SNCC Hope Floats

Hope Floats and their supporters are half way through their 9th and last week of the Hope Floats Journey around Canada. Check out our blog...it's been a blast! What will we do next? https://hopefloatsjourneystovancouver.blogspot.com/

Dragon Boat Festival - Li River in China - 2021 The New Year's Resolution Challenge

Just a friendly reminder that your orders have to be in by December 4th!

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LOSE YOUR FITNESS? We talk to an exercise physiologist to see how inactivity can affect fitness over time, and what you can do to hold ...onto those hard-earned gains. LIFESTYLE- HOW QUICKLY DO YOU LOSE FITNESS? There are always times in life when you won’t be able to train or exercise as often as you’d like, or perhaps you feel like your fitness goals have gone out the window this winter. We asked Carly Ryan from Exercise and Sports Science Australia how quickly we lose the fitness we’ve worked so hard to achieve, and share our top tips to get your training back on track this spring. But first, a few things to consider Often referred to as deconditioning or detraining, how quickly you lose fitness depends on several factors, such as how fit you are to begin with, how frequently you generally work out and how long you’ve been out of action. A person with a higher level of fitness will experience deconditioning at a slower rate than someone who is relatively new to exercise. And according to Carly, we know that the less active you are, the quicker the loss. For example, people who are bed bound can see significant loss of muscle mass and cardiovascular fitness in just one week. If you are still active in your daily activities the loss will be slower. Age, gender, and the reason you’ve stopped exercising are also factors to consider. Meaning the effects of deconditioning due to inactivity will vary from person to person. Setting recovery goals after an injury period of inactivity: 1 TO 2 WEEKS FOR CARDIO LOSS Your body’s ability to transport and utilise oxygen is one of the first things you’ll notice after a prolonged period of inactivity. It’s the first thing that starts to decline - you will likely feel a small difference after 1 week without exercise. After 2 weeks, there is significant loss, says Carly. 2 TO 3 WEEKS FOR STRENGTH LOSS When it comes to maintaining your muscle strength, Carly says, Muscle mass (the size of the muscle) decreases when there is no stimulus, and your muscles become less efficient. Some suggest you can lose up to 10% of strength in one week, and over three months you will lose most of your gains. However, with some limited movement and light exercise, you can take more time off without significant strength loss. WHAT IS THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT TO MAINTAIN FITNESS? According to Carly the good news is that, maintaining fitness requires less work than building it. So if you've had a bit of a break from exercise, don’t fret. In fact, it’s important to integrate rest periods in-between workouts in order to give your muscles enough time to recover and rebuild. Carly’s advice? 1) Aim for 2 sessions of resistance training to maintain strength, and accumulate 150 minutes plus of moderate physical activity each week. Try to set aside some time for some exercise sessions - even one session is better than nothing. 2) "Try and maximise the amount of active movement in your day - take the stairs (even run them if possible!), do some active gardening or cleaning, park further away from the shops, play in the park - you are only limited by your imagination to be active. Any activity is better than none, so whatever your reason for pressing pause on your routine, try to make up for it in other ways. 5 TIPS TO GET YOUR FITNESS BACK ON TRACK Getting clear on your goals, and dedicating time each day to exercise can help cement your new-and-improved fitness plan as we move into spring. With longer days and warmer weather on the way, here are a handful of ideas to get the inspiration flowing. 1. TAKE IT OUSIDE Studies on ‘green fitness’, or getting active in nature have reported that some participants experienced higher levels of vitality, pleasure and self-esteem, and lower levels of tension, depression and fatigue after exercising outdoors.1 Whether it’s a hike, swim or outdoor yoga class, enjoy the benefits of physical activity with the added goodness of fresh air, natural light and nature. Time-poor? The beauty of an outdoor workout is it’s usually only a few steps away! 2. WALK YOUR DOG (OR SOMEONE ELSE'S) Pets can be excellent furry exercise buddies, and the health benefits are twofold for you and your canine companion. A daily walk with your dog can improve your cardiovascular fitness, lower blood pressure, strengthen muscles and bones (built up by regular exercise) and decrease stress. Plus, a happy, tired dog = no more half-chewed running shoes! Check out your local council website for off-lead parks, beaches, and walking trails near you. 3. CREATE A FITNESS CALENDAR Blocking out time in your diary for physical activity is the easiest way to ensure life doesn’t get in the way of your exercise plans. Draw up a weekly schedule that sets out each training session or class you’re committing to, so they’re front-of-mind when you’re planning your day. Tracking your progress can be a great motivator too. Write down your goals, tick them off, and notice how your motivation and confidence grows. 4. GRAB A BUDDY (Maintain social distancing though!) If you’ve arranged to meet a friend for a walk, workout or exercise class, I’m sure you’d agree that you’re more likely to keep that commitment. Not wanting to ‘let the team down’ can be a great motivator, so use it to your advantage! Pair up with a family member, friend or pre-book a handful of sessions with a personal trainer to keep you accountable. 5. SELF-CARE IS NOT SELFISH Making time for self-care isn’t selfish, in fact, it’s essential to better health. Getting away for a few days (or minutes!) can help you reconnect with yourself and refocus on your health goals. A weekly yoga class, practising mindfulness each night before bed, keeping a journal, or embarking on a wellness retreat may be just the ticket to spark that physical and mental reboot you’ve been craving this winter.

Holy MOLY! Hope Floats crew and our supporters traveled from the Welland International Flatwater Centre, Welland, Ontario to Stockton, Manitoba in the first week of our virtual journey to Vancouver! Way to go crew!!!... Be careful crew as we pass through Manitoba and into Saskatchewan, there are blizzard warnings! Dress warm! :)

Hope Floats is having fun with our Journey to Vancouver! https://hopefloatsjourneystovancouver.blogspot.com/

A Short History Of Dragon Boat In Canada by Brianne Vander Neut We have no doubt that you know the legend of Qu Yuan. The poet politician who sacrificed himself... for his country. When he drowned in the river, Dragon Boat Festival would live on to commemorate him. The legacy of Qu Yuan is over 2,000 years old, so when and why did Dragon Boat come to Canada? World War II Today, Dragon Boat is a beautiful sport that brings all people together. It can be hard to imagine that its origins stem from something as brutal as war. As with the legend of Qu Yuan, Dragon Boat came to Canada after a war. In 1945, after World War II, China gifted the British Colombian government with a dragon adorned silver plaque. A gesture of camaraderie between the close trading neighbours, which would blossom into much more. It was then proposed that the first Canadian Dragon Boat Festival be held in Vancouver in 1946 for their Diamond Jubilee (60th anniversary). It was not meant to be. The Festival was postponed another 40 years until the 1986 Expo. Canada Fell in Love When those first paddlers raced down False Creek, Canadians saw for the first time what an amazing water sport Dragon Boat was. Colourful boats adorned with the head and tail of a dragon, hearts pounding, crowds cheering. We were hooked. Now, over 30 years later, there are millions of Dragon Boat lovers across the globe. In 1993, Dragon Boat Canada was formed, but we didnt stop there. In 1996, Vancouver hosted the IDBF Club Crew World Championships, the first ever held in Canada. Canada 2019 Canadians took it a step further by winning the Gold in 1996. The first time a team outside of Asia ever claimed Gold. In 2015, Canada hosted the 12th World Nations Championship for the first time. Dont Stop Now This year marks the first time in 34 years that we Canadians have not been able to show our prowess in this ancient sport. It does not mean that we have lost our spirits though. Our love for the water and for Dragon Boat is what drives us. It has built a strong community which we can rally around, find support in, and weather the storm together. Dragon Boat is not just a sport. For Canadians, it links cultures together over continents and through time. It brings people from all walks of life together into one unified team. Like Qu Yuans community, we will paddle together again, enjoy zongzi as a team and show the world what kind of paddlers Canada has.

You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So get on your way! Dr. Seuss Don't forget to join our ZOOM kick-off for Hope Floats Journey to Vancouver today at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.... If you don't already have it, email [email protected] for the zoom link Watch our blog! https://hopefloatsjourneystovancouver.blogspot.com/

Hope Floats is starting to blog with our "Hope Floats Journeys to Vancouver" event. It's going to be a LOT of fun! Visit our blog here: https://hopefloatsjourneystovancouver.blogspot.com/

Welland Bridge lit up pink in honour of Breast Cancer Survivors. This was for the Hope Floats Challenge, sadly canceled due to covid-19.

Are you ready to walk to Vancouver????!!!!! Hope Floats Journeys to Vancouver, with our supporters, friends and family. Team meeting tomorrow night, don't forget to sign into zoom at 7:00 p.m.. We have an AMAZING surprise for you! zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85234536788 The official kick-off will be Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

Under new ownership Oh Canada Eh will live again. https://www.niagarafallsreview.ca//oh-canada-eh-dinner-the

You can private message us on our facebook page, or to any member. Thank you for your help!

A good 6 min piece. Just audio but well done.

Dr. Tam answers a question about what happens next after a vaccine has been developed. Interesting, and responsible answer. Of course, it will take time for everyone that wants to be vaccinated to get one, priorities will have to be set, the most vulnerable receiving them first. It could take 2 - 3 years of monitoring and tweaking and managing this pandemic. https://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2007579&jwsource=cl

Sometime after October, and as soon as covid-19 is no longer a threat, Hope Floats and South Niagara Canoe Club will begin a marketing campaign to grow grow grow. The grant mentioned in this newspaper article is over three years and will cover marketing, a free learn to paddle program, 2 new dragon boats, 44 life jackets, 40 paddles and a dragon boat trailer. https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca//ontario-government-an

Trivia night with SNCC. A few of our Knot A Breast friends joined us for the hour of fun with Al Paddler.

A big thank you to Joan Crawford and Gina Cirillo for organizing the Hope Floats bottle drive for Wellspring. Attached are the results. Thank you to all the crew that took part in asking their family, friends, coworkers and neighbours and to those that offered their homes for collection. The second half of this initiative, which is a bottle drive to help Hope Floats recover some of the lost money from the Oh Canada Eh will take place around the end of August or beginning of September. We are looking for volunteers to help organize it.

Our Esteemed Dr. Don McKenzie, whom without, we might have never been "Abreast In A Boat". Here he shares his sentiments on this our 25th Anniversary. _______...______________________________________________________ A Special Message from Dr. Don McKenzie Abreast In A Boat is 25! This is certainly not the way we thought this season would unfold. I remember the excitement at the Novice meeting in January and I suspect that we all feel cheated by this COVID virus. It certainly has changed the way we live, but we are thankful to reside in British Columbia! I hear regularly from a lot of paddlers world-wide and while its possible to get on the water in individual boats, team boats are out and competitions have been cancelled. I think that we will need a vaccine to really feel safe again. I still vividly remember the first year. A trip to a Treasure Chest meeting in the fall of 1995 to introduce the idea of breast cancer patients paddling a dragon boat The first meeting at our clinic at UBC in January 1996 where the women saw a video of the False Creek Womens team racing Trips to the Dunbar Community Centre to demonstrate resistance exercises - Our first practice (I steered in the first year) - Our first race at the Vancouver International DB Festival - Our third race - we finished ahead of Ladner Downs Law Corp - The media exposure that season - Winning the David Lam trophy in the first year The original 24 women were unique and I remain exceedingly grateful to them for taking on this challenge. In 1996 lymphedema was a huge issue and the restrictions about exercise were strict and intimidating. It took a great deal of courage to join this group and challenge the myth that exercise would result in lymphedema. They were doing exactly what traditional medicine told them not to do. I often wonder if we appreciate the magnitude of their accomplishment; how many women around the world go about their lives enjoying all sorts of activities that were prohibited 25 years ago? They really opened the door to an active lifestyle for cancer patients. You should take pride in the role that Abreast In A Boat has played and continues to play in providing leadership to the dragon boat program. You are looked to for guidance and support and have never failed. To all of you who have contributed to this legacy - thank you. I have had lots of great memories in 25 years. It has been a privilege to know and work with such an inspirational group. Respectfully, Dr. Don _________________________________________________________________

https://www.niagarafallsreview.ca//covid-19-sinks-hope-flo

Let's all collect empties for Wellspring!!!! Many breast cancer survivors, their friends and familes in the Niagara Region have a soft spot for Wellspring Niagara. Just like us, their fundraising opportunities are limited this year. The Rankin Run, for example is one of the events they count on year after year.

Grab a coffee, relax and 'Catch' up on some reading with our newsletter. https://southniagaracanoeclub.wildapricot.org//Catch%20Jun

Celebrating 25 years of breast cancer survivor dragon boat.

Does this jacket make my head look small?

https://www.youtube.com/watch

This looks like fun.