Leduc After-Hours Clinic to be open Friday evenings!

Finding Balance activity challenge

SENIORS' KEEP ACTIVE CHALLENGE

November 1-30, 2015

We want to help seniors keep active! Join us as we travel across Alberta. Choose where you want to go and then start your journey! Any physical activity will count towards the trip. Keep track of how many steps you take or how many minutes of physical activity you do each day. Add these into the UWALK website to see how far you go by the end of November. If you belong to a senior’s centre or recreation program, you join as a group to travel together. Groups can order a map to track your group’s progress.

The Seniors’ Keep Active Challenge is sponsored by UWALK. Register on the UWALK website and then join the Challenge. You can join the Challenge starting October 26, 2015.

Join the Challenge! Click here to register.

Get your free Finding Balance pedometer at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network (while supplies last).

Influenza Immunization clinics in Leduc and area

Take 2 minutes

Are you at risk of pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes? Click this image to take a quick 2 minute test to find out.

World Food Day

October 16th is World Food Day. World Food Day is a day of action against world hunger. Find out what you can do in support of this day at these websites:

FAO
FAO Information brochure
World Food Day USA

Pole Walking – is it beneficial ?

It’s becoming a common sight to see people out for a walk using walking poles. This trend is becoming more popular not just in Alberta, but across the country as well. “Nordic Pole Walking” (pole walking) was originally created in Finland in the early 1990s as a way for cross-country skiers to train during the summer months.  It was introduced as a low-impact form of exercise that involves walking with a pair of customized poles, similar to ski poles. The activity exploded across Europe in the 1990s and has grown to the point where more than 20% of Finns and about 10-15 million Germans now regularly pole walk. It is a well known fact that Europeans, as a whole, tend to lead more active lifestyles overall than North Americans. They have the right idea when it comes to making activity part of the daily routine! 

Pole Walking is a low impact form of exercise that can offer benefits for improved health and wellness as well as improved overall condition for people of all different levels of fitness.  It is becoming popular in the senior population and even hospitals and rehabilitation clinics are promoting the use of walking poles as a way for people to not only improve their cardiovascular health but to also improve their balance, posture and core strength.  Walking, of course, has long been known to be an excellent form of aerobic exercise on its own with easy access for most of the population.  Now, with adding in the use of the poles, it engages even more muscles groups in the whole body and gives a sense of security for those who are concerned about balance and fall prevention.

There are different forms of walking poles that are suitable for different people and purposes.  There are walking poles specifically designed for those who want to improve their fitness level and increase endurance and overall strength.  By engaging more muscles in the body, more energy is required when using the poles and this can improve cardiovascular fitness and strength.  

There also are poles specifically designed for rehabilitation and balance improvement. These help to decrease the weight/load bearing on the hips, knees and ankle joints  which is beneficial for rehabilitation following hip or knee replacements or for those  recovering from surgeries or fractures in the lower extremities.

Overall, walking poles help to improve balance by engaging the core muscles, therefore improving core strength.  Using poles will assist with maintaining balance with support from the poles and with keeping in an upright posture, rather than flexing forward at the trunk as seen with other assistive devices. Using the poles will require more strength and endurance than walking without the poles.

For more detailed information and educational videos for using the poles please go to http://urbanpoling.com

If you are attached to the LBD PCN and want to get more information or even try out the walking poles, make an appointment with the Exercise Specialist at 780-986-6624.

Are you Craving Change in Beaumont?

Our Craving Change workshop is being offered in Beaumont this month! We have a few spots still available. Call now!

CDA Diabetes Expo!

Are you an adult living with or affected by diabetes?

Our very own Registered Pharmacist, Nandini Desai, will be a speaking at the CDA Diabetes Expo! Other guest speakers include Hal Johnson & Joanne McLeod and Dr. Michael Vallis.

LBD PCN October Newsletter!

Our October 2015 newsletter has just been released! Learn about new classes and workshops, programs and services available to YOU!

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