By Nolan Turnbull, Kinesiologist 

The unpredictable nature of the pandemic has made taking time for oneself and maintaining healthy lifestyle behaviours such as physical activity more difficult than ever. Mindfulness is a simple practice that anyone can use to help address stress and uncertainty, and to achieve lifestyle and physical activity related goals.

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By Charmi Lad, Registered Kinesiologist 

Spring is just around the corner, which means more sunshine, warm weather and outdoor activities and exercise. With the Covid-19 pandemic still going on, having to isolate ourselves from friends and family is having a negative impact on our health and wellness. 

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By Canadian Mental Health Association, Supported by Kinesiologists 

Spring has sprung and hope is in the air, but not everyone is feeling peachy. It’s been a tough winter and your inner world might still be thawing out. That’s ok! Before you let the sunshine in, it can actually help you to sit with the stormy stuff you’re going through. According to scientists, putting negative feelings into words can help us understand and regulate negative emotional experiences. In short, the best thing you can do with unpleasant emotions is not to numb them, but to name them.

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By Canadian Mental Health Association, Supported by Kinesiologists 

There’s a common misperception that “good mental health” means feeling happy and “bad mental health” means feeling sad. In fact, a mentally healthy life includes the full range of human emotions—even the uncomfortable ones like sadness, fear and anger.

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By Canadian Mental Health Association, Supported by Kinesiologists 

Emotions play a huge role in our lives, our actions and our relationships. Yet, most of us know surprisingly little about what they are, how we experience them and why we have them in the first place. Some psychologists might say we’re low on “emotional literacy.”

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By Canadian Mental Health Association, Supported by Kinesiologists 

Naming how we feel is good for us on so many levels.  Here are some tips for building your emotion-naming muscles. 

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By Kerri BlackBurn, Practicing Kinesiologist

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 36% of Canadians already reported experiencing sleep difficulties such as issues with falling asleep, staying asleep and early morning awakenings. Is the solution as simple as adding more movement into our day?

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By Scott Printz, Affiliated Kinesiologist 

Along with the well-documented benefits of an active lifestyle, it is important to consider the impact of combining socialization with activity.

Physical activity can positively impact multiple health domains, not just physical. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), regular physical activity can have a positive impact on one’s psychological health in terms of reducing anxiety and depression.

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Walking the Talk: Why Kinesiologists are Joining the Conversation on Mental Health

Studies and kinesiologists’ practice show regular physical exercise can improve mental wellbeing, including living with depression and anxiety

We rarely talk about kinesiologists when it comes to mental health barriers or a mental wellness strategy.

But as kinesiologists gain a deeper understanding of clients’ health histories, they’re uncovering a pattern of mental health issues.

It happens every time we say hello. In person, in text, on the phone. Someone asks us how we’re doing. It’s politeness. It’s a social convention. And it’s a way to find out how we’re all doing and connect with each other. 

But, more often than not, do you find yourself answering, automatically, with “fine, thanks?” You are not alone. Most of us do. But maybe, just maybe, if we said more than just “I’m fine,” we would connect a little more, and have more meaningful connections.  

In fact, when we slow down and figure out what we’re really feeling, it can help us actually feel better and can improve the way we communicate with and relate to others. Knowing and saying what we really feel can improve our relationships. 

So, what could you say instead of just I’m fine?