Carol Todor, second from the left, training her Functional Fitness Fascia Class to move naturally.

A local woman has exchanged the gym for a playground in a new fitness craze she has dubbed Functional Fitness Fascia.
    Carol Todor has pursued athletics all her life. Training fitness leaders, yoga and dance students, Todor realized something had always been missing from her fitness classes. When Todor happened upon the idea of fascia, the network connections between and around our body systems and muscles, she began to learn how the human body works as a continuous unit.
    “Because I had a back injury, I started exploring for different information about fascia, and I came across this guy who was doing a “Fascial Active Stretching Technique,” so I started to incorporate little bits into my yoga and my dance, and for myself. I thought, this is starting to feel a little better, and it feels pretty natural,” Todor explains.
    After learning about fascia, Todor was inspired to reach further in an effort to properly educate herself and integrate the ideas into her daily fitness routine. Todor’s efforts were rewarded when she found “MovNat,” a program that revolves around the natural movement skills every human has: walking, running, jumping, balancing, crawling, climbing and swimming. In addition, the  training also focuses on manipulative abilities like lifting, carrying,  throwing, and catching.
    “I saw what was involved in moving naturally. I was really inspired because I wasn’t too crazy about just walking, and this gave me activities to do while I was walking, so now it’s like walking has opportunities to find ways to move naturally.” Todor says, “Basically, it’s based on all the moves we learn when we are very young but we forget to use them. So if we find a log in the bushes, we squat down to pick it up, balance it, and push it up over our head.”
     Todor has found herself  looking forward to her future exercises, classes and health. The Functional Fitness Fascia classes Todor had introduced in Drumheller ran for six weeks, and she is contemplating another set of sessions in Mid-August.

(l-r) Hayven Tucker, Alisha Hilchey, Eden Hilchey and Karis Hilchey take advantage of the summer heat and go for a float down the river.

The Red Deer River which flows through Drumheller has been an integral part of the community; it provides residents with an escape from the blazing Albertan heat, various water activities, and a peaceful view at the end of the day.
    But as floaters, boaters, swimmers, and bridge jumpers take to the river this summer, safety precautions must be kept in mind.
    The spring runoff from the snowy winter, in combination with heavy rainfall, could be a deadly recipe for residents seeking fun on the river. As the temperature and river flow reach higher throughout the summer months, river goers are urged to examine it closely before going in for a dip.
    Shelby Augart is a certified lifeguard at the Drumheller Aquaplex and knows the dangers of unsafe waters.
    “Be conscious of the current and realize that it’s different than the pool.” Augart said, “Know your limits. Educate yourself. You don’t know how dangerous things can be.”
    Safety guidelines have been put in place to make sure harm doesn’t come to any wishing to cool down in the river, and these guidelines will be reinforced with fines ranging up to $287 (bridge jumping.) Other punishments affiliated with the river are; littering, $115, drinking in public $115, and if an operator of a boat appears to be intoxicated, Criminal Code charges may be laid.
    Corporal Kevin Charles of the Drumheller RCMP explains that if rules are overlooked, there can be repercussions.
    “It’s a public place. You can’t have any alcohol on the beach, or if you’re floating down the river on a tube. You can’t be drinking, and obviously if you’re operating a boat and you’ve been drinking, then it’s Criminal Code. It’s impaired operation of a vessel. It’s the same as if you’re drinking and driving in a car. The same rules apply for a boat,” Charles said.
    The river has been, and always will be, a hot spot for the residents of Drumheller. Whether it’s to cool off or wind down from the day, residents are advised to be conscious of the dangers associated with flowing waters.