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CAMPUS COMMONS
TRANSITIONING TO A NEW SCHOOL
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW EXPERIENCES
Many kids and young adults will be transitioning to a new stage of life when they step through the doors of a new school this August. It’s an exciting time in their lives, whether they’re starting kindergarten, becoming freshmen in high school, or making the giant leap to begin their first college semester. Some nervousness is inevitable, but before long, those nerves will fade away and our kids will be making new friends and experiencing new situations. My son is starting high school this year and is very excited about this next step in his life. He’s really glad he’ll be going to school with his sister once again who will be a senior at the same school. He’s looking forward to playing baseball and football while also exploring the next phase of academics. Having his sister there will make things easier since she can be a sounding board for anything he has questions about. For kids who don’t have siblings or are the first in their generation to attend high school or college, nervousness and anxiety will come with the transition. My advice would be to put yourself out there and get involved. A new door is opening for you. Walk through it with excitement and energy. You’re only in this time period for a few short years before you officially enter the workforce. Don’t be afraid to try new things and make some new friends along the way. Some people are more introverted than others, and it can feel risky for us reserved people to put ourselves out there. We might not want to be the center of attention, but if we hold back, we can miss out on so many amazing experiences. When I started high school, I had a strong group of friends who came from the same elementary school I attended, but our high school was made up of three different elementary school groups. I was familiar with many names
and faces, thanks to my background in sports, but I wasn’t close friends with those other kids. Thankfully, I decided to play football my freshman year, which gave me a head start on developing friendships. Football practices actually began before the school year started, so I met many of my new classmates beforehand. We developed friendships quickly and truly bonded over those first few weeks together. While I was still nervous to meet my new teachers, move from room to room between classes, and manage an increased workload, I felt much more comfortable knowing I had a strong group of friends by my side. Any “first” can be scary. In the grand scheme of things, school is a short period of our lives even though it doesn’t feel that way while we’re going through it. The new school year is possibly the best opportunity to step out of your comfort zone. Don’t pigeonhole yourself to one or two comfortable things. Life moves quickly, and before you know it, you’ll be transitioning to the next stage of your life. “PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE AND GET INVOLVED. A NEW DOOR IS OPENING FOR YOU. WALK THROUGH IT WITH EXCITEMENT AND ENERGY.”
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With Homemade Bird Feeders! Our feathered friends may need a hand when their food sources are scarce or when winter rolls around, which is where bird feeders come in! Making homemade bird feeders is a fun way for you and your family to be creative while learning about birds and other local fauna. You can create a bird feeder in many ways and encourage kids to get crafty! GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES. Most homemade bird feeders can be made with materials you can find in your own home! Recycled items such as toilet paper rolls, cereal boxes, egg cartons, milk jugs, paper plates and bowls, or even pine cones from the yard are perfect building blocks. Whatever you choose to build with, make sure the feeder is accessible to the birds! Cut holes so the birds can peck at the food and craft a place for them to perch on. If you’re hanging the feeder, cut holes for twine and ensure it won’t hang too low. For food, you can use regular bird seed from the store, or you can use items from your own fridge. (As part of the project, take a little time to look online for safe bird food suggestions if you don’t use seed.) You can GET CRAFTY WITH MOTHER NATURE
adhere seeds and pieces of fruit and veggies to the side of the feeder with peanut butter — no glue required!
JAZZ IT UP! This is where kids can personalize their own bird feeder. Using bird-safe paints (such as oil-based, latex, acrylic, or watercolor), your kids can design their own bird feeders with bright colors or designs that express their personalities or interests. Be sure not to paint the inside of the feeder, as birds may scratch and consume the paint while trying to reach the food. Then all you have left is to find the perfect spot. Try to find a space where you can see the birds but with enough distance so you don’t scare them away. After that, hang it up and watch the flocks come to you! Homemade bird feeders can be a great way to get your kids involved with Mother Nature and teach them how to care for and observe wild animals, all while being good to the environment.
Follow Your Physical Therapists’ Guidelines
WITH THESE 3 TIPS
SET A GOAL FOR YOURSELF. Simply following advice can be difficult for some people. They need a concrete reason to stick to the program besides the fact that it will make them healthier over time. If you need that bigger reason, think about what you want to accomplish when you’re fully healed. For some, it could be returning to horseback riding or doing that activity you love but are unable due to your condition. We’ll work with you to set goals along your path to recovery so each step feels like a substantial accomplishment. It makes the entire process easier and creates overarching goals to work toward. BE HONEST WITH YOUR PT. When our patients come in for appointments, we will ask if they are sticking to their exercises and our advice. Please don’t lie in your response. It makes things more difficult for
everyone. When you’re honest about not following through, we can figure out the root cause and come up with a plan to help you overcome whatever is getting in the way. CREATE A STRATEGY TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES. One of the biggest issues people face when trying to exercise at home is time allocation. They may want to spend more time with their family or would rather watch TV than do the necessary exercises. You have to look at your schedule and make time to keep up with the guidelines. For example, if you’re watching TV instead of doing your exercises, start doing your exercises while watching TV. There’s a workaround to any obstacle hindering your progress. Discover yours and we can help you find a way through.
www.campuscommonsphysicaltherapy.com 2 If you find yourself in this situation, we have some advice to make it easier to stick to your PT’s guidelines without temptation. Try these three things we’ve gathered to help you. When you first start working with a physical therapist, they will give you guidelines about what you should and shouldn’t do at home. Some of these may be simple, like performing a certain exercise before bed, but others may require you to make sacrifices, like giving up your favorite hobby for an extended period of time. It can be disheartening to hear you can’t perform a certain activity, and you may be tempted to continue the activity against your physical therapist’s advice.
4 MENTAL BENEFITS OF EXERCISE
When most of us exercise, our goal is to build muscle, lose weight, or help fight off the risk of heart disease. But did you know many mental benefits come with a strong workout, too? According to Dr. John J. Ratey, author of “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain,” “Exercise is the single best thing you can do for your brain in terms of mood, memory, and learning.” Check out these four ways exercise can help boost your mind.
medication. Other studies have found exercise and yoga can increase our levels of GABA (or y-Aminobutyric acid), which greatly improves mood.
ENHANCES LEARNING ABILITY Exercise helps our brains create new brain cells and establishes new connections between these cells to improve our learning ability. In a study done by German researchers, they found high school students scored better on high-attention tasks after doing 10 minutes of a complicated fitness routine when compared to those who did regular exercise. Those who were inactive scored the worst.
HELPS PREVENT THE EFFECTS OF AGING We all deal with stress on a regular basis, which plays a role in our aging process, but what are you doing to combat the negative effects of stress? In a study conducted by the University of California, San Francisco, stressed-out
ENCOURAGES FUN AND ENJOYMENT Exercise may feel dull and tedious when you first start, but before long, you’ll feel enjoyment every time you go for a run or take part in your daily exercise routine. Look for fun and entertaining ways to get your exercise, like playing a sport you enjoy. These powerful mental benefits are just as important as the physical ones, so make an effort to develop a routine and stick to it. Your brain will thank you!
women who exercised intensely over the span of three days had cells that showed fewer signs of aging when compared to women who were stressed and inactive. This is an interesting find with exciting implications. But that’s not all. COMBATS DEPRESSION Various studies have shown exercise can help combat feelings of depression. Research suggests that burning 350 calories in a sweat-inducing activity can reduce symptoms of depression almost as well as antidepressant
TAKE A BREAK
Tasty Bruschetta Chicken
Inspired by Delish.com
Fresh tomatoes and basil abound in August, practically begging to become bruschetta! This recipe turns that appetizer into a main dish.
INGREDIENTS • 4 boneless and skinless chicken
• 3 tomatoes, chopped • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped • Salt and pepper, to taste • 4 slices mozzarella cheese • Parmesan cheese, grated
breasts, pounded to even thickness
• 4 tbsp olive oil • 2 tbsp lemon juice, divided • 1/4 tsp pepper • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
DIRECTIONS 1. Add chicken to a large resealable bag. 2. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Pour over chicken and seal. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 3. Turn a grill to medium-high heat and add the chicken. Discard the marinade. Grill chicken 5–7 minutes per side or until fully cooked. 4. Combine the remaining lemon juice, tomatoes, garlic, and basil. Add salt and pepper, to taste. 5. Before taking the chicken off the grill, top each breast with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Cover and cook 2–3 minutes, then serve topped with the tomato mixture and grated Parmesan cheese.
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INSIDE
THIS ISSUE
1 2 2 3 3 4
The Start of a New School Year
Handcraft Homemade Bird Feeders With the Family
3 Tips to Stick to Your PT’s Guidelines
4 Mental Benefits of Exercise
Tasty Bruschetta Chicken
4 Reasons to Start Golfing This Summer
S u
Golf is an enjoyable sport that anyone can participate in regardless of experience, ability, and age. There’s nothing quite like teeing off on the first hole after a difficult week of work. Though it can certainly be frustrating at times, golf is a fun sport with many amazing perks. Reading the
up in the sand trap, but you decide how you react to the situation. You can get mad and potentially play worse or understand that everything is not always going to work out in golf. That lesson can even be applied to your everyday life.
IT’LL DRAW YOU OUTSIDE. Most of us can use some additional time outdoors, and golf provides the perfect opportunity. Between rolling hills,
following benefits will make you want to head to your local course, even if you’re not a regular golfer. IT’S GREAT EXERCISE. Playing a full 18 holes of golf can be exhausting and for good reason. Swinging a golf club works your forearms, core, shoulders, and back muscles. If you choose to walk the course, you’ll be getting in a great workout as the average course length is about 4 miles. You can also carry your golf bag for an even better workout.
picturesque ponds, and lush trees, the golf course is a beautiful setting. Even if you’re playing poorly, you can still enjoy being outside for a few hours out of your day.
IT’S FUN FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY. Golf isn’t just for businessmen. Anyone
can find enjoyment in the game. It can be a great weekend activity for the entire family or the perfect bonding experience between relatives. There are par 3 courses across the country that offer an easier experience for new golfers, and you can always play nine holes instead of 18 to cut down on time and conserve energy.
IT BUILDS CHARACTER. It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned golfer or on the course for the first time, you are not going to have a perfect round. You may miss a putt or end
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