Sports Therapy
Summer time, and the livin’s ACTIVE!

Summer time, and the livin’s ACTIVE!

If you’re like me, the recent heatwave may have left you wanting to have an afternoon siesta more than go for a run!

Fortunately for all of us who prefer to exercise in non-sauna-like conditions this past weekend brought on some relief.  The huge difference in my surroundings from Saturday’s workout (indoor gym) to Sunday’s Gatineau Park fun had me reflecting on encouraging everyone to get outside and play.

We are truly fortunate here in Ottawa to have such an incredible diversity of great summer activities to get excited about.  From organized festivals like this past weekend’s Hope volleyball event to the myriad of provincial parks and recreational trails in the region to explore, there really is something for everyone.

After pushing through an indoor workout staring at the ductwork on the ceiling of my gym on Saturday, it got me thinking that at this time of year there’s really nothing that you can’t do outside.

As a sample here’s what I got up to on Sunday:

7:30 am – 2k open water swim at Meech lake – Blanchet Beach: At this time of year, there isn’t much more refreshing than an outdoor swim workout.  After not having been in the pool for nearly 5 months, I decided to bring up my short wetsuit for some flotation help.  The water was just so nice that after 1 lap around the island off Blanchet Beach I jumped out of the water and got rid of the wet suit. Coming from a triathlon background in chilly Thunder Bay, man, what a treat!

If you feel like you want to sharpen your skills a bit more before taking to the open water, check out Swim Ottawa and their outdoor sessions at the JCC https://secure.leda.lunarmania.com/~anzai0/swimottawa/Forms/Reg-MastersSummer.html.

Keeping on the idea that what can be done at the gym is even better outside, after 45 minutes in the water I moved onto the beach for some outdoor core strength.

Sneaking in a few sets of your favorite core exercises (today it was front/side plank, oblique V-sits, bird-dog arm/leg extensions, vertical heel pushes, and push-ups) comes much easier I think when you get to stare up at the leaves and clouds passing instead of air ducts! And even better, once you are done you get to jump in the lake to cool off!

Men’s Health Magazine had some good ideas for getting summer exercises in with this section “Your Body is Your Barbell” suggesting some good exercises to do even while on the sidelines of your kid's sporting events.  Love the idea… http://www.menshealth.com/gear-up-for-summer/workouts/Your-Body-is-Your-Barbell.php

1:00 pm Gatineau Loops with Fortune repeats: Following a quick brunch at home (with fresh bread from the fantastic bakery in Old Chelsea http://chelseabakery.com/ ) it was time to meet up with some of the guys from my cycling team Nine-2-Five Pro http://nine2fivepro.com/wpmu/ back in Gatineau Park at the Gamelin gates.  As soon as our little pack was shredded going up Pink, I knew I was in for a bit more than an easy loop with fortune repeats.

Group training is a great way to get the competitive fuel to fire a killer workout.  Round up your friends, head out and have fun pushing each other with whatever you’re doing outdoors.  It’s a great way to spice things up and push your limits.  A huge thanks go out to my N2F crew for making me hurt-so-good, again and again!

As you’ll often hear me say around the Clinic – there’s more to life than physio! After 4+ hrs on the bike, I was in need of some serious chilling and recharging. I was lucky enough to have that need more than satisfied by the gang over at Divinowinestudio, with a stellar dinner party and wine tasting showcasing the Puglia region of Italy.  The tasty wine, mouth-watering food, and great company must have done the trick – after stretching this morning my legs feel amazingly fresh!

I know that for me anyway, life really can’t get much better than it did yesterday.  So get out there and enjoy yourself in and around this great city, summer’s here – for a limited time only!

– Shane

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Locations

Ottawa Physiotherapy And Sport Clinics - Glebe

Ottawa Physiotherapy And Sports Clinics

108 Third Ave #102 Ottawa,
Ontario K1S 2J8
(Map)
Phone: 613.680.3980
Email: gphysiotherapy@optsc.com
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Hours of Operation:
Monday to Friday: 7:00am - 8:00pm
Saturday: 7:00am - 12:00pm

Locations

Ottawa Physiotherapy and Sport Clinics - Barrhaven

Ottawa Physiotherapy & Sport Clinics

35 Larkin Drive,
Barrhaven
Ottawa,
Ontario K2J 2T2
(Map)
Phone: 613.825.8548
Email: bphysiotherapy@optsc.com
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Hours of Operation:
Monday to Friday: 7:00am - 8:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am - 1:00pm

Locations

Ottawa Physiotherapy and Sport Clinics - Westboro

Ottawa Physiotherapy & Sport Clinics

347 Churchill Avenue N Ottawa,
Ontario K1Z 5C2
( Map)
Phone: 613.728.4160
Email: westsportphysio@optsc.com
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Hours of Operation:
Monday to Friday: 7:00am - 8:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am - 1:00pm

Locations

Ottawa Physiotherapy and Sport Clinics - Orleans

Ottawa Physiotherapy & Sport Clinics

1420 Youville Drive #8,
Orleans
Ottawa,
Ontario K1C 7B3
(Map)
Phone: 613.830.3466
Email: ophysiotherapy@optsc.com
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Hours of Operation:
Monday to Friday: 7:00am - 8:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am - 2:00pm

Locations

Ottawa Physiotherapy and Sport Clinics - Main Street

Ottawa Physiotherapy & Sport Clinics

205-194 Main Street Ottawa,
Ontario K1S 1C2
(Map)
Phone: 613.567.4808
Email: mphysiotherapy@optsc.com
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Hours of Operation:
Monday to Friday: 7:00am - 8:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am - 1:00pm

Locations

Ottawa Physiotherapy and Sport Clinics - Hunt Club

Ottawa Physiotherapy & Sport Clinics

Suite 204 – 2446 Bank St Ottawa,
Ontario K1V 1A4
(Map)
Phone: 613.247.1245
Email: hcphysiotherapy@optsc.com
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Hours of Operation:
Monday to Friday: 7:00am - 8:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am - 1:00pm

Locations

Ottawa Physiotherapy and Sport Clinics - Kanata Lakes

Ottawa Physiotherapy & Sport Clinics

2 Goldridge Dr #3B, Kanata Ottawa,
Ontario K2T 1C7
(Map)
Phone: 613.599.4777
Email: kphysiotherapy@optsc.com
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Hours of Operation:
Monday to Friday: 7:00am - 8:00pm

Locations

Ottawa Physiotherapy & Sport Clinics - Stonebridge

Ottawa Physiotherapy & Sport Clinics

3812 Greenbank Rd Unit 6 Ottawa,
ON K2C 3H2
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Phone: 613.823.2007
Email: sphysiotherapy@optsc.com
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Hours of Operation:
Monday to Friday: 7:00am - 8:00pm