Author Archive
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!
January 28, 2010 by Lorraine Cupido
*This blog was written by my inspiring mother, Lorraine Cupido… enjoy!
I was searching for a hobby. My inclination is always towards some type of physical activity and so I thought it was time to do something that was quiet and forced me to sit in one place and challenge my brain in a different way. I also wanted to do something that would improve the fine motor skills of my hands.
My brother, David Young, is an accomplished and talented musician, teacher and composer of music. I had always believed that he had inherited all of the musical genes in my family. It never occurred to me that I could learn to play a musical instrument until one day, over Christmas I asked myself why I couldn’t learn to play an instrument. I may not have the gift my brother has for music but I could still give myself the opportunity to learn and have fun.
I have since bought myself a guitar and have had four lessons. I can now read music and without looking, my fingers are beginning to find the notes with fewer mistakes.
I am thoroughly enjoying my new hobby and I look forward to practicing. I am so happy I challenged myself to go beyond my comfort zone. I know I can do this!
July 6, 2009 by Lorraine Cupido
Lorraine Cupido Bala Triathlon
I had an interesting experience a few weeks ago when my daughter and I went for a run and we decided to incorporate push-ups and lunges among other exercises into our workout. Carla, my daughter, prepared to lead me in jumping squats up a flight of stairs. That was when it happened… I simply couldn’t make myself jump without holding onto the hand rail.
I realized that I couldn’t remember the last time I needed or wanted to jump. None of the athletic activities I am currently involved in require me to leave the ground with both feet at the same time and especially not up a flight of stairs.
It has become apparent to me that we have to remind our brains how to do some very basic movements at different times in our lives. I often walk along curbs and move as I would on a balance beam. This is such a natural thing for me to do but it had not occurred to me to jump and it was obvious that I had become very rusty at a once simple task. However, it only took a few attempts before I was easily jumping and very gracefully I might add.
I remind myself when the opportunity presents itself to balance, jump and catch et cetera. I give myself the chance to move in different ways whether I am in the water, on a mat, running or playing a sport.
This experience was a reminder for me that as I age it is important for me to incorporate balancing, running/walking, jumping and eye/hand coordination activities into everyday of my life, after all I want to be a stable, strong and independent senior.
October 14, 2008 by Lorraine Cupido
Lorraine Cupido at Muskoka triathlon transition
The other day I had a chat with a young woman who works in our local grocery store. She works full time and has three children. She has lost 75 lbs since the winter of 2007 and she looks and feels great which is very obvious. My acquaintance told me that she has lost enough weight and now really needs to tone her body but she doesn’t have the time.
I asked her if she has 10 minutes in the day to spare. My philosophy is “10 minutes is better than no minutes”. I then asked her if she has stairs in her house and if she has a couple of soup cans. I explained how she could begin to tone her body in a short space of time with very basic equipment. I informed her that the soup cans could be used to work on her biceps, triceps, back, and shoulder muscles and the stairs could be used to do lunges, stepping and stretches on. I encouraged her to take her children with her while she goes for short walks and they can ride their bicycles along side of her. Her face lit up when she realized how she could begin to become more physically active with little time and simple equipment. Then I mentioned to her that she would likely get hooked on that great feeling that comes from moving her body and doing something good for herself. That wonderful feeling comes as a result of the release of hormones called endorphins which are often mentioned in connection with the “runner’s high”. My bet is that her short activity sessions will eventually become important enough that she will search for time for whatever activity she decides to pursue, and at the same time she will be setting a good example for her children.
Remember, “Some minutes are better than no minutes” and once you start making yourself feel good you will be looking for more.
