August 2019
MONTHLY MOMENTS Bettina’s
Every day I see patients suffering from pelvic pain and dysfunction, and every day I help them gain a little more freedom from pain, immobility, or incontinence. There is no common factor that describes all my patients: young, old, male, female, active, or sedentary. It is a problem that can afflict anyone, about 1 in 4 women over the age of 20 and 1 in 10 men. Pelvic dysfunction comes in many forms, and it can be hard to talk about or share; however, even a slight discomfort or dysfunction now, left untreated, can grow into a serious problem. When in doubt, share, and ask your therapist what is normal, so you can be sure you are operating at optimal health. We want to hear about what ails you, so we can hear about how much better you are doing later. We are here to help you live your best life.
TheMagicalPull of thePool H ow to T ake the E xperience up a N otch
It’s no secret kids love water. When the summer heat waves peak, kids in bright bathing suits charge through sprinklers, shoot down hose-powered Slip ‘N Slides, and take turns perfecting their cannonballs at the neighborhood pool. This affinity for water is particularly powerful when they’re small; the single word “pool” can inspire them to eat broccoli or even clean up their rooms. But what makes the water so alluring? Susan Brown, an assistant director and parent educator at Commonwealth Parenting, has a theory. “I like to think of children’s fingers as if there are little brains on the tip of each finger,” Brown wrote in an article for Community Idea Stations. “When these little brains get stimulated through play, neurons begin to fire. This firing of neurons excites the brain, causing it to grow bigger, stronger, and more facile, setting the brain up for higher levels of cognition. One of the simplest ways to provide sensory play is through water activities.” In other words, kids love water because splashing around in it is literally helping their brains grow. For busy parents, this is a blessing: Letting the kids loose at the pool under the eye of an experienced lifeguard can be an ideal way to keep the summer fun rolling for kids and adults alike. Follow the tips below to enrich the pool experience for your kids and get those neurons firing. SPLASHTASTIC POOL TOYS If your kids are old enough for regular pool visits, it’s a good bet you already have a pile of perpetually damp inner tubes and pool noodles in your garage. Still, if you want to cement
–Bettina Neumann
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TAKE TO THE ROAD In the mind of an 8-year-old, the only thing better than a trip to the pool is a vacation to the beach or trip to the waterpark. While this option requires more investment than buying a handful of pool toys, it comes with significant upsides: Beaches and waterparks cater to all age groups, and the memories you make will last for years to come.
your “cool parent” status, try upping your pool toy game. The options are endless: Sea-SawWater Rockers, Boat House Floating Habitats, underwater diving sticks, and many others. Stop by your local big box store or visit Amazon.com to browse the bounty. GAMES FOR ALL OCCASIONS Once you’re fully stocked with pool toys, the next step is to make swim time competitive. Water sports equipment, like floating basketball hoops and volleyball nets, can keep kids occupied for hours, and brave parents can even snag waterborne trampolines or Starfighter Super Squirters — inflatable command posts that seat one kid each, complete with squirt guns —which are perfect for aquatic squirt gun battles. Just be sure to keep your distance from the pool, or else you’re likely to get soaked, too. MAKE IT A PARTY If you’re lucky enough to have a backyard or neighborhood pool, all it takes is a pack of brats on the grill, a huge bowl of sliced watermelon, and a few neighbors in attendance to turn a simple pool visit into a summer extravaganza. Let your kids invite their friends, offer up some s’mores, and you’re guaranteed extra “cool” points. JOIN THE FUN The younger your kids are, the more they’ll want you to jump in the pool with them. Not only is swimming together an excellent bonding experience, but it’s also the perfect way to cool off and stay in shape for the summer.
THE BEST MEAL OF THE DAY 3 Ways to Make Your Next Breakfast Your Best Breakfast!
Breakfast is the meal that fuels your brain and body for the day ahead, so why not make it the best meal of the day? There are simple tweaks that can make your home-cooked breakfast the best breakfast you’ve ever had. Put away the cereal and bust out the skillet because things are about to get truly delicious. Read on! THE SILKIEST SCRAMBLED EGGS There are many methods for achieving great scrambled eggs, but how does one create the best eggs? The secret is air. In the words of Bob Ross, you have to“beat the devil out of ’em.”Start by cracking a few eggs into a bowl (and add a pinch of salt and pepper, if desired). With a whisk, beat them until smooth. The eggs should start to look light and airy. Then, pour the eggs into a skillet set to medium-low heat . Continue to whisk for a fewmore seconds. Then, with a spatula, turn the eggs as they begin to curdle. They are done the instant no runny liquid remains. Quickly remove them from heat when they look just underdone and still moist. THE CRISPIEST BACON Cooking bacon can be a messy chore with a lot of cleanup. If you want to avoid this — and still end up with delicious bacon — start cooking
bacon in the oven. All you need is a baking tray and a wire rack that fits in the tray. Start by heating your oven to 350 F. While it heats, line the tray with foil, insert the rack, and lay the bacon over the rack. Cook the bacon for about 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it after about the 10-minute mark to check for your ideal doneness. If you want meatier bacon, take it out just as it starts to brown evenly. If you want crispy bacon, give it a few more minutes. Using this method, the bacon is perfectly cooked, and you have no grease splatters to clean up! THE FLUFFIEST PANCAKES Say goodbye to packaged pancake mix, because if you want the best results, you need to start from scratch. The recipe you’ll want to use comes from The Kitchn. The recipe is Lofty Buttermilk Pancakes. Take care to note that the yolks and whites of the eggs are incorporated separately into the batter; the result is an incredibly fluffy pancake. Here’s another secret: This method of separating the yolk and whites can be applied to almost any pancake recipe. Just be sure to follow the Lofty Buttermilk Pancake recipe method for consistent results.
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SWEAT SMART
Which Workout Will Help You Meet Your Goals?
With hot yoga, barre, Pilates, weightlifting, kickboxing, and more, personal fitness companies offer every workout you need to stay in shape. But sometimes, having dozens of choices can be more anxiety-inducing than having just a few. When it comes to finding the right workout to help you reach your goal, whether it’s weight loss, better balance, or more muscle, it’s best to seek advice from the experts. DROP IT LIKE A POUND When it comes to weight loss, full-body workouts, like swimming, running, and cycling, are the most effective. “The more muscles you have to incorporate, the more calories you’re going to burn because those muscles all require energy in order to work,”Nike Master Trainer Holly Rilinger told SELF magazine. Regardless of the activity you choose, Rilinger recommends interval training as the best method. By combining bursts of intense effort with periods of active rest, you can keep your heart rate jumping and those calories burning. WAX ON, WAX OFF The words “balance” and “workout” are generally associated with yoga, and while it’s true that yogis are champions of standing on one foot, so are martial artists. According to an article published by the martial arts academy chain Evolve MMA, “Martial arts works out the entire body, from the base, to the upper torso, to the all-important core ... Practicing martial arts will improve your balance, which then, of course, improves the quality of your life.” By incorporating martial arts and yoga into
your workout regimen, you’ll be able to perform impressive party tricks and stay on your feet if you lose your balance.
DO YOU EVEN LIFT, BRO? For building muscle and increasing your strength, nothing beats weightlifting, whether you’re using dumbbells at home or machines at the gym. Lifting weights also helps burn fat. Speaking with SELF, Rilinger called the practice “the mother of all weight loss techniques, the highest in the workout food chain, the top of the totem pole.” Of course, the most important thing to consider when choosing a workout is whether you enjoy it enough to squeeze it into your schedule. If you resent every drop of sweat, it will undoubtedly take you longer to reach your goal than if you look forward to the challenge.
Take a Break!
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Bettina’s Monthly Moments PAGE 1 Becoming the Cool Pool Parent PAGE 1 Quick Tips for the Best Breakfast Ever PAGE 2 Find the Right Workout for You PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Physical Therapy Is for MoreThan Injuries PAGE 4
BEYOND THE BREAK
Physical Therapy Helps With Stroke Recovery, Parkinson’s, and More
In TV dramas, physical therapists often urge the hero back into action. Usually, their patient has suffered some dramatic injury, like breaking every bone in the right side of their body or losing a leg to a rampaging horse. And while many physical therapists do specialize in helping athletes recover from injuries, applications for the practice go well beyond that stereotype. People battling the aftereffects of a stroke or suffering from long-term ailments like Parkinson’s disease can also benefit from regular physical therapy sessions. In fact, the National Stroke Association lists a physical therapist as a vital member of any stroke recovery team, placing them alongside experts like dietitians, psychiatrists, neurologists, and speech- language pathologists. In those cases, physical therapists are on hand to help stroke survivors with movement and balance issues and to recommend exercises that rebuild
strong muscles for walking, standing, and other everyday activities.
like multiple sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease, by slowing the disease’s progress and making the people who have them more capable and comfortable. Of course, treatments vary on a case-to-case basis, so be sure to consult your doctor before starting PT.
Parkinson’s disease afflicts the central nervous system and makes movement difficult, and its symptoms can also be mitigated by physical therapy. Denise Padilla-Davidson, a Johns Hopkins physical therapist who treats people with Parkinson’s, recommends PT to her patients for improving their balance, strength, and flexibility. Specifically, bike or elliptical exercises can help those with Parkinson’s remaster reciprocal patterns (movements from side to side or left to right). There’s also a form of therapy called LSVT BIG, which involves performing exaggerated physical movements, and it can help those with the disease stave off hypokinesia, which is the decrease of movement that becomes more severe as Parkinson’s progresses.
Similar physical therapy programs can be adapted for those with other chronic diseases,
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