Spine & Rehab Specialists - September 2020

SEPTEMBER 2020

6358 EDGEMERE BLVD. EL PASO, TEXAS 79925 915-562-8525

1779 N. ZARAGOZA ST., SUITE A EL PASO, TEXAS 79936 915-855-6466

YOU’RE IN A BATTLE FOR YOUR HEALTH. IS THE COUCH WINNING? 3 QUARANTINE TIPS FROM THE MOVEMENT EXPERTS

system in shape to fight off viruses, and it can aid in recovery if you get sick. To help you win your battle against the couch, I’ve put together a few tips for staying healthy in the time of COVID-19. Tip No. 1: Make time for a daily walk. The worst thing you can do right now is sit at home, eat more, and move less. To combat that, add a daily walk to your routine. Walking is safe and easy for most people, and it’s an awesome form of exercise. There are simple workouts you can do at home, too. Try doing something small every day, like squats at the kitchen counter (you can hold it to help with your balance) or leg lifts while laying on the floor. Tip No. 2: Optimize your workstation at home. If you’re sitting on an uncomfortable kitchen chair for eight hours a day or hunching over your laptop on the couch, your body is going to suffer. Working in a strange position can cause neck and back pain, headaches, and arm and shoulder issues. To avoid those, try these three tricks. First, make sure you have a flat surface to work on. It can be at sitting height or standing height, but you need to be able to put your arms straight in front of you and rest your wrists while typing. Second, make sure your computer screen is at eye level to avoid neck strain. Third, invest in a good office chair. To stave off back pain, adjust the seat until you’re comfortable sitting up straight against the back of the chair.

This summer, my wonderful mom passed away back home in Holland. It was a huge tragedy for our family, so of course I flew over to be with her for her last two weeks and after that for the funeral. Because of the virus, I had to self-quarantine for 14 days both upon my arrival in Holland and when I got back to Texas. Have you been in quarantine yet? It’s just as boring as it sounds. Social distancing is tough enough, but being confined to the house for 14 days straight was maddening. I found myself moving a lot less as I worked from home sitting in front of my computer. I was definitely glad to go back to work when my time was up! That stint stuck at home gave me a new perspective on the lifestyle changes our patients are dealing with. Our clinics have been open since the pandemic hit, and we’ve been seeing more and more patients come in with issues caused by poor work-from-home setups and sedentary lifestyles. With gyms and offices closed, people are letting healthy movement fall by the wayside. Now, since we’re more than six months into the pandemic with no end in sight, it’s time to start treating those temporary lifestyle changes as permanent ones and creating new habits. World Physical Therapy Day falls this month, and it has never been more important. After all, Texans need to be moving now more than ever, and physical therapists are the movement experts! Movement helps keep your immune

Tip No. 3: If you’ve been sick, let us help with your recovery. If you’ve been diagnosed with COVID-19 and pulled through, congratulations! Hopefully, many more people can follow in your footsteps. However, as I’m sure you know, the virus can cause lasting problems like muscle pain and deterioration, heart and lung trouble, and even cognitive changes. Physical therapy can help with those lingering effects, so make sure to incorporate it into your recovery. For the sake of your health, try implementing some of these tips this fall. If you could use assistance getting back in the swing of things or recovering from illness, our team of movement experts can help. Call us at 915-562-8525 to schedule an appointment.

– Harry Koster

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AND HOW YOU CAN STOP IT HOW STRESS CAN LEAD TO INJURY

While it’s pretty intuitive that physical stressors can cause physical injuries, you might not know that mental and emotional stress can also lead to musculoskeletal injuries that require physical therapy. That’s right — a lack of sleep, a busy workweek, and other stressful life events can make you more prone to injury. Why is this, and how can you prevent the stresses of everyday life from causing you bodily harm? When you experience stress, your body does a few things that naturally put you at an increased risk of injury. First, stress causes your nerves to function inefficiently. Second, stressful situations lead to higher levels of cortisol in the body, a hormone that inhibits muscle repair and immune system function. If you’re always dealing with stressful situations, then you’re constantly leaving your body open to physical injury. You can prevent injuries with all sorts of physical means, but if you fail to address your mental and emotional health, you’ll still be at a heightened risk. While you might not be able to prevent every stressful situation from ever happening, you can control how you react when one does occur. A few simple things you can do to prevent mental stress are to get enough sleep, maintain a healthy diet, and drink plenty of water. If any of these basic stress inhibitors are absent from your daily routine, focus on incorporating them in to alleviate

some of your stress. That said, practicing simple breathing exercises or another form of meditation can also be helpful, especially if you’re looking for a physical way to mentally unwind after a stressful day. While learning about how much stress hurts you can be even more stressful, you can find some peace knowing that with a few simple changes to your routine, you can prevent your stress from causing physical injury.

DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND KEEP YOUR BODY MOVING

HOW HIIT BENEFITS PEOPLE OF ALL AGES

occurs as people age. Energizing cells through HIIT benefits everyone, but these workouts can be of particular benefit to those over age 65. Seniors experience diminishing returns on energy produced by their bodies at a cellular level, and HIIT has been shown to reverse that process even in advanced age. HIIT workouts also have many other advantages for people of all ages. The exercises don’t necessarily require any equipment, and you can even see results from adding high-intensity intervals to daily walks. Those with health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, can still participate in HIIT. In fact, Healthline reports that HIIT workouts can reduce heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar. However, the biggest draw to HIIT exercises is just how much of a timesaver they are. A few minutes of high-intensity movement can be just as beneficial as roughly 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise. You can incorporate HIIT exercises into whatever activities you enjoy, such as walking, cardio exercises, and strength training. If you’re affected by weak joints, you can incorporate HIIT into lower impact exercises, such as swimming or cycling. If you want to feel energized while doing the things you love, then HIIT just might be something you want to try. Just remember to keep a steady pace and don’t overdo it!

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is one of the best ways to burn fat, build muscle, and give yourself a better chance at a longer, healthier life. HIIT workouts are characterized by brief periods (30 seconds to a few minutes) of high-intensity exercise, followed by periods of low- or moderate-intensity exercise. However, what makes these workouts truly remarkable is just how much they can benefit people in every age group. According to Mayo Clinic research, HIIT workouts provide unique benefits to the body on a cellular level. The brief, vigorous exercises actually increase your metabolism and improve the health of mitochondria, the powerhouses that create energy within the cells. By energizing your cells, you can actually reverse the decline in muscle health that

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FOODS FOR A FASTER RECOVERY THE NUTRIENTS YOU NEED DURING PHYSICAL THERAPY

Attending your physical therapy appointments and doing your at-home exercises as instructed by your PT are crucial parts of your recovery process. However, they’re not the only important steps you should take. What you eat can affect how quickly and well you heal just as much as your dedication to your exercises. By incorporating a few of these foods into your diet, you can heal faster and come back stronger than ever before. Omega-3 Fatty Acids There are three phases to the healing process: inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. While you might think that inflammation is a bad thing, it’s actually a normal and necessary part of healing. That said, you should still try to reduce inflammation, as it can be harmful in excess. Foods containing omega-3 fatty acids do wonders to control inflammation. Plus, our bodies can’t make omega-3 fatty acids naturally, so we have to get them from what we consume. Foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids include

Protein-Rich Meats, Nuts, and Dairy Products When it comes to the proliferation and remodeling stages of healing, healthy sources of protein are the way to go. Lean meats like poultry and fish are easy sources of protein, but if you don’t eat meat, you can also get protein from beans, eggs, nuts, and dairy products. Protein-rich foods will help heal muscles and bones and prevent muscle atrophy. It’s incredible what the body can do with just a few intentionally consumed superfoods!

fatty fish, olive oil, avocados, pecans, walnuts, and almonds.

Antioxidant-Rich Fruits and Vegetables Along with omega-3 fatty acids, the antioxidants from fruits and vegetables can also go a long way in reducing inflammation. Broccoli contains vitamins A, C, and K, as well as folic acid and several different minerals. ( Pro Tip: Cook your broccoli to maximize these nutrients!) Citrus fruits and peppers have high levels of vitamin C, and peppers have high levels of beta- carotene as well. Additionally, turmeric and garlic work wonders during the healing process.

EASY STUFFED SWEET POTATOES

TAKE A BREAK!

Inspired by EatingWell.com

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tsp cumin • 1 tsp coriander • 3/4 tsp salt • 1/4 cup sour cream • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• 4 medium sweet potatoes • 1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed • 2 medium tomatoes, diced • 1 tbsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. With a fork, prick each sweet potato a few times. Microwave the potatoes on high 12–15 minutes, or until cooked through. 2. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the beans, tomatoes, olive oil, cumin, coriander, and salt. When the potatoes are done, microwave the mixture on high for 2–3 minutes. 3. Cool potatoes slightly, then cut each potato open lengthwise. Pull the halves apart to create space to spoon the warm bean salsa inside. 4. Add a scoop of sour cream to each potato, garnish with cilantro, and serve!

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

915-562-8525 | www.SpineRehab.net 6358 Edgemere Blvd. El Paso, Texas 79925

1. COVER TITLE 1. 3 QUARANTINE TIPS FROM THE MOVEMENT EXPERTS 2. HOW MENTAL STRESS CAUSES PHYSICAL INJURIES HOW HIIT BENEFITS PEOPLE OF ALL AGES 3. THE NUTRIENTS YOU NEED DURING PHYSICAL THERAPY EASY STUFFED SWEET POTATOES 4. 3 ONLINE WORKOUT PLATFORMS YOU SHOULD TRY INSIDE THIS ISSUE

FEEL THE BURN FROM YOUR LIVING ROOM 3 ONLINE WORKOUT PLATFORMS TO TRY RIGHT NOW

routines to your phone and follow along with them in your backyard or at the park, all for just $20 a month. P.volve While P.volve only has around 200 workouts available through its online platform right now, new videos are being added every week. If you’re looking for resistance-based, high- intensity, low-impact workouts, this is the platform for you. You can customize a workout plan based on which body parts you want to strengthen and even buy optional equipment to use at home. Get access to the entire fitness library for a monthly fee of $20 or save by paying an annual fee of $135 at Pvolve.com. Tone It Up Tone It Up is more of a fitness community than a workout program,

Your living room might not be the most conducive environment for a good workout. But as the world continues to grapple with the effects of the coronavirus, working out at the gym, or any other public facility, is out of the question for many of us. Fortunately, you can still work up a sweat from home with the right workout videos for a fraction of the cost of a monthly gym membership. Here are a few worth your time and money! Alo Moves Alo is one of the most prominent outfitters for yoga lovers everywhere, but the workout routines offered through Alo Moves go beyond just yoga and meditation. Whether you’re new to working out or a seasoned fitness buff, you can find thousands of workout routines to follow along with on AloMoves.com. You can even download

but the website still offers a variety of both free and paid workouts plus a paid nutrition plan. Try high-intensity interval training (HIIT), cardio, a total- body workout, or one geared toward specific body parts, like abs or glutes. Through the Studio Tone It Up app, which costs $15, you can get additional workouts delivered to you weekly. Even if they’re not what you’re used to, doing these online workouts can ensure you don’t lose the fitness you’ve worked so hard to gain. Try one of them today!