Doctors Studio - July 2020

Doctors Studio - July 2020

T H E S T U D I O EXCEPTION

JULY 2020

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5 EXERCISES TO REDUCE THE PAINFUL SIDE EFFECTS OF SITTING

Head Up, Shoulders Back First, let’s talk about posture. Health experts recommend focusing on keeping your ears directly above your shoulders to reduce the amount of pressure on your neck and back. Next, pull your shoulders back. Help make these postures into a habit by making sure your computer is at eye level so you don’t have to crane your neck up or down to look at it. When using your phone or another handheld device, hold it up in front of you to avoid looking down, which puts pressure on your neck. Yes, No, Up, Down Head Nod To help release tension that builds up in the neck, try this simple series of neck releases: Start by slowly tilting your head forward and hold for a second, then tilt it backward and hold for a second. Return your head to neutral. Next, slowly look to your right, then to your left. Repeat this series of head motions for one minute and make it a part of your daily routine. Shrug It Off We tend to hold tension in our shoulders, too, so doing daily shoulder exercises can help to ease it. First is the shoulder shrug: Sitting or standing tall, shrug your shoulders up as high as you can, hold for a couple of seconds, then relax. Do this five times. Next, try shoulder rolls: Roll your shoulders back in a slow, exaggerated motion, engaging your shoulder blades to help you draw your shoulders back. Hold for a few seconds and repeat five times. Flex It Out Our hip flexors are another muscle group affected by sitting, which can lead to tight muscles and pain when walking or running. Lengthen these muscles with a simple stretch: Step one foot out in front of the other and bend both knees so you are in a lunge position. Rest your back leg on the ground if

A ges ago, our for their survival. According to Harvard evolutionary biologist

ancestors spent their days constantly in motion, engaged in activities

it is more comfortable. Keep your back straight, and shift your body weight forward. “I tell patients to think of an X on the front of the hip of the back leg. Imagine pushing this X forward while not letting your back arch,” says physical therapist Dr. Erin Policelli. Foot Release Sitting a lot can shorten some of the muscles in your feet, too, which are crucial for good balance. Help ease foot tension with this stretch: Kneel on the floor, arranging your legs under you so your shins and the tops of your feet are on the floor and your glutes are resting on the bottoms of your feet. Maintain an upright posture. Raise yourself slightly, pick up your heels, and tuck your toes under. Slowly ease your weight back over your feet so that your glutes are resting on your heels and your toes are stretched. Hold for 30 seconds. Bring these exercises into your daily routine to release the tension that builds when you sit. And of course, this is just the beginning — use the improvements in the way you feel as motivation to get up and move more throughout your day!

Jason Lieberman, hunter-gatherers probably walked more than 5 miles every day. As a result, humans enjoy their best health when they remain mostly upright and in motion. But nowadays, finding your next meal doesn’t require nearly as much travel (unless it’s a drive to the closest takeout restaurant). Many jobs ask that we stay sedentary for the majority of the day, and when we’re not working, our couch and the latest Netflix docuseries beckon. While sitting may have become part of our daily lives, we don’t have to suffer the consequences. Here are five quick exercises to help ease back and neck pain to combat many of the other painful side effects of sitting.

—Dr. Lisbeth Roy

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THE POWER OF THE GOLDEN SPICE

People have raved about many superfoods

chemical known as curcumin, which has been shown to provide anti- inflammatory effects, pain relief, antioxidants, and a decrease in the risk of cancer. Pro Tip: You should not consume excessive amounts of turmeric if you take medication that has blood-clotting effects, such as aspirin. However, a moderate amount typically doesn’t react with these or other medications and has many other benefits. CAN IT IMPROVE JOINT HEALTH? In many cases, yes! The Arthritis Foundation recommends taking a 400–600-milligram tablet of turmeric up to three times daily. Multiple studies cite turmeric’s ability to reduce inflammation and relieve arthritis pain, and one study even notes that turmeric seemed to work just as well as ibuprofen (Advil) for people with arthritis in their knees. Participants in that study took 800 milligrams of turmeric every day. CAN IT HELP THE LIVER? Yes. One of the spice’s most notable characteristics is its powerful antioxidant abilities. Antioxidants play an important function in our

over the past few decades, but one that’s garnered notable attention is turmeric. Fittingly known as

the golden spice due to its orange- yellow hue, turmeric is famous for being

a crucial part of Indian cuisine, ayurvedic medicine, and Chinese medicine. But does turmeric actually help people? And if so, how? Let’s start with the basics to find out. WHAT’S IN TURMERIC? First, it’s important to know what the spice contains and why researchers are so excited about it. Turmeric is packed with a

YOUR ‘CLEAN’ WORKOUT ROUTINE

TURN HOUSEHOLD CHORES INTO EFFECTIVE EXERCISE

Everyone knows how labor-intensive cleaning can be. A long day of scrubbing down your house is a great way to work your muscles and get your blood pumping, so crank up some tunes, grab a mop, and get ready to transform your cleaning routine into a great workout. To get physical benefits from cleaning, you need to turn up the intensity of your methods. Exaggerate your motions, pick up your pace, and keep your abs tight and knees flexed. Nearly any chore can be turned into an exercise, but here are some ideas to get you started. VACUUM: Vacuum briskly nonstop for at least 20 minutes, switching arms as you go. For an added challenge, do lunges as you vacuum and remember to keep your toes pointed straight ahead and your knees bent at 90-degree angles. PICK UP: Instead of simply bending over to pick up toys or clothes, do a squat with every item you grab. Remember to use your legs, not your back. You can also do squats while unloading the dishwasher or with any other chore that involves repeated bending. WIPE DOWN: Whether you’re wiping windows or scrubbing appliances, do big, exaggerated arm circles until your muscles start to burn and make sure you’re switching arms as you go.

COOK: It’s not cleaning, but it’s still a chore with useful downtime. While food is simmering or thawing in the microwave, do some pushups, situps, or planks to get your muscles moving. You can implement dozens of exercises to turn mundane activities into beneficial workouts. Some chores will burn more calories than others, but every bit of activity helps. Now’s the time to work your way to a cleaner house and a healthier you.

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An Introduction to Turmeric’s Health Benefits

bodies. The average person is exposed to refined and processed foods, smoking, environmental pollution, and chemicals found in pesticides and drugs. Turmeric can protect the liver from damage due to these toxins, which also aids those who take strong medications known to cause long-term liver damage.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK!

CAN IT DECREASE SYMPTOMS OF HAY FEVER AND DEPRESSION? Some symptoms, yes. The curcumin in turmeric can help reduce hay fever symptoms like sneezing, itching, runny nose, and congestion. When used in tandem with antidepressants, turmeric may help reduce symptoms of depression. There are many benefits to using turmeric in your weekly meal routine. Try out some Indian or Chinese recipes or prepare some Instagram-worthy golden milk. In whatever you make, enjoy the rich flavor combinations turmeric offers!

Why Your At-Home Physical Therapy Exercises Matter for Healing

Seeking rehabilitation through physical therapy can be one of the wisest choices you make for your health, well-being, and life. But committing to a physical therapy routine is much more than just showing up for your appointments.

Your at-home workout, or home exercise program, is just as important.

Working out may seem counterproductive to healing, but your home exercise program is designed specifically for your ailments. Your physical therapist will tailor an exercise routine for you and teach you the moves while offering specific advice and providing tools to guide you through each movement. If you can commit to doing your home exercise program on a regular basis, then you may just reap the benefit of healing faster. Think about it this way: Physical therapy heals through movement, yet you typically do not see your physical therapist for this healing movement every single day. While rest is vital to the healing process, continuing to keep your joints limber, moving, and functioning at their best is also key! So, by sticking to your home exercise program, you are effectively supplementing the extensive care your therapist provides for you at each appointment. Additionally, doing your at-home routine while you are in physical therapy prepares you for life after this therapy ends. As much as we love seeing you at your appointments, you’re bound to return to the real world and not see us quite as often. That is the goal, after all! But in order to continue a healthy lifestyle, you have to continue moving your joints and body in a healthy way. Your at-home exercises are a great first step, and your therapist can offer progressions to continue challenging you when those moves become second nature to you and your body. Like many things in life, physical therapy comes with a need for dedication, but any physical therapist’s goal is to make this process as easy for you as possible. If you’re struggling to commit to your at-home exercises or if you need additional instruction, talk to your therapy team. We can help you gain the confidence you need to crush those at- home exercises and get you back to the activities you love.

EASY WAY OUT

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INSIDE

Reduce the Painful Side Effects of Sitting

The Power of the Golden Spice

Exercise Your Way to a Clean Home

Why a Home Exercise Program Is Vital to Healing

4 Steps to Finally Sort Through Old Photos

FEEL BAD ABOUT THROWING AWAY PHOTOS?

4 Rules for Guilt-Free Photo Downsizing

I f you’ve reached a point in your life where you’ve started to downsize, then you’ve likely grappled with the difficult task of getting rid of photos. After decades of life, how are you supposed to choose which memories are important enough to keep and which aren’t? These four rules can help make this daunting task easier. RULE NO. 1: CUT SCENIC VIEWS You don’t need dozens of photos of that campsite you went to on vacation one summer. If a location was really meaningful, like the beach at your honeymoon, then keep a few, but pictures of the places you’ve been to are far less special than pictures of the people you love. RULE NO. 2: TELL A STORY When you look at a photo, does it make you want to tell a story about the people or places in the image? Could you share plenty of stories about riding around in Dad’s old truck or about how funny your best friend from college was?

Keep those photos. Pictures of people whose names you can’t remember or blurry photos you can’t make out can all go. RULE NO. 3: EDIT WELL If you have a lot of photos from a specific event or part of your life, think about how long each “chapter” of your life story would be. How much time would you spend writing about your cousin’s wedding or high school prom? If a certain event didn’t have that much meaning in your life, why dedicate pages and pages of a photo album to it? RULE NO. 4: THROW PHOTOS AWAY If a photo isn’t important enough to put in an album or frame on the wall, then it doesn’t need to stick around. Don’t put them in a box you’ll have to sort through later. Let the rejects go. After all that hard work, treat yourself to a photo album shopping spree so you can start organizing the meaningful photos you have left.

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