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Back to school! (Brittany Sampson)

8/24/2021

Here we are at the end of august! Back to school is just around the corner, yet again. The summer fun is winding down and classrooms, classmates and homework are all about to take over. Of course, this year looks slightly different than some of the years prior, with the ongoing unknowns of the pandemic. Regardless, back to school means back to germs and the beginning of cold and flu season. Pandemic measures in place did keep the flu at an unusually low level during the 2020-2021 flu season compared to previous years (CDC, 2021). But that is not to say that Influenza didn’t still exist! Below you will find some tried and true ways to support your child’s immune system through the upcoming return to school.

Sleep should be non-negotiable, as much as possible. Sleep is an integral part of a child’s growth and development, and also supports a healthy immune system. During our sleep the immune system is hard at work trying to seek out and kill any bugs that made their way in. Keeping us safe from getting sick or fighting things off quicker if we do find ourselves feeling a little unwell. It is recommended that children 5-13 years old get 9-11 hours per night and children 14-17 should be getting 8-10 hours. Try setting structured bedtimes and wake-up times, staying consistent even on weekends. If your child is having trouble getting to sleep, staying asleep, or isn’t waking up refreshed – our team is here to help!
Exercise is crucial for the immune system to be in tip top shape. Physical activity causes the release of immune fighting cells, calling on our body to protect us and fight off anything that might be floating around. Regular physical activity is best. Children 5-17 years old should be getting at least 1 hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day plus several hours of unstructured movements (like walking, playing, bike riding).
Nature is your best friend. Take in as much of the great outdoors as possible before the weather turns cold. During the summer months, it’s important to expose our skin to the sunlight to make vitamin D that can carry us through the winter months. But remember to always apply sunscreen! Spending time in nature also calms down our nervous system. An overactive nervous system and stressed-out body is unable to fight off colds and flus as effectively or efficiently. Try going on hikes on the weekends, playgrounds in the evening, or simply walking on some grass barefoot for even just 10 minutes a day!
Nutritious foods every day. Ensuring your growing child is getting all the nutrients needed to support healthy growth and development will also support their immune system, since it’s going to using lots of energy to fight. Too much sugar can weaken the body’s ability to fight and make us a better place for colds and flus to thrive. While vitamin C is important, among many other nutrients, remember to opt for the orange and not the juice which is packed with sugar! And if you are dreading those back-to-school lunches, let us help out!

Remember to always strive for progress, not perfection, and if you need support, we are here for you. To book an appointment call 416-639-2459 and book in under Dr. Solomonian, one of our lovely team members will be happy to help you and your family!
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, July 23). Flu season. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/index.html.

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What does movement mean? (Annaleeza Renzone)

8/3/2021

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Movement - but not the kind of we usually talk about.

Movement is a foundational pillar of health that is almost always discussed as part of a healthy lifestyle.

When we say the word “movement”, what do you think about?

When asked to describe movement, the answer usually revolves around INTENTIONAL movement (i.e. a run, a bootcamp class or a yoga practice) for the purpose of living and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But what about the activities of daily living and how they can influence our health? What benefits do these not-so “micro” movements have on our bodies?
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This is where N.E.A.T comes into play (non-exercise activity thermogenesis). N.E.A.T refers to our bodies’ function of expending and burning energy in all of the little movements that we never really consider, especially pre-pandemic. It’s the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating or sports-like exercise. This includes activities such as walking to work, typing, performing yard work, and other daily step count contributions.

This is also the type of movement that has had the most dramatic loss during the pandemic. I know at least for myself, my step count decreased by over 50% during the initial phases of the pandemic. We have become more sedentary and our lifestyles took a dramatic shift.
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Curiosity about the impact of step counting lead to discovering research which demonstrated how even increasing your step count by 1000 steps per day can have a significant impact on decreasing overall mortality, regardless of the intensity1. That's basically a walk around the block every morning.

The purpose of this conversation is not to micromanage every step of your movement, but to have an awareness on how little changes can positively impact your wellbeing. Everything right now is basically sedentary and at our finger tips, so we need to involve our activities of daily living into the movement conversation.

A few ways and ideas of how to increase movement are:

Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
Going for a leisurely walk once per day
Finding at-home based low-intensity exercises that require little to no equipment

These are just a few suggestions and can modified depending on personal preferences and activity levels. These small-scale changes can lead to big scale impact in the long term.

When it comes to setting movement goals, anything above baseline is a positive outcome! SMART goals are a great way to start making small but positive changes to create long-term habits. Here’s the framework to get started:

S - specific
M - measureable
A - attainable
R - realistic
T - timely
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Here are some reflection questions for you:

~ During the pandemic, what caused your activity to shift the most? 
~ What is one sedentary hour that you can change? 
~ Try making a SMART goal for yourself
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We are creatures of habit, but I know time can be a barrier. So let's show up for ourselves like we show up for others.

References:

Hall KS, Hyde ET, Bassett DR, et al. Systematic review of the prospective association of daily step counts with risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease, and dysglycemia. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2020;17(1):78. Published 2020 Jun 20. doi:10.1186/s12966-020-00978-9

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Back to school! (Brittany Sampson)

What does movement mean? (Annaleeza Renzone)

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