The Physical Therapy Doctor - August 2022

theptdoctor.com

718.747.2019

Hours of Operation: Monday–Friday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

August 2022

ON THE

MOVE

THE DOCTOR SAYS ‘BE LAZY’ AS LONG AS YOU DO THIS, TOO

This spring, my son, Matthew, and I started a bad habit: taking multiple trips a week to get ice cream. I know, I know … but it was just too easy! Matthew is learning to drive, and every time the two of us went out for driving practice, we just “happened” to come back with scoops from Cold Stone, Carvel, or Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices & Ice Cream. Pretty soon my wife, Maria, started to get suspicious. “What the heck, again?” she said, catching us sneaking our scoops back into the house. “Are you getting ice cream every time you go out?” “It’s amazing, right?” I said. “It’s like the car knows exactly where to go.” At first, the trips happened once a week, then twice a week, then every other day, then pretty much every day! I almost felt like I was back in one of the seven summers I worked at Carvel’s during high school and college. As an employee, I could eat as much ice cream as I wanted, and I sure took advantage of that. I always had a chocolate shake in my hand while crushing boxes. It didn’t matter how busy my shift was — I’d find time to go over and sip it. Well, right around June this year, I realized I needed to rein in my sweet tooth. I’m not a skinny kid who works all of those calories off playing basketball anymore. So, I made Matthew swear we’d only get ice cream on Saturdays from now on. It’s working … kind of. I still get those midweek cravings for Cold Stone’s chocolate ice cream with crushed Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups or the Chocolate Jelly Ring Ice from Ralph’s. (If you haven’t had one, what are you waiting for?) All of this ice cream stuff made me wonder: What is it that makes humans like us gravitate toward being a little bit lazy? I’ve seen this impulse in all kinds of people. Even the most motivated person working incredibly hard to get ahead or help out their family has that lazy impulse in the back of their mind, telling them to take it easy and kick back on the couch. Now, this doesn’t bother me most of the time. I have no problem taking it easy once in a while. I like my ice cream

treats, and on a rainy day, there’s nothing better in the world than putting my feet up and watching the first three “Indiana Jones” movies. I’ll always remember the year the first movie came out. One of my friends went to see it, and he told me it was better than “Star Wars.” “What, are you crazy?” I asked him. “Nothing is better than ‘Star Wars’!” But then I saw the movies myself. I still wouldn’t go so far as to say they’re better than “Star Wars,” but holy cow, did they take me on an adventure. (Thanks, Steven Spielberg.) Like I said, I love to be lazy. I fully intend to celebrate National Lazy Day on Aug. 10 every year. But it can be a problem if we let ourselves indulge all the time. As I always say in the clinic, both rest AND exercise are important for good health. You shouldn’t push yourself too hard after an injury or surgery, but you still need to do your recommended exercises and use your whole range of motion to keep your body strong. It’s all about balance. Ice cream AND bike rides. “Indiana Jones” AND basketball! Just make sure you do your exercises. If you don’t, I’m taking your Carvel privileges back.

Happy National Lazy Day!

–Dr. Robert Morea

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LIVE LONGER AND STRONGER CHANGING THE SCOPE OF EXERCISE

Gardening While gardening doesn’t seem as vigorous as other exercises, it is a hearty physical activity. Digging around in the dirt is actually great for your immune system, and it strengthens your arms, legs/knees, and balance. Mycobacterium vaccae, which is a bacteria commonly found in gardening soil, can alleviate symptoms of allergies, asthma, and even psoriasis. Cycling Whether it be in a class or outdoors, cycling can be very beneficial for stiff or sore joints. You’re able to get your blood flowing and build muscles in the front and back of your legs as well as your hips. Your arms are also strengthened due to the resistance of balancing your arms and shoulders to steer. Yoga Holding a series of poses can stretch and strengthen your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It also helps lower heart rate and blood pressure and can even relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression. For older adults, a well-rounded workout that consists of endurance, strength, balance and flexibility can help in many ways. Some can even be fun!

Your body undergoes a variety of changes over the years, many of which are

degenerative and can be debilitating to your health. But exercise can help slow these age- related issues, like heart disease or high blood pressure, and even prevent them in the long run. Here are four ways you can get moving

without overexerting yourself.

Walking or Jogging Taking a stroll around the neighborhood or a few laps around the park can help build stamina, strengthen lower body muscles, and help fight against bone diseases like osteoporosis. If you want to sweat it out some more, jogging might be a great alternative. But remember to be kind to your joints: Walk at a pace you’re comfortable with, wear supportive shoes, take breaks as needed, and walk on soft surfaces, like tracks or grass.

We Want to See You Healthy! THE 3 MAIN GOALS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY

Prevention It’s not enough for us to heal you. We also want to help strengthen

When patients arrive at their very first physical therapy appointment, they usually don’t know what to expect. In many cases, they have experienced an accident or injury and need physical therapy to regain the use of their body so they can enjoy their usual daily activities. They might think that the physical therapist's only goal is to heal their body, but that’s actually only one part of it. Many of us have three goals in mind when we are working with our patients.

your body to prevent future injuries to the same area. Prevention often ties to education: You need to understand what caused the issue in the first place to know how to prevent it. We will also teach you stretches and exercises that you can do at home to continue strengthening the injured areas. If you’ve never been to a physical therapy appointment, it can be intimidating walking through our doors. Now that you know we’re here to heal and educate you while helping to prevent future injuries, that first appointment should be much more manageable.

Education For the most part, education increases understanding. We want our patients to understand why their body is responding the way it is. If you’re in pain, we want to educate you on why you feel that way and what you can do to decrease symptoms. We want to be transparent so you feel comfortable and know you’re in a safe place with physical therapists who want you to feel better. This often leads to positive outcomes when we’re finished with treatment.

Healing Healing is a big part of physical therapy since, in most cases, you’re here to fix a physical issue that’s been plaguing you. We will work through stretches and exercises to relieve your pain and improve your functional abilities. Through physical therapy, we can accelerate the stages of healing while restoring muscle flexibility. After a few appointments, you will really start to notice a difference.

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IT’S NICE TO MATCHA Benefits of Powdered Green Tea — And Risks

Reap the benefits. Matcha can increase your intake of antioxidants, which may help prevent cell

Matcha is an incredibly tasty, high-quality powdered green tea that has swept the food scene across the globe. It flavors popular hot teas, lattes, bubble teas, milkshakes, and even sweet breads and desserts. But is it worth the hype? Let’s find out. What’s matcha, anyway? Matcha is a finely ground green tea powder that has a strong and earthy tea flavor. For most teas, you steep the leaves in hot water. However, with matcha, you put the powder directly into water to create a hot, foamy drink. It’s processed from relatively young tea leaves and pairs well with sweet flavors. That’s why you’ll find matcha in sweetened drinks and desserts on most menus. Here’s a quick nutritional breakdown. On its own, matcha has no sugar or added ingredients. Two grams of matcha contain about 5 calories, 1 gram protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, 1 gram dietary fiber, 0.36 milligrams of iron, 1.2 milligrams vitamin C, and 200 international units of vitamin A. The most surprising numbers here are fiber and vitamin A, which are both 4% of your daily value. Importantly, matcha has a high level of antioxidants — specifically, catechins. It’s estimated that matcha may have up to 137 times more catechins than other forms of green tea.

damage and even lower your risk of several chronic diseases. Green tea extract is a well-researched ingredient commonly used for weight loss, and matcha may have a similar effect. Green tea’s properties are especially helpful at promoting good liver health. Additionally, matcha has a concentrated amount of caffeine — with an added bonus, if you’re caffeine wary. Matcha contains a compound called L-theanine, which alters the effects of caffeine to promote alertness and prevents an energy crash after caffeine’s effects wear off. Avoid the risks. Unfortunately, despite matcha’s exceptional health properties, it’s often used in not-so-healthy drinks and foods. If you consume matcha, avoid adding a lot of sweeteners. Excessive sweetener will cancel out the benefits. So, buy a bag for yourself and stir a small amount into a cup of hot water — you might be surprised how tasty a simple cup of hot matcha with very few additives can be!

Zucchini Corn Fritters Inspired by MakingThymeForHealth.com

TAKE A BREAK!

If you have a bowl and 30 minutes, you can make these fritters for dinner! Add them to your list of go-to meals that celebrate summer vegetables.

DIRECTIONS

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups shredded zucchini • 1/2 cup corn kernels • 6 green onions, chopped • 3 garlic cloves, minced • 1 1/4 cups chickpea flour

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except oil and toppings. Stir until well combined and let rest for 5 minutes until a batter forms. 2. In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium heat. Scoop 1/4 cup of zucchini mixture into the skillet. Cook for 3–5 minutes, then flip. Cook for another 3–5 minutes until fritter is golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter. 3. Serve topped with nacho cheese, black beans, salsa, and avocado.

• 2 tsp ground cumin • 1 tsp dried oregano • 1 tsp dried thyme • 1 tsp each salt and pepper • 1 tbsp olive oil • Vegan nacho cheese, black beans, salsa, and avocado for toppings

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

718.747.2019

theptdoctor.com 212-73 26th Ave. Bayside, NY 11360

Hours of Operation: Monday–Friday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

1. Be Lazy — Doctor’s Orders 2. 4 Simple Yet Effective Ways to Work Out Understanding the Objectives of Physical Therapy 3. Matcha Health Benefits — And Risks Zucchini Corn Fritters 4. 4 Reasons Why You Might Not Be Losing Weight INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Find Your Focus AND ACHIEVE THE BODY YOU WANT

You’re doing too much cardio. Though cardio is an important part of a workout routine, it can’t be the sole focus. It keeps your heart healthy and boosts your metabolism, but if you’re doing too much, it can have side effects that reverse your progress. Long cardio sessions can eat away at lean muscle mass; your muscles are important for your metabolism to burn more calories. Try to keep cardio on the lighter side. That way you can also focus on other major muscle groups. You’re not taking recovery days. When you feel that afterburn and soreness following a workout, it is the prime time to take a recovery day. Recovery and rest are important steps in a workout routine, because

As anyone who struggles with their weight knows, dropping a few pounds can be incredibly difficult. Even if you’re working out regularly and your diet is great, you may still find it hard to get to an ideal weight. Our bodies and metabolisms are complex, working out isn’t always enough, and you need to address all of the issues that may be affecting your body. Here are a few reasons you might not be shedding pounds even if you’re working out. You’re not eating the right foods. People tend to focus all their energy on burning calories without considering what they’re eating as fuel for their bodies. A great tip is to look for all natural, whole foods. These will have all the nutrients you need, whereas processed foods have little to none.

most of your fat burning will be done in that period. Make sure after working hard that you listen to your body and give it the break it may need before your next workout. There may be many reasons you aren't making as much progress on your weight loss goals as you'd like. But you can do many things to help yourself lose weight in a safe, sustainable way.

You’re eating too much. Your body needs to burn as many or more calories than you consume. Don’t focus on counting calories; instead, focus on eating when you’re hungry, but eat slowly enough to where you don’t get full too quickly. This way you can find a healthy balance between what your body needs versus what you want.

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FREE

STRONGER

BONES TREATMENT

Do you have osteoporosis or osteopenia? • Will your bones withstand the impact if you were to fall? • Do you have low bone density? Are you pre- or post- menopause?

• Are you taking medications that weaken your bones? Half of all adults age 50 and older (54 million Americans) have low bone density and are at risk of breaking a bone, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. We realize many people are underestimating their needs when it comes to strengthening their bones. So, we set out to find a solution, and we came across the bioDensity machine!

Build Stronger Bones With

• Scientifically proven to build bone density by 2%–4% per year • SAFE and EASY! No impact! • DRUG-FREE! • For ALL ages • Only one 10-minute session per week is all you need! • Covered by most health insurance plans This machine allows you to apply greater force to your muscles and bones in a safe manner.

Call now to schedule an appointment and watch your strength increase weekly!

When: Wednesday, Aug. 24 Time: Call for an appointment (718.747.2019) Where: The PT Doctor clinic

The Physical Therapy Doctor 212-73 26th Ave. Bayside, NY 11360 718.747.2019 ThePTDoctor.com

FREE BALANCE SCREENING WITH SUNG CHO, OT

When: Wednesday, Aug. 17 Time: Call 718.747.2019 for an appointment Where: The PT Doctor clinic

• Are you afraid when you walk? • Are you doing less because you feel unsteady on your feet? • Have you missed out on family gatherings or activities you love because you’re afraid of falling?

• Are you tired of doing less? • Are you tired of depending on others? • Do you want to walk better, without a cane or a walker? LEARN WHAT YOU CAN DO TO IMPROVE YOUR BALANCE AND REDUCE YOUR RISK OF FALLING BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.

The Physical Therapy Doctor 212-73 26th Ave. Bayside, NY 11360 718.747.2019 ThePTDoctor.com