Campus Commons PT - March 2020

Campus Commons PT - March 2020

CAMPUS COMMONS

LUCK’S ONLY GOT A LITTLE TO DOWITH IT WHEN IT COMES TO SUCCESS

How often have you said “good luck” to a friend right before a big presentation, to a classmate before an exam, or to a teammate before a big game or meet? While there’s nothing wrong with saying that, I find it somewhat funny that we choose the phrase “good luck” in these instances. In my experience, when someone puts in the work and plans ahead, that effort goes a much longer way in generating success than luck ever could. I grew up playing organized sports, and for that reason, I’ve been kind of superstitious in the past. If you win a game in a certain uniform, you wear that uniform for the rest of the season because that’s obviously what led you and your team to victory. I’m sure many of the athletes reading this have had a lucky bat, a lucky pair of cleats, or something along those lines before. While it might make us rest a little easier having some luck on the playing field, we should never sell our hard work short. The number of hours you moved and worked in your lucky pair of shorts has a lot more to do with your success than the shorts themselves. Ironically, I don’t feel like luck ever helped me in sports. I do feel lucky to have the family I do and to have succeeded in my business, in spite

of the hard work my wife and I put into both of those things. While I haven’t gone about either area of my life perfectly, my family and my career are two of the biggest examples of how hard work and determination go a long way to ensure success. Sheer luck alone couldn’t be responsible for it. Luck can also be a matter of perspective. We’ve all had that one friend who seems to always have good things happen to them. What’s more is that beyond the luck, they have a consistently cheerful demeanor, which makes them seem even luckier. When bad things happen to them, they find a way to turn their struggles “I DON’T THINK SOMEONE IS ‘LUCKY’ TO GET INTO THEIR DREAM COLLEGE OR PT SCHOOL, THOUGH. MAYBE A LITTLE LUCK CAME INTO PLAY THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, BUT BY AND LARGE, THOSE ACHIEVEMENTS TAKE HARD WORK, NOT LUCK.” into valuable and beneficial experiences. What might seem like random good fortune is really just a positive perspective on the normal ups and downs of life.

While I think hard work and perspective go a lot further in explaining success than luck does, luck probably still does exist. People win the lottery, and that’s something like a 7 million- in-1 chance. I don’t know how hard work or perspective would ever fit into that. But I don’t think someone is “lucky” to get into their dream college or PT school, though. Maybe a little luck came into play throughout the process, but by and large, those achievements take hard work, not luck. When we say “good luck” to our friends and family, most of us probably just mean we’re hoping the best for them. If they studied for weeks for their test, put in the hours at practice, or meticulously prepared for their presentation, well, it doesn’t seem like luck has much to do with their success.

–Mark Eddy

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WHOSE PICKS WILL GO ALL THE WAY?

MARCH MADNESS FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

One of the greatest things about March Madness is that you don’t have to be a huge college basketball fan to get in on the fun. Kids of all ages can fill out brackets — or have a parent fill one out for them — and watch their picks duke it out on the court. While healthy competition among family members can be fun all on its own, check out the following tips if you’re looking to go the extra mile and reap as much fun from March Madness as you can.

party. It doesn’t have to be fancy; make fun snacks to eat while you watch or bet pieces of candy on who will have the most points to create great family bonding opportunities.

REWARD THE WINNERS WITH PRIZES.

Offer prizes to each round winner as well as the overall bracket winner to get the whole family involved. Small prize ideas for each round can include a homemade dinner of the winner’s choice, a week’s supply of their favorite snack, or a coupon for getting out of a chore. Whoever wins the whole tournament (or makes it the furthest with their bracket) deserves a bigger reward. Offer them the chance to see a movie of their choice in theaters or to eat a meal at their favorite restaurant.

TURN EACH GAME INTO AN EVENT.

Not every kid may like watching basketball, but if they fill out a bracket, then they might gain at least a passing interest in who will win each game. To elevate their interest, turn each March Madness matchup into a little

CREATE A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY.

Learning math or geography might not sound like your child’s idea of fun, but it can be when they learn it through the lens of March Madness. See if your kids would be interested in understanding the inner workings of the ranking system or studying where some of the qualifying colleges are located on a map of the United States. They may find it so interesting that they don’t even realize they’re learning valuable skills.

WHILE I’M IN PHYSICAL THERAPY? WHAT SHOULD I EAT Coming to your regularly scheduled appointments and doing your prescribed exercises at home are both essential parts of healing your body through physical therapy. Did you know that what you eat could be just as important? We all know a balanced diet and regular exercise go hand in hand to form a healthy lifestyle. If you know exactly which foods and nutrients aid in healing your body when you’re injured, you can incorporate them into your diet and accelerate the healing process. naturally. This dietary fat can prompt proper blood flow and the functionality of immunity cells, both important functions in reducing

inflammation. Some foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids are fish, avocados, pecans, and almonds.

If you’re an athlete or otherwise active person, you might be worried that eating the same amount of calories per day as before you were injured might lead to weight gain. While this concern is warranted, you shouldn’t undereat. When you’re injured, your metabolism kicks into overdrive to aid in the healing process, causing you to burn 5–50% more calories than you do normally. So, while overeating can lead to weight gain while you’re injured, don’t overcorrect your diet and leave your body without a source of nutrients with which to heal itself. Proper nutrition aids the healing process brought on by physical therapy in two ways: It can reduce inflammation and help build muscle. To reduce inflammation and prevent further swelling around the injured area, find foods rich in the fatty acid omega-3, which our bodies cannot produce

When it comes to building muscle, you’ll obviously want a lot of protein-rich foods. While physical therapy helps strengthen your muscles, protein helps decrease the rate of muscle atrophy. When your musculoskeletal system is injured, your body will experience anabolic resistance, which basically means it stops making proteins on its own. That’s why it’s important to get protein from the foods we eat. Eggs, quinoa, Greek yogurt, and broccoli are all great sources of protein.

If you have any other questions about what to eat while in physical therapy, ask the PTs at Campus Commons if they have any advice!

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HOWTO STAY IN THE GAME 3 TIPS FOR PREVENTING MUSCLE STRAINS

It could happen at home, at practice, out on the trails, or at the big game — a sharp pain shooting beyond the dull sensitivity of regular soreness that lets any athlete know something is definitely not right. If you’ve ever strained a muscle, you might have wondered if you could have done anything to prevent it. If you’re an athlete or a very active person, you can prevent muscle strains in the future by following these three tips.

most of your performance during practice or during the game, research which muscle groups you need to target. That way, you won’t catch those muscle groups off guard when you need them the most.

GRADUALLY INCREASE THE INTENSITY

At one time or another, all of us have been tempted to push ourselves too hard too soon. While we should push ourselves in the ways we stay physically active, overworking our muscles is a great way to strain them. Stick to a verified training regimen, if you have one, or work out with people who know how much you should be progressing. That way you can get the workout you need without undue strain on your muscles. Some of these tips might seem like common sense, but they’re ignored more often than you might think. With proper warmups, stretching programs, and gradual increases in intensity, you can keep yourself active and stay out of physical therapy.

WARM UP PROPERLY

Sometimes all we want is to get out on our run or to just get started with our drills, but one of the best ways to prevent muscle strains is to properly warm up our bodies. Before working out, it’s best to do some dynamic stretches that take you through range- of-motion rather than static stretches, in order to achieve the best results during your workout.

FOLLOW A SPECIFIC PROGRAM

Depending on how you stay active, or what leagues or teams you’re a part of, there are probably key stretches and exercises for the muscle groups you’ll use the most. If you want to make the

TAKE A BREAK

PESTO CHICKEN WITH BLISTERED TOMATOES

Inspired by CookingLight.com

INGREDIENTS

• •

2 1/2 tbsp olive oil, divided

• • • • •

1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted 6 tbsp spinach pesto 2 cups cherry tomatoes 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced 1 tsp red wine vinegar

4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, pounded to a 1-inch thickness

• • •

Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup whole-wheat panko 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil. 2. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and add it to pan. Cook chicken for 5 minutes on each side, then remove pan from heat. 3. In a bowl, combine panko, Parmesan cheese, and butter. 4. Spread pesto over chicken and top with panko mixture. 5. Broil chicken for 2 minutes on high heat until browned. 6. In a skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. 7. Add tomatoes and cook for 6 minutes. 8. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. 9. Season tomato mixture with salt and pepper, and add red wine vinegar. 10. Serve tomatoes with broiled chicken.

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INSIDE

THIS ISSUE

1 2 2 3 3 4

Hard Work and Perspective or Random Chance?

March Madness Fun for the Whole Family

What to Eat While Doing PT

3 Tips for Preventing Muscle Strains

Pesto Chicken With Blistered Tomatoes

The Evolution of St. Patrick’s Day

D i f f CELEBRATING ST. PADDY’S DAY IN IRELAND VS. AMERICA

From extravagant parades to green-dyed rivers, something about St. Patrick’s Day feels quintessentially American — despite its Irish heritage. That’s because many common St. Patrick’s Day traditions actually originated in America, evolving beyond their roots in the Emerald Isle in a few key ways. On March 17, Irish folks commemorate the death of St. Patrick, who brought Christianity to pagan Ireland during the late fourth and early fifth centuries. Historically, these religious origins make for a more somber observance of St. Patrick’s Day. Many Irish families go to church and eat a modest feast as the extent of their celebration. However, St. Patrick’s Day in America is not so much about venerating Ireland’s patron saint as it is about celebrating Irish heritage in a foreign land. When Catholic Irish immigrants first came

to the United States, they faced persecution from a largely Protestant population. In response, Irish Americans began using March 17 as a day to publicly declare and celebrate Irish heritage with parades and demonstrations. The observation of St. Patrick’s Day grew in popularity in cities with large Irish populations, like Boston, New York, and Chicago. Then, in the booming post-World War II economy, various businesses aggressively marketed the holiday to Americans of all heritages. Thus, it became a day when anyone could celebrate Irish American heritage, or at least it gave everyone an excuse to drink like they believe the Irish do. Ironically, imbibing was not a part of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Ireland until relatively recently. Due to the religious nature of the holiday, pubs and bars closed down on March 17 until 1961. Additionally, the traditional meal of

corned beef and cabbage is another American addition. In Ireland, pork and cabbage was actually more common, but impoverished Irish immigrants substituted less expensive beef for pork, and the tradition stuck. Even though the most widely observed St. Patrick’s Day celebrations originated in America, many of them have found their way back to Ireland. Starting in 1996, the St. Patrick’s Day Festival in Dublin now attracts over 1 million attendees with all the drinks and revelry that Americans love. You’d be hard pressed to find a green beer, though. In the hallowed birthplace of Guinness and whiskey, some traditions may be better left across the pond.

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