Advanced Physical Therapy | Torrington - February 2022

Advanced Physical Therapy | Torrington - February 2022

FEBRUARY 2022

WWW.PHYSICALTHERAPYCT.COM | 860-482-0600

GOSH, THAT DATE WAS TERRIBLE! HOW AN AWFUL FIRST DATE BECAME AN AWESOME MARRIAGE

My first date with my wife, Alexis, was an absolute disaster. It happened in the summer of 2010. First, I took her to a sushi place for dinner. We’d been friends since we were kids, but I found out that night that she doesn’t like sushi! She ordered a salad and picked at it while I ate my plate of rice and raw fish. Yikes. After dinner, I tried to redeem myself by taking her to the hottest new move: “Inception” with Leonardo Dicaprio. I thought it would definitely be a hit, but when I looked over at her a few minutes into the film, she was dead asleep in the theater!

Sometimes we’ll combine the two and spend hours with her parents, my siblings, and our nieces hiking the miles and miles of trails behind my in-laws' house. Those hikes are particularly beautiful in the winter when the trail is covered with snow. We bundle up and bring our dog, Arnie, along. He has a great time running through the powder! If you have an outdoorsy partner, too, I’d definitely recommend a hiking date this Valentine’s Day. It’s the perfect way to steal some time together and also get your heart rate up. Cardiovascular health might not be very romantic,

but it is really important. Before you hike, make sure you know your family’s heart history and have a baseline evaluation done to determine your blood pressure and risk of a heart attack. You should also check in with a PT like me if you’re recovering from an injury. Physical activity is great for your heart but not if you overdo it and put yourself at risk! You can find out more about the state of your heart by booking an appointment with your primary care physician or a cardiologist. It’s also helpful to track your heart rate, blood pressure, and heart rate variability (the changes in time between your heartbeats), especially when you work out. I track mine with a WHOOP strap when I hike, but you can use a Fitbit or Apple Watch instead.

Most guys probably would have run away after such an awful start, but since I’d known Alexis for years, we laughed off the bad date and gave it another try. Dates number two and three ended up just fine. Twelve years later, we’re still together — and she still hates sushi and falls asleep in movies. I’ve learned to accept it! I think about my first date with Alexis every Valentine’s Day, because in my view, the holiday is about more than buying chocolates and flowers. It’s also about whom we love and why we love them, so I try to reflect on that. I was only 11 years old when Alexis and I met, but I knew right away she was one of the most caring people I’d ever encountered. Her

job as a physician’s assistant at the children’s hospital fits her to a T, and she always makes time to do little things for others. I might forget my cousin’s birthday, the chocolate my mother- in-law likes best, or when my friend’s pet is having surgery, but Alexis never will — and she’ll bring it up in just the right way. Another thing I love about her is that we both prioritize connecting with family and staying physically active.

Since Alexis works in a hospital and I’m a physical therapist, we have these “boring” health conversations all the time and tag-team our family to make sure they take care of themselves. It’s just another reason why I love her — even if she doesn’t like “Inception” or sushi. –Kevin Smith

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which can help you fall asleep easier. On top of exercise, try weaving protein-rich snacks and meals into your routine. Foods like light meat and nuts can improve sleep quality, and dairy foods contain tryptophan, which is a sleep-promoting chemical. Eliminate unhealthy substances . Limit your intake of caffeine and sugar throughout the day — especially right before bed — for better rest. It’s also best not to drink anything about an hour before bed, so you don’t wake up in the middle of the night to use the restroom and disrupt your sleep. Regulate your sleep schedule. Keeping the same schedule for sleeping can reap immediate benefits. You will notice increased alertness during waking hours as well as enhanced memory and attention span. You may also start to feel tired around the same time every day, ensuring that you will actually go to sleep right on schedule. It can take time and patience to adjust to new habits to improve sleep, especially for the elderly. It won’t happen overnight, but the benefits that come with a better night’s sleep will have you feeling younger and healthier than ever before. If anything, you will feel more engaged and happier throughout your daily life. The Importance of a Good Night’s Rest

Sleep is an essential part of our lives, but it becomes even more important as we get older, as it’s a necessity for healthy aging and staying energized. Ideally, everyone should sleep between 7.5–9 hours a night, but as we get older, this becomes much harder to achieve. Health complaints, minor disturbances, and a decrease in melatonin levels make it difficult for seniors to get a full night of sleep, which can cause irritability and fatigue. In order to combat these disturbances, here are a few things you can do to ensure you get enough sleep during the night. Build an active daily routine. Outdoor exercise and general movement every day is good for your body, but being outside and absorbing sunlight can balance and optimize your melatonin levels,

HOW DEION SANDERS HAS STAYED IN GREAT SHAPE WORK OUT LIKE PRIME TIME

Is there any group in better shape than professional football players? While there are certainly some exceptions, most National Football League athletes are in incredible shape so they can withstand hits from some of the biggest and toughest guys in the country. When they retire, many athletes tone down their exercise routine, but that is certainly not the case for one superstar.

Though Sanders retired from the NFL more than 15 years ago, you wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at him. At 54 years old, Sanders is still in incredible shape and looks like he could return to the field at any moment. To put it simply, Sanders continues to use every moment and opportunity to improve himself. He’s often said, “I want to look good. I don’t want to be the strongest and the fastest. I want to look the strongest and the fastest.” In his Texas home, Sanders has the ultimate home gym that consists of dumbbells, stability balls, pullup bars, and much more. He never passes up an opportunity to work out. “Even if I’m just waiting for the shower water to warm, there’s no reason I can’t bang out 50 pushups.” For cardio, Sanders usually runs for 15 minutes. He’ll throw in 10 50-yard dashes, which he follows with 400 situps and 200 pushups. It sounds like an extreme workout for most of us, but it’s just an average day for the eight-time Pro Bowler. Sanders’ one rule when it comes to working out is to give it your best. You don’t have to be the best to give it your all.

Deion Sanders is one of the greatest defensive players in football history. But he didn’t just play football. He was also a professional baseball player, playing in the MLB at the same time he was playing in the NFL. He was a one-of-a-kind athlete who gave his all every day. He even worked out after his football games, and the team always had an exercise bike ready for him in his hotel room.

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WITH MEAL PREPPING Stuff Yourself and Your Wallet

You’ll cut food costs. Eating out at restaurants several days a week can get incredibly expensive. Even fast food can quickly burn a hole in your pocket. By going to the grocery store and getting the ingredients to prepare your meals in advance, you will be saving money. And you will never ask yourself, “What should I have for dinner tonight?” You’ll save time. Our days are already hectic and busy

Have you ever intended to eat healthy meals throughout the week, but as the days went on, you either ran out of time or patience and picked up unhealthy eating habits? We’ve all been there, but if you find yourself falling into this routine regularly, you might want to give meal prepping a chance. Meal prepping has gained popularity over the past few years, and social media has been flooded with images of fitness gurus’ meal-prepping habits. To properly meal prep, you need to plan and shop for your meals in advance. You then need to cook all of your meals for the week and store them for easy access. This way, you won’t be tempted to eat fast food or other unhealthy options since your meals will already be prepared and ready to eat. While there are many benefits to meal prepping, there are three that stand above the rest.

enough, and more often than not, cooking after working or running errands seems like just another chore. With meal prep, you can spend the time you would have spent cooking on hobbies or relaxation since your meals will already be cooked and prepared. It’s a great way to make more time for yourself. You’ll be eating healthier. Eating out at restaurants, especially if it’s fast food, can be quite unhealthy. You may find yourself putting on weight if you’re eating out every other day. By meal prepping, you can introduce more home-cooked meals into your diet. You can choose healthier foods, and your portion sizes will be limited since the food is already made. This way you won’t overeat, and you can enjoy fresh and delicious meals every day of the week.

toothpicks, seal the edges of the pockets. 5. Season the chicken with curry, paprika, salt, and pepper, then bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 F. 6. Remove the toothpicks and serve with rice, potatoes, salad, or roasted vegetables! • 10 large basil leaves, chopped • 2 cloves garlic, chopped • 1/2 tsp curry powder • 1/2 tsp paprika • Salt and pepper, to taste MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST Inspired by DiabetesStrong.com

TAKE A BREAK!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 chicken breasts • 2 oz mozzarella cheese, cubed • 2 canned artichoke hearts, chopped • 4 tsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 365 F. 2. Cut a slit lengthwise to create a pocket in the middle of each chicken breast. Place the breasts on a baking sheet. 3. In a medium bowl, combine the mozzarella cheese, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, basil, and garlic. 4. Divide the mixture in half and stuff each chicken breast pocket. Using

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881 New Harwinton Rd. Torrington, CT 06790

1. DR. SMITH SURVIVED THE WORST FIRST DATE EVER! 2. QUALITY SLEEP CAN PROMOTE HEALTHY AGING INSIDE THIS ISSUE

HOW DEION SANDERS HAS STAYED IN GREAT SHAPE

3. 3 MAJOR BENEFITS OF MEAL PREPPING

MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST 4. IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH WITH FITNESS TRACKERS

Improve Your Health With Fitness Trackers

Sleep Monitoring Many fitness trackers give you insight into your sleep routine and will even track your movements so you can find out if you were tossing and turning all night. Others go further by detecting your body temperature, heart rate, and energy expenditure. You can use this information to create a sleep schedule that works for you or make any adjustments to your sleeping conditions if they are preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep. Future Updates Fitness trackers and wearable devices are still a relatively new technology. Tech companies are continually updating them and introducing additional features. For example, new wearables that are hitting the market can track blood sugar, which could be incredibly beneficial to those with diabetes. Wearable tech will continue to evolve — only time will tell what features and functions companies will unveil next.

Over the past decade, wearable technology has seen an incredible boom. Wearables like Fitbits and the Apple Watch used to be nothing more than glorified step counters. Since their debut, though, fitness trackers and wearables have gone through various updates that have made them essential to the fitness community as a whole. This is because wearing a fitness tracker can add great benefits to your lifestyle and can even improve your daily life. Heart Rate A built-in heart rate sensor is possibly the most vital feature available in almost every wearable device and fitness tracker. There are many exercise machines that track your heart rate, but those are only useful if you know your resting heart rate. With a fitness tracker — whether you’re sleeping, sitting, running, or exercising — you will know exactly what your heart rate is and what’s normal for you. This is important because it will help you notice irregularities so you can better understand your heart health.

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