Category: kitchen design

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Winnipeg, have you heard? Sitting is bad for you…solutions by Physiotherapy Winnipeg, yourPhysio.com

Winnipeg, by now you know you probably know that sitting down all day is terrible for you. As computer hardware and software accelerate the ‘web 3.0’, we can do more than ever before from a sitting position. Ergonomics is no longer a foreign word, and our ‘core’ exercises need to be performed everyday!

Who needs scientists to tell you that sitting for even one hour causes the production of fat-burning enzymes to decline a whopping 90%, or that more than four hours of desk time each day raises your risk of a heart attack by more than 100%?

You can feel exactly how crappy sitting all day makes you feel at the end of each workday; though you may be shocked to learn that being a regular gym-goer doesn’t protect you from the harmful effects of all that sitting. Standing up more is scientifically proven to have huge health benefits, but in our digital world it’s not as simple as it sounds. Here’s how to make the switch to an upright workday.

Try the latest DIY option, I have had so many patients describe their attempts at raising their work surface by box, crate, home-made devices, etc. I’m sure you could find the latest ‘how-to-video’ on YouTube to get an idea as to how to produce something for your workstation. Ergonomic clients of yourPhysio.com have purchased electronic and hydraulic ‘sit-stand’ workstations to allow their employees the postural variety that may be necessary for back pain, hip strains or knee sprains. These rehabs require movement throughout the day, and consistent changes in posture is a great place to start.

Invest in an ‘anti-fatigue’ mat, change your shoes every 6-8 months or try an over-the-counter orthotic to replace those worn insoles. You may require a doctor’s note to have orthotics covered by your insurance plan, but it is an employment benefit; so benefit!

Tweak your ergonomics, hire an ergonomic consultant for an hour and learn the proper way, not only how to sit, but how to perform your job so that it will not cause pain. Ask questions about posture, exercise and equipment available to make any task easier and less painful.

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How people choose a Physio, a Doctor, a Chiro, in Winnipeg…for back pain, for health advice, for whiplash

Thanks again to my fellow members at the Winnipeg Executives Association, for the positive feedback and referrals following my 2012 Business Profile presentation; How do you choose your Healthcare Providers? Based on the US pre-election survey by INC magazine…

In reverse order of importance, the top five were:

#5 a great Receptionist.

Oooops, if you have been to my clinical location in the formerly TD Centre, at Portage & Main, you would know that I have been a ‘sole proprietor’ since 1991. Clients know that when they call for an appointment or have any kind of question, that they are going to speak directly with me, the Physiotherapist. Whether it be by phone, text, email or video-chat; I do not hesitate to educate you on the spot and answer the greatest concern in real-time!

#4 your Insurance Coverage.

In Manitoba, you do not need a doctor’s referral to see a Physiotherapist. But, you may need one to be covered by your particular insurance coverage. Manitoba Health only covers physiotherapy treatment if obtained in hospital, and WCB, and MPI, only cover a specific number of treatment sessions. So, beware of your coverage and be proactive in your rehab!

I DO direct bill to most insurance plans, if they do allow this to occur as some plans prefer that the client do it by mail or online, such as Sun Life or ManuLife. Healthcare Spending Accounts are becoming more of the norm with ‘flex’ benefit plans. These accounts are excellent ways to be proactive in your health plan by applying these funds to ergonomic assessment or exercise programs.

Like some other providers, I typically do NOT charge for ‘tray fees’, ‘chart maintenance’, exercise tubing or even for Doctor’s notes.

#3 convenient Parking.

Well…again, we are located in Downtown Winnipeg’s most secure parking complex; the Exchange District Parkade, off Albert Street at #35…my entry is at ground level, directly across from Winnipeg’s best kept secret, parking meters inside a parkade entrance.

#2 convenient Office Hours.

For the approximate 60,000 people working within a 5 minute walk of Portage & Main, the most requested appointment time is between 10am and 2pm, with a normal treatment day from 845am to 530pm in the clinical location.

My research begins at the home office, and ergonomic assessments take me onsite to clients’ work places; from garbage trucks to police cruisers, from bus depots to gold mines, from military helicopters to postal distribution centres, from bank tellers to executive offices, from lumber plants to product warehouses, from grocery clerks to sports professionals, from grain elevators to your cottage kitchen…I’ve worked the day and night shifts, and experienced a huge variety of task conditions.

#1 my Location.

Do you know anyone that works within walking distance of Portage & Main?

Do you know anyone who works in an office connected through the Winnipeg ‘W’ walkway system?

Do you know anyone with a schedule that demands a guaranteed appointment time? …there is no waiting room

I invite you to refer them to our services, for healthcare that may not always be what they expected or even be the best in town, but I will always move them in a direction to make it right for them. Thanks.

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your Ergonomics, line of sight and that nagging neck-shoulder-upper back pain, by Physiotherapy Winnipeg

Whether it be at work, rest or play; a candy bar cannot make that pain go away…but your ergonomics at the workstation, at home or doing any activity can make a significant difference to your health.

We can often find those simple modifications, those easy answers to perform a task easier, and safer. The problem is that many of us do not take the time to change our habits, make changes and implement them consistently at our busiest work areas…the kitchen, in this case. The ‘pant hangar’ keeps the recipe near eye level, there is no awkward posture to maintain and the cabinet can even be accessed quite easily, well done!

 

This concept always applies to those that must ‘sit for a living’, the ‘desk jockeys’ of the finance, legal, grain and media industries here in Downtown Winnipeg. Like a ‘whiplash’, those muscle aches can proliferate throughout the upper back and neck.

 

Such that, you must remember to adjust your computer monitor height; use some yellow pages or photocopy paper bundles. Some recent ergonomic assessments have resulted in 8-10 inches of monitor height changes to accommodate the individual’s line of sight. Your eye level should be equal to that of the curser start position, in the most frequently used software program. This position allows the eye to adjust to a variability of 2-3 inches of text/toolbar and decreases or eliminates the chronic forward head posture.

Let your human resource department or health & safety manager know that I am available for any size group education, assessments and ergonomic design.

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Computer Ergonomics applied to Universal Design in Winnipeg Kitchens

Our universal design process proposes kitchen design and products to be accessible to the widest range of people, from our Grandparents to the kids, for generations, for function, safety and for all abilities.

Our design goals
to assess function
to plan for current disability and future ability
to design for safety
to promote functional recovery and family enjoyment
to assure a better quality of life in the kitchen

welcome to visit or contact me
9 4 3 8 4 1 1 in clinic
2 9 1 8 4 1 2 at mobile office
(807) 5 4 3 1 5 3 2 at the LacLu demo kitchen…thank you for your visits and questions this summer!