TheraFit PT: How To Improve Your Health, Energy & Fitness

THE NEWSLETTER ABOUT YOUR HEALTH AND CARING FOR YOUR BODY

PREVENTING SPORTS INJURIES

rest between practices, games and events. A lack of sleep andmuscle fatigue predispose an athlete to injury, says Lee. In fact, the most common injuries seen in young athletes are overuse injuries— too many sports and not enough rest. 6. Provide a healthy, well-balanced diet. It’s important for athletes to eat a well-balanced diet full of fruits, vegetables and lean proteins, and tomaintain a regular eating schedule. For instance, have breakfast, lunch and dinner around the same time each day. 7. Emphasize hydration. Heat-related illness is a real concern for athletes, especially during hot and humid days. Parents should make sure their children have adequate water before, during and after play, and watch for any signs of a heat-related illness, including fatigue, nausea, vomiting, confusion or fainting. 8. Get the proper equipment. Protective equipment, like helmets, pads and shoes, are very important for injury prevention. Parents should talk with coaches before the season starts so that they have adequate time to properly outfit their child before practices begin. 9. Emphasize proper technique and guidelines. In every sport, there is a correct way and a wrong way of doing things. For example, football players should be taught the proper way to tackle an opponent to avoid a concussion, and baseball players should be taught the proper way to throw and follow the guidelines on how many throws to make in a day. 10. Recognize injury and get help early. “I’ve seen a number of young athletes who have serious injuries and didn’t do anything about them, and now the damage has progressed,” Dr. Lee warns. “We need to get these kids in to see a doctor earlier to keep this from happening.” If parents notice that there is a change in their athlete’s technique, such as a limp when running, throwing differently or rubbing a leg during activity, they should pull the athlete out of play. If problems persist, parents should seek an assessment from a doctor, athletic trainer and/or a physical therapist for their child prior to returning to the activity.

Pediatric sports medicine expert R. Jay Lee of Johns Hopkins Medicine provides these 10 injury prevention tips to help keep your young athlete on the field rather than on the sidelines: 1.Talk with your young athlete. Make sure your young athlete understands that he or she should talk with you and seek help if experiencing pain or something that just doesn’t feel right. “In my practice, I always promote participating in pain-free sports and activities,” says Dr. Lee. 2. Get a preseason physical. A preseason or back- to-school physical is a great way to determine if your young athlete is fit to play. “Sports physicals help assess any areas of concern for athletes before they start an activity, and in turn keeps them from further injuring themselves during play if a condition is present and needs to be treated,” says Dr. Lee.This is a good time to decide if your young athlete would benefit from2-3 visits with a therapist to learn sport specific stretches, taping techniques and/or exercises to help prevent an injury. 3. Encourage cross-training and a variety of sports. “I see kids today who play on two baseball or lacrosse teams on the same day or throughout the week and year. But it’s important for athletes to change the sports or activities they are doing so they are not continuously putting stress on the same muscles and joints,” warns Dr. Lee. Parents should consider limiting the number of teams their athlete is on at any given time and changing up the routine regularly so that the same muscles are not continuously overused. 4. Stress the importance of warming up. Stretching is an important prevention technique that should be a habit for all athletes before starting an activity or sport. Dr. Lee suggests a mix of both static and dynamic stretching during warmups to help loosen the muscles and prepare them for play. Toe touches and stretches, where you hold the position for a certain amount of time, are considered static, while jumping jacks and stretches, where the body continues to move during stretching, are considered dynamic. 5. Make sure they rest. Athletes of all ages need to

THE NEWSLETTER ABOUT YOUR HEALTH AND CARING FOR YOUR BODY

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH, ENERGY AND FITNESS

It’s that time of year again, the beginning of a new season, when most of us will bundle up and do our best to survive the cold months ahead. So what can you do to better take care of your health during these cooler months? Will you set a goal to lose weight, exercise more, eat better and increase your activity level? Unfortunately, such declarations often fail after a month or two. This can often be attributed to two things: a lack of readiness to actually change bad habits and a pattern of setting unrealistic expectations. So what types of resolutions can we make that we’ll actually stick to? If you want to improve your health and increase your energy, here are some simple ways to change your lifestyle for the better. 1. Begin the day with protein. Eating protein for breakfast helps curb your appetite throughout the day and tends to improve your overall diet as well. While you may wind up consuming the same number of calories over a day’s time, you’ll be less tempted by high-fat snacks around dinnertime. Keep in mind that there are plenty of plant-based proteins available, including hemp seeds, black beans, almonds, edamame, and pumpkin seeds among them. 2. Limit your drinks. By this, we aren’t only referring to alcohol. Instead, try to cut back on the calorie-laden drinks popular this time of year. Concoctions such as sweetened coffee drinks, sodas, diet sodas and energy drinks can be detrimental to a healthy diet. Focus on a higher consumption of water during the day, and to make it easy, have a glass by your desk or carry a bottle around with you. 3. Try wearable technology. Research shows that people who use wearable technology, gadgets such as Fitbits, Garmin, and Withings, tend to stick to their exercise routine

more faithfully than those who don’t. With many of them, you can track your heart rate, steps per minute, sleep cycles, and more.

4. Increase Your Range of Motion. Avoid shortcuts when it comes to exercising. Strive for using the greatest range of motion. This may include making longer lunges, stretching arms more while jumping rope, or leaning over further during yoga. Whatever the case, doing so helps your muscles do more work per rep, which results in breaking down more tissue by the end of your workout. If you have difficulty reaching a full range of motion, or have discomfort, consult your physical therapist. 5. Reduce fatigue. As anyone who has tried and failed at establishing a regular exercise routine can agree, fatigue is the number one enemy. To help combat this, drink beet juice. Studies show that it can increase stamina by up to 16 percent. Furthermore, listen to music that keeps you motivated. Listening to the right music can actually expand your blood vessels by 26 percent. Work on a schedule routine that ensures you get enough rest, exercise, and activity. 6. Switch it up. If you’ve been plugging through the same fitness routine day after day, you may notice a reduction in strength gain. To avoid this, try different exercises, working out at different times of day, using different repetitions, or lifting different weights. Consider ways to add healthy decision-making to your lifestyle. Remember that putting things off doesn’t get you to where you want to be. We are here to help you reach your goals and achieve a healthy, pain-free lifestyle.

Call to talk to your TheraFit physical therapist today!

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It’s Only A Game! By: Colleen Durham, DPT & Ashley Vaughan, LPTA

Try this movement if you are experiencing pain. EXERCISE OF THE MONTH

Roll Tide, War Eagle, Go Vols, or whatever your season chant is, be prepared to be stressed and sitting on the edge of your seat at least 1 or 2 games of the season. The start of football season brings excitement unlike any other but did you know those close calls, tense moments, and the thrill of watching the big rival game could actually have an effect on your health? Have you ever found yourself yelling at the t.v. when your team drops a pass, gets a bad call, or loses the big game? Of course you have, we’re all guilty of it! Watching sports can stress your heart just as much as playing in the game. Recent studies have found that watching a sporting event onTV increased viewers heart rate by an average of 75% while attending the game increased heart rates by 110%. This typeofheart rate responsewouldbesimilar to thatofapersondoingvigorousexercise. Studieshavealso linkedwatchingsportingevents toan increased riskofheartattacks. In2009,astudywaspublished that founddeath rates fromheartattacksand ischemic heart disease in 1980’s Los Angeles increased following Super Bowl games. Whilepeoplewithexistingheartconditionsaremoreat risk,everyone’sbloodpressure can fluctuate based on emotional state. Sports fans can develop such an emotional tie to their favorite sports team that it can have an effect on their heart and blood pressure. When you get excited or angry your sympathetic nervous system gets stimulated and there is a release of catecholamines (hormones, such as adrenaline). Yourbodydoesn’tdistinguishbetween “goodstress” fromexcitementand “badstress” from anger; It merely reacts with a “flight-or-fight response”. Your brain tells your heart to beat faster and adrenaline levels elevate which then continues to speed up your breathing and heart rate. This increases stress on the heart and will increase your blood pressure. In addition, consuming salty, fatty, “gameday” foods that fans often eat along with drinking too much alcohol can also increase your risk. So what can you do to prevent against stressing your heart too much in the upcoming football season? 1. Remember to take your medications. This is especially important if you are on cardiac medications. 2. Watch sodium intake. (sodium causes fluid retention — something especially bad for heart patients) Avoid foods that have more than 1 mg of sodium per calorie. Natural foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables generally contain much less, so opt for them whenever possible. Avoid sodas, salty chips and popcorn which all are extremely high in sodium. 3.Drinkplentyofwater. Water is the lowestcalorieoption (0calories)andcanprevent dehydration,stopyou fromoverindulging in food,anddecrease the riskofhypertension. If you choose to drink alcohol, the American Heart Association recommends limiting to 1-2 alcoholic drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. 4. Relaxation techniques. Practicedeepbreathingwhichprovidesaquickandsimple way to reducestress levels.Focusonbellybreathingwhichstimulates thevagusnerve. Thiswillactivateyour relaxation response to reduceyourheart rateandbloodpressure. • Sit comfortably or lie on your back (do during the commercials). Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. • Breathe in through your nose. The hand on your stomach should rise. The hand on your chest should move slightly. • Exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting yourabdominalmuscles.Thehandonyourstomachshouldmove inasyouexhale. 5. Release some energy when possible. Take a walk at halftime or during the commercials. Do a few squats, incline push-ups on the back of a sofa or counter or sit-ups during commercials. Squeeze a stress ball during a field goal attempts. In the end, try to remember: “It’s only a game.” References:**https://www.heart.org/en/news/2018/09/06/are-die-hard-football-other-sports-fans-putting-their-heartsat-risk**https:// www.cnn.com/2018/10/12/health/spectator-sports-heart-health/index.html**https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/ eat-smart/nutrition-basics/have-a-heart-healthyfootball-season(eatingsmartduringtailgating)**https://www.al.com/living/2014/09/ watching_football_on_tv_can_be.html**https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/relaxation-techniques-for-stress-relief.htm(relaxation) https://www.mentalhelp.net/blogs/sports-fans-and-stress/

Relieves Leg Pain

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PIRIFORMIS STRETCH While lying on your back, hold your knee with your opposite hand and draw your knee up and over towards your opposite shoulder.

FUN & GAMES!

The classic sudoku is a number placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once.

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HEALTHY RECIPE

Patient Success Spotlight

SuperFood Smoothie

INGREDIENTS • 2 cups lightly packed chopped kale leaves, stems removed • 3/4 cup milk of choice • 1 frozen banana, cut into chunks • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt • 1/4 cup frozen pineapple pieces • 2 tbsp peanut butter • 1 to 3 tsp honey, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS Blend all the ingredients until smooth. Add more liquid if you prefer a thinner consistency.

“TheraFit and I, Martha Tipton go back a long way! I consider us family. Years ago when I had back surgery, TheraFit was there with me to help me get back on my feet. After that, when I had my knee replacement, they were there for me again. TheraFit came to my house to get me standing during this healing time. If things could get worse, Kay and the entire staff were there for me when I had a car accident and crushed both legs. Doctors said I would never walk again. Well, don’t ever tell Kay and her staff at TheraFit that! They have been with me through thick and thin with my broken body. The staff at TheraFit never gave up on me and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. I recommend them with all your health needs. Call Kay and all the awesome people at TheraFit to get your health back. You’ll be back on your feet in no time!” - M.T. “The staff at TheraFit never gave up on me and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. I recommend them with all your health needs.”

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PARK CITY, TN 931-557-5030

HAZEL GREEN, AL 256-829-9544

Call to schedule. Expires 10-31-19

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