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Focus Physical Therapy Bi-Monthly
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023
Focuspt.net
949.709.8770
It’s a Cycling Miracle! How GC Cyclery Saved My Brother’s Bike
about the most cost-effective way to fix it. He always comes through for me when I have bike problems — and he came through for my brother, too!
Like me, my brother is a huge fan of biking, and the bike rack attached to his car helps him transport his bikes from one ride to the next. Usually, the rack is a big help. But a few years ago, it became a disaster! My brother was driving when it happened. One of the screws holding the rack together wiggled loose, and the rack’s tray slid free — with his bike in it. The bike wobbled, tipped, and fell onto the road behind the car. Its rear wheel remained lodged in the rack, so its handlebars bumped and ground against the pavement, throwing up sparks. When my brother finally managed to pull over, his bike was in terrible shape: The shifter was damaged, and the handlebars were partially missing, shaved away by the road surface. Even worse, this was in the middle of COVID-19, so all bike shops had a 4–6- week wait for repairs. My brother called me asking for help, and I knew what to do: I called my friend Jerry at GC Cyclery. GC Cyclery is my go-to spot for bike repair. Jerry runs a one-man shop and is passionate about his work. All the parts he sells are fairly priced, and when you come to him with a problem, he’s 100% honest
Jerry didn’t have the exact parts we needed, but he reused similar pieces to get the bike up and running. His outside-of-the-box thinking saved my brother’s hobby and let him spend 4–6 more weeks on his bike that year. I recommend Jerry at GC Cyclery to all my biking friends, just like I recommended him to my brother. I also like to point people to The Blind Pig Kitchen and Bar for drinks, edamame, and fig tapenade with views of Lago Santa Margarita and send them to Tutto Fresco Kitchen & Bar for baby lamb chops and happy hour drinks. Local spots like those make our city special, and they offer the kind of excellent service you can rarely find at big chains (although I do have to shout out REI — their employees are always helpful and well-informed when I visit to buy outdoor equipment). This month, I’m planning to celebrate Valentine’s Day by “sharing the love” and spreading the word about my favorite local
businesses to my friends and family. This newsletter is just one step in that direction. I hope you’ll consider doing the same thing! If you do, it would mean a lot if you added Focus Physical Therapy to your must- share list. Hopefully, we’ve been as friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful to you as Jerry always is to me at GC Cyclery. I’d love to see you share your experience with a friend or family member and send them our way for help with their aches and pains. They can book an appointment through our website (FocusPT.net) or call us at 949-709-8770. Ask them to mention your name when they call or send their message. We’ll make an even bigger effort to treat them like family!
Good luck sharing the love,
–Julian Manrique
Focus Physical Therapy • Call 949.709.8770 • 1
YOUR INTELLECTUAL WELLNESS MATTERS! Challenge Yourself to Expand Your Mind
2. Remove subjectivity. We view every situation with a pre-formed opinion or bias. The truth is our brains are wired this way to streamline thinking, but to be intellectually healthy, we must work hard to push past it. Remove subjectivity by learning a different way to perform a task or challenge yourself to understand (or simply read) the ideas of others. Be objective, even when you disagree with them. 3. Improve your critical thinking. Next time you’re engrossed in conversation, try being thoroughly engaged and think about what is being said. Ask questions to yourself and others, and hash out what you agree with and things you don’t. Work to keep your brain active in everything you do by finding a connection to everything around you.
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Awareness of your core values Capacity to learn new things
These days, as taking care of our health becomes more important than ever, we hear a lot about our physical wellness and how to improve it using nutritious foods and exercise.
How to Foster and Develop Intellectual Wellness Intellectual wellness differs from other types of well-being. You need to work hard and challenge yourself to stay intellectually healthy. If you’re looking to improve or nurture your intellectual wellness, here are three ways to do it. 1. Learn a new skill. One of the main components of intellectual wellness is working to acquire more knowledge. This doesn’t need to be physics or engineering but can be something as simple as cooking a new healthy recipe, learning to draw, or attempting a DIY home repair project. The important part is that mastering something new provides an information- based approach to the world around you.
But what about our intellectual wellness?
What is intellectual wellness? The University of New Hampshire defines intellectual wellness as “being open to new ideas, thinking critically, and finding ways to be creative.” Essentially, this means thinking about the world around you with an open mind and putting energy into what you’re thinking, not just allowing your brain to run idly. Signs of healthy intellectual wellness include: • Ability to see an issue from all sides • Purposeful exposure to ideas, beliefs, and people who differ from yourself
SUCCESS STORY
The biggest compliment you can give us is referring friends and family. Thank you for all of your referrals, and keep them coming! We love our clients!
“Focus Physical Therapy is a great place with trained people who know their job. I recommend this place to all my friends! My neck was hurting, and I had difficulty moving it. Now my neck moves a lot better and doesn’t hurt. Thank you for a great experience here!” –Linda M. “Julian, Olita, and the gang took great care of me and my troubled shoulders. The clicking in my right shoulder has disappeared. My range of motion in both shoulders is much, much better than when I first started. Thanks again for all of your hard work!” –Charlie B.
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• Focus Physical Therapy • Call 949.709.8770
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Get That Heart Pumping! Celebrate American Heart Month With These 3 Tips
Another easy method is to park a little farther away next time you go to the grocery store and then make yourself walk down every aisle, even if you don’t need anything. This technique gets in those steps without extra planning or time. Start an aerobic exercise program! Any exercise that increases your heart rate and pushes more oxygenated blood through your body is considered aerobic. These exercises are perfect for heart health because they help condition your cardiovascular system. Common aerobic exercises include yoga, Pilates, weight lifting, group fitness classes, and working out at home or in a gym. It doesn’t matter which exercise you choose to start. The important thing is you get your body moving and your heart pumping for at least 30 minutes each day, five days a week.
So, instead of frozen Brussels sprouts covered in a pre-made sauce, buy the Brussels sprouts fresh and make the sauce yourself at home. Incorporate cardio. When people think of cardio, it’s usually something super intense, like sprinting, but that isn’t required! Regular walking is great for your heart, and we recommend aiming for 10,000 steps a day. This may seem like a lot of steps, especially if you aren’t tracking how much you walk now, but there are some effortless ways to ensure you get those steps in. The first way is to divide your walks into smaller, more manageable chunks. So, instead of one 30-minute walk, try to take three 10-minute walks. You can even aim for one walk before work, one at lunch, and one after dinner. FETA CHICKEN BURGERS
February is American Heart Month, and with heart disease being a leading cause of death, according to the American Heart Association, citizens all across the country are encouraged to focus on their cardiovascular fitness.
The great thing is heart disease is preventable, and you can do a few
simple things this month to improve your cardiovascular health. So, to celebrate, here are three tips to keep your heart healthy! Focus on healthy eating . You don’t need a strict cleanse or diet to maintain a healthy heart; you just need to shift your mindset to focus more on nutritious food options! For example, try making your meals from only whole foods. This might sound like a significant change, but it just means avoiding processed foods with long ingredient lists.
HAVE A LAUGH
Try these delicious chicken burgers with a Mediterranean spin on the classic sandwich we all love. Featuring Greek- style toppings and seasonings, this recipe is refreshing and super healthy too.
Ingredients
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1/2 tsp Greek seasoning 1/4 tsp black pepper
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1/4 cup finely chopped cucumber 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 lbs lean ground chicken 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
BURGERS: •
1/2 cup chopped roasted sweet red pepper
6 whole wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted
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1 tsp garlic powder
Directions
1. Preheat broiler and mix chopped cucumber and mayonnaise. 2. For the burgers, mix the red pepper, garlic powder, Greek seasoning, and black pepper. Add chicken and cheese; mix lightly but thoroughly (the mixture will be sticky). Shape into 6 patties about 1/2-inch thick. 3. Broil burgers, remembering to cook both sides thoroughly. Serve on buns with cucumber sauce. If desired, top with lettuce and tomato. Enjoy!
Focus Physical Therapy • Call 949.709.8770 • 3
30212 Tomas, Ste. 120 Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, USA
949.709.8770
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Focuspt.net
SPECIALIZING IN: LOWER BACK PAIN • SCIATICA • NECK PAIN AND HEADACHES HIP PROBLEMS • SHOULDER PAIN, BURSITIS, AND TENDINITIS SPORTS PHYSICAL THERAPY • GOLF PERFORMANCE KNEE PAIN • PLANTAR FASCIITIS • DIZZINESS AND VERTIGO AQUATIC PHYSICAL THERAPY • AND OTHER CONDITIONS
Julian Witnesses a Miracle Intellectual Wellness: What It Is and How to Improve Yours Success Stories 3 Tips to Keep Your Heart Healthy This Month Feta Chicken Burgers Brushing Up on Cruise Etiquette 1 2 3 4 INSIDE THIS ISSUE All Aboard! Know Your Cruise Etiquette Before Setting Sail
Don’t be a chair hog. Everyone wants a prime spot on the sundeck, but you’ve got to rise early in the morning to get one. That’s fine if you can manage it, but “saving” a seat by putting a towel on it and then wandering away for breakfast or a mani-pedi is the best way to get on your fellow travelers’ bad side. Your cruise may also have a policy against it. Going to the bathroom is one thing; you’re only human. Otherwise, if you want the seat, stay in it. Be on time. Treat your cruise ship like an airplane — if you’re not on time, it’s probably leaving without you. And if you are lucky enough to have the ocean liner wait, your fellow passengers won’t look at you kindly. Set your watch to ship time (not local time) and prepare to be back an hour before the deadline. That way, if you happen to be late, you’ll still be on time. You may miss out on an extra drink or souvenir shop, but nothing will ruin your cruise faster than being left behind at the dock.
After a slump in 2020 and 2021, cruises are back in a big way. If you’re planning your first onboard adventure — or it’s been a while since you last set sail — now is the time to brush up on your cruise ship etiquette. Every passenger should read their cruise line’s policies to ensure they know all the specifics before climbing aboard. In the meantime, we’ve listed some of the most essential do’s and don’ts for the savvy traveler. Know what to wear. Some cruise lines aim for a fancy atmosphere, while others prefer a casual approach. Ideally, review the dress policy before you book your trip. Bring at least one formal outfit in your luggage for dinner, which tends to have an upscale vibe. The rest of your cruise wear should be casual but tasteful, leaving you looking put together. Most importantly, don’t overpack — the stateroom is smaller than you think.
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