By Lisa Owens

I know that winter has come when I can walk outside on a day like today, and think how warm 45°s feels. I do not tolerate cold well. I come from a warmer place where 45°s might as well be a subfreezing temperature. Cold aside, I do like the snow. It’s gorgeous. I can’t deny it. It seems that most people either love it or hate it, and I think I’ve found the solution to learning to love the snow.

Winter Sports!

Yes, you can still enjoy the outdoors in the winter. This is the season that Utah is known for. The snow is here and the ski lifts are open. There are so many outdoor activities to do in Utah in the winter. Just because you aren’t a skier doesn’t mean you have to stay indoors. Here is a list of a plethora of great outdoor activities to keep you moving these winter months.

• Ski and Snowboard – Utah is famous for it’s snow. Skiing and snowboarding are great ways to get some exercise, and get out of the smog in the valley. If you’re tight on money try night skiing, most parks will offer a discounted rate. Many also offer discounts if you’re new to the sport. By checking here you can find quick rates, info, snow reports, and opening dates for all the resorts.
• Cross-Country Skiing – Great exercise, and great way to enjoy the beautiful Utah scenery. This is one of my favorite winter activities, and is quite affordable. For an unbeatable scenic trip I recommend cross-country skiing at Bryce Canyon. This site has a list of all cross-country skiing locations in Utah.
• Snowshoeing – Most major outdoors sports stores will let you rent some snowshoes for the day. This is also a great activity if you enjoy hiking. Remember to dress warm, and enjoy the wildlife. Here is a list of snowshoe trails in Utah.
• Ice-Skating – The Peaks Arena (right by Seven Peaks) is a great place in Utah Valley for ice-skating. Rent your skates, and even give figure skating lessons a try.
• Ice-Hokey – The Peaks Arena also offers adult and youth Ice Hockey programs, along with pick-up games. If you’re not that great on skates then try Broomball. A lot like Ice Hockey, but no skates required.
• Indoor Rock Climbing – Great indoor exercise that is a nice change from the usual gym scene. Locations for indoor rock climbing can be found here.
• Enjoy the lights – It’s free! Temple Square in Salt Lake, and Christmas Pond (aka Salem Pond) are great places to walk around and see the lights for free.
• Sledding – Find a hill, buy a sled. It’s easy, it’s cheap, and it’s fun.
• Build a snowman – Go ahead, Calvin and Hobbes style.

Alright. No more excuses. Get our there, and enjoy the season! It’s shown that those who get outside are less likely to get the flu, and don’t usually suffer from the winter blues.

November 18th, 19th, and 20th are important days to remember. Edgemont Physical Therapy and Fitness is hosting a free community health fair on those days! You’ll want to be sure to check it out. It’s ongoing for 3 days so no excuses for missing it! Here is a schedule of the events.

Edgemont Physical Therapy and Fitness is offering a free week’s pass to the health club 11/16 – 11/21. Do yourself a favor, and take advantage of this offer!

Wednesday Nov. 18th:

6 am – 6pm — Come work out for free.

2:00 pm – 3:30 pm — Complimentary 20 minute health assessment given by a certified personal trainer.

6:00 pm – 6:30 pm – Free health class taught by a Paul W. Sagers, PT. Paul is a physical therapist who own Edgemont Physical Therapy and Fitness.  He will speak on proper back care, and how to prevent back injuries. Many back injuries are caused by simple mistakes that could easily be prevented. Come learn how to take better care of your back!

6:30 pm – Q and A Session.

Thursday Nov. 19th:

6 am – 6 pm — Come workout for free.

8 am – 4 pm — Complimentary 15 min. chair massage.

12:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Complimentary 20 minute health assessment given by a certified personal trainer.

6:00 pm – 6:30 pm — Free community health class taught by Lisa Owens. Lisa is a certified Personal Trainer. She will speak on how to make effective goals. Many people do not stick to their goals to improve their health due to poorly set goals. Come learn how to make affirmations and goals that will help you really get the results you want.

6:30 pm — Q and A Session.

Friday Nov. 20th:

6 am – 6 pm — Come workout for free.

12 pm – 2 pm — Complimentary 20 minute health assessment given by a certified personal trainer.

8 am – 6 pm — Complimentary 15 min. chair massage.

6:00 pm – 6:30 pm — Free Community Health Class taught by Camylle Katherman. Camylle is a Personal Trainer and Massage Therapist who owns Secondwind Bodywork. She will speak on Stretching 101- how to prevent shoulder tightness and headaches at your workspace.

6:30 pm — Q and A Session.

For further questions or to schedule an assessment call 435-229-6512.

Click below to view a map

View Larger Map

Preventing Breast Cancer – Exercise

Exercise. It’s great. There are so many proven benefits that can be gained from exercising regularly. As promised we are going to focus on breast cancer during the month of October, and it just so happens that exercise can be an important factor in preventing breast cancer, and even in recovering from breast cancer. To me, this is good news. Exercise is affordable and accessible to most everyone! It is not an expensive pill, you don’t have to have insurance, and it will produce other benefits beyond preventing breast cancer. Exercise may take more work on your part, but hopefully keeping yourself healthy is important enough to you.  

It is important to note, however, that not all forms of exercise have been shown to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. A study done by the National Cancer Institute found that moderate or easy exercise did not decrease a person’s risk of developing breast cancer. Only vigorous exercise was shown to decrease risk.

The NCI study reported that women who exercised the most had a 22% decreased risk of developing breast cancer. It has not been proven that this decreased risk was solely due to exercise, but there is definitely enough evidence that experts believe exercise offers some protection. Higher levels of estrogen have been shown to contribute to the development of breast cancer, and other forms of cancer. Exercise can help regulate estrogen, and other hormones which may provide some protection.

Not only has exercise been applauded in preventing breast cancer, many times it is recommended for those recovering from breast cancer. Exercise has many physiological and physical benefits that can help make recovery easier. Cancer patients who used exercise as a treatment experienced many benefits. Those include fat loss, a decrease in nausea and fatigue, higher self-esteem, and better quality of life.

Exercise is a great option whether you are a survivor, or just trying to prevent breast cancer and other forms of cancer. If you’re not sure where to get started, a few session with a certified personal trainer can give you the information you need. To find a certified personal trainer in Utah Valley just take a look at our Directory page.

You can find the whole study discussed in this post in the 2009 Oct. 31 online issue of the open-access journal Breast Cancer Research.