As a physical therapist and fitness pro, I have developed a neat little library of fun-terms or cliches that I use from time to time. You may already know some of the oldies but goodies like, "No pain no gain" or "You are what you eat".
One of my all-time favorites is: "Proper nutrition and regular exercise are like novicaine: each works EVERY SINGLE TIME if you just give it a shot!"
The idea is simple but most people never really give proper nutrition and regular exercise a fighting chance.
I URGE you and those around you to give it a shot. Take a good hard look at what you are doing now and dial it up for 8 ENTIRE weeks. That's long enough to see some very significant gains and hopefully propel you into whatever the next step of your training is. DON'T QUIT! DON'T STOP! DON'T LET UP! No matter what. Sick? Feeling down? "Tired?" Suck it up! Give this thing your BEST honest effort and accept all of the rewards.
I'd love to hear what you are doing to make the changes you need to be on top of your game. Post them here and help everyone else with ideas for how they can make real change in their lives.
MAKE HEALTH HAPPEN.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Heating up!
Friends,
Heat exhaustion is no joke. It can sneak up on you faster than you think. Know the signs and know how to reverse the tide before things become a lot more dangerous:
Symptoms:
- nausea
- nausea/vomiting
- profuse sweating
- confusion
- rapid and weak pulse rate
- weakness
- cramping
What to do if you or a loved one is exhibiting these symptoms:
- move to a cool area
- cool, non-alcoholic beverages
- get out of the sun if possible
- get seated or assume a safe position in the event of lightheadedness
Even those of us who are accustomed to hot weather and vigorous exercise outdoors can be caught off guard with heat exhaustion so know and pass on the info.
Stay well.
Heat exhaustion is no joke. It can sneak up on you faster than you think. Know the signs and know how to reverse the tide before things become a lot more dangerous:
Symptoms:
- nausea
- nausea/vomiting
- profuse sweating
- confusion
- rapid and weak pulse rate
- weakness
- cramping
What to do if you or a loved one is exhibiting these symptoms:
- move to a cool area
- cool, non-alcoholic beverages
- get out of the sun if possible
- get seated or assume a safe position in the event of lightheadedness
Even those of us who are accustomed to hot weather and vigorous exercise outdoors can be caught off guard with heat exhaustion so know and pass on the info.
Stay well.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
What's in the water around here!?
It's getting HOT!!! High humidity and warm temperatures are reason enough to be sure to get enough water in. Combine that with all of the outdoor exercise that we do, it becomes even more important to stay properly hydrated.
Did you know that if you are 2% dehydrated that you stand to lose up to 20% of your muscle's ability to contract? That means that if you could squat 100 lbs when normally hydrated that you would only be able to squat 80 lbs if you were ONLY 2% dehydrated!!! And guess what? When we 'feel' thirsty we are already about 40-50% dehydrated.
What's the solution? Keep drinking water. Sip all day. Just plain water. If you stay on top of this you can keep your muscles operating at their optimal level.
If you are doing higher intensity exercise or sports outdoors, it may be appropriate to have a good sports drink with you. These drinks can help replace vital salts and fluids and at the same time provide you with some simple sugars to keep you playing hard.
Did you know that if you are 2% dehydrated that you stand to lose up to 20% of your muscle's ability to contract? That means that if you could squat 100 lbs when normally hydrated that you would only be able to squat 80 lbs if you were ONLY 2% dehydrated!!! And guess what? When we 'feel' thirsty we are already about 40-50% dehydrated.
What's the solution? Keep drinking water. Sip all day. Just plain water. If you stay on top of this you can keep your muscles operating at their optimal level.
If you are doing higher intensity exercise or sports outdoors, it may be appropriate to have a good sports drink with you. These drinks can help replace vital salts and fluids and at the same time provide you with some simple sugars to keep you playing hard.
Friday, May 28, 2010
2010 Summer Kick-Off Boot Camp: Begins June 21st!
Boot Camp will run for 4 weeks: meeting Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7AM
Sessions to begin promptly at 7AM and end on time at 8AM.
60-minute, high energy and FUN exercise session
-Led by SPARK Physical Therapist and Wellness Consultant: Elizabeth Polis, PT
Each participant must bring:
-yoga or stretching mat
-towel
-water
-a positive attitude and your best effort!
Exercise session to include: warm-up, flexibility training, full-body strengthening and toning exercises, targeted core strengthening exercises, cardiovascular conditioning and cool down.
All workouts will take place in the ‘quad’ area in front of the Carlyle Club:
411 John Carlyle Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-6817
Max 20 participants
$99 per participant for entire 4-week program
Registration closes on June 17th
Sessions to begin promptly at 7AM and end on time at 8AM.
60-minute, high energy and FUN exercise session
-Led by SPARK Physical Therapist and Wellness Consultant: Elizabeth Polis, PT
Each participant must bring:
-yoga or stretching mat
-towel
-water
-a positive attitude and your best effort!
Exercise session to include: warm-up, flexibility training, full-body strengthening and toning exercises, targeted core strengthening exercises, cardiovascular conditioning and cool down.
All workouts will take place in the ‘quad’ area in front of the Carlyle Club:
411 John Carlyle Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-6817
Max 20 participants
$99 per participant for entire 4-week program
Registration closes on June 17th
R.I.C.E.
Now that we are all getting more exercise we need to be able to take care of ourselves when we get dinged-up.
Rest: Take it easy for a few days. Avoid movements that make it hurt.
Ice: Apply ice to the injured area for up to 20 minutes as often as you can tolerate for the first 72 hours.
Compression: ACE wraps work great for this. This will provide the muscles with a little more support while they heal.
Elevation: Keep the injured area above the level of your heart to encourage inflammation to leave the injury.
If injuries linger for more than just a week or you continue to injure the same body part the issue might be more serious than you pre piously thought. Seek a physical therapist to get you back to your best.
Rest: Take it easy for a few days. Avoid movements that make it hurt.
Ice: Apply ice to the injured area for up to 20 minutes as often as you can tolerate for the first 72 hours.
Compression: ACE wraps work great for this. This will provide the muscles with a little more support while they heal.
Elevation: Keep the injured area above the level of your heart to encourage inflammation to leave the injury.
If injuries linger for more than just a week or you continue to injure the same body part the issue might be more serious than you pre piously thought. Seek a physical therapist to get you back to your best.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Childhood Obesity: PLAY!!!!
More and more children are battling obesity every day! While many of us were playing outdoors with our friends, a culture of sedentary behavior and horrid eating habits was gaining momentum.
Remember when we were growing up? Bored? Call your buddy. Ask your girlfriend to take a walk to the mall. See if Mom or Dad could play catch or help you build or create something. Doesn't this happen anymore???? What has changed? Are we so busy as to overlook the evolutionary NEED to play, compete and rid ourselves of pent up energy?
Thankfully, our leaders are bringing these and other childhood obesity issues to the forefront. http://bit.ly/bU12jQ
Here's a great take home message: GET OUTSIDE. Play with your children. Go play with your friend's children. Teach each other that time spent running around outdoors is more fun than time spent in front of the TV or computer.
If we all take responsibility for each other we will all win.
Remember when we were growing up? Bored? Call your buddy. Ask your girlfriend to take a walk to the mall. See if Mom or Dad could play catch or help you build or create something. Doesn't this happen anymore???? What has changed? Are we so busy as to overlook the evolutionary NEED to play, compete and rid ourselves of pent up energy?
Thankfully, our leaders are bringing these and other childhood obesity issues to the forefront. http://bit.ly/bU12jQ
Here's a great take home message: GET OUTSIDE. Play with your children. Go play with your friend's children. Teach each other that time spent running around outdoors is more fun than time spent in front of the TV or computer.
If we all take responsibility for each other we will all win.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
How important is your BMI?
BMI stands for 'body mass index' and uses your height and weight to give us very rough estimate of your overall health and risk for many types of disease.
Here is a link that will help you determine your BMI: http://bit.ly/cOtBzc
Your BMI along with your body fat percentage, blood pressure, HR, total cholesterol and a number of other health metrics, can give us a good indication about how you are doing in your wellness program.
Would you like to discuss concerns about your health status? Post them here or feel free to contact SPARK for help.
Here is a link that will help you determine your BMI: http://bit.ly/cOtBzc
Your BMI along with your body fat percentage, blood pressure, HR, total cholesterol and a number of other health metrics, can give us a good indication about how you are doing in your wellness program.
Would you like to discuss concerns about your health status? Post them here or feel free to contact SPARK for help.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Food as Fuel!
There is much confusion about ingredients, portions and calories. There are some resources out there to guide us along the path of real wellness. However, the best are still those professionals who have made it their life's work to spread the word of wellness.
I happen to be more of a do-it-yourselfer and so I found a great link that I thought I would share. http://bit.ly/75zOd6
This will likely answer many questions about how you can make good decisions at the grocery store. Take a look and share your experiences with us!
Your wellness is not a passive thing. Make health happen.
I happen to be more of a do-it-yourselfer and so I found a great link that I thought I would share. http://bit.ly/75zOd6
This will likely answer many questions about how you can make good decisions at the grocery store. Take a look and share your experiences with us!
Your wellness is not a passive thing. Make health happen.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Pass (on) the salt...
In the news: http://bit.ly/9Bi637
Here's an idea, police your overall salt intake yourselves!
Here are some figures you may be interested in:
- Total daily allowance of Sodium: 1500-2400mg
- More than 11% of all the sodium intake is from what you add in food preparation
- More than 70% is added in the processing of many food products
A tax on increased salt in the production of food may be a step in the right direction. We need to be more realistic when policing ourselves and our loved ones as to our own habits.
Decreasing your risk for disease and disability can be as simple as getting the right information about how to make proper nurtition and increased physical activity a part of your life.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Back In Action
Back pain is among the leading causes of disability and is a very common issue treated in physical therapy clinics. A recent article published by the AP highlights several different approaches for the treatment of back pain. It is concluded that there are differing opinions about the most effective treatment.
However, we do know that before a surgical approach, more conservative measures should be taken. The best evidence points to a comprehensive program of postural reeducation, core muscle strenghtening and techniques to ensure the balanced relationship of the hips and spine.
In the general sense, once patients have a surgical procedure to fuse a level of their spinal column the levels above and below are asked to take on more stress and abnormal amounts of mobility in order to compensate for the loss of motion. If this newly stabilized segment is not treated with care, more surgeries are down the road.
However, we do know that before a surgical approach, more conservative measures should be taken. The best evidence points to a comprehensive program of postural reeducation, core muscle strenghtening and techniques to ensure the balanced relationship of the hips and spine.
In the general sense, once patients have a surgical procedure to fuse a level of their spinal column the levels above and below are asked to take on more stress and abnormal amounts of mobility in order to compensate for the loss of motion. If this newly stabilized segment is not treated with care, more surgeries are down the road.
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