attempting to illustrate just how easy it is to take in more energy than we expend. Keep in mind that many people, especially women, usually need much less than 3000 calories per day to maintain body weight -- making it all that much easier to over-consume when you choose to eat in the 'average' Canadian way.

Metabolic rate remains stable all through adult life, from age 20 to 60 years old.

07/18/2021

EXERCISE THERAPY - A simple but excellent hip, back, and shoulder stretch.

As the arrows indicate, while holding on to something sturdy simply let the hips move back as far as possible without bending the knees too much and at the same time slowly push your chest down to the floor without bending your elbows. An added tip here is to push your lower back into a posterior tilt (tailbone tucked down/flat low back position) to force your mid-upper spine into extension. Also, holding something more anchored than a chair would work best, such as the edge of the kitchen sink. You can either hold a continuous stretch as you breathe deeply or repeat up and down for reps dropping down into it as you exhale slowly. I like to do both - a handful of reps then hold for about 30 seconds.
If done as described, this exercise mobilizes the glutes and hamstrings, and puts a healthy amount of therapeutic traction on the spine and shoulder complex. If you drop down into this position and it causes some shoulder pain, then you may have some undiagnosed impingement at that joint or other shoulder pathology. Time to see your physiotherapist if that's you.

06/09/2021

EXERCISE THERAPY - Internal and external rotator cuff circuit. A basic, but still excellent part of a preventative program for long-term rotator cuff and overall shoulder region health.

06/08/2021

Wellness Education -

- If you think lifting weights is dangerous, try being weak. Being weak is dangerous.

Bret Contreras, PhD,

04/25/2021

RESEARCH CORNER - disregard the ads and fluff, this article has excellent evidence-based guidelines for intermediate to advanced resistance training. For those of you looking to just add some basic weight lifting to your overall wellness routine, this amount of volume is completely unnecessary - you would do well with full body workouts 1-3 sets/body region 2-3x/week with about 48-72 hr rest between sessions, working in the 8-15 repetition range. However, for those that choose to prioritize strength training with the intention of maximizing muscle hypertrophy (growth), this is sound advice to work with. Keep in mind that adding a significant amount of lean muscle tissue to your body is one of the most successful preventative approaches you can take (along with improved cardiopulmonary function) to preserving physical capacity as we age...it's definitely not just for 'muscle heads'💪, it's for everyone. The more that 'regular' folks participate in activities like weight lifting, the more it will be viewed as a healthy, 'normal' thing to do by generations to come.

If you want to learn what research says is the optimal number of sets to do per workout to build muscle, then you need to read this article.

04/24/2021

This image is relative to so many aspects of health and just life in general: quitting drinking or smoking - changing your diet - being a better husband, wife, parent - making regular exercise a part of your new lifestyle - going back to school...the list goes on and on.
I found it interesting to analyze myself and realize where I was on the chart as it
applies to different aspects of my life. For some key areas, I'm right at the top - while some are more in the middle. I always choose to believe that change is possible, but it was interesting to try and uncover why I was so successful with some but only partly there with others. I hope this helps you take a look as well.

02/02/2021

EXERCISE THERAPY - Stability ball spinal flexion and extension stretching for improved mobility and less general aches and pains in the back region. Please listen carefully to my instructions and only stretch into the ball as much as you feel comfortable, working at gradually getting more comfortable with it.

12/08/2020

RESEARCH CORNER - Strength training has significant benefit for individuals with fibromyalgia

A recent 2018 review article (link below) looked at 22 studies testing the effects of strength training on a variety of parameters for people with fibromyalgia.

The tested individuals typically strength trained 2 days/week with study durations ranging from 3 weeks to approximately 5 months. The intensity was set to a lower-moderate level; however, the article states that training protocols specifically for people with fibromyalgia still need to be ironed out somewhat (e.g. ideal number of sets, repetitions, etc).
The primary results of this study were statistically significant reductions in pain, fatigue, number of tender points, reduced depression and anxiety, as well as increases in functional capacity and overall quality of life. That's pretty amazing if you ask me!! Imagine if your doctor prescribed you a pill that could do all that...with no side effects aside from your time and effort.
I know that the difficult part is actually getting to a place, literally and figuratively, where you are doing it, and doing it regularly. That is the toughest part, and quite frankly it is likely one reason why pills are typically given out instead...your doctor knows you will take a pill but can you offer assurance that you will strength train regularly, for the entirety of your life? That's a big commitment isn't it...but that is what it takes to have any of this make sense and be even worth talking about. The hard but real truth is that many people will not consistently make that change...but some will, and we all have to keep trying to be on that side of the equation. Why? Because you will live a better life, period. Worth the effort? You decide.
My advice - seek assistance from a kinesiologist who specializes in helping such individuals. Talk with your doctor first, then that is your next step.

Take care
✌️

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30657077/

10/22/2020

WELLNESS EDUCATION - Exercise regularly, and sensibly, because you LOVE yourself and want to take good care of the only body you will ever have - not because you dislike the way you look. It will work out better for you this way, trust me. Just start doing it! You absolutely can! All the best to each of you on this shared journey.

Found on Google from pinterest.com

10/04/2020

RESEARCH CORNER - Exercise and clinical depression. Activities such as walking, running, yoga, tai chi, and weight training have all been shown to help treat depression. This recent article helps give an overview of what we currently know and don't know as it pertains to the influence of exercise interventions on individuals with major depression. For those that are interested...

Major depression shortens life while the effectiveness of frontline treatments remains modest. Exercise has been shown to be effective both in reducing mortality and in treating symptoms of major depression, but it is still underutilized in clinical practice, ...

09/11/2020

EXERCISE THERAPY - Posterior shoulder glide with band assistance.

This exercise is best accomplished using a heavy resistance band (or few lighter ones together). A belt or other non-elastic item will also work, just not as well - because the slight 'bounce' of the heavy band really helps to fully relax the arm, which is absolutely key here. I have the band wrapped around a pull-up bar but any strong, stationary object will do.

This one can be very effective in restoring pain free rotation to the shoulder and helping with rotator cuff related pain, BUT it needs to be done regularly AND properly - and as part of a larger, more comprehensive program for best results.

Obviously, no exercise is correct or even safe for every person. These videos are for educational purposes. I make them to hopefully help people learn proper technique as well as help motivate them to ask a rehabilitation specialist about whether the exercise may be right for them and their current situation.

Staying fit enough for adequate functional health and a satisfactory quality of life as we age is a very realistic and obtainable goal for most people. You don't have to be a stereotypical 'fitness person' to live a better life through exercise. It's for all of us.

Andrew Hume, MSc

04/15/2020

Kinesio-Therapy Class Basics: A shorter routine for those with more mobility limitations and/or no exercise equipment at home. Keep moving folks!