Community News
My Ears are Ringing

How can I fix the ringing in my ears? Tinnitus, the ringing in a person’s ear should be evaluated by a qualified Hearing Care Professional and initial treatment should be directed toward ruling out a medical cause. Tinnitus is not curable but there are many ways to manage it. Utilizing counseling, stress management techniques, having a low sodium diet, using hearing aids, and using sound masking devices can help people that experience tinnitus. If you are suffering from ringing in the ears, book an evaluation with qualified Hearing Care Professional today.

Choosing the Right Pillow

If you are a side sleeper, you need a different type of pillow than your friend who sleeps on her back. When choosing a pillow, pick one with natural fills and organic cotton casings; avoid fills made with chemicals. Wool, organic/natural latex, kapok and buckwheat pillow fillings are all breathable, healthy and supportive. The pillow should be matched with your preferential sleep position. Some pillows are fully customizable, allowing you to unzip and remove some filling to create your perfect pillow height. Make sure to do a bed test before you purchase to find the perfect pillow for you.

Community Profile: Fit Body Boot Camp

Nanaimo Fit Body Boot Camp offers a fitness and fat loss workout program designed to burn fat and get you in the best shape of your life. Workouts are designed to shed your unwanted body fat in the shortest amount of time possible while giving you maximum results under the supervision of qualified personal trainers. Sessions are offered throughout the week; in the morning before work/school hours and in the evening after work/school hours. They have a workout time that will fit your schedule! Since the workouts are only 30 minutes long, you can be in and out in no time.

Easy Warm-Up Exercises

With the beautiful weather of summer comes an increase in many people’s activity levels. We are more motivated to get out and enjoy the sunshine while it lasts. With the increase in physical activity comes an increase in activity-related injuries and muscle strains. To reduce injury occurrence, a very simple thing we all can do is some easy warm-up exercises. Lunges, bending forward, arm circles, side bending, and jumping jacks are some great exercises that can warm up and stretch a lot of muscles before we get going. Post-exercise stretching will also reduce your risk of injury. Enjoy the sunshine!

Exercise in the Morning

Scheduling your workouts first thing in the morning likely means they will not get canceled or interrupted by other commitments which help establish a workout routine. Engaging in morning exercise will help you feel more awake and improve physical and mental energy. Morning workouts help improve your sleep – A study showed that people who exercised regularly in the morning reported that their sleep improved. Nanaimo Parks and Recreation offers a variety of morning fitness opportunities, including fitness classes, weight rooms, public swims and walking trails found throughout the City. For more information, please visit www.nanaimo.ca.

EveryBODY is better with Bowen!

Have you ever had an accident or been injured? Have you had surgery or just plain stress? Most of us can answer YES to these question. These traumas leave a footprint of disturbance or tension (fight or flight) in the body that need to be dealt with. Bowen Therapy is a gentle way to reset and unwind to the rest and repair state. Bowen therapy works on the soft connective tissue (fascia) of the body and consists of sequences of small moves, each at a specific site on the body. It is safe for all ages and conditions.

Nutrition As We Age

Nutritional needs change as you age; aging well means eating well, an important key to staying healthy. Eating right helps your body stay strong and keeps your mind sharp. A nutritious, balanced diet can also reduce your risk for health problems like high blood pressure and diabetes. Food intake should be balanced with physical activity. If you are less active, choose smaller serving sizes and add plenty of vegetables, salad and fruit. Eating healthy, combined with regular physical activity, can help you live a full, active life, and preserve independence, which happens in independent living, well into your golden years.

Fun Summer Activities

Remember being a kid and summer seemed to last forever? Nanaimo Parks and Recreation has activities that will make you FEEL like a kid again. *Water Parks – Departure Bay, Deverill, Harewood and Mansfield Parks until September. *Playground Program – Monday to Friday at various locations throughout the city. *Find the Golden Bucket Contest – Get the clue from Facebook or website every Wednesday until July 25. Find the bucket, answer a question and you could win some great prizes! *Westwood Lake – lifeguards on duty daily June 24th until September 3rd. For details, visit www.nanaimo.ca.

Proper Sleep Hygiene

There are things you can do for proper sleep hygiene: Avoid long naps; consider going for a short walk instead. Maintain a regular sleep routine; go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Keep your bedroom quiet and comfy; lower body temperature generally equals better sleep. No electronic devices in bed; blue light emitted from these devices interferes with sleep. Invest in a body pillow to avoid waking up with body pain. If you sleep on your side, an organic body pillow will make hip and shoulder pain a thing of the past.

Maintaining Balance

How does maintaining a balanced life work in today’s fast-paced and increasingly stress-riddled world? From a gambling literacy perspective, it starts by being aware of risk factors and knowing when we are vulnerable. This includes when we are suffering from emotional and/or financial stress, having suffered the loss of a loved one, the end of a job or relationship, or even experiencing a big win at a younger age. Living a balanced life has its challenges with or without gambling, but is not impossible. Reach out to friends, family, our helpline and counselling team! That’s what we’re here for!

Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture

Chinese Medicine is one of the oldest recorded medical systems. Diagnosis comes through detailed questioning of an individual’s history and symptoms, feeling their pulses, observing their tongue and complexion, and palpating their abdomen. Treatment is based on this individualized diagnosis. Acupuncture treatment regulates and balances the flow of Qi, blood and fluids within the network of energetic pathways, called meridians, that connect the surface of the body to the organs and circulatory systems. In health, this flow is abundant and smooth, and we experience wellbeing and health in our body, mind, emotions and spirit.