Author Archive
March 18, 2011 by Lorraine Cupido
Find joy in movement!
My mom has a new blog to share with us. My parents have been in Florida and the topic of weight loss seems to come up a lot in their conversations with others with others down there. My mom’s point below is awesome: FIRST FIND JOY IN MOVEMENT!
When you are at a healthy body weight, it is less stressful on your joints and your body in general.
When we concentrate our thoughts and efforts on weight loss without considering the possibility of finding joy in movement I think we do ourselves a disservice which inevitably sets us up for failure to control our weight and enjoy physical activity.
We need to find an activity we enjoy and the byproducts of that will be weight control, enjoyment and the possibility of healthy social interaction.
The joy found when engaging in physical activity will keep you coming back for more.
October 25, 2010 by Lorraine Cupido
Lorraine Cupido: Bala Triathlon
I was missing running. I had stopped my runs because I was concerned about the negative impact running might be having on my knees. However, recently I have reconsidered my position and have decided that if I am smart and PREPARED I should be okay. I am not going to pound the pavement with huge weekly miles of running. Instead, I have been preparing myself with strengthening exercises and walk/runs known as the Galloway Method to start slowly back into my running and maintain a balance that is ideal for my body.
The Galloway method was initiated by Olympic runner Jeff Galloway. Walk/runs are useful for every runner: beginner to hard core athlete. It provides the benefit of deciding how much running to take on during each workout, depending on fitness level, mood, fatigue and injury, etc.. When you mix running and walking, a certain amount of recovery occurs during the walking phases. In fact, the walking part of the work out returns you to your running phase more efficient and with less fatigue; this may help you to avoid injury in the weak link of your body. This gives you more time to get stonger and more fit without negative consequences for your body.
Be prepared…
This was written by my mother, Lorraine Cupido. She is a constant source of inspiration and great information for people getting into sport. Thanks Mom!
October 21, 2010 by Lorraine Cupido
When we are young, we are better able to withstand the abuse we put our bodies through in sport. However, there comes the day when our bodies retaliate and as a result we are often sidelined because of injuries. We often prepare for sport with a backwards approach. We get injured first and then we try to get back in the game through rehabilitation and exercise. We would be much better off to prepare our bodies first instead of participating in an activity where we do too much, too soon and too fast before we are ready, resulting in an injury.
I have learned the hard way and now I make plans to prepare myself for my activities. I pay special attention to sport specific
exercises and resistance work. I also try to remember to pace myself in regards to my readiness for the activity. I respect my level of
fitness and make every effort to avoid the “too much” trap. So far so good.
Be prepared!
This blog was written by my wonderful and very wise mother, Lorraine Cupido. Thanks Mom:) We love your contributions!
May 3, 2010 by Lorraine Cupido
After a visit with my orthopedic surgeon, I have decided to eliminate running from my list of physical activities. I will still run from my car to the store or down the street to get from A to B more quickly, but my goal is to spend more time on my bike, more time swimming and more time walking. I know my body responds well to these sports and I want to be active for as long into my life as possible.
I just found out that I have early signs of knee osteoarthritis. I am therefore going to make every effort to strengthen the supporting network of muscles which should help to maintain the stability and mobility of my joints. I will be more conscientious about doing whole body resistance exercises and I will engage in several different activities which will serve my aim to cross train which in the end should keep me strong, fit and inspired for many many many years to come.
Lorraine Cupido racing the Bala Falls Triathlon
February 15, 2010 by Lorraine Cupido
The blog below was written by my mother and couldn‘t have come at a more perfect time. Last week, I was walking in flat shoes on flat ground and somehow managed to sprain my ankle (the one I had previously broken). When joints are injured, their proprioception is negatively altered and proprioceptive training is required to properly rehabilitate the joint. I had been quite diligent lately with my training, but did not work hard enough until I realized how poor the balance of my right ankle really was. I guess I still have some catrching up to do. The words of this article are very important: absorb well! -Dr. Carla Cupido
I am writing this blog as a reminder to people of all ages that balance (proprioception) is part of our fitness. So many of us concentrate our fitness efforts solely on cardiovascular training; we forget about the value of balance in our everyday lives and for sport performance.
While on holiday I took part in a resistance band exercise class. We were standing, facing a wall of mirrors and asked to stand on one foot while performing an exercise. I witnessed once quiet arms and legs begin swinging as bodies tried to recover lost balance; I was very surprised at how challenging this was for most of the class. Balance is something we have to practice no matter how old we are. Balance is important for our posture, for walking on uneven terrain, for picking up things, for stepping up stairs, for our safety and for excellent athletic execution.
The different elements of fitness including cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility, agility and balance are interdependent. Imagine riding your bicycle without all of the fitness components.
Balance training is progressive. We can simply begin by standing in one place on one foot. We can progress to closing our eyes while standing on one foot and then move on to being gently pushed from different directions while trying to maintain balance on one foot with your eyes closed. Stability balls, wobble boards and Dynadiscs offer excellent balance training opportunities as they increase the level of difficulty. They can be used dynamically and sport specifically as well.
Without balance training we will be less efficient in our physical activities and prone to injury. Balance is part of our overall fitness. We need to remember the importance of balance for young or old.
Congratulations to our Canadian athletes!
