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
Friday, May 28, 2010
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.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
ICE, ICE, Baby!
Spring is upon us!! Our bodies are craving movement. As we get more active, you might notice that some of us are moving around a little more slowly than we have in the past.
Nothing to fear... yet. Here is a simple way to alleviate some pain and maybe even shed some light on a very commonly made mistake when dealing with joint pain.
While applying ice to achy joints might not be the most comfortable experience, it is among the most effective for decreasing pain and inflammation. Heat feels better but in some cases, it may actually exacerbate the problem!
How do I know when I should use ice?
The simple answer: If it's red, swollen, painful and warm it would probably benefit from a good cool down. 15 - 20 minutes of ice with a break for 10 - 15 minutes. Repeat as often as possible for the first couple of days.
If a joint requires heat, then the problems is more likely a long-standing one. General stiffness, pain and decreased ability to move that joint(s) is an indication for heat.
The bonus about ice: Even if ice is inappropriate for the injury, it won't do you any harm. While if you mistakenly apply heat to an area that is inflammed you may cause more damage.
Moral of the story: When in doubt ICE, ICE, Baby!
Nothing to fear... yet. Here is a simple way to alleviate some pain and maybe even shed some light on a very commonly made mistake when dealing with joint pain.
While applying ice to achy joints might not be the most comfortable experience, it is among the most effective for decreasing pain and inflammation. Heat feels better but in some cases, it may actually exacerbate the problem!
How do I know when I should use ice?
The simple answer: If it's red, swollen, painful and warm it would probably benefit from a good cool down. 15 - 20 minutes of ice with a break for 10 - 15 minutes. Repeat as often as possible for the first couple of days.
If a joint requires heat, then the problems is more likely a long-standing one. General stiffness, pain and decreased ability to move that joint(s) is an indication for heat.
The bonus about ice: Even if ice is inappropriate for the injury, it won't do you any harm. While if you mistakenly apply heat to an area that is inflammed you may cause more damage.
Moral of the story: When in doubt ICE, ICE, Baby!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Knee Pain: Calling all endurance athletes
A very common problem seen in endurance athletes who present with knee pain is weakness in the outter hip muscles and poor coordination between the foot and hip. Recently published research in the Journal of Sport and Orthopaedic Physical Thearpy continues to enforce this assessment.
Be sure to work to strengthen each limb independently to increase your ability to absorb impact, stabilize your mechanics and ultimately prevent injuries to your knees and hips that will put you on the shelf.
Be sure to work to strengthen each limb independently to increase your ability to absorb impact, stabilize your mechanics and ultimately prevent injuries to your knees and hips that will put you on the shelf.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Small Physical Therapy practices: the new wave!
Size may matter to some but in the case of physical therapy and fitness services, smaller and more agile is a more popular trend.
Smaller organizations can offer much more to their clinetelle in the way of personal service, more intimate atmosphere and are better equipped to change with new developments in practice than their larger corporate counterparts.
Do you have pain? Do you need to improve your fitness? Have athletic aspirations for yourself or your friends? Seek out the smaller groups in your area. To help you select the right group for you, ask yourself questions like:
"How many runners (swimmers, baseball players, dancers, etc) have they worked with?"
"What makes this place the best fit for me?"
"Do they have availability that fits my schedule?"
If you do a good job of answering these questions, you will set yourself up for success even before setting foot in the door. Always remember that smaller physical therapy and fitness organizations will be more willing to speak with you over the phone or email so that you are comfortable with the details so don't hesitate to reach out to them.
Smaller organizations can offer much more to their clinetelle in the way of personal service, more intimate atmosphere and are better equipped to change with new developments in practice than their larger corporate counterparts.
Do you have pain? Do you need to improve your fitness? Have athletic aspirations for yourself or your friends? Seek out the smaller groups in your area. To help you select the right group for you, ask yourself questions like:
"How many runners (swimmers, baseball players, dancers, etc) have they worked with?"
"What makes this place the best fit for me?"
"Do they have availability that fits my schedule?"
If you do a good job of answering these questions, you will set yourself up for success even before setting foot in the door. Always remember that smaller physical therapy and fitness organizations will be more willing to speak with you over the phone or email so that you are comfortable with the details so don't hesitate to reach out to them.
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