Paul’s Boot Camp

It was June 2, 2010, when Lucy Addario made the decision that altered her life: she joined Paul’s Boot Camp (PBC).

“I was tired of all the inhibitions that came with being overweight,” says Addario, a mother of two. She was 232 pounds when she first stepped into the calorie-searing atmosphere of PBC, with no expectation of reaching her ultimate fitness goal. But after a few hours on the mat with fitness guru Paul Walker, Addario had to admit that there was something different about the atmosphere.

“My journey was not one of the ordinary,” says Addario, 43, who pushed through her initial doubt to slowly chisel her way down to a glorious 138 pounds. “It was long and challenging, yet despite these challenges, PBC helped me to accomplish my dream.”

And what makes Paul’s Boot Camp such a hit? According to owner and certified personal trainer Paul Walker, his two key ingredients to a successful boot camp are a very passionate staff that pours their heart into training, and having a blast while blasting calories.

“Lucy has inspired so many ladies at the studio through her determination and will,” says Walker. “She has made so many friends and has earned the respect of so many. She sets her goals and
meets them.”

As for Addario, she’s thrilled to finally be comfortable in her own skin. “This experience not only gave me my confidence back, it gave me a healthier perspective on the importance of fitness.”

www.integrityfitness.ca, 905.851.7722

Movember: Let’s Get Physical

What do you think of when you see a moustache? One hundred moustaches? How about 250,000 moustaches? Well, it’s that time of year again when Movember is upon us and, in addition to growing a moustache, it’s when we focus on men’s health, a time for public and private conversations on the health risks men face. It’s also a reminder to schedule your annual physical.

The dreaded annual checkup. It’s something a lot of guys think about but often don’t make the time to do it. Getting an annual check and preventative screening tests are among the most important things you can do to stay healthy.

Think of it as a car tune-up. Would you let your dream car go longer than a year without maintenance? Probably not. You shouldn’t let your body go that long without one, either.

To help debunk any mysteries about the annual checkup and make it a little less scary, I thought I’d share my own experience with you. And just to add an extra element of dread, mine was filmed to share with Movember fans across the world. And posted to YouTube. You might think I’m joking, but I’m not.To make it easy to remember, I schedule my checkup every Movember (a portmanteau word of November and moustache). It’s a good idea to pick a time that works for you and make a habit of it. I’ve just entered my 40s, so for me, my yearly exam includes:
 
A Physical Exam: Height, weight, blood pressure. Thankfully, I’m always the same height and my weight is usually in the same vicinity. For me, blood pressure has never been an issue, but it’s really important to check as it is impacted by diet and lifestyle.

Routine Blood Work, including a Cholesterol Test: A few years ago, my cholesterol levels were slightly elevated, so we now check it annually. My doctor advised to adjust my diet and increase my physical activity in order to keep it in check. Now I watch my fat intake as much as I can and try to cycle or run three to four times a week. 

Skin Cancer: I’m from Australia and live in California. Spending a lot of time in the sun makes it important for me to be aware of any changes on my skin. My doctor takes pictures of moles we need to monitor so we can see any changes over time. And I can still spend time in the sun when I get the chance.

Prostate Cancer Screening: I had my first Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test a year ago. To me, it’s important to have that baseline so that year over year we can monitor and make sure it’s in check. It’s a simple blood test. Contrary to what you might have heard, this is a pants-on screening.

Testicular Cancer Screening: This is where you drop your pants and cough. Insert many funny jokes here. It’s a little cold, and perhaps slightly awkward, but in the grand scheme of things, not all that bad. 

Eye Health: A vision test to check for eye conditions and glaucoma. Just like when you get your driver’s license. I passed. 

• Educate yourself: Each decade of your life brings new health concerns. Knowledge is power and equipping yourself with the facts to know what to ask your physician is important.
• Know your family history: Make sure your physician is up-to-date on any hereditary family conditions that you should be monitored for.
• Get the results: Make sure you get the results of any tests and work with your physician on an action plan to maintain your fine-tuned status.
• Book annually: Make your checkup a yearly event each Movember. Stay on top of your game — don’t wait until you get sick to visit your doc.
 
What are you waiting for? Man up. Go ahead and book it. Mo on!

Andrea Marchini: A pep talk on early intervention

Talk. Walk. Play. The job description of a child may sound simplistic, but babies are in fact involved in the very complex business of brain development.

At this exceptionally young age, babies are engaged in what is perhaps the most important occupation they will ever undertake — learning language. Children quickly discover that communication offers a precious connection to the world in which they can share their likes, needs and feelings, and socially bond with those they love. In fact, no skill will be more critical to a child’s well-being and success in life than the skill to communicate.

From the earliest moment, a baby stumbles across the discovery that a cry, gesture or babble are clever expressions of his needs and wants. By his first birthday, he has spent copious amounts of energy Read more

Golf Warmup – Above Par

Golf is an extremely athletic sport that requires almost every joint in your body to move in a coordinated dance, which starts from the back swing to the follow-through. Precision, power and flexibility are what separate good players from the great ones.

But what goes into developing a powerful swing while avoiding injury?

Most golfers will tell you that the controlled power you can generate from your swing is the key to a great game. Generating this maximal force while minimizing the impact on your joints is important. If you have poor posture and body mechanics, you are leaving yourself open to injury that will last beyond golf season. The best swings produce massive power but minimize the torsional (twisting) forces in the body, and specifically the torsion in the lumbar spine. In fact, the Read more

Joey Mazzucco, the Boy with the Fedora

When he was seven, Joey Mazzucco’s life was turned upside down by cancer. At an age when play is a child’s biggest concern, Joey was placed at the foot of an ominous mountain and told to climb. It was a demanding trek, but Joey refused to judge the journey as a tragedy. There was no time for self-pity, no use in lamenting. He donned his favourite fedora, embraced the power of optimism and climbed. Why? Because there was simply no other choice.

When Joey’s right shoulder began shooting with pain in the summer of 2009, a torn rotator cuff was thought to be the source. A visit to the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), however, revealed the tumour causing his duress, and Joey was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer. Read more

City Life’s Professional Health guide

AgeLess Clinic, Becoming Age-Less
Science and art create a natural look at the AgeLess Clinic.
Modern cosmetic plastic surgery isn’t just nips and tucks. It takes the creative eye of an artisan to deliver that desired, untreated look. With over 20 years of experience, Joyce M. Palmer, owner and director of the AgeLess Clinic, explains that, “To achieve results that are really natural looking, the plastic surgeon has to be both technically and artistically skilled.”

Medical director of the AgeLess Clinic is Dr. Marc DuPéré, a board certified cosmetic plastic surgeon. He brings superb specialized skills and that creative talent to the AgeLess Clinic, which is essential for natural results. “He is considered an elite plastic surgeon,” says Palmer, noting that Dr. DuPéré’s accolades include graduating as a gold medalist from the McGill School of Medicine, Read more

Northern Karate Schools, the Ancient Way

There is an ancient Buddhist proverb that says, “When the student is ready, the Master appears.” If such is the case, Northern Karate Schools’ students must be well-prepared, as Hokama Tetsuhiro and Shiroma Kiyonori, both 10th dan Hanshi, graced them with their presence this past September.

“It was a great honour to have men of their stature visit our schools,” says Kyoshi Cos Vona, an instructor and sixth-degree black belt at Northern Karate. “It’s extremely rare to have experts of this calibre visit North America, let alone Canada.”

From the island of Okinawa, Japan, the birthplace of karate, Hokama and Shiroma both hold the rank of “Hanshi,” essentially a senior expert or grand master. Through demonstrations and lectures, these teacher-of-teachers shared their vast knowledge Read more

Feel Good with Yoga

What is it about yoga that appeals to many people from a variety of backgrounds, ages  and lifestyles?  These days, yoga is as popular as any type of physical activity, such as running, spinning, weight training and boot camp. As such, yoga’s popularity is a result of a feeling one is left with at the end of a class.  Like all good physical activity, one experiences freedom from stress as endorphins release to create a feeling of ease and relaxation; however, yoga also strives to bring peace and tranquility. Through a combination of poses, breathing and meditation, yoga teaches us how to access the peace and joy that at times is buried deep. Yoga not only provides a fantastic physical workout, but also delves deeper into the mind and spirit by promoting a union of these three elements. In Sanskrit, yoga means to yoke or unify; therefore the objective of yoga is to bring harmony and balance to the mind, body and spirit. Read more

Spice things up with Sheryl Crow

If it makes you healthy, it can’t be that bad. Singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow was living the typical rock star life – on the road touring the world as she promoted her latest hits. Her influence on the music industry became undisputable, with nine Grammy awards and other accolades confirming her talent. During that time, though, she was eating on the run, ordering off hotel room service menus, and snacking on chips and Diet Coke in her dressing room. When jolted with the shocking news of breast cancer in 2006, Crow quickly changed her tune. “My cancer diagnosis was a real game changer for me … Never once in my life had I really considered what I put into my body as having a direct connection to my wellness,” she writes in her season-inspired cookbook If it Makes you Healthy (St. Martin’s Press, 2011). Co-authored by produce lover and chef Chuck White, their guide to good food is packed with vitamin and Read more

The Midwives Club

Lucy Sanna was pregnant with her second child when her maternal instincts for an alternative care option kicked in. She had mused about midwifery during her first pregnancy, but as other women before and after her, wasn’t so certain about its scope of practice. She wondered about its quality of care, safety and benefits. She wondered if there was a fee. Heeding the referrals of others, she placed a call to a midwifery clinic near her place of work in Etobicoke, Ont. “I was trying to figure out what to do. I have two cousins of mine who went with midwives as well, and they tried to convince me from the beginning with my first [pregnancy] to go, and the second time, I said, ‘that’s it, I’m going to do it,’” recalls the Bolton, Ont. resident. Nine months later, Sanna welcomed a full-term, healthy baby girl she and her husband named Mariah. Read more

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