Refining Your Home Work Out Plan and Connecting with the World

How are you doing? As the weeks of the Covid-19 crisis stretch on, we are all starting to feel the burn. Lean in. It’s going to take a while for the built-up stress in all of us to loosen and relax.

Last week we wrote about the importance of physical exercise. This week we bring a couple of amazing resources to you.

The Canadian Disability Participation Project is offering free, telephone-based Physical Activity Coaching for Canadian adults (18+) with a physical disability, such as a spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, stroke, cerebral palsy, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, post-polio syndrome, or an amputation. The service is called Get in Motion.

Researchers leading Get in Motion are from Queen’s University (https://skhs.queensu.ca/research/research-centres-and-labs-l-to-z/revved-up/) and the University of British Columbia – Okanagan (https://sciactioncanada.ok.ubc.ca). 

The goal of Get in Motion is to provide an opportunity for Canadians with a physical disability to speak with a Physical Activity Coach, who will provide support to start or maintain an at-home physical activity program during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Coaches are trained volunteers and program staff with a background in motivating individuals with a physical disability to lead active, healthy lifestyles. These coaches will not be providing specific exercise training programs, but rather the opportunity to discuss and receive physical activity support.

For the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Coaches are open to providing support for:

  • Physical activity goal setting
  • Planning and scheduling physical activity
  • Developing plans to overcome physical activity related barriers
  • Finding physical activity resources

To sign up for Get in Motion, please visit:

As well, ParticipACTION is making it easy for Canadians to find credible content on how to stay physically active while in isolation. Check out what they are doing on social media.

  • Live 10-minute Facebook Fit Breaks weekdays at noon EST. Missed the workout?  No sweat – all videos will be posted on their Facebook page.
  • Ask Dr. Vanderloo your physical activity questions on Instagram and Facebook every Thursday from 9am – Noon EST.
  • Check out their FacebookInstagram and Twitter accounts for tips on active living and at-home workouts
  • Find relevant and motivational blogs on their website at:  Participaction.com/en-ca/blog
  • Download the FREE ParticipACTION app to keep active, motivated and rewarded (with Amazon gift cards!). Check out the new “At-Home Activity” category, which is filled with home workout videos, tips, tricks and articles.

Hopefully, these two resources can take you to the next level in your home exercise plan.

We still can’t say enough about how important it is to find opportunities to connect with others in the big world while isolating at home. So, here are this week’s suggestions.

On April 11th at 3 pm EDT, there is a A Choir!ntine Sing-Athon for The Canadian Cancer Society hosted by Choir! Choir! Choir! Sing with people across Canada and around the world. Not a great singer? No worries! You are at home! No one can hear you. Tune in live on FaceBook or YouTube.

For the painter – or painter want to be – here’s an online course to teach you to paint with water-colours. At https://www.annamasonart.com/ you can take this course for free! When you sign up, you also get access to tutorial videos and a private community to support you in your efforts.

That’s it for now. Have a great week and keep active!

New From The Blog

Jess Silver: Redefining Disability through adaptive fitness

Professionally, Jess Silver is an accomplished communications professional, published author, adaptive fitness trainer and multilingual educator with a passion for travel and making a positive difference in the world.

Quite apart from what they do though, what really defines a person is who they are. Silver is a passionate physical activity and inclusion advocate and dynamic thought -leader who is constantly challenging herself and those around her to expand their vision of what is possible.

The Secret to Happiness By James Kwinecki

I never thought that one day I would wake up and not be able to see. But here we are, 7 years later and through this change I’ve realized the secret to happiness. Now I know you might be thinking I’m going to talk about chocolate, a loving family or being financially stable – I’m not. (Those things are great too, though). In this blog, I am going to tell you why I think physical activity is the secret to true happiness! WAIT - If you just groaned, give me a chance!