Take a look at our September newsletter!
physical therapy and rehabilitation
September 2025
3600 Miller Road, Flint, MI 48503 • 810-620-8042 • horizonptflint.com
From Mindset to Milestones How Positive Thinking Drives My Business
As a noted motivational speaker once said, positive thinking will help you do everything better than negative thinking will. That adage has proven true in my life. A coach I work with often asks, “What’s your North Star? What’s your goal, the thing that always leads you home?” In recognition of Sept. 13 as Positive Thinking Day, I have been reflecting on the fact that at many stages of my life, positive thinking has helped me stay focused on my North Star and end up where I wanted to be. I entered college with a goal of being a doctor — either an MD or a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT). Getting through undergrad school was tough. I was good at math and chemistry, but biology was all memorization. I had to work hard at that. “At many stages of my life, positive thinking has helped me stay focused on my North Star and end up where I wanted to be.” My friends would sometimes call when they were out partying and I was at the university library studying, saying, “You’re missing out on a good time!” When I was tired or tempted, I would focus on my North Star — imagining the things I could buy and do after earning my degree. Because I was a young man (and a little vain), I would dream about getting an Audi A8, an innovative luxury car with a high-powered acoustic sound system, a turbocharged engine, and big wheels, tires, and rims. “This,” I told myself, “is my car.” That positive focus and my sense of self-preservation gave me the momentum I needed to finish my degree. While getting through undergraduate school was tough, getting through PT school was tougher. But by then, I was more clearly focused on my goal — to own and run my own business. Getting a job after graduation was easy,
but creating and running a physical therapy practice that would pay me as much as I could make working for another company was by far the most challenging thing I have ever done in my life.
I had to take a pay cut at first, but I had the grit, desire, and ambition to succeed. I set a goal when I opened my practice of earning several additional credentials, including board certification as an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS). But I didn’t understand the marketing needs of my business, or what it would take to make it successful. At first, I simply didn’t have the money to pursue those goals, so I had to put them on hold. At that point, the only goal I could afford was just to survive and live to fight another day. After learning how to market and grow my practice successfully, I was able to advance toward one of those goals. Last summer, I took the test for OCS certification. Only about 6% of all physical therapists in the nation have earned this prestigious credential, which qualifies a clinician to treat any orthopedic condition in surgical and non-surgical contexts. Although I missed passing the test by a single point last year, I stayed focused on my goal, tried again, and passed! I am happy to report that I now hold an OCS certification. I am continuing to look for ways to grow and improve, including obtaining exciting new technology and the certifications required to apply it in our clinic. After practicing as a physical therapist for 19 years, I am at a stage in my career where it may not make sense for me to earn these certifications myself, so I am setting a new goal: finding the next generation of people who can help me reach that objective.
As Positive Thinking Day draws near this year, I hope you will find the inspiration needed to focus on a North Star of your own!
-Dr. Jerome Adams
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When you think of building muscle, what comes to mind? For most people, it’s likely lifting exercises or equipment like free weights and strength training machines. But what about walking? You’re probably not thinking about building muscle when you go for a walk. It’s too simple and gentle an exercise, right? That can be true, but with the right intensity, duration, and frequency, it can also support muscle growth. If you’ve ever walked up a big hill or taken a brisk loop around your neighborhood, you probably know what it’s like to feel your calves burn. That soreness is a sign of muscle fatigue and development. To build muscle, our bodies must experience enough resistance to break down muscle fibers. When those fibers are repaired, the muscles get stronger and thicker. You probably won’t achieve this on a casual stroll, but picking up the pace, especially on an incline, can increase muscle activation significantly. Incorporating inclines into your walks is one of the best ways to increase the muscle-building benefits of walking, but walking on uneven terrain can also help. Walking on sand and dirt trails makes your calf muscles work harder Can You Walk Your Way to Stronger Muscles? THE SECRET TO STRONGER STRIDES
and can even help engage other muscle groups, including those in your core, thighs, and glutes. Another strategy is to add weighted gear, like a weighted vest, ankle weights, or even a loaded backpack. Adding weight can also help you burn more calories on your walks. Of course, none of these strategies will give you a rippled physique through walking alone. You should prioritize activities that use fast-twitch muscle fibers to really bulk up. These activities require sudden bursts of energy, such as weightlifting, sprinting, and jumping. You also need to focus on a healthy diet and ensure adequate protein intake. Walking might not be ideal for muscle growth, but it’s still a great everyday activity. It increases your heart rate, helps maintain flexibility and balance, and promotes overall fitness. And even if it won’t leave you flexing in front of the mirror, it can help increase tone and build strength where it counts.
CLIENT SUCCESS STORIES
“Thank you, Horizon Physical Therapy! I no longer have severe foot pain. The staff is dedicated, patient, professional and treat you like family.” –Jerome A.
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Pursuing Wellness, Your Way
CREATE A 30-DAY CHALLENGE TO RECHARGE YOUR LIFE!
Have a Laugh For example, perhaps you want to burn more calories without spending more time at the gym. Set a goal of increasing the time spent in high- intensity interval training. During at least half While forming a new habit takes from 18 days to nine months or more, peer-reviewed research shows that 30 days is often long enough to initiate a significant behavior change. Here are three elements that distinguish successful self- improvement challenges from those that fail. SET SMART GOALS Pick your pain point and work toward resolving it by setting SMART goals — specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound objectives. Fitness challenges are trending on social media, with countless influencers urging viewers to elevate their game. September is Self-Improvement Month, so now is a good time to set out on your own journey toward better wellness, fitness, and well-being.
of your workouts, spend 10 minutes each on the stair stepper, rowing machine, and treadmill, and work toward completing each sequence twice. As you reach this goal more often, you will almost certainly see results. TRACK YOUR BEHAVIOR Recording your progress daily can fuel feelings of accomplishment. Your method should sync with your personal preferences and style. Let’s say you aim to improve your balance by doing balance- training exercises at least twice a day for 30 days. A secondary goal might be to increase the time you can stand on one leg by at least 10% to 50%. Create a daily tracking tool using the design, format, and color scheme that most appeal to you, from a paper journal or wall chart to a digital app or spreadsheet. One determined fitness fan drew a chain on a long chart and added a link for every day he successfully met his exercise goals. The headline: “Don’t break the chain!”
ASK FOR SUPPORT Most people make better progress toward
personal goals if they have support from family members, friends, or a coach or physical therapist willing to help assess their progress. Set an appointment today for an assessment with one of our skilled physical therapists. We will help you identify areas for potential improvement and design an exercise program to meet your most valued goals. And we’ll celebrate with you when you achieve them!
Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Inspired by CookieAndKate.com
Ingredients •
Directions 1.
1 large head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, plus more 1 medium red onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced 4 cups vegetable broth 2 tbsp unsalted butter 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Preheat oven to 425 F. 2. On a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, toss cauliflower with 2 tbsp olive oil. 3. Arrange cauliflower in a single layer, sprinkle with a little salt, and bake 25–35 minutes until tender. 4. In a soup pot, heat remaining olive oil and cook onion and 1/4 tsp salt until soft. 5. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant, then add broth. 6. Add all but 4 cauliflower florets to the pot and simmer for 20 minutes. 7. Transfer mixture to a blender, add butter, and blend until smooth. Then blend in lemon juice and nutmeg. 8. Garnish with cauliflower florets and serve. Add parsley, onion, and chives as desired.
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1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley, chives, or green onions for garnish
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3600 Miller Road Flint, MI 48503
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THIS ISSUE Inside From Optimism to Outcomes: The Power of Staying Positive in Business
The Power of Everyday Walking
Client Success Stories
Design Your Comeback: A 30-Day Wellness Reset
Creamy Cauliflower Soup
The Science Behind Our Secret Shine
INSIDE HUMANS’ GLITTERING GLOW OUR HIDDEN LIGHT
You know how some people seem to have a “healthy glow”? Well, there’s more to it than you might imagine. Although our eyes can’t detect it, humans can glow in the dark. A landmark 2009 study revealed this intriguing fact by monitoring sleeping human subjects with highly sensitive cameras. The research showed that living humans placed in dark places emit glimmering light that is 1,000 times dimmer than what the naked eye can detect. Our faces emit this light most brightly, and the light we give off varies based on our circadian rhythm. According to additional research on mice, this illumination fades rapidly once we pass away, meaning humans literally lose the light when we die. The phenomenon is called bioluminescence, or the ability of living organisms to emit light. Our glow is a metabolic reaction caused by living cells producing free radicals that interact with lipids, proteins, and
other elements within the body. Based on current research, our light shines brightest in the late afternoon and dimmest in the evening. Hopefully, science will evolve so we can finally witness this human glow for ourselves. By the way, humans and animals aren’t the only beings that give off a glow. A scientific study of an umbrella tree that had been snipped found that its glow increased as it recovered from the trauma. Researchers hope to utilize this discovery to understand the nature of forestry better and identify health crises among trees more quickly. Studying similar light in humans may also point to new directions in identifying and treating our most critical illnesses. These thrilling discoveries about bioluminescence remind us that life radiates around us in more ways than meet the eye. The next time you tell someone they light up your life, add that you really mean it!
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