M3 PT - June/July 2021

M3 PT - June/July 2021

WEST HILLS 7230 MEDICAL CENTER DRIVE, SUITE 401 WEST HILLS, CA 91307 WEST LOS ANGELES 10474 SANTA MONICA BLVD., SUITE 435 LOS ANGELES, CA 90025

WWW.M3PT.COM / LA · 310.275.4137 / WEST HILLS · 747.888.3562 / JUNE/JULY 2021

M3 AND ME

My Biggest Inspiration? You Say Farewell to Bret, Our Aide Who Is Leaving for PT School!

Hello, everyone! I’m Bret Papas, an aide at our West Hills location, and I’ve been working with M3 PT for about a year now. I’m honored that M3 wanted to feature me before I attend physical therapy school this summer! I truly feel like I’ve found my element, and I definitely have M3 to thank for getting me this far. Everyone in my family is a professional in the medical field, but growing up, I didn’t really know what I wanted to be. I looked into different professions like radiology or pharmacy, but nothing sparked with me. In specialties like radiology, patients come in and out and there’s rarely a bond between the patient and clinician. But I always knew physical therapy was different — as an active athlete as a kid, I’d gone through the process multiple times. I played pretty much every sport available to me, whether it was soccer, volleyball, football, you name it. But at multiple points, I required surgeries for my injuries. I looked up to the therapists who looked out for me and supported me during my recovery. In many ways, they were the people I wanted to be when I grew up — someone who could have a rapport with patients while directly helping them feel better. After I graduated college, I decided to join the field. For a while, I volunteered at a hospital in a physical therapy setting, helping patients do exercises and modalities. I was very fortunate to find M3 PT not long afterward! It’s fairly unique as a clinic for aides. While some clinics

require college courses before you can become an aide, M3 PT offers all their training in-house. Joining M3 PT not only gave me all the tools, resources, and mentors to become an aide, but also gave me the hands-on experience I probably wouldn’t have gotten from volunteering. M3 also stayed open during the pandemic and kept us working. I couldn’t have predicted how important that would become, but their dedication to their patients is certainly a promising sign. All in all, my time at M3 has confirmed what I always suspected about physical therapy — it’s extremely rewarding. In a way, the one-on-one sessions with patients have been the most surprising part of my experience. Although I always thought it’d be nice to have a rapport with patients, I didn’t predict how inspirational they would be to me. Many patients come into our clinic with a determined attitude to better their life. Through exercises and modalities, physical therapy can be a very pivotal moment for them. When you’re around people who are working hard to change their lives for the better, it’s a different feeling from the “everyday.” It fills you with a new kind of energy for sure. I can’t wait to continue this journey, but I’m very sad to be departing from M3 PT in the meantime. This summer, I’ll be attending University of Mary’s physical therapy program in North Dakota (one of the few PT schools that still does in-person lessons). I’ll definitely miss working out with my friends. Outside of work, I love attending music festivals (and sorely miss them!) and thrifting. If there’s a thrift store I should check out before I leave, let me know if you catch me at West Hills!

“When you’re around people that are working hard to change their lives for the better, it’s a different feeling from the ‘everyday.’ It fills you with a new kind of energy for sure.”

Thanks so much for reading, and thank you M3 PT for the awesome adventure!

- Bret Papas

LA · 310.275.4137 / WEST HILLS · 747.888.3562 | 1

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The Super Benefits of Yoga

June 21 is International Yoga Day, which makes it a great time of year to talk about the unique benefits of yoga — the “superfood” of fitness. As a mixture of exercise and mindfulness, yoga is not only challenging but also has myriad health benefits. Many people assume yoga is mainly useful for increasing your flexibility. However, it’s also excellent for further developing your strength, mobility, and balance. These can be key benefits for living a healthier lifestyle, whether you’re an athlete or concerned about aging. Kaitlyn Hochart, a yoga instructor from San Diego, California, writes on Healthline, “During yoga, your body goes through a full range and variety of motion that can counteract aches and pains associated with tension or poor postural habits.” Yoga can help you become more aware of these habits, “[allowing] you to fix these imbalances and improve overall athleticism.”

Many forms of exercise are useful against depression and cardiovascular disease, but in yoga’s case, you don’t have to break a sweat to start benefiting from its stress-relieving properties. “The breathing exercises you practice during yoga can help lower your heart rate and shift your nervous system into a more relaxed state. It also promotes better sleep and increased focus,” Hochart writes. Multiple studies agree: Yoga can significantly decrease the secretion of cortisol, the primary stress hormone. In one study, 64 women with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) participated in a 10-week program, performing yoga at least once a week. By the end of the 10 weeks, 52% of participants no longer met the criteria for PTSD at all. As with starting any new hobby or regular exercise, it may help to set clear goals for yourself. By doing yoga regularly, there are several physical improvements you can look forward to, such as:

• Improved range of motion or ease of movement • A reduction in pain, discomfort, or other symptoms • An increase in physical strength and endurance • Less weight fluctuation • Changes in the way your clothes fit • Better-quality sleeping habits and increased or stabilized energy levels One of the best qualities of yoga is that you can be of any age or fitness level. So, pull up a YouTube video, find a soft surface, and give it a try!

2 Proven Exercises to Reduce Lower Back Pain your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees — you should be creating a triangle between your body and the ground. Stand in Comfort Again

As we get older, we often lose the muscle mass that we used to have in our lower back, which helps support our body weight. This makes it a lot easier to get sore from standing, or even sitting! If you want to reduce your lower back pain (or possibly eliminate it completely), give these two exercises a try in your fitness routine. Decide your own number of sets based on your ability. You don’t need any equipment, and remember to take it slowly — especially with an injury!

Make sure your buttocks are engaged the whole time, then lower them to the ground and take a few seconds of rest. Start over again.

KNEE-TO-CHEST STRETCHES

To relieve tension and pain in your lower back, try a knee-to-chest stretch, which helps elongate your whole spine. This is great after long periods of standing. Your starting position starts with keeping your back on the floor with bent knees, feet flat on the floor. Then, use your hands to pull your knees to your chest, and hold for five seconds. Your abdominals should be tight while your spine is pressing into the floor. Then, go back to your starting position and start again.

BRIDGES

To build support for your lower back, you have to work out your gluteus maximus, or the buttocks, the largest muscle in your body. Keeping your gluteus maximus strong will support your lower back for years to come! To give it a try, lie on the floor and bend your knees, placing your feet flat on the floor about hip-width apart. Keeping your arms by your sides, press your feet into the floor and lift your buttocks off the ground until

We hope you give these exercises a try, and refer to your physical therapy professional if you have any questions or concerns!

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Celebrities LOVE This Healthy, 5-Minute Habit And We Think You Will, Too!

First, at the start of your day, take 2 1/2 minutes to write down the following:

• Three things you’re grateful for: What or who has been making your life easier lately? What simple pleasure has made a difference in your life? Have certain positive qualities about yourself been especially useful? • Three things that will make the day great: What are three things you’re looking forward to today? What small actions can you do to make it even better? • Daily affirmations: Your daily “I am” statements should reflect something that makes you feel empowered or reminds you of an important lesson. Examples: “I listen to my intuition and trust my inner guide” or “I am becoming closer to my true self every day.”

At M3 PT, we’re always looking for ways to encourage our patients to keep up their healthy lifestyles. We recently discovered a five-minute gratitude habit we adore — and, apparently, so does Emma Watson and award-winning author Tim Ferriss!

By the end of the day, you’ll take the last 2 1/2 minutes to write:

• Three amazing things that happened today: What excited you? Who’s been there for you today?

MEET THE 5-MINUTE JOURNAL

• One way you could have made your day even better: Is there any part of your day you could have handled better? What do you think is the most important takeaway from today? If you want to give it a try from your smartphone, download the free Five-Minute Journal app. It’s very handy for people who don’t like writing or just want daily notifications to work on their gratitude journal. Thanks for joining us and have a great day!

This isn’t an ad. The concept of the Five-Minute Journal actually rocks. It’s both a journal and a gratitude exercise. Why is that important? Studies say that practicing gratitude not only increases happiness and reduces symptoms of depression, but it also reduces stress. This can make a significant impact on your blood pressure and long-term heart health.

The best part? You don’t need to buy the official journal to do it at home.

ICED GREEN TEA, 2 WAYS Nothing says summer like a glass of iced tea. Enjoy these two twists on a classic summer soother.

TAKE A BREAK

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

• 2 tbsp loose-leaf green tea • 4 cups filtered water, divided

For Rose and Coriander Tea: 1. In a large pitcher, place green tea, rose petals, and coriander seeds. 2. Bring 1/2 cup water to just below boiling. 3. Pour hot water over tea leaves, petals, and seeds. Let steep for 10 seconds, then add the remaining 3 1/2 cups water. 4. Refrigerate 4–8 hours until tea reaches your desired strength. Strain and serve over ice. For Ginger Mint Tea: Follow the instructions above, substituting the mint leaves and ginger coins for the rose petals and coriander seeds.

Option 1: Rose and Coriander

• 1 tbsp dried rose petals • 1 tbsp whole coriander seeds Option 2: Ginger Mint • 1 handful fresh mint leaves • 1 inch fresh ginger, cut into coins

Inspired by 101Cookbooks.com

LA · 310.275.4137 / WEST HILLS · 747.888.3562 | 3

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10474 SANTA MONICA BLVD., SUITE 435 LOS ANGELES, CA 90025 PHONE: 310.275.4137 FAX: 310.274.1815

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WWW.M3PT.COM

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

1

Farewell Bret! From Aide to PT School Student

2

The Super Benefits of Yoga

2

2 Proven Exercises to Reduce Lower Back Pain

3

Celebrities LOVE This Healthy, 5-Minute Habit

3

Iced Green Tea, 2 Ways

4

Have You Explored a National Forest?

FORMERLY KNOWN AS WILSHIRE LINDEN PHYSICAL THERAPY — SAME TEAM, NEW NAME!

EXPLORE A NATIONAL FOREST FOR FREE ON NATIONAL GET OUTDOORS DAY

Many people in the U.S. and across the world have a national park trip on their travel bucket list. While Zion, Yellowstone, and the Great Smoky Mountains are all awesome locales, outdoor enthusiasts often overlook a resource that is less busy, less expensive, and usually right in their backyard: national forests. All but 10 states have a national forest (or more than one!), so if your home state doesn’t have one, it’s very likely a neighboring state does! And there’s no better time to hike, bike, forage for mushrooms or berries, or camp at a nearby national forest than this month. The tree-filled landscape will provide shade and help you beat the summer heat, and to further incentivize visitors, the U.S. Forest Service (the organization that oversees the national forests) is offering

a fee-free day on Saturday, June 12, in honor of National Get Outdoors Day!

• Tongass National Forest: Spanning 16.7 acres and several islands across Southeast Alaska, the Tongass is the country’s largest national forest. • Salmon-Challis National Forest: This Idaho forest is the largest contiguous wilderness area in the lower 48 and contains the Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness.

While parking and day-use fees to access national forests tend to be relatively modest, fee-free days open up the opportunity to all visitors. The U.S. Forest Service has a great interactive map tool that prospective park-goers can use to learn more about the forests in their area, amenities and activities, and accessibility. Visit FS.fed.us/ivm to access the map and see what’s near your hometown! If you’re dreaming up travel plans beyond your state’s border, consider visiting these notable U.S. national forests. • El Yunque National Forest: Located in Puerto Rico, El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the United States.

• Cibola National Forest and

Grassland: Spread across north- central New Mexico, west Texas, and Oklahoma, this forest and grassland area is notable for its diverse ecosystems and wildlife. The Sky Islands portion of the park is also home to over 200 rare plant and animal species.

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