聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Being active during the winter months can be a struggle, but it鈥檚 important to find different ways to be active. Whether you鈥檙e shovelling snow, cross-country skiing, or going for a short walk, exercise can oftentimes make people feel better and it promotes a healthy lifestyle.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 With spring here, however, getting exercise will become easier and making the change to one鈥檚 lifestyle now and carrying it through the winter can be simpler than attempting to jump into it during the cold, winter months.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In relation to this the Carlyle Primary Health Clinic will be kicking off a Healthy Lifestyle Program beginning in May to help those in need of assistance in creating and maintaining a healthier lifestyle.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Last year the clinic conducted a needs assessment and found that, of the 150 people who participated, a Healthy Lifestyles/Chronic Disease Management Program was their number one request.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Healthy Lifestyle Program is directed towards anyone 18-years-old or older who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or over.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淸It] is a 12 week program which focuses on teaching people how to make healthy lifestyle changes through good nutrition and active lifestyle - it is not a weight reduction program but is healthy lifestyle change program,鈥� Laura Wood, Nurse Practitioner (NP) at the Carlyle Clinic, explained.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he program team (dietician, physio, and NP) meets with the participants monthly to review and monitor progress. 聽 They walk through the process of self management with team members serving as coaches.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The group will begin meeting in the community health building this May.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hen they will be seen monthly, individually - with the team at the Carlyle Medical Clinic,鈥� Wood said. 鈥淵ou can be asked to be referred by a doctor, NP, dietician or physio.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 According to Stats Canada, 36 percent of all Canadians are overweight, while 23 percent are obese. This increases the risk of chronic diseases, so being active and eating well reduces this risk and makes one feel better.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Specifically looking at Saskatchewan, difficulties of maintaining a healthy lifestyle come with our extremely cold winters and our hot summers, while geography can also hinder people in being active as those who live in town can walk to work but many commute and do not have this option finding it difficult to make time in their day for exercise.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Recently the Conference Board of Canada released a Canadian Health Report Card, which ranked Canada as 10th in the world with a B score. This score was pulled down from a higher place by various provinces like Newfoundland and Labrador which scored a 鈥淒-,鈥� as well as Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Saskatchewan which obtained 鈥淒鈥� grades.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Health is defined by the World Health Organization as 鈥渢he state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Health Report Card took life expectancy, premature mortality, infant mortality, self-reported health status, self-reported mental health status, mortality due to cancer, mortality due to heart disease and stroke, mortality due to respiratory disease, mortality due to diabetes, mortality due to diseases of the nervous system, and suicides, into account.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Saskatchewan鈥檚 Health Report Card read as follows:
-聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Life expectancy: D
-聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Premature mortality: D
-聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Infant mortality: D-
-聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Self-reported health status: A
-聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Self-reported health status: A
-聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Mortality due to cancer: B
-聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Mortality due to heart disease and stroke: B
-聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Mortality due to respiratory disease: B
-聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Mortality due to diabetes: D
-聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Mortality due to diseases of the nervous system: B
-聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Suicides: C
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In fact according to the study, Saskatchewan was found to be the second-to-last amongst the pronvices.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Across Canada it was found that cancer, heart disease, and stroke remain the countries deadliest diseases. Respiratory diseases, diabetes, and nervous system diseases are also high in leading causes of deaths in the country.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 All of these can be mitigated through living more healthily.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In fact the study states, 鈥渙besity is one of the most significant contributing factors to many chronic conditions, including heart disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes鈥︹��
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he rising obesity rates for Canadians of all ages clearly places them at risk for future chronic diseases.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Additionally, such activities as alcohol and tobacco consumption can also increase ones鈥� risks.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Therefore, lifestyle choices such as physical activity and diet are key to prevention.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淩esults suggest that even a modest improvement in physical activity can yield tangible benefits,鈥� the Conference Board of Canada states. 鈥淚ndeed, by simply getting 10 percent of Canadians with suboptimal levels of physical activity to reduce their sedentary behaviour and exercise more, the incidence rates for major chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer, hypertension, and diabetes would be reduced substantially. This would boost life expectancy and lessen the burden on the health care system.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淕iven the rising rates of chronic diseases and the impact that lifestyle choices have on these diseases, active participation of patients in setting their own health goals and management plans is more relevant than ever before.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Therefore, being able to offer assistance to those wanting to make a change is something that the Carlyle Primary Health Clinic is able to do through their new Healthy Lifestyle Program being introduced this May.
