Let’s face it, the floors at RRC are rock hard, and the campus is huge. Our feet pay the price, and many RRC staff have learned the hard way about a condition called plantar fasciitis.

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the connective tissue in the sole of the foot. Do you get up in the morning and find your first steps agonizing? Are you paying for all kinds of Dr. Scholl’s products looking for relief? If so, you need to understand this condition and seek treatment.

While we often have tired and sore feet after a busy day, plantar fasciitis pain is usually acutely felt in the heel, especially first thing in the morning. It can feel like you’re walking on the ends of your bones. You may find that flexing your toes upward is also difficult. The condition can lead to knee pain, or heel spurs (a small bony growth on the heel bone). In severe cases, surgery might be indicated.

While the pain seems to originate in the heel, it is often the result of what is commonly referred to as “falling arches,” which can be expected as you age and/or gain weight. Yes, it’s time for sensible shoes and proper arch supports. Shelve those stilettos and save your feet.

Treatment for plantar fasciitis is effective, but can be slow, depending on the severity of your symptoms. Consult a physiotherapist for proper diagnosis and a personalized course of therapy to alleviate your discomfort and prevent a recurrence. There are many tools and treatments that can (literally) get you on your feet again.

Find out more at:

http://www.howdlephysiotherapy.ca/Injuries-Conditions/Foot/Foot-Issues/Plantar-Fasciitis-Heel-Pain/a~259/article.html

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/sport-injuries/foot-heel-pain/plantar-fasciitis

Submitted by Stephanie Ruth Fraser

Hello from Red River College’s Winkler Campus! More specifically, from the Administrative Assistant program here at the Winkler Campus. To help our Campus shake off those post-Christmas winter blues we threw an event on January 23, 2011 called Burn the Blues.

Now what is Burn the Blues, you ask? Good question! We designed the event around the idea of beating the winter blues. January is one of the most depressing months of the year, and we wanted to cheer up our fellow students. Wellness and inspiring others to be active and think about healthy choices was something we wanted to incorporate, and so Burn the Blues was born!

It was a great chance for all the students in Winkler (about 75) to mingle with each other, enjoy some smoothies, and win some free stuff. There’s was also great information about:

• being active in winter
• how different foods affect your mood

Not only that, students experienced a short, low-impact workout with a Tyson method trainer.

We want to thank Keith Doerksen (RRC Winkler Regional Manager) and Linda Fehr (our wonderful Event Planning instructor) for helping us make the event a possibility and a success!

We’ve all been told that getting eight hours of sleep is the key to being alert, productive, and healthy – but how many of us actually get it? Sleep is a supremely precious commodity which many people tend to sacrifice for work, school, and even our personal lives (after-hours work functions, kids, your favourite late night talk show?).

According to WebMD, sleep deprivation can hurt learning, cause accidents, lead to depression, forgetfulness, and even cause you to gain weight.

Thankfully, Health.com has a great series of web videos with information on what prevents us from getting a good night’s rest, and tips we can try to increase the amount of sleep we get per night, and even how to sleep better.

One suggestion was to try out “bedtime yoga”, which can help beat stress and insomnia:

Submitted by Hayley Brigg, Creative Communications student

The educational blogosphere is an interesting and ever-expanding place to find information about teaching, educational technology, and all the other stuff that we do at the College.  Here are a few blogs / educational websites that I’ve found to be useful and informative because they funnel information from a variety of sources.

Inside Higher Ed  is a US focused educational website that serves as a news hub and blogging headquarters.  The inside higher ed blogs (under the BlogU tab) cover many different facets of education –  including teaching, administration, sustainability, and educational technology – to name a few. 

Engaging Educators is dedicated to teaching and educational technology. It is updated regularly with interesting opinion pieces, spotlights on educational technology, and links to other interesting blogs and websites. It also provides a good window to quality educational content that is referenced via Twitter.

University Affairs is primarily a university-focused blog. It is also the one Canadian blog / website on this list featuring some interesting thoughts and articles related to education in our country. 

What  other educational blogs and/or websites would you add to this list?

Submitted by Mike Krywy, Research and Planning

Whether we’re 25 or 75, everyone needs wellness.

While our fitness goals and needs might change as we get older, staying healthy is the number one tool you can use to help in the prevention of health problems down the line.

In order to help provide wellness resources to all Manitobans at every age level, the Province has created a great portal in their Manitoba Healthy Living, Youth and Seniors website.  It links to all their different healthy living initiatives, from information about infant nutrition to promoting age-friendly options for seniors, and even the latest in provincial wellness news.

One initiative that really stands out is Manitoba in Motion, whose tagline reads “Physical Activity – do it for life!”.  You may recognize this initiative from the mini-videos they play on TV, featuring CTV’s Maralee Caruso and Gord Leclerc, but the model of the strategy really focuses on providing different health options for Manitobans of any age – children, youth, adults, older adults, and families. They’ve also developed three really great programs to help encourage group participation in getting healthy:

• Workplace in Motion
• Healthy Schools in Motion, and
• Communities in Motion

 Submitted by Hayley Brigg, Creative Communications student

Due to popular demand, two additional blogging workshops – both Blogging 101 and 201 – have been added.  The two blogging training sessions cover the basics of blogging and how to use the WordPress blogging platform. The first session is an introduction to what blogs are (chalk and talk), while for Blogging 201 you will be in front of the computer creating your own blog post (hands-on).

Blogging regularly can be a great way to improve your writing and share your thoughts and opinions on various subjects. And if you’re interested in blogging but don’t know where to start, writing an occasional post for the Wellness blog could be a good opportunity for you. 

—–

Blogging 101 covers topics like:

• Why you should blog
• Types of blog posts
• Getting the most out of your blog

When: January 31, 12pm-1pm
Where: Notre Dame Campus – E305

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Blogging 201 gets into the technical details including:

• Using the WordPress blogging platform
• How to add links, photos and videos to your post
• Moderating comments

When: February 15, 12pm-1pm
Where: Notre Dame Campus – Room A115

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Register for the sessions soon as space is limited.

Calling all photographers – do you have some great photos to share?

The Wellness Committee is beginning a blog series of interesting photos taken by staff and students.  First up is Karen Press, an instructor from the Creative Communications program.  She’s an avid nature photographer with a great eye for hidden beauty.  If you’d like to submit your own photo and a brief caption about your art – send it along to mkrywy@rrc.mb.ca. 

***

The wind and snow make me wistful. I miss my garden. As a hobbyist photographer, I don’t have much equipment and I just “go to the light,” which makes the garden a perfect subject.

Carrots... hanging on the laundry line

Chive flowers

You can see more on my Flickr stream.

Submitted by Karen Press, Creative Communications instructor

The deadline for registration for any Red River College winter fitness classes is coming up soon. Like we mentioned in an earlier Wellness blog post, it’s important to find ways to work out and stay active throughout the work day, so why not sign up for a fitness class right here at RRC?

There are several  different classes to choose from, including; Zumba, Iyvengar Yoga, Cardio Complete, Circuit, Rapid Revolution Spin Plus, Total Body Workout, Beginner Boxing, and Body Blend.

Each of the classes are being offered at various locations around the Notre Dame campus, and are extremely affordable – ranging from $30 – $100 for 10-12 sessions, depending on which class you choose.

Not sure which class is for you? Check out descriptions, locations, and times for each of the classes by visiting the RRC Athletic and Recreation department website, where you can also download their winter brochure and registration form so you can get started.  The registration deadline for winter fitness classes is this Friday, Jan. 20.

If you still want to work out at RRC but aren’t interested in taking classes, there are other fitness programs available too. Recreation services also offers Body Composition Analysis, Fitness Appraisal, and either one-on-one or group training sessions. For more information on those services, click here.

If you’re a student or staff member taking fitness classes, or using the workout spaces here at RRC, why not sign up for a Personal Wellness Plan to track your progress, and provide the RRC Wellness Committee with feedback and ideas of what other wellness initiatives that you would like to see offered at RRC.

Submitted by Hayley Brigg, Creative Communications student

The Wellness Committee will be hosting “Parenting for Prevention” – a series of lunch-hour workshops from Jan. 20 – Feb. 14 dedicated to discussing tough parenting topics like youth and teen gambling, and cyberbullying.

Youth Gambling Awareness for Parents
Presented by the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, this seminar will focus on the three gambling prevention programs the organization offers for youth – www.luckyday.ca (for middle-schoolers), www.youthgamblingfacts.ca (high school students), and www.getgamblingfacts.ca (young adults aged 18-25). Each program is aimed at helping teens understand the facts and risks associated with gambling, and what resources youth and parents can seek out if there’s a problem.

Teens and Depression/Mood Disorders
This “Depression and How it Affects Us All” workshop will discuss depression in young people, where to get help, as well as the signs and symptoms parents can look for.

Youth/Teens and Bullying/Cyberbullying
Bullying can have a negative impact on teens, and in extremely serious cases – it can be fatal. The effects of bullying have led many young people to commit suicide, and it’s important that parents know how to recognize if their child is a victim or a bully themselves. This seminar will go over why teens bully others, what to do if your teen is involved, and where to seek help if your child is being harassed by others. And because bullying isn’t just limited to the playground anymore, the workshop will also look at what cyberbullying is and what you can do to protect your teen online.

Raising Kids of Good Character
Bullying, violence, racism, anti-semitism, drugs, and crime have all become serious problems for youth. Parents play a critical role in the development of their child’s character, and it’s important they make a commitment to raising caring, confident, and respectful teens to help prevent some of these serious problems. This session will discuss the key elements of raising children with good character.

Any staff members who are interested in participating in the workshops can register online here, where you can also get more information about what time each workshop starts, and location. Do you have questions or want more information about the seminars? Contact Lucille McLeod in Human Resources Services at (204) 632-2944.

 Submitted by Hayley Brigg, Creative Communications student

There’s lots of great things to do in Winnipeg – especially in the winter. While most of us know where to find favourite outdoor skating rink, taboggoning hill, or what general fun can be found at The Forks, there are endless other events and activities going on in the city that you only need to look as far as the City of Winnipeg’s Winter Leisure Guide to discover.

The guide includes information on countless different events, activities, classes, and programs that are all being offered throughout the winter months at different recreation centres and organizations in Winnipeg. Part of the guide is organized by age group (pre-school, children, youth, adults, and seniors), so it’s easy to see what’s available for either yourself, or your children. The guide also includes a directory of all Winnipeg community and recreation centres, as well as information on how to register for any of the programs that are being advertised.

After browsing through the guide, here are a list of great affordable (or free!)  events coming up that might be worth checking out:

• Cooking classes: Throughout January, February, and March,  learn how to create a new dish that you can serve up at home with classes at the St. John’s Leisure Centre, Arthur A Leach School, and the Fort Rouge Leisure Centre. For often less than $40, you can get hands-on training with an instructor on how to make dishes from around the world – like Asian curry dishes, French soups, and Nigerian cuisine.

• Cross Country Skiing:Kildonan Park, Harbourview Recreation Complex, St. Vital Park, La Barriere Park, and Windsor Park Golf Courseall offer regularly-maintained cross country skiing trails that are free for use to the public. Most include warmup shelters and washrooms, bbq pits and even a concession stands. Don’t have your own cross country skis? Harbourview Recreation Complex and La Barriere Park offer equipment rentals.

• Free swim: Swimming is an excellent way to exercise – especially if you’re overweight, have a physical disability, or are a senior. From January 3 – March 11, over a dozen indoor pools across Winnipeg are offering free swim periods for people at any age  that are often scheduled in the evenings, and on the weekends. Some pools are also offering free swim periods for youth ages 9-19 only. For a full list of Winnipeg pools to see which ones are offering free swim programs in your neighbourhood, click here