Campus Commons PT - September 2019

Campus Commons PT - September 2019

CAMPUS COMMONS

SEPTEMBER: AWELCOME RETURN TO ROUTINE BACK TO THE GRIND

The weather may not change as drastically from summer to fall as it does in some other places, but plenty of things show the seasons are changing. The heat of July and August give way to cooler evenings in September, the kids are back in school and busy with homework on the weeknights, and the sounds of the latest football game fill the house on Friday and Sunday nights. My second daughter, Kaylee, begins her first year of high school this year. She’s going to a different school than her older sister, one with a program that prepares students for careers in the sports industry. She’s really interested in sports medicine, so I think the school will be a good fit for her. At the same time, our oldest daughter, Emily, got her driver’s license not too long ago, so this school year she’ll drive herself to school for the first time. Even though she’s a cautious driver and she’ll only drive to school and her friends’ houses, it’s still a new (nerve- wracking) stage in her life and ours. With the start of the school year comes another year of coaching football. Even though I might not coach at my kids’ school, they’ve been out on the sidelines at my games with Tiffany since they were in baby carriers. Now my son Ryan is old enough to act as the team’s ball boy during some of the games. He’ll also play flag

football again this year. I’m looking forward to the big after-game gatherings with the other coaches and their families. Usually one of the coaches hosts at their home, and we enjoy a lot of laughter and good conversation. It’s a great way to decompress after all the energy and adrenaline from coaching. “THIS MONTH UNTIL CHRISTMAS BREAK WILL BE A GRIND, BUT JUST BECAUSE IT’S A BUSY TIME OF YEAR DOESN’T MEAN IT’S A BAD TIME OF YEAR.” During the increased busyness of the season, any small break between Labor Day and Christmas is a welcome respite. But perhaps our family’s most common form of rest is on Sunday evenings when the 49ers are playing. My wife and I have been fans our whole lives. If Garoppolo comes back healthy, they’ve got a chance at a good season this year. School, coaching, and the NFL all starting back at the same time means we’re changing gears. It’s a transition from the dog days of summer to one of the busiest times of the year, and I didn’t even touch on the kids’ fall sports or

anything happening at Campus Commons PT. This month until Christmas break will be a grind, but just because it’s a busy time of year doesn’t mean it’s a bad time of year. We’re all excited to get back to that routine, so long as we have breaks on some of those Sunday evenings to watch the 49ers (hopefully) win some games.

–Mark Eddy

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FINDING THE RIGHTWORKOUT FOR YOUR DIET HOW TO MATCH YOUR ROUTINE TO YOUR PLATE What you eat and how your body performs are two intimately linked aspects of your overall fitness. That’s why distance runners carb-load on spaghetti before marathons and yogis skip breakfast before a 105-degree Bikram class. However, this nuance is easy to neglect in a world of fad diets and food trends that move at whiplash speed. KETO VEGAN

This high-fat, low-carb diet is currently booming among athletes who relish the opportunity to chow down on pork rinds and cheese (a perk that comes at the expense of giving up chips, bread, and most fruits). Shape magazine recommends moderate-intensity workouts for people eating keto because they won’t have the ample supply of glucose the body relies on for high-intensity exercises like sprints and HIIT. On the plus side, if you go keto, you’ll burn more fat during cardio because you won’t have a store of glycogen to compete with it as an energy source.

Plant-based diets are generally associated with slow-moving exercises like yoga, but VegNews reports that short, high-intensity workouts are actually the best option for people who don’t eat meat or dairy. Choosing quick workouts means your body won’t use up as much protein (which vegans generally consume less of), and the ample glucose in a vegan diet is ideal for powering intense workouts like sprints, stairs, body-weight lifts, and CrossFit drills. The paleo diet is unique in that it actually comes with its own exercise plan, though many paleo eaters probably don’t know it. According to Paleo Leap, “The paleo lifestyle emphasizes natural movement (preferably outside) over machine- based exercises and brief but intense strength training workouts over extended sessions of steady-state cardio.” Above all, paleo advocates advise listening to your body and choosing a workout plan that leaves you feeling good. PALEO

If you’ve jumped on the keto, vegan, or paleo bandwagons but are still slogging through the same workout routine, it’s time to take a closer look at your body’s needs and tailor your gym time accordingly. Here are a few tips for matching your diet to the optimal workout.

PREVENT INJURIES THIS FALL HELP YOUR STUDENT ATHLETES

AT HOME

This September, your kids won’t just be starting up classes again at school. Millions of students nationwide participate in some sort of fall sports: football, cross-country, volleyball, or others. And while fall sports are a great way for kids to build friendships and fitness, they still risk injury if they don’t take the proper precautions.

Even when kids aren’t at practice, you can still help

prevent injuries at home. The formula is simple and time-honored: proper hydration,

ON THE COURT OR FIELD

Your child should do three things when they’re at practice to prevent injuries. First, warming up is essential to a good workout for any sport. Typically, a mix of both static and dynamic stretches decrease the likelihood of injuring those muscles and joints later. Second, kids should have the proper equipment. If they’re playing football, helmets, pads, and cleats are essential. If they’re a cross-country runner, they’ll need well-fitting shoes to cushion the impact of their steps. Lastly, encourage your kids to play a variety of sports. This will ensure they aren’t overworking the same joints, which is common in student athletes who play the same sport year-round.

proper nutrition, and proper rest. Make sure they drink plenty of water, have nutritious meals, and aren’t staying up too late. Proper hydration reduces the risk of heat stroke, and, in sports like wrestling where an athlete’s weight determines opponent size, a proper diet can be a huge part of preventing injuries on the mat. Rest is the body’s way of letting itself heal. Without enough rest, athletes risk overuse injuries. Kids and teens may heal quicker from injuries, but that doesn’t mean constant overwork or a lack of rest and nutrition can’t cause long term problems. Make sure your student athletes have fun this fall, but ensure they can do it all again in the years to come.

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THE BANE OF RUNNERS EVERYWHERE 3 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SHIN SPLINTS

The cooler fall afternoons beckon joggers everywhere to lace up their running shoes and hit the streets and trails. But cooler temperatures won’t make your running experience any better if you’re dealing with shin splints. This common bane of runners and joggers everywhere is characterized by a dull pain concentrated along the tibia bone in the lower leg. Even if you can’t feel the pain all the time, you should feel it when you press on the affected area. WHAT EXACTLY IS HAPPENING WITH SHIN SPLINTS? The pain associated with shin splints is caused by continual stress on your lower leg bones and the tissue connecting them to your muscles. This stress causes the connective tissues to become inflamed and painful to touch. Some common causes include ill-fitting running shoes, forgoing proper warm ups and cool downs, and increasing your running distance too quickly. HOW CAN I TREAT SHIN SPLINTS? While icing and anti-inflammatories may help in the short term, active rest is what’s really going to get you through. Find ways to exercise that don’t impact your lower

legs, such as swimming or cycling. Normal recovery times can vary between three and six months. The healing process is complete when the strength and flexibility of your injured leg matches the uninjured one, and you can jog and press on the injured area without any pain. HOW CAN I PREVENT SHIN SPLINTS IN THE FUTURE? Decreasing the risk of shin splints is all about lessening the impact running has on your shins. Get a new, better-fitting pair of shoes with more cushion in the insoles. Warm up your calves and hamstrings, and strengthen your core and hip muscles. Run on softer surfaces, maintain a healthy body weight, and up the intensity of your runs slowly but steadily. If these lessen the impact, they probably work as shin splint prevention. If shin splints are left unchecked, they can lead to stress fractures in the tibia, which require a much longer recovery time. If the pain in your lower leg is increasing, get an X-ray to confirm whether your shin splints have evolved into a stress fracture, and give Campus Commons a call.

TAKE A BREAK

TOMATO SALAD WITH HORSERADISH

Inspired by Food & Wine Magazine

INGREDIENTS

• • • •

1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup buttermilk

2 tbsp prepared horseradish Salt and black pepper, to taste

• 2 1/2 lbs. heirloom and cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped • 2 scallions, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

Autumn Apple September LaborDay

Football Quarterback Touchdown Homecoming

Harvest Cider Leaves Sweater

1. For the dressing, whisk together mayonnaise, buttermilk, and horseradish in a mixing bowl; season to taste.

2. In serving bowls, arrange tomatoes and top with scallions. 3. Lightly drizzle tomatoes and scallions with dressing and serve.

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INSIDE

THIS ISSUE

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New Schools, Drivers Licenses, and Lots of Football

Finding the Right Workout for Your Diet

Helping Your Kids Stay Safe on the Court or Field

Dealing With Shin Splints

Tomato Salad With Horseradish

The Clean Plate Conundrum

r e HOWTHE CLEAN PLATE PHENOMENON MAY BE KILLING YOUR DIET

As you celebrate your last backyard barbecue, consider this: If someone puts three helpings of potato salad on your plate, would you feel pressured to finish it? According to nutrition experts, this pressure to finish your plate is making people indulge a little too much.

But all those “one more bites” add up. Researchers from Vanderbilt University conducted a study in which participants were served individual plates with any number of cookies piled on top. They were instructed to eat three cookies, and afterward, researchers asked each of them if they wanted more. Those who had only one or two cookies left on their plates were more likely to indulge in a fourth or fifth cookie, while those who had no cookies left or had too many cookies left said they were full. Despite what you think about your own diet, this isn’t a problem sequestered to certain parties. Studies have found that plates and portion sizes in the U.S. have increased by about 20% since the 1970s. The same psychology that propelled humans to eat just a little bit more to survive is now contributing to serious overeating and a staggering calorie intake. There are a few simple tricks you can use to break this habit. Use smaller plates or measure out your food portions so you can clean your plate without guilt. You can also get into the habit of leaving a few bites on your plate to retrain your brain that it’s okay to not finish your food. (You can use your leftover food for compost or save it for later!) With a little effort and intention, you can break free of the pressure to clean your plate.

Dubbed the “clean plate phenomenon,” this overindulgence is troubling. Researchers have discovered that people feel pressured to clean their plates even when they feel satisfied or full. Even people who don’t fill their plates all the way often reach for that last piece or second helping because “one more bite won’t hurt.” Experts speculate that this compulsion could have stemmed from habits passed down from World War II, when rationing food was required for most, or from a fear of wasting food. Most people have, at some point, heard an adult say to a child, “Eat up; there are starving children in the world.”

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