The Health Lab: Recent Episodes

Joel Bland

For over 25 years, Back in Motion has been dedicated to helping people improve their health, enhance their opportunities, and live better lives.

The Health Lab Podcast is taking a Summer break. We will be back in the Fall with more episodes!

Episode 16 – One Thumb Up with Adrienne Wheaton

Born in Ontario, Adrienne came to Squamish on a whim 13 years ago and made Beautiful B.C. her home. Her passion is rock climbing, both locally and abroad, and she is lucky enough to live within a stone’s throw of the Stawamus Chief. When not climbing (or travelling somewhere to climb), she can be found mountain biking on the Squamish trails with her ridiculously speedy dog LD (which is short for Lil’ Doggie) and her partner, Nate. Adrienne love’s a good road trip, a lively political conversation, BC red wine, gardening, and listening to podcasts (actually).

Adrienne’s work and academic background is in education – she holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Guelph and completed her teacher certification in New York. From there, she taught elementary school for 11 years, in addition to working in hospitality, before transitioning into employment services. A self-described lifelong learners and a “bit of a nerd,” Adrienne is happiest at work when she is helping others to learn and excel in their roles. Adrienne recently accepted as position as a Corporate Trainer for Open Door Group. This role allows her to be creative and using her teaching experience within the context of employment services.

Adrienne suffered a climbing accident in 2018, which resulted in the loss of a thumb and two fingertips. After extensive rehabilitation, Adrienne returned to climbing and was the first to ascend a new route south of that across from Murrin Park at a crag called Splitsville, which she aptly named ‘One Thumb Up.’ She continues to climb today, and her story is an inspiring example of perseverance and grit.

In this episode, Adrienne and Joel discuss:

Her move from Ontario to Squamish, and how moving outside of her comfort zone led to a life of continuous personal development
Adrienne’s history of mental health concerns, and the challenges that she has faced in overcoming them
Adrienne’s rock climbing accident, and how it led to a new perspective on life
The importance of having goals and aspirations to work towards in order to progress through life’s challenges
How having a supportive community around you is beneficial to overcome obstacles and persevere when faced with adversity

Episode 15 – Finding Peace & Prosperity with Laura Burns

Laura Burns, The Flexible Life Coach, is a recovering creative person who lost trust in her body, and then her mind, when she was injured in two motor vehicle incidents over a decade ago. Finding peace within her mind, and then her body, she now helps others do the same to achieve their natural state. Part of her recovery includes creating a podcast show called “Secrets Your Mentor Never Told You.” She shares secrets and discoveries about wellbeing that are connected to personal life events and she invites guests to do the same.

In Episode 15, Laura and Joel discuss:

Laura’s story of her injuries, and how she was forced to leave law enforcement and transition into the world of coachingpeace
How Laura’s background as a Canadian Border Services Agent influenced her ability to communicate as a coach
How a shift in mindset helps to foster an increase in function, positivity, optimism, and resilience
Stretching, and how it has eliminated the pain that Laura has suffered from
How Laura has managed to marry her two passions, coaching and stretching, in order to foster physical and personal growth for her clients

For more information on Laura, and to connect with, visit her website at www.flexiblelifecoach.com or email her directly at info@flexiblelifecoach.com. Her podcast can be found on her website, and is also available on Spotify, Apple Music, Google Podcasts, and a variety of other platforms.

For more information on any of the individuals mentioned in the episode, follow the links below:

Joe Hippensteel: https://www.ultimatehumanperformance.com/about
Syd Banks: https://sydbanks.com/
David Goggins: https://davidgoggins.com/

Episode 14 – The Breakfast Club of Canada with Ben Neumer

Ben Neumer is a fundraising advisor for the Breakfast Club of Canada. Ben has worked in corporate development for Breakfast Club the past 8 years, and has travelled to many areas of Canada seeing child poverty and under-resourced communities firsthand. Ben works with many likeminded individuals and corporations who believe there is no room for child at school. He has raised millions of dollars in an effort to reach Canadian’s most vulnerable.

In Episode 15, Ben and Joel Discuss: - How the Breakfast Club of Canada originated - The issues of poverty and child hunger across Canada - How 250,000 children are served breakfast each day through the Breakfast Club, and how they benefit from it - The importance of healthy eating and how it fosters learning and development - How Canadians can help eradicate child hunger across Canada

For more information on the Breakfast Club, including how you can help support the cause visit:

Website: http://www.breakfastclubcanada.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BreakfastClubDejeuner
Instagram: @breakfastclubcanada
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9V60Avemj5m6Oybm7c9FAw
Twitter: @BreakfastCanada

Dr. Noah Silverberg is a board-certified neuropsychologist, with 12 years of clinical experience caring for patients with concussion in civilian, sport, and military settings. He recently transitioned into a full-time academic position in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia. His research program focuses on psychological aspects of concussion, including prognostic factors, behavioural and mental health treatments, and knowledge translation. He has contributed to multiple clinical practice guidelines as an expert panel member and serves as Chair of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine Task Force on mild TBI, as Associate Editor of Frontiers of Neurology (Neurorehabilitation section), on the Scientific Advisory Committee of Brain Injury Canada, as a Steering Group Member on the James Lind Alliance Concussion Research Priority Setting Partnership. In Episode 13, Noah and Joel discuss: - What concussions are, and how they occur - How concussion management and treatment has changed over the years - What factors might worsen concussion symptoms - How long concussion symptoms are expected to last - New and upcoming concussion research projects - Advice for individuals who have recently sustained a concussion

For more information on Dr. Silverberg, including his research publications, visit his page on the University of British Columbia’s website at https://psych.ubc.ca/profile/noah-silverberg/

Episode 12 – Health First with Luke DePron

Luke DePron is a Men’s Health & Performance Coach, and graduate of Exercise Science, Kinesiology. Luke has done everything from personal training 100s of clients, to working alongside Dr.’s of Chiropractic as a corrective exercise specialist, training Olympic level athletes, to performance work with world champion mixed martial arts fighters.

Currently he works as a Men’s Online Health and Performance Coach where he helps men step into a lifestyle approach of exercise and nutrition to transform their physique, energy, and confidence.

As the Host of the Live Great Lifestyle podcast he’s interviewed former Navy Seals, Mixed Martial Arts world champions, New York Times best-selling authors, personal development speakers, Olympic athletes, adventure athletes, Doctors, Nutrition experts, and inspirational leaders carving unique paths in the world to inspire and empower you to level up your health, fitness, mindset, and lifestyle.

A believer that stepping out of your comfort zone leads to growth, Luke routinely practices Jiu-Jitsu, was a participant on the History Channels show The Selection: a mock special forces selection process lead by Navy Seals, was a contributing writer for Huffington post, hosted the La Jolla International Fashion Film Festival, has performed as an actor in local San Diego films, and even embarrassingly worked as a runway model once.

In this episode, Luke and Joel discuss:

Luke’s background, how he got into exercise training and men’s work, and his “health first” approach to fitness
The importance of recognizing both internal and external motivators to engaging in healthy behaviours
Luke’s experience training as a Navy SEAL on a reality TV show
The positive benefits of working with people on a virtual basis as compared to in-person training
How overcoming obstacles and stepping outside of your comfort zone can help shape your lifestyle, behaviours, attitudes, and confidence

For more information on Luke, to connect with him, or to listen to his podcast visit his website at www.livegreatlifestyle.com

Episode 11 –Positivity, Fulfilment, and Leadership in a Pandemic with Matt MacEachern

Matt MacEachern is a leadership consultant, certified coach, and owner of Lidera Consulting based in Vancouver BC. His forte is coaching leaders to lead their employees in a way that inspires higher performance, and fosters staff looking forward to coming to work. Matt has over 25 years of leadership experience in variety of organizations and industries world-wide. He combines this real-world experience together with evidence-based research to share practical strategies that are easy to use and get results. Matt is no stranger to embracing change or facing challenges. Whether climbing the highest peaks on several continents, running marathons from Iceland to Antarctica, or completing an Iron man, he knows what it is like to face adversity, and come through the other end. He calls on these experiences as metaphors for the challenges we all face in our daily lives.

In Episode 11, Matt and Joel discuss: - Fostering positivity in a world plagued by unrest and fear - The use of virtual technology to facilitate leadership workshops - How experiencing success in leisure or recreational activities can translate to success in the workplace - Self-talk, self-fulfilling prophecies, and how focusing on “the bad” can make things worse

For more information of Matt and what he offers, visit his website www.lidera.ca or connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattmaceachern/

Randy Paterson is a Vancouver-based psychologist, vlogger (YouTube’s How to be Miserable channel) and author (How to be Miserable: 40 Strategies You Already use; How to be Miserable in Your Twenties; The Assertiveness Workbook). He is the director of Changeways Clinic, one of Vancouver’s largest outpatient private psychotherapy clinics, co-author of the online resource The Antidepressant Skills Workbook, a public speaker, and a continuing education workshop provider on depression, anxiety, failure to launch, assertiveness, and private practice management. In this episode, Randy and I delve into: - The use of Exposure Therapy in overcoming anxiety disorders, and how to challenge fears in a safe, progressive manner - Randy’s book: How to be Miserable in Your Twenties: 40 Practical Strategies to Fail at Adulting - How modern society, parenting, and school systems may be unintentionally hindering our independence - Social media and its potential contribution to mood disorders Communicating assertively, and how it can be used to strengthen relationships

For more information on Randy, you can visit: - www.randypaterson.com - www.psychologysalon.teachable.com - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMamfNEZjh8ui2g_tdNySPA

Ellie Greenwood is a long distance road and trail runner, and online running coach, based in North Vancouver, BC. Ellie ran her first marathon in 2002 and since then has run more than 80 marathons and ultras, winning 51 of them. Her career highlights include two wins and a course record at Western States 100 miler, two time World 100k champion and a win at South Africa's Comrades marathon. In 2020 Ellie was awarded 'Ultrarunner of the Decade' by Ultrarunning Magazine. When not running herself, Ellie coaches runners of all abilities - primarily for ultra-distance events worldwide - through Sharman Ultra Coaching. In this Episode, Ellie and I discuss: - Her motivation behind entering the world of ultra-running, and how she stays focused and committed to training for ultra-distances - The discipline and motivation that it takes to run ultra-marathons, and how such positive attributes are transferrable to other aspects of life - The stress reduction and positive emotion benefits of engaging in endurance activities for sustained periods of time - Her experiences with injury in recent years, and how this has affected her ability to run long distances and has resulted in her having to shift her goals and outlook

If you would like more information about Ellie, or would like to connect with her, her social media information can be found here:

Personal website: http://elliegreenwood.blogspot.com/ Coaching website: https://www.sharmanultra.com/ FB athlete page: https://www.facebook.com/ultra.ellie Twitter: https://twitter.com/eLLiejG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elliejgreenwood/

Coaching, Men’s work, and Leadership with Travis Streb

Travis Streb is a Coach and Workshop Leader based in Vancouver BC. He practices embodied leadership, which is about taking the abstract (presence, communication, leadership, decisiveness, relationships) and making it real through actions. Before starting his own company, Travis spent a decade delivering workshops and coaching high-level leaders across North America. He has had the opportunity to work with hundreds of leaders to help them reshape their impact in the world.

Travis is the host of the Men at Work Podcast where he hosts conversations about the role of men in reshaping leadership for the 21st Century. As a part of this vision for the future of men, he leads a Vancouver-based embodied men’s group.

Travis is also a high-level endurance athlete and spent 10 years racing road bikes in the Pacific Northwest. He has completed several grueling solo cycling events and in 2017 Travis rode his bike up Mt. Seymour every single day for a year and raised over $15,000 for Pancreatic Cancer Research. In this episode, Travis and I discuss: - Travis’s background and experiences that led him down the path of becoming a coach and workshop leader - How our pre-conceived judgements of ourselves and others can influence our approach to communication in day to day relationships - The benefit of seeking outside help and guidance to become more present in our day to day lives, and to establish new patterns in presence and communication for future generations - The importance of “embodying leadership” and habituating practical leadership and communication skills on an ongoing basis - Travis’s experience with endurance competitions, and how they have shaped his personal and professional life

Travis mentioned several books that have been great influences on him over the year, these include: - The Way of the Superior Man, by David Deida - Leadership is an Art, by Max De Pree - Tao Te Ching, attributed to Laozi

For more information about Travis, or if you would like to connect with him personally, visit his website at www.travisstreb.com. Links to his coaching services, workshops, and podcast are all available on the website.

Tracy Dignum is an educator, physiotherapist, researcher and experienced meditation instructor. Tracy received her Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy from Queen’s University and a Master of Education from Memorial University. She received her Master of Science in rehabilitation science from the University of British Columbia where she completed a clinical trial that assessed the impact of mindfulness and exercise, on mobility and cognitive function among older adults with chronic stroke. Tracy is actively involved in the Healthy Body Healthy Mind program at Back in Motion, where she teaches free online mindfulness meditation classes. For more information about the free program, visit www.healthybodymind.ca. In this episode, Tracy and I discuss: - How she intertwines mindfulness practices with her students in university-level anatomy courses - The different approaches to mindfulness, and how they can impact not only emotional functioning but also physical and cognitive functioning as well - The negative physical changes in the brain that may occur after exposure to long term stress - How lack of sleep affects the homeostasis of our hormones, increases stress, and impacts cognition - Strategies to get started with mindfulness, build a foundation, and incorporate it into daily practice

Tracy has delivered a TEDx talk called “Rethinking Memory & Retention of Learning: Tips for Parents,” which can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlxVePiMfeI Additionally, Tracy has her own website on Therapeutic Mindfulness and Meditation https://therapeutic-meditation.org/ , where she provides information on mindfulness research and mindfulness resources.

Today’s episode features Bryan Statham, Co-Founder and CEO of LifeBooster Inc. LifeBooster is an open-innovation platform technology company, focused on developing a predictive analytics platform for the enterprise health and safety market. They are leading the way to change the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data on workplace injury risks. LifeBooster digitizes, automates and scales proven health and safety practices to enable employers and professional firms to transform how they approach solving the persistent problem of workplace injury.

As CEO, Bryan drives the strategic planning, business development and fiscal operations of LifeBooster. He believes a positive culture and strategic focus, drives business growth. Building lasting corporate value through exemplary employee, client and partner relationships is core to his vision for LifeBooster.

In this episode, Bryan and I discuss: - The technology behind LifeBooster, and how it works to mitigate physical injury risks in the workplace - The challenge’s that a consulting organization faces, and how to get “buy in” from front line workers - Bryan’s educational and experiential background and how it influenced the direction of his career - The future of data analytics in the workplace, and how the technology is ever-evolving to address both physical and mental stressors

If you want more information on Bryan Statham or LifeBooster, visit their website www.lifebooster.ca or look them up on LinkedIn.

Today’s episode features Dr. Hendre Viljoen, neuropsychologist and Director of HeadWise Rehabilitation – an organization focusing on assessing and treating individuals with head injuries and neuropsychological challenges. In addition to his work at HeadWise Rehabilitation, Dr. Viljoen is a Consulting Forensic Neuropsychologist with BC Mental Health and Addiction Services Forensic Psychiatric Services (an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority), conducting neuropsychological, psychological and risk assessments of offenders at pre-sentencing and post-disposition. He is a Clinical Associate with Simon Fraser University, supervising doctoral candidates in the Neuropsychology and Clinical Psychology programs.

In this episode, Hendre and I discuss:

Current approaches to concussion treatment, and how concussion treatment has changed over the past decade
Distinguishing between a concussion and post-concussion syndrome, and expectations for recovery
The impact that depression and anxiety have on concussion symptoms
The physiological changes occur in the brain following head injury, and how they affect physical pain such as tension and headaches
How deep breathing, progressive muscle reaction, and mindfulness strategies work to reduce anxiety and stress

If you want more information on Hendre, visit his website www.headwise.ca or look him up on LinkedIn. Hendre also provided the following resources on mindfulness and concussion management: - Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom, by Rick Hanson (2009) - Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn (2013) - www.cattonline.com - Evidence based resource developed for Canadian health care providers. Includes helpful handouts and concise articles about concussion assessment and management. - http://onf.org/documents/guidelines-for-concussion-mtbi-persistent-symptoms-second-edition Detailed and comprehensive guidelines for concussion management by the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation, for adults over 18 years of age. - Return to school/sport guidelines and resources for parents from the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/pdf/pediatricmtbiguidelineeducationaltools/2018-mTBI_Recovery-508.pdf

Episode 4 features Dr. Bahram Jam, who has been practicing physiotherapy for over 20 years in the Toronto area. Bahram Jam graduated from the University of Toronto, Canada in 1992 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Physical Therapy. In 1999 he completed a Clinical Masters in Manipulative Physiotherapy at the University of Queensland, Australia and in 2009 he completed his Doctorate in Science in Physical Therapy at Andrews University, USA. He has the Canadian Diploma of Advanced Manual and Manipulative Physiotherapy and is also credentialed with the McKenzie Institute International.

Bahram is the founder and director of Advanced Physical Therapy Education Institute (APTEI) and has been a chief instructor for over one thousand post-graduate Orthopaedic clinical courses across Canada and internationally. He continues to practice and has had extensive clinical experience with direct patient care.

In this episode, Bahram and I discuss:

The therapeutic alliance, and the importance of developing rapport and instilling positivity and optimism for client’s suffering from chronic pain
The psychological elements of recovering from an injury, and how psychology influences our experiences of pain
Potential downsides of seeing too many health care practitioners at once in an effort to overcome an injury
The importance of physical movement when recovering from chronic pain, and how avoiding movement and avoiding activities might be hindering progress
How to focus on your abilities as opposed to your limitations after an injury, and how this plays into positive recovery outcomes To find out more about Bahram and his chronic pain practice, you can visit the Advanced Physical Therapy Education Institute website at www.aptei.ca.

Also, Bahram releases videos on YouTube pertaining to musculoskeletal injury rehabilitation and chronic pain management. These can be found at https://www.youtube.com/user/APTEI.

Today’s episode features Debbie Samsom, workplace consultant, psychologist, and former CEO and President of Back in Motion. Debbie was Back in Motion’s first front line psychologist and is one of the original owners of the company. From her roots as a psychologist helping those with chronic pain, Debbie now consults with large and small organization to build psychologically healthy workplaces by fostering change at the leadership level. In this episode, Debbie and I discuss: - Her role in fostering psychologically healthy workplaces - What workplace health may look like in a post-Covid world - Strategies to foster optimism and hope following an injury or chronic pain - The impact of giving to others on one’s own fulfillment and satisfaction - The benefits of physical exercise on mental health

Today’s episode features Dr. John MacDonald, a psychologist with over 40 years’ experience treating depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. John has extensive professional experience in both the public and private health sectors, and was pivotal in establishing a cognitive rehabilitation program at GF Strong Hospital for individuals suffering from cognitive challenges as a result of traumatic brain injuries. We covered many topics in our discussion today, some of which I plan on applying to my everyday life. We touched on topics related to how John’s personal experiences have influenced his work as a psychologist, and his own self-care strategies foster work/life balance. In addition, we talked about: - Sleep hygiene, and strategies to foster a good night’s sleep - Post-traumatic stress experiences, and how to overcome fears on a gradual basis - Cognitive rehabilitation approaches for individuals with brain injuries - The “two-second strategy” for communicating with others - Ways to manage clinician burnout and care-giver stress

Today’s episode features Philippe De Clerk, CEO of Back in Motion Health. Philippe initially trained as a physiotherapist in Belgium before moving to Vancouver in the 1990s. He practiced as a front link physiotherapist for many years, before working his way up to being CEO and overseeing the direction and delivery of Back in Motion and its 300+ employees and contractors. Aside from being a CEO and physiotherapist, Philippe has an extensive athletic background. He has competed in several Ironman Triathlons, including twice competing in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. In this episode, Philippe and I discuss: - Philippe’s journey to becoming a CEO - Mindfulness, and its function to reduce stress and manage time pressures - The benefit and importance of progressive goal setting - Embracing failure and discomfort as experiences to learn from - Training for a competition and how it relates to everyday life

The Health Lab Podcast Launch Announcement