"From Soup to Tomatoes" - an exercise program for anyone!

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OUR BIG IDEA ...... We need to expand our physical space and our program. We would like to expand this armchair-based exercise program (the soup level) by adding a "tomato" level for the more advanced participants as well as an armchair-based yoga class. We would love to enrich our community by increasing the actual area for excerise, provide transportation to and from the hall for our seniors and offer different levels for you to choose from. We want to continue to provide all instruction with a certified personal trainer. And.....The best part of this idea? Your community is welcome and able to exercise with us at anytime and from anywhere. Our program is webcast by the OTN and all you need is computer access: http://mediasite.otn.ca/mediasite41/Viewer/?peid=e78a223b17954d6cb93e56f1fdd13e8c1d (detailed instructions below) Why From Soup to Tomatoes ??......keep reading for "The Soup Story" Once upon a time…...there was a diabetes educator who found herself patting clients on the back and encouraging them to exercise at least 30 minutes, 5 days per week. She knew this was crucial to living well with diabetes. (In conjunction of course with healthy eating and stress management.) It was so important, that she would often quote Dr. Ian Blumer, who once told an audience - studies have proven that using 2 cans of soup to exercise just 10 minutes a day is beneficial. As time went on the educator heard endless excuses/reasons as to why clients were unable to exercise: winter ice, snow, fear of falling, back pain, hip pain, knee pain, arthritic pain, no money for exercise equipment, no money for a gym membership and the #1 favourite saying; “Don’t worry - my blood sugars will improve in the summer!” It was painfully clear that a pat on the back and encouragement just wasn’t enough! How could we help people achieve success in this area of diabetes wellness? We seemed able to provide experts in education, nutrition and stress management but not exercise. How could we make this available? It would need to be easily accessible, free, designed to address mobility issues and above all, be led by a professional to ensure safety and avoid injuries. One day the educator was encouraging a client to try using 2 cans of soup to exercise with while watching her favourite TV program, along with instructions to “start low and go slow”. (i.e. increase weight and reps as able) The client finally agreed to try and her parting remark was; “ok, I’ll do it and I just might surprise you and graduate to tomatoes.” (referring of course, to increased weight by selecting a can of tomatoes.) And so the name was born: “From Soup to Tomatoes” And so the idea slowly became a reality: a free, arm chair-based exercise program that provided “something for everyone.” And yes...we did use cans of soup until we could afford weights..........The End. “Some Soup Stats” From Nov 2006 to March 2011 we held 577 classes with a total attendance of 14,686 !! You don't have to take our word for it - you can "see" for yourself. We are on the web! You are welcome to try our FREE exercise program right now, but please remember! - Our program is designed to suit individual needs - Please remember that you are participating at your own risk. - If you have any health concerns check with your Doctor or Health Care Professional before beginning this program. - Those with mobility issues are strongly advised to PLEASE EXERCISE WITHIN YOUR LIMITS. i.e. if the instructor calls for 10 reps of shoulder press, and you start to feel pain - STOP - Before continuing with that / those exercise(s) contact your health care professional. Please only do what you are comfortable doing. Perhaps you can only do the exercises for upper or lower body. Remember that It is normal to feel stiff and sore following exercise - stretching will help relieve this. Continuing to exercise will lead to increased strength and endurance (but you can still feel sore!) The program is not to be reproduced and/or distributed in any manner. From Soup to Tomatoes - Finding the live and archived exercise program: 1. Type in OTN webcast on the internet. 2. Click on OTN Webcast Center, then click on “Live events” if you are viewing from home and wish to join in live on Monday, Wednesday or Friday from 9 – 10 am. 3. If you wish to exercise to the program at different times than the live broadcasts, then click on the “Archived Events” and then click on Public Events and scroll down until you find Espanola “From Soup to Tomatoes”. 4. Click on the event. 5. On the bottom right of your screen, there is a small box you can click on to enlarge the screen. ENJOY!