#summertime

Our Favourite Summer Activities

Here at Ladner Village Physiotherapy, we like to stay active. Let’s introduce you to our therapist’s favourite summer activities and why you might want to give them a try!

Devon (Physiotherapist/ clinic owner):

Favourite activity: Ultimate frisbee

Why you may want to try it: Ultimate frisbee is one of few sports where players often don’t begin to play until they are adults. This is great as it means everyone starts on an even playing field. The ultimate frisbee community is welcoming and encouraging. According to Devon, ultimate frisbee might be the activity for you to try if you enjoy hard work, games of strategy, sprinting, sarcastic banter and a few cold drinks after the game!

Where to try it: the Vancouver Ultimate League plays on fields all over Vancouver and they also have a Surrey league.

Nicole (Physiotherapist/ clinic owner):

Favourite activity: Horseback riding

Why you may want to try it: Horseback riding is an activity perfect for animal lovers. Nicole loves horseback riding because she loves spending time around horses, being outside, and working on her core strength and balance. Horseback riding might be the right activity for you if you are looking for a new and challenging activity to try which is fairly low impact and a lot of fun!

Where to try it: Delta has so many barns and stables for horseback riding, from beginner to advanced level! Crescent Stables offers lessons to all ability levels as does Five Star Farms and Top Form Equestrian.

Sofy (Physiotherapist):

Favourite activity: Running

Why you may want to try it: Running is one of the most accessible activities around! All you need is a pair of runners and you’re good to go. Sofy enjoys running as it is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, explore the city, and there are always new ways to challenge yourself. She recently completed her first marathon!

Where to try it: Out your front door! If you’re looking for a clinic or a group to run with, the Run Inn out of Tsawwassen is a great group to join (they can also get your feet set up for success with the right shoes for your body).

Stephanie (Physiotherapist):

Favourite activity: Climbing

Why you may want to try it: Climbing is a fantastic way to challenge yourself and try something you may not have tried before. Outdoor climbing is an amazing way to explore our beautiful backyard and (literally) bring your exploring game to new heights! Stephanie loves climbing as it is a social activity where you can enjoy time with her friends, and you are able to challenge yourself by setting goals (or projects as they are called in the climbing world) to complete.

Where to try it: The Hive is a great place to try bouldering, a type of climbing with shorter walls, no ropes and thick crash pads. If you’d prefer to be roped in, try Coastal Climbing in Surrey.

Trevor (Physiotherapist):

Favourite activity: Golf

Why you may want to try it: Golf is the perfect mix between a challenging competitive sport and a great relaxing activity. Whether you hit up the driving range, play 18 holes, or even just go to a pitch and putt, golf is a fun social activity that can be accomidated to your skill level. Trevor enjoys golf as he likes spending time with friends, a good competition, and taking a break from the craziness of life for a few hours.

Where to try it: Try one of South Delta’s fabulous golf courses! We have The Links at Hampton Cove, Kings Links by the Sea, Tsawwassen Springs & Beach Grove Golf Club.

Anh (Physiotherapist):

Favourite activity: Tennis

Why you may want to try it: Tennis is a perfect summer sport! It’s very accessible, affordable, and a lot of fun! Anh enjoys playing tennis as it’s a great way to work on her hand eye coordination (which we hear could use some work!). One reason we love tennis is that it’s an easy to learn sport for people of all ages! You can easily bring your kids out to play (or run around and chase balls for you, either way, we don’t judge)!

Where to try it: South Delta has tennis facilities at several major parks in Ladner and Tsawwassen. We also have two tennis clubs, the Ladner Tennis Club and Tsawwassen Tennis Club, both offering tennis lessons, lit courts at night and tournaments.

Gabrielle (Register Massage Therapist):

Favourite activity: Swimming

Why you may want to try it: Swimming is a fantastic low-impact activity. Since you can float in the water, swimming takes pressure off your joints and allows you to move them into different ranges of motion than you may be able to out of the water. Swimming not only helps stretch muscles by allowing them to move more freely, but it’s also a full body strengthening workout! Gabrielle loves swimming because you can stay cool, hang out with your family, and it’s great for stiff joints!

Where to try it: If lap swimming is your thing, your best local options this summer are Winskill Aquatic and Fitness Centre and the Ladner Outdoor Pool (the Ladner Leisure Centre will be closing at some point for several months, but we don’t know when that will happen as of yet). I’d also encourage you to get into nature and try swimming at Centennial Beach (warm and shallow for daaaaays).

Kheya (Registered Kinesiologist):

Favourite activity: Volleyball

Why you may want to try it: Volleyball is a fun, challenging, and quick moving team sport. Volleyball is a blast because you can play it indoors, outdoors, or even on the beach! Kheya loves volleyball as she loves the amount of teamwork involved, being outside, and the rush you get after getting a great hit or block in. Volleyball is great a great way to meet new people and be involved in the community as everyone all supportive, friendly, and welcoming.  

Where to try it: Volleyball BC offers several leagues for various ability levels all over Metro Vancouver. Urban Rec offers a beach volleyball league in Ladner.

We hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about our practitioner’s favourite summer activities and may even feel inspired to try a few of them for yourself!

If you have any aches or limitations preventing you from trying these activities, come visit one of our therapists to get the help you need to get back to it!

To book an appointment, call (778) 630-8800, email us or book online.

Summertime in Delta

That big shiny thing in the sky… I’m told that’s the sun. According to the weather man “June-uary” is over and the heat has finally arrived. How exciting!

Before we all just rush outdoors to soak it all in I wanted to point out that we Vancouverites are not so great at dealing with warm days (kind of in the same way we aren’t great with snow. How can you be expected to be good at something if you never get to experience it am I right?). Let’s take this opportunity to remind ourselves of some important factors to consider before heading out into the sun to exercise.

Nicole’s Top Tips for Summer Exercise

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  1. Stay hydrated! Your body will sweat extra when it is hot out. Keep yourself cool and help prevent heat injury (such as heat stoke) by keeping the H2O handy!

  2. Be aware of your fitness level. Unless you are acclimated to the heat your exercise tolerance will go down when it is hot out. Take it easy and listen to your body. Go at an intensity that feels good for you. You probably won’t be able to run as far or as fast when it’s 28 degrees out as you did a few weeks go when it was 10 degrees and cloudy. And that’s okay.

  3. Timing is everything. Take advantage of the long days! Early mornings and late evenings are significantly cooler and more pleasant for exercise (or just to exist in generally speaking, just ask my golden retriever).  

  4. Wear sunscreen. Just do it.

  5. Wear appropriate clothes. Loose fitting thin clothes in a light colour will help you stay cool.

  6. Location location location! Is there a shady spot that you could go for your run instead of the track? Could you bike along the water where there is a breeze? It’s worth checking out!

Some of our favourite outdoor summer exercise opportunities in Delta include:

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  • Hiking or nature walks - If climbing mountains isn’t your thing than A) you chose the right place to live because Ladner is as flat as a pancake, and B) Delta has some lovely little forest walks including Deas Island, Watershed Park and Burns Bog. If mountains are your thing then that’s great too. Be safe and take pictures for us!  

  • Walking - Walking as exercise is underrated. It gives you cardiovascular benefits and is well tolerated when it’s hot out (need more details? Check out our earlier blog on the health benefits of walking as well as our favourite walks in our neighborhood). You can make a walk more challenging by changing the terrain (walking on sand is more difficult that concrete) or by increasing distance. Remember that walking doesn’t have to be fancy - I love my evening neighbourhood walks with my dog.

  • Water sports - Paddle boarding and kayaking are great options in South Delta. They work your core and upper body while you get to stay cool out on the water. Just remember your hat and sunscreen!

Remember to go indoors if needed - not everyone likes the heat and that’s okay too. You could do yoga inside your own home, or workout at the gym (woo hoo for air conditioning).

Whatever you decide, I hope you have a great time and stay safe. It’s been a doozy of a year and I’m glad that we can all take an opportunity to enjoy some of this lovely weather.