Focus PT July 2017

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July 2017

Sharing Nature’s Splendor Hiking Is More Fun With Your Kids

T his July, I’m just returning from my family’s annual backpacking trip. Every year we travel to the Eastern Sierras, get outside, strap on our packs, and hike into a campsite for a night or two along with some longtime family friends. Unfortunately, the trip we had planned to Yosemite this year was canceled because it was still inaccessible due to this year’s large snowfall. So, we had to switch to Plan B: a trip in the local mountains. It’s a five-year-old tradition that’s spawned out of my close friends’ and my desire to do more out in the great outdoors. My buddy, an experienced mountaineer, hiker, and climber, is from Colorado, where all that stuff is right in their backyard. I’ve always been a hobbyist when it comes to hiking and backpacking, and after a while, we started to throw around the idea of taking a longer hike together. But with our careers and families, it just never worked out — that is, until our kids were old enough that we could bring them along. Really, it was an inspired idea: Why not make it an entire “dads and kids” trip? We started out taking little trips over to their place on Mammoth Mountain, hiking here and there with our young children. The tradition snowballed quickly after that, until we were spending a long weekend every summer, hiking in our gear to spend a couple nights along the Saddlebag Lakes.

from the ground and held it in front of his face, grimacing. As he crunched it down like a champion, we all waited with bated breath. “This tastes like cardboard,” he declared. Of course, there was no way the other kids would be outdone — they all ate their bugs in turn, chasing them with candy. We, as responsible adults, didn’t condone this activity, but I did film it on my phone for posterity. This year’s trip was altered due to the amount of snow that is still up in Tuolumne Meadows, which really bummed us out. But having the ability to summit San Gorgonio — most of the kids’ first summit — was a fantastic experience. The beauty of Yosemite is completely and utterly mind blowing. San Gorgonio has a different beauty and was a great alternative for us this year. Hopefully we can make it to Yosemite and climb Half Dome next year! I used to do a fair bit of backpacking, but I have to say, it’s more fun with your kids. While I’m up there in the mountain air, looking over the jagged granite hills where there is no cell reception, I’m more grateful than ever to have them by my side. - Julian Manrique

The kids always have a blast. They’re young, but they’re tough and equipped with no shortage of interesting ideas. I remember once, the kids got it in their heads that it was a good idea to eat a live grasshopper ... don’t ask me why. My son plucked one

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Sweatin’ in the Sunshine Creative Workouts You Can Do Outside This Summer

As the summer sun begins to beat down, your excuses to avoid working out go up in smoke. Not only does the heat provide more opportunities to get out and sweat, it also gives you a chance to get creative with your exercise routine. Here are some ways to mix it up and get outdoors. Take advantage of hills. According to Fitness Magazine, a study from California Pacific Orthopedic and Sports Medicine found that “outdoor exercisers lost an average of 7.43 pounds and 6.17 percent of body fat in eight weeks” due to the constant challenge of “inclines, declines and obstacles.” Instead of ramping up your treadmill, find a hill around your home. Ideally, you want the incline to be between a 6- and 8-percent grade. After a thorough warmup, do a series of all-out sprints up the length of the hill, recovering on your walk back down. Try the park bench press. Next time your daily jog leads you into the local park, find a sturdy park bench. The elevated nature of the bench makes it perfect for all sorts of body-weight exercises. The possibilities are endless. Try doing squats, double- and single-leg, using the bench as a support. Then, sit on the bench with your hands on either side of your hips. Slide your rear off the bench, supporting yourself with your hands, and do 12 to 15 dips, bending your elbows up and down. To get your cardio in, do a series of

step-ups to the bench, followed by box jumps. Then you can continue your jog as a cool-down.

In the sun, all yoga becomes hot yoga. Yoga is already excellent for increasing flexibility and strength, but add the heat of the summer sun and it becomes even more effective. Set up your yoga mat anywhere the sun beats down and start your favorite yoga routine. Switch positions slightly faster than you would in a normal session — this will add a cardio-boosting element to your yoga practice and will increase blood flow, compounding the positive effects of every stretch.

SUCCESS STORIES

“When I started physical therapy six weeks ago, though my pain wasn’t severe, it was troublesome. I thought it wasn’t keeping me from doing things, but now that I am pain-free, I see that there were many things I wasn’t doing. I had no energy to do half the things I’m doing now. “Julian and Shannon are fabulous. Both of them took the time to get to know me and what hurt. Shannon is an amazing person and actually got me to a point where I looked forward to those elbow massages! I will actually miss them. Thank you!”

“When I came to Focus Physical Therapy, I was experiencing a lot of pain on my right side from my neck to my knee. My hip flexors were on fire and incredibly tight. That region of my body is the most improved. Before I came to Focus, walking was difficult; I felt a lot of resistance in the hip area. Now, walking is relatively pain-free. What I like the most about Focus is their philosophy on movement. The exercises given are designed to strengthen forward and lateral movements. I do feel more flexible now. My therapist, Ming, truly wanted me to feel better and tried to address all my issues.”

- Deanne Moscrop

- Judith Fike

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DO YOU KNOW THE BEST SLEEPING POSITION IF YOU HAVE BACK PAIN?

Here’s the answer: It depends. That’s because there are different causes of back pain. Two of the most common causes of back pain are herniated discs and lumbar stenosis.

over typically increases pain from a herniated disc. A more extended spine will typically reduce back pain if this is the cause of your pain. When you are lying on your back, your spine is more extended, helping to alleviate your pain. If your back pain is the result of stenosis (a narrowing of the spine), sleeping on your side is preferred. This is because, as noted above, sleeping on your back extends your spine, especially if the muscles in the front of your hip are tight (which most of ours are, because we sit too much). When your back is extended, the space in your spine decreases, which can cause increased pain. Sleeping on your stomach would be the least desirable positon, regardless of the cause of your back pain. That being said, it is difficult to control how we end up when we are asleep. Using a pillow between your knees or under your legs may help keep you from rolling over. If you would like to know the cause of your back pain and want to treat it without medications, injections, or surgery, give us a call or register for our next Low Back Pain & Sciatica Workshop at focuspt.ptworkshops.com/workshop.

If your back pain is the result of a herniated or bulging disc, sleeping on your back is preferable. This is because bending

THE HIGHEST COMPLIMENT

One-Pan Mexican Quinoa

This healthy, tasty, filling dish is a cinch to make on a busy weeknight. And cleanup’s a breeze!

Here at Focus Physical Therapy, nothing is more important to us than helping people. We care about our patients and the community, and want to help as many as we possibly can reach optimal function. The opportunity to touch lives is just one of the reasons we’re so grateful for your referrals! To us, a referral is the highest compliment, and we want to say thank you to everyone who has trusted us enough to send family and friends our way.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 jalapeno, minced • 1 cup quinoa • 1 cup vegetable broth • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed • 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes • 1 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned, or roasted

• 1 teaspoon chili powder • ½ teaspoon cumin • Salt and pepper to taste • 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and diced • Juice of 1 lime • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

• Rob Zopf • Annette Melosini • Carol Cinquepalmi • Leila Thomas • Linda Cock • Brent Fergeson • Brenda Rome • Doni Grimm • Dwayne Trenchuk • Deborah Gasparro • Noem Yeramyan

• Teri Cooper • Leslie Swan • Marcus Mindte • Kaitlin Kartic • Paul Barrera • Rebecca Harding • James B. Porth • Mikayla Chapman • Lisa Bemiss • Anne Cox • Steve Mysko

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. 2. Stir in quinoa, vegetable broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder, and cumin; season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in avocado, lime juice, and cilantro. 3. Serve immediately. Recipe adapted from DamnDelicious.net.

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SPECIALIZING IN: LOWER BACK PAIN • SCIATICA • NECK PAIN AND HEADACHES HIP PROBLEMS SHOULDER PAIN, BURSITIS, AND TENDINITIS SPORTS PHYSICAL THERAPY • GOLF PERFORMANCE KNEE PAIN • PLANTAR FASCIITIS • DIZZINESS AND VERTIGO AQUATIC PHYSICAL THERAPY • AND OTHER CONDITIONS

Sharing Nature’s Splendor.......................pg. 1 Sweatin’ in the Sunshine............................pg. 2 Success stories.................................................pg. 2 Your Best Sleeping Position.....................pg. 3 One-Pan Mexican Quinoa...........................pg. 3 Free Exam day.....................................................pg. 4 INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Look inside and attend the workshop to learn: July | 18 | 2017 Free Exam Day Come on down to Focus Physical Therapy for Call 949-709-8770 today to schedule your FREE EXAM! Appointments are completely FREE but limited to only 30 spots. Get yours quick! Call now!

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