Have you decided that you want to become more active, but don’t know where to start? As physiotherapists we are huge advocates of health and are excited for you to make this change! Starting the journey to become more active and increase your fitness is fantastic! Finding an activity and appropriate difficulty at the beginning are essential to making this a lasting habit. Unfortunately, for some people, “traditional” workouts like jogging or lifting weights don’t work for them. Instead, here are some alternative ideas to try for your workout! 1. Incline walking or hiking Hiking is a great way to get your heart pumping and some extra steps into your day. Firstly, whether it’s a treadmill or outdoors, this activity can be easily modified to your desired level. If you’re a beginner, you can start with a slight incline or a hike with minimal elevation changes.…

Anatomy of the “back” In order to understand a lower back strain/sprain, a small anatomy lesson must be done. The back is a complex structure of bones and muscles, supported by cartilage, tendons and ligaments. “Back” is a common term which can include portions of the neck, thoracic spine and lumber spine. The back—especially the lumbar, or lower portion of the back—bears much of the body’s weight during walking, running, lifting and other activities. Defining a strain vs. sprain A strain is a general term for an injury that affects a muscle or tendon. Then, the location of the injury or which muscle or tendon is affected is then specified. For example, a lower back strain means muscles or tendon that are attached to lower back have been injured and may involve tears in the tissue. Alternatively, a hamstring strain means that specific muscle has been injured. Unlike a strain,…