Editor's note
Run, run, run (gasp)
June 9, 2008
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Brandie Weikle
It shames me to admit this, but I have not been living the message we dish out here at healthzone.ca. I rode my bike to work a couple of times before our ancient garage door gave one last dying squeak and broke in the shut position with our bicycles (lawn mower, rakes, hoses, tomato cages and AIR CONDITIONERS) inside.
I've also let deadlines and my adjustment to a new workplace — not to mention a new medium — keep me from signing up for a membership at the company gym.
So when flyers went up promoting the Toronto Star's team on the Scotiabank Rat Race for United Way, I signed up. It's only 5k, and I've found that even when I'm not running regularly, 5k is an achievable distance and just enough of an endorphin rush to propel me back into the habit.
That's the thing about exercise, isn't it? It's about cultivating the habit and staying in it. We've all been through life transitions — a new job, a sick parent, a demanding parenting schedule — that throw us off course. The problem is, there's always going to be something that offers itself up as the perfect excuse not to exercise. When it comes right down to it, we all have the choice. Sure, my bike is stuck in the garage, but I could use a stationary bike at the gym or strap on my running shoes for a before or after-work run along Lake Ontario, taking advantage of the Star's great location at the very bottom of Yonge Street.
The Rat Race will also give me a chance to raise some money for United Way. I would be delighted if you would consider sponsoring me by clicking here.
To tell me about how life has presented some challenges to your exercise routine and what you did about it, comment on this story.
April 8, 2008
A Fresh Start
It’s finally spring, and if you’re like me, you’ve probably got all kinds of good intentions about spring cleaning. Perhaps you’re thinking that since Easter is over, there shouldn’t be any kind of bunny in the house, particularly the dust variety.
But you might also be contemplating a fresh start for your body. While many of us make New Year’s resolutions about exercise and eating well, sometimes it takes the longer and warmer days of spring to energize and propel us to better health. During the cold winter, it’s easy to roll over and hit snooze when you hear the radio host say “Minus 20 with the wind-chill factor,” instead of lacing up for a power walk or run. And when you don’t feel like scraping off the car for a trip to the grocery store, it’s pretty tempting to dial in a pizza or some Thai food.
Ideally we’d keep our sun salutations and salad assembly going steady all year, but now is not the time to admonish ourselves for letting things slip – it’s simply time to take the reins of good health. Healthzone.ca will help you do that. Here you’ll find everything you need to know about living a healthy lifestyle in Toronto. So while there’s health advice here that applies wherever you live, we’ve also got:
great databases to help you find a physician, walk-in clinic or pharmacy in your neighbourhood,breaking health news from the Ontario Ministry of Health, local hospitals and Toronto Public Health, including important updates about air quality,
listings of Toronto health clubs, spas, nutritionists, yoga studios, specialists and so much more.
Look up medical conditions and medications in our Health InfoCentre. Read Megan Ogilvie’s latest analysis in Diet Decoder and Fitness Decoder. Learn about study results and what they really mean. Read up on women’s health, men’s health, holistic medicine and aging well. Fans of Dr. Murray Waldman’s Critical Care column The Star can find his web-exclusive advice column here.
Because we know that true health involves the whole person, not just the physical body, we’ll have extensive coverage of mental health issues in our Mind & Mood section. We are delighted to announce that Sandy Naiman, an award-winning journalist and mental health advocate, will be blogging about all aspects of mental wellness and sharing reflections and insights about her own 47-year journey with a severe mental illness, and about her recovery.
Healthzone will encourage you to take the very best care of yourself – so as the editor, I’ll try to live the message, too. A lapsed yoga student and fair-weather distance runner of the worst variety, I have some exercise goals to attend to myself this spring. Full disclosure: The only exercise I have had while preparing to launch a health website has been confined to subway-stair climbs, slow walks on icy sidewalks in impractical shoes, and racing to the vending machine for chocolate. I guess I should add that chasing after two young boys has kept me relatively active, but still, there is work to do.
I'll start by signing up for a membership at the gym that – it shames me to admit – is just three floors below our newsroom and subsidized by our employer. I have not yet darkened the door and I’ve been here since February. (I did manage to buy a cute yoga top, though — that's a start, right?) I vow to attend at least one class a week. I will dust off my running shoes (examine them for signs of wear because worn-out shoes equal shin splints and other problems) and try to build up some distance again. And here’s my big throw-down: at least once in 2008 I WILL RUN THE 11.4 KILOMETRES HOME FROM WORK. The route is almost entirely along the lakeshore, so given the right day and a little motivation, there’s no excuse (apart from the gradual incline of the last two kilometers…).
Why don’t you share your health goals with me? Send an email and tell me about how Healthzone can serve you best on your quest for lifelong health.
Brandie Weikle
Editor