Articles

This is a selection of my ten favourite articles from www.elsbethvaino.com. Head over here for the full article index. If you'd like to receive new articles every month, sign up for the newsletter here.

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My Favourite Training Tools

I hope my use of the 'u' in favourite does not upset any of my American readers, but it is how we spell the word up here in the great white north. This is a ten part series, each addressing a favourite tool for my own training and for training clients. Here is the list so far:

1. Free weights
2. ??
3. ??
4. Functional Movement Screen (FMS)
5. TRX
6. Chin up bar
7. ??
8. Agility ladder
9. ??
10. ??

Next entry will be up soon!

Real world tips for healthier eating

6 Exercises for low back health

To Lunge or To Squat? That is the question.

Accepting Aging as an Athlete

Functional Movement and Your Golf Swing

It makes sense if you think about it: if there are limitations in how your body moves, there will be limitations in your golf swing. You'll figure a way around it, but it will be there. It might even be the reason for some of those shots that make you curse. This is why Titleist created a golf movement assessment.

Lessons of the Hip & Spine from Dr. Shirley Sahrmann

I don’t care how much you don’t move. This was a statement she made repeatedly throughout the course, and reflects the premise that it is usually the place that moves too much that is the problem. This is in keeping with her belief of exercise instead of manual therapy as the best approach for addressing movement disorders, because manual therapy typically addresses shortness.{Read More}

Functional Training and Bicep Curls

This article talks about what functional and sport-specific training is, and addresses why you'll almost never do a bicep curl if you train with me.

Reducing the Risk of Low Back Pain for skiers

I had an article published in Ski Pro Magazine this fall, Reducing the Risk of Low Back Pain. For those of you who are skiers but not instructors in Canada, here is the link to the online version of the magazine: Reducing the Risk of Low Back Pain. The article is on pages 30 and 31, or you can get to it by typing “low back’ into the search field.

Am I Fit Enough to Play?

Many people run to get in shape. Or they live by the credo that "the only way to get in shape for soccer is to play soccer." Is this a good idea? Participating in sports is good for you on so many levels: physically, socially, intellectually, and even emotionally. But can playing sports be deemed working out? Should you play sports to get in shape?

The One True Diet - Does it Include donuts?

This article is an expression of my take on nutrition - that if you are energetic, rarely get sick, are happy with your performance, and are happy with your weight, then don't change a thing. Otherwise, it is time to re-evalute how you eat.