THE THOMAS TIMES
NOVEMBER 2018
How toMaintain Your FitnessThis Time of Year THAT CAN WITHSTAND THEHOLIDAY S E A S O N 3 FITNESS TRENDS
Randy’s Ramblings
COMMITTED TO OUR PATIENTS
I was looking forward to waxing philosophical this month but realize there’s a much more important message to deliver. Cheryl, Sarah, and I are incredibly committed to helping you have the best possible outcome from your physical therapy experience. However, you may not be aware that our office staff of Margarita and Danielle are equally as committed. They literally pull rabbits out of hats to help you get scheduled in a way that is most convenient for you and go to great lengths to help you get the best reimbursement from your insurance companies or Medicare. of helping a patient receive their maximum reimbursement from their insurance company. The patient had previously received treatment at another facility that had been unable secure payment from the insurance company for the services she received. Based on her previous experience this patient assumed that her treatments at Thomas PT would not be covered by her insurance. However, she recognized the value of the treatment that she was getting and chose to pursue treatment even though she thought she would have to pay out of her own pocket. Margarita was relentless in her efforts to secure authorization for the patient and was finally successful. At this time, the patient has been reimbursed for all her treatments at Thomas Physical Therapy. We are extremely proud of our staff here at Thomas Physical Margarita came intomy office yesterday bubbling with excitement over her recent accomplishment
Let’s face it: Maintaining your fitness this time of year is difficult. Even if you have kept up on your diet and workout habits during the spring and summer months, once the first leaf falls to the ground, even the idea of going to the gym seems strenuous. Why does this happen? All signs point to colder weather and bigger meals. In addition to the temperature drop that occurs during the fall and winter months, the number of daylight hours drops as well. You go from having up to 13 hours of daylight to only 9 by the end of November. This reduction leaves many avid runners with less time to get that jog in after work. In addition to this colder and darker weather, the emphasis on food this time of year also causes people to fall off the fitness wagon. Between scooping a third helping of Thanksgiving dinner and eating candy canes while decorating the Christmas tree, the choice to indulge during holiday meals leads many to toss aside portion control. While the holidays wreak havoc on many fitness routines, there are some workout trends that have maintained popularity throughout the year because they work for people of all fitness levels and lifestyles. The following three have withstood the test of the holiday season and may provide the incentive you need to keep your fitness up while putting the turkey legs down.
Therapy and take great joy in the confidence of knowing that everyone here will do everything we can tomake sure your rehab experience with us is a great one.
-Randy Thomas
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HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING
dance cardio classes to old-school step classes at the YMCA. Besides the health benefits associated with group training, these classes tend to be far more inclusive in terms of sex and age — a great feature that will boost this trend’s longevity.
Since the mid-1990s, scores of studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of interval conditioning for fat loss. High- intensity interval training (HIIT) involves cardiovascular exercise strategies where you alternate between short periods of anaerobic exercise and recovery periods. While there’s far more vigorous exercise in HIIT than traditional cardio, you don’t have to put in as much time to burn the same amount of calories. Simply put, HIIT is short but strenuous. One of the most popular fitness trends that incorporates elements of HIIT is Crossfit.
WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY
Activity trackers, smart watches, and heart rate monitors are as popular as ever, but wearable tech is going beyond the Fitbits and Apple Watches. For example, Motiv recently released its titanium ring, a stylish and innovative product that tracks activity via your finger. Additionally, Wearable X just introduced the Nadi X yoga pants, which deliver vibrational feedback to the wearer to encourage good form and alignment. While there are a plethora of products to choose from, it’s safe to say that wearable technology won’t be going out of style any time soon.
GROUP TRAINING
In group training, an instructor leads a workout in a group of five or more people. These classes are designed to be motivational and effective for people of various fitness levels. Group training classes could be anything from HIIT classes and
AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
Taking the time to acknowledge who and what you’re grateful for is a Thanksgiving tradition far more important than turkey or football. It’s the cornerstone of the holiday and the reason we feast together in the first place. But when you really think about it, should expressing our gratitude and appreciation for others be limited to one day every year? Of course not! WHY GRATITUDE MATTERS As we get older, it’s easy to succumb to negativity and pessimism— “Kids these days,”“The world isn’t what it used to be,” etc. The crabby grandparent and angry old neighbor are archetypal depictions of later life. But these fictions don’t have to be your reality. Recognizing and acknowledging gratitude will help you take stock of the positive aspects of your life and dwell less on unhappy thoughts. Should Last Beyond Thanksgiving Being grateful has also been linked to significant health benefits. According to gratitude expert and author Dr. Robert A. Emmons, “Preliminary findings suggest that those who regularly practice grateful thinking do reap emotional, physical, and interpersonal benefits. Adults who keep gratitude journals on a regular basis exercise more regularly, report fewer illness symptoms, feel better about their lives as a whole, and are more optimistic about the future.”
HOW TO PRACTICE GRATITUDE In the above quotation from Dr. Emmons, he mentions the practice of keeping a gratitude journal. This activity is a great way to start seeing the world with a more positive, appreciative eye. As often as you can, take a few minutes to write down the acts, people, and moments that you’re grateful for. Some will be big, others small — but all will have an impact on your mood and bring a smile to your face. Before you know it, you’ll have an entire book full of good memories and warm feelings. While keeping a journal is great, there are other ways to go about cultivating and expressing gratitude. The easiest one is simply to say “Thanks”whenever you can. It may seem insignificant, but you’d be surprised what a difference it makes. When you approach the world with the perspective that every day is Thanksgiving, it’s only natural to be grateful. We all have moments when we want to curse the world, especially as we get older, and those experiences are perfectly normal. Just as frequently, though, we have moments that are worth celebrating, often with people who are worth appreciating. Which will you think about more?
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That Morning Cup of Joe Coffee and Its Relationship to Your Health
Clinic/ Workshop Upc ming Workshops In addition to coffee’s long-standing popularity, science has found several reasons to give our morning habit the thumbs-up. In 2015, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines evaluated the effects of coffee and caffeine for the first time, concluding that coffee can be part of a healthy lifestyle“along with other behaviors, such as refraining from smoking, consuming a nutritionally balanced diet, maintaining a healthy body weight, and being physically active.”The guidelines cite“strong and consistent evidence”that consuming coffee within the moderate range (3–5 cups per day, or up to 400 mg of caffeine per day) is not associated with an increased risk of major diseases. MARK YOUR CALENDAR We have a schedule full of workshops and clinics that are open to you! Call today to reserve your spot 386-257-2672 What’s the first thing you do in the morning? For most of us in the United States, it’s one crucial task: getting that morning cup of joe. Our obsession with coffee is nothing new. A paper entitled“The Consumption of Coffee in the United States,”published July 18, 1861, noted that“the people of the United States habitually consume more coffee than the inhabitants of any other country.”Its popularity has only increased with time; people in the U.S. consume an estimated 400 million cups of coffee a day. Of course, we weren’t the first to find out how great coffee is. Long before anyone in the Americas enjoyed the beverage, legend has it that an Ethiopian goat herder discovered the amazing effects of coffee beans—on his goats. He noticed that after eating“berries”from a certain tree, his goats became so energetic they didn’t want to sleep. News spread around the Arabian Peninsula, and cafes began to pop up, known as“Schools of the Wise”for the intellectual conversations that happened there.
In fact, according to observational evidence, caffeine intake may be linked to reduced risk for certain diseases in healthy adults. Scientists think that antioxidants found in coffee, such as polyphenols, might contribute to its positive effects. There’s one major caveat, however. While coffee shows potential benefits when consumed inmoderate amounts, the sugar and other additives that many of us like to put in it get a thumbs-down. The Dietary Guidelines also note that health alone isn’t a reason to start drinking caffeine. Folks with blood pressure concerns should be especially careful and should consult their doctor about howmuch coffee is okay to drink, as studies have shown evidence of increased blood pressure with caffeine consumption.
Everything inmoderation, as the saying goes, at least when it comes to caffeine.
Spicy, Creamy
SWEET POTATOES
Ingredients
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5 pounds sweet potatoes
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1/2 cup dark brown sugar
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1 cup canned coconut milk
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4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Clinic/ Workshop
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1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
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1 tablespoon kosher salt
Date
PT
Directions
1. Heat oven to 375 F. On a large sheet pan, bake potatoes until very soft, approximately 75 minutes. 2. Let potatoes cool until they are safe to handle, then peel and mash. 3. In a small saucepan over low
sugar, and half the butter to potatoes. 4. 30 minutes before serving,
Nov. 13
Lower Back Pain & Sciatica
Randy Thomas, PT
Nov. 15
Balance
Cheryl Wynn, DPT
heat oven to 425 F. Spread potatoes in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes.
*Note: All clinics/workshops are from 5:30–6:30 p.m.
5. Uncover potatoes and dot with remaining butter and
heat, combine coconut milk and curry paste. Once mixed, add the mixture, salt, half the
sugar. Broil until brown, crusty, and delicious. Serve hot.
Recipe courtesy ofThe NewYorkTimes
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Thomas Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy www.ThomasPhysicalTherapy.com
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE Randy’s Ramblings PAGE 1 3 Fitness Trends That CanWithstand the Holiday Season PAGE 1 How to GiveThanks Year-Round PAGE 2 A Closer Look at Your Cup of Joe PAGE 3 Upcoming Workshops PAGE 3 Spicy, Creamy Sweet Potatoes PAGE 3 3 Tips for Pain-Free Cooking PAGE 4 Whenever an activity involves heavy lifting or repetitive motion, it’s important to take steps to prevent injury. While back pain, carpal tunnel, and sore shoulders are normally associated with work-related injuries, it’s important to note that these issues can also result fromworking in the kitchen if you’re not careful. With the big feast coming up at the end of the month, here’s a guide to pain-free cooking! MIX IT UP Even if you’re“just”chopping carrots or peeling potatoes, youmay be exposing yourself to a repetitive strain injury. Standing for long periods with your shoulders hunched forward is also bad for your back. While it’s always important to keep an eye on your posture, the best way to avoid pain and stiffness is to do a mix of activities in short bursts. If you’re cooking with family, consider swapping jobs every six or seven minutes to give your body a break from the same motions and positions.
PAIN-FREECOOKING Avoid Injury This Thanksgiving
USE YOUR TOOLS If you are older or suffer from arthritis, this is an especially important point. Ergonomic kitchen utensils are available tomake many cooking tasks, from slicing to stirring, easier to handle. Using ovenmitts rather than pot holders also lets you grip hot items with greater confidence and reduces the likelihood of an accident. LIFTING THE TURKEY All right, here’s the big one: One of the easiest ways to hurt your back is to lift a heavy object while simultaneously twisting your torso— the exact thing one might do when trying to take a turkey out of the oven in a single fluidmotion. Do not put yourself and the feast at risk. Lift with your legs, straighten all the way up, and then turn to where you want to carve it. No one wants to throw their back out before Black Friday.
the weather gets colder, feel free to swing by and let our physical therapy experts get you moving again!
We hope you have a safe and happy start to the holiday season. If any aches or pains develop as
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