February is the month of love and the month devoted to matters of the heart. Heart month is dedicated to raising awareness of the heart. Exercising to support but not strain your heart like going for a 30 minute walk each day will help keep your body circulated. With our beautiful sunny winter days who doesn’t love the fresh air? Bring a friend along to catch up or take your walking poles
for an adventurous outing. Eating healthy food and small snacks throughout the day will keep your
energy up and make you feel good and less tired.

Tired of your mascara smudging? Russian Classic Lash Extensions are a natural and subtle way to enhance the beauty and expression of your eyes. Eyelash extensions are single strands of synthetic, silk mink that are curved, designed to replicate a natural eyelash. Once applied to your own eyelashes, they will look and feel completely natural. Application is comfortable and painless; done while you lie on a massage table. With the eyelash extensions, your lashes will be fuller and longer and you will no longer require mascara. With proper care, they will last the length of your normal eyelash growth cycle.

Now that it is January, the weather can be cold and crisp. Freezing temperatures and snow may cause you to want to stay indoors. There are many inside exercises you can do to keep fit and to keep your body moving. Using your own stair case to climb up and down is a good way to keep the strength in your legs and back, and to give you better balance and agility. Yoga poses and stretching will help keep the blood flowing and make you feel good and less tired. Happy New Year from Bastion Physio.

Our daily movements, combined with life stressors and injuries, can result in the involuntary holding of muscle reflex patterns. When working at a computer, or driving a car for long periods, we may unknowingly roll our shoulders forward. Over time this involuntary habit contributes to the development of tight muscles, body tension, pain, loss of flexibility and a stooped posture. Somatics gentle body movement classes are designed to bring awareness to all unconsciously contracted muscles and re-educate the brain to release tension resulting in reduced pain and a sense of ease and balance for the body.

With the New Year comes New Year’s Resolutions! The best way to make, and keep, New Year’s Resolutions is by making SMART goals: Specific, Measureable, Agreed upon, Realistic and Time-based. Decide what you want to do or accomplish, and then break it down into smaller portions that are more easily attained. Write them down, put them somewhere visible and then get to work. The resolutions can be for health, work, family or for all the above. Pick one or two and you will be amazed at what you can accomplish when you break it down into smaller steps.

A friend got hearing aids and never wore them, so why should I get hearing aids? Many things affect the success of using hearing aid: realistic expectations, motivation, consistent use, type, configuration and degree of hearing loss, and how active the person is. Every person has a different life style, different hearing loss, and different expectations from their hearing aids. It is important to convey your expectations to your hearing care provider. Hearing aid technology is continuously improving and current technology is drastically better than technology five years ago. The best way to find out if hearing aids are right for you is to give them a try.

Finding the words to write a note of comfort to friends and family who have lost a loved one can be difficult. It does not need to be a lengthy message. Generally, a few heartfelt sentences are enough. Simply express your sympathy and let the recipients know that your thoughts are with them during this difficult time. Acknowledge the loss and refer to the deceased by name. Sharing a fond memory of the deceased is a wonderful addition to the message. End the note with a kind word, a hope, a wish or expression of sympathy.

The number one resolution made in January is the one to lose weight. The whole process can feel like an impossible task; here are a few tips to help:
· GET MOVING: you don’t have to run marathons. Just getting out for a brisk, 30-minute daily walk burns calories and decreases appetite.
· DITCH the ADDED SUGAR: Although it tastes yummy, excessive sugar consumption is one of the major reasons people become overweight. Conquer that sweet tooth with fruit instead.
· BUDDY UP – invite a friend to join in on the weight loss journey. It provides support and accountability.