Alfred Ball, who presented "Balance Bodies for Improved Performance and Injury Prevention" at the Fall 2007 Fitness & Rehab Conference, was featured in the Georgia Straight in Volume 42.
Healthy Obsession
Georgia Straight -Health Features - January 3, 2008 - By Charlie Smith
The CMAJ paper cited more than 100 epidemiological studies linking routine physical activity with a reduction in certain types of cancers. Cancer-related mortality rates were 29 percent higher for inactive middle-aged women than for their peers who were physically active. For men
and women who were active, the relative risk of colon cancer fell 30 to 40 percent, and for women who were physically active, there was a 20- to 30-percent reduction in the relative risk of breast cancer.
A large study published last October in the Archives of Internal Medicine carried grim news for women who gain weight as adults. The researchers examined data from almost 100,000 postmenopausal women. Those who were not obese at the age of 18 but who were obese between the ages of 35 and 50 were 1.4 times more likely to develop breast cancer than those who maintained their weight. The good news was that for those women who lost weight, their
risk of breast cancer was the same as for those who maintained a stable weight.
Even if you're suffering from a chronic disease or an injury, it's possible to remain active and enjoy the benefits of exercise, according to Alfred Ball, chair of continuing education with the British Columbia Association of Kinesiologists. Ball's company, Life Moves Health and Fitness, specializes in creating programs for people with chronic conditions, including clients
with claims against the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia.
"The first step is to do a consultation and get a basic history and see what other treatments they have sought, and what they have done for exercise in the past," Ball said. "From there, I'll usually do some movement-screening to see how well they move, and some strength-testing, depending on the area of injury…and develop a plan from there."
He said that for those with chronic diseases, the biggest error is either doing too much exercise or doing none at all. He noted that the body often tightens up around an injured area to protect itself, and more problems arise when the person makes adjustments to compensate. "The body is a connected piece," Ball said. "When you have injuries in one place, there
will be reactions in other places as well."
Ball, who operates out of the North Shore Fitness World, sometimes recommends one-on-one Pilates to ensure clients don't overdo it at first. He said that the next step is to focus on strengthening the client's basic core muscles. One of the biggest challenges for paraplegics or quadriplegics is ensuring they do enough cardiovascular exercises, he added, noting that
there are rowing machines and bicycles that can help.
Key Words – Alfred Ball, Fitness & Rehab Conference, Georgia Straight, Physical Activity, Cancer, Obesity, BCAK,
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Rick Kaselj - rkaselj@HealingThroughMovement.com
Healing Through Movement - www.HealingThroughMovement.com
Fitness & Rehabilitation / Presentations & Publications
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