How is your posture? Posture is an important part of everyday life that many of us tend not to focus on – Do you slouch in your desk chair, or slump at your computer while you do work? When you stand for prolonged periods of time, do you notice your stomach sticking out a bit? These are all signs of core muscle weakness that can affect your posture and cause pain in your back or neck.
Health+Fitness N E W S L E T T E R
CORE CURRICULUM IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH BY STRENGTHENING YOUR CORE
Exercise Essentials Try These Exercises You Can Do Indoors
Work Your Body 5 Tips to Strengthen Your Core
Summer Nutrition Helpful Tips for A Healthy Summer
Health+Fitness N E W S L E T T E R
IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH BY STRENGTHENING YOUR CORE CURRICULUM CORE
How is your posture? Posture is an important part of everyday life that many of us tend not to focus on – Do you slouch in your desk chair, or slump at your computerwhile you dowork?When you stand for prolonged periods of time, do you notice your stomach sticking out a bit? These are all signs of core muscleweakness that can affect your posture and cause pain in your back or neck. Your core muscles help you do a lot – from sitting, to walking, to doing a large number of physical activities. If your core muscles are weak, you may unknowingly be causing some damage to your body. Contact Iberia Sports & Rehab, today to figure out howwe can help you strengthen your core muscles and improve your overall health.
WHAT EXACTLY ARE THE CORE MUSCLES? When most people think of core muscles, they immediately think of the abdominals. However, the core is made up of muchmore than that! In fact, your core muscles include your abdominal, lower back, pelvic, and gluteus muscles. The group of muscles that make up your core help with stabilizing your body, constructing your posture, and allowing your skeleton to move properly.When anyof themuscleswithin that group becomeweak, your body experiences an instability that makes it difficult for your body to function properly. As a result, you end up compensating by straining different areas of the body, most commonly the back and neck muscles. As a result, this leads to undesirable consequences, such as poor posture, fatigue, inflammation, or pain
HOW CAN I STRENGTHEN MY CORE MUSCLES?
When you are experiencing pain, sometimes it is necessary to seek the assistance of a trained professional in the field of human movement. At Iberia Sports & Rehab, our licensed physical therapists will conduct a physical evaluation to determine where the pain is rooted and what muscles must be strengthened in order to correct it. Whether you are feeling pain in your back, neck, shoulders, or legs, we will perform a thorough analysis of your posture, movement, and strength to pinpoint exactlywhat is causing your pain. From there, we will create an individualized treatment plan for you based on your specific needs, aimed at strengthening your core, improving your posture, and alleviating your pain.
ARE YOU READY FOR A PAIN-FREE L I FE? CALL 37. 367. 3331 TO SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY !
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TIPS S T R ONG E R C O R E 5
earlier, allowing you to wake up feeling refreshed the next day. By taking a walk for at least 30 minutes every day, you can get better sleep at night, in addition to improving your strength, flexibility, and heart health. 4. EATING NUTRITIOUS MEALS. If you are in pain, it is incredibly important to eat the right foods. Apoor diet can aggravate your pain by causing further inflammation, especially when eatingprocessedor fried foods. Instead,make it ahabit to eatvegetables, fruits, and lean protien. It is also important to drink a lot of water, as dehydration candryout your tissues. Keep a glass ofwaterbyyourdesk and refill it during the day so you (and your tissues) stay hydrated. 5. GETTING EXPERT HELP. The best solution for your back or neck pain is to restore proper movement, strength, and coordination formaximumresults.At Iberia Sports & Rehab, our physical therapists are here to help you improve your function and relieve your pain. If you are looking to strengthen your core, relieve your pain, and improve your overall health, contact us today!
There are also a fewtipsyou cando onyourown, eitherbeforePTtreatments or in combination with them, in order to strengthen your core and relieve your pain. These include: 1. IMPROVING YOUR POSTURE. Make sure to stand up frequently, at least every 30 minutes, and vary your positions ofwork throughout theday.Aimto correctyourposturewhen sitting and standing, making adjustments as needed. 2. AVOIDING INJURY. Make sure you know the proper way to lift, bend, and pick up objects, even if they are not heavy. It is important to lift with your legs, rather than your back. Our experts can showyouproperbodymechanicswith everyday tasks. 3. GETTING ADEQUATE REST AND EXERCISE. Everydaytakes a toll onyourbody, even ifyoudon’t realize it. Sleepdeprivation canactuallyworsenyourpain tolerance anddecreaseyour strength. Relaxing and sleeping helps your body to rejuvenate after a long day, and those hours before 12 a.m. are especially important. Exercising can help you fall asleep
CAN’ T GET TO THE GYM? TRY THESE EXERCISES AT HOME!
CURL UP Lie on back with one leg straight. The other leg is bent with the foot flat on the ground. Position your hands underneath your lower back. Tuck your chin and lift your shoulder blades off the ground slightly. Return to the start position in a controlled manner.
SINGLE LEG & ARM DEADLIFT Stand on one leg, dumbbell in the opposite hand as the stance leg. Keeping your pelvis facing forward, bend at the hip andmove your non-stance leg up and behind you. Your stance kneewill bend slightly. Point your toes towards your stance foot to help keep your hips from opening up. From this position, rise up from the hips. Repeat exercise 6-8 times.
FRONT PLANK FOREARMS & FEET Lie on your stomachwith elbows bent. Your legs should be straight out behind youwith your feet together. Raise up on your forearms and toes. Create a nice straight line with your body from your head to your heels. Concentrate on tucking your pelvic to engage your abs, squeezing your glutes and quads to keep your legs straight, and squeezing your legs together as you hold. Hold for 20 seconds and repeat 3 times.
Helpful Nutrition Tips for A HEALTHY SUMMER Kick Off Your Summer With These Fresh Tips
Summer weekends at the beach, backyard barbecues, andoutdoordinners arefinallyhere, but these gatherings are often loadedwithhigh- calorie pasta salads, chips, ice cream, cocktails and beers. Enjoyyourwarmweather favorites while keeping your nutrition in check with the tips below. 1.Drinkgreentea insteadof sweet tea. Green tea has a natural component that helps speed up your metabolism. Skip the box tea and opt for the brew-it-yourselfwith boilingwater and a tea-bag-type tea. 2. Serve seafood. Summer is the ideal time to get the freshest catch from your local grocer. Grill salmon, tuna, lobster, steamer clams, and calamari fora low-calorie, protein-packed lunch or dinner. 3. Don’t skip breakfast. When you wake up in the morning, your body is running on fumes. Eating a breakfast with protein, carbs, andhealthy fat kicksyourmetabolisminto high gear and provides energy for the day. 4. Enjoysummerfruitsandveggies. It’s easy to sink into a vegetable rut, eating the same boring veggies week after week, but with
summer comes fresh choices. Including a mix of in-season colorful veggies inyourmeals gives your body a nutrient kick. 5. Snack at work. Bring snacks to work and graze throughout the day. When you eat more often—five to six times per day—you’re far less likelytoovereat andmore likelytostayenergized. 6.Hydrateoften. The summerheatmakesyou more susceptible to dehydration. Start offyour day by drinking two glasses of water and keep drinkingat eachmeal, aswell as beforeandafter yourworkout, to stay hydrated. Carry a water bottlewithyou as a reminder to stayhydrated. 7. Recoverwithapost-workout shake. After exercising, blend your favorite summer fruits and a scoop of whey protein into a shake to kickstart themuscle-buildingprocess, helpyour body recover from training, and boost your energy levels. 8.Pre-planyourmeals. Youplanyourweekend getaways and activities for summer. Why not yourmeals?Make it easybypreparingall ofyour food on Sunday so that you have enoughmeals for theweek. The best part: You’ll save money. http://www.coreperformance.com/daily/live-better/15-nutriton-tips-for- a-healthy-summer.html
TRY THIS REFRESHING HEALTHY RECIPE! INGREDIENTS • 2 cups unsweetened Greek yogurt • 1 cup pineapple chunks • 1 orange • 1-2 tsp. vanilla extract • 1 tbsp. honey DIRECTIONS In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine all ingredients. Process until completely smooth. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze until solid. Try swapping the orange with different fruit. Serves 6. *Blend in spinach for a boost of greens.
FITNESS IN THE SUMMER WORKOUT SAFELY THIS SEASON!
Put the cool factor back into yourworkout routine with these tricks this summer! Always remember to stay hydrated and listen to your body to avoid dehydration or stressing any muscles. 1. Adjust your body temperature. Hop into a cold shower before your workout. Studies show that a pre-exercise cool down improves performance in the heat —probably because it lowers your heart rate as well as core and skin temperatures. 2. Get the dirt. Try to walk, run, or cycle on dirt or gravel paths, since asphalt and concrete tend to radiate heat and reflect the sun’s rays, making you feel hotter. Live near water? Take advantage of the breeze on even steamy days;
if possible, start out with the wind at your back, so when you’re finishing you’ll be running into a headwind, which feels cooler. 3. Summarize your intervals. To keep your fitness level up, do your regular cardioat a slightly slower pace, but add in 30-second speed bursts every three to fiveminutes. You’ll maintain your conditioning and burn more calories without having to go all-out the entire time. 4. Refuel with fruit. They’re more than 80 percent water, so fruits such as grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew are a tasty way to replenish fluids and boost your energy post-workout. Keep themfrozen or grind them into a smoothie for a refreshing treat!
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