We are an accumulation of all of our experiences throughout our lives including how we use our bodies, the choices we make, the people we surround ourselves with, the places we’ve been to and the things we’ve learned along the way.

There were many times this year where it was hard to keep a gratitude perspective. But ultimately, when I step outside of myself and look down at my life, the silver linings of going through these challenges are that I can see a clear picture of the life we’re building to serve others; I am healing in a sweet, secluded, majestic part of the world where the mountains and the river are steps from my home and we are literally surrounded by nature in any direction you look; and I am forever changed in the way I look at life because of this year.

I tore my ACL in April of 2018. This was my first major injury in my life (and hopefully the only ;)). I was playing in the finals of a volleyball tournament and landed on a single leg while rotating. Let’s just say physics won this time around.

So…you’ve got big macro scale goals, but where do you start focusing your energy, time and resources to ensure you actually move toward them?

I’ve been an athlete for over twenty years. Nine year old me started playing soccer after ballet was a bust. I traded the leotard for the shin pads happily. Next came ringette and volleyball and I also competed in track and field in elementary school. I learned how to snowboard in my 20s. I took some time to reflect on a few lessons I’ve taken away from sport.

We have to recognize that creating new habits takes time and is not necessarily easy nor linear. We may relapse into old habits. That’s ok. The important part is learning along the way and refining your processes to find out what works for you.

Virtue Healthcare was born from an idea many moons ago (Christmas of 2020 to be exact). Since then, we planned and dreamed and officially launched Virtue on June 1st, 2021.

A few common observations are that we can all benefit from learning how to consciously support our bodies correctly. We can do that by gaining strength to become more balanced in our body which would make it easier to support ourselves everyday, along with bringing awareness to our bodies.

Running season is upon us. The snow has melted, the days are longer and it’s warming up. Lots of people are starting to get outside and hit the pavement or trails. We wanted to put together a few things to think about to help make your running more enjoyable this spring.

Topical Steroid Withdrawal has been seen to occur in people who have short or long term use of the medication. Symptoms have been seen in people who have used steroid creams for as little as two weeks. Prolonged use, even if used infrequently can and usually does exacerbate the withdrawal symptoms. The drug withdrawal impacts many physiological systems in the body including the circulatory system, the endocrine system, the immune system, the nervous system and the digestive system.

So, I’ve had this idea for a while now and I keep coming back to it.

Do you have someone in your life you look up to? Aspire to be more like? A hero that inspires you?

Surely most of us do.

We traded city life on Vancouver Island in our 350 square foot suite (we learned we are not cut out for tiny home life!) to 5 acres in the mountains and valleys of the Kootenays. When we decided to move onto a dirt road in the forest 30 minutes away from the nearest town, we knew we would be adapting to a new way of living. City mice becoming country mice if you will.

Probably the most important thing that foam rolling can do for us is act as a connection in communication between the nervous system and our bodies soft tissue structures.

It’s important to get the full holistic picture and context of what is going on for you, consider all your options and do what makes most sense to you. Try not to rely solely on one opinion or modality to be the cure-all. Striving to be an active participant in your health is a pursuit that will help to stave off some preventable problems.

There is a lot of confusing, contradictory and convoluted information floating around the worldwide web when it comes to working out.

The truth is, it all depends on context.

No one really talks about the good parts of aging that often. I wish they would. The views we hold about ourselves at any given moment influence our daily decision-making, which ultimately affects how we will feel in the future.