From Our Blog

Health and Wellness – Health and Wellness

Stay Pain-Free This Fall: How To Avoid Body Aches & Pains On Chilly Fall Days

Navigating Fall’s Chilly Temperatures As early fall rolls in, we’re met with crisp, chilly mornings and cool evenings. For many people, especially athletes and those engaging in outdoor activities, these sudden temperature drops can cause unwanted aches, pains, and stiffness in muscles and joints. In this article, we’ll explore how to prevent pain as the […]

Feeling Fall Fatigue? 5 Tips To Stay Energized, Active, & Pain-Free

Understanding Fall Fatigue & Its Effects As summer fades and the days shorten, many of us feel the shift in our routines and notice more pain in our bodies. However, by making a few easy changes to your daily routine, you can manage these changes and stay comfortable. Let’s dive into how to keep pain […]

Fall Into Fitness: How To Be Active During Your Cozy Activities

Fall Fitness: Time To Cozy Up and Move! As the days grow shorter and the temperatures drop, there’s something so inviting about curling up at home with a warm drink, a cozy blanket, and your favorite shows. However, staying active during fall is essential for both physical health and mental well-being. Yes, it’s still important […]

Understanding Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Symptoms and Treatment

What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)? Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a complex and debilitating disease whose cause is unknown, although it is thought to be associated with various viral infections. What we do know is that CFS is often linked to various viral infections. If you’re dealing with CFS, you’re not just dealing with […]

Eating For Energy: Summer Nutrition Tips For Active Days In The Heat

Summer’s here, bringing sweltering heat and endless opportunities for outdoor fun. Whether you’re hiking, playing beach volleyball, swimming, or simply basking in the sunshine, it’s essential to fuel your body properly to keep your energy up and beat the heat. Let’s dive into some refreshing and practical tips to help you stay nourished, keep cool, […]

Overheating During Exercise—Must Know Signs & Strategies!

Many of us relish the intense, energizing feeling that comes with exercise, but we fail to think about the dangers of overheating, particularly during high-intensity exercises. While it’s normal for body temperature to rise when we exercise, it’s crucial to pay attention to safety and good practices to prevent overheating. Symptoms of Overheating During Exercise […]

Best Exercises For Osteoporosis: The Guide

It wasn’t long ago that the only treatment for osteoporosis was taking medications along with calcium and vitamin D supplements. Current thinking, however, suggests that weight-bearing exercises are a vital component of osteoporosis treatment. In this comprehensive guide, we discuss the best exercises for osteoporosis and which ones are right for you. What Are Weight-Bearing […]

Get Kids Moving: 10 Fun Outdoor Adventures

As physical therapy experts, we can’t stress enough the importance of outdoor activities for kids, especially in today’s digital age. In this article, we’ve curated a selection of exhilarating outdoor adventures designed to stimulate not just their bodies, but also their minds and spirits. These activities go beyond the typical sports-centric lists, focusing instead on […]

Help! My Back Hurts When I Travel

Traveling can be a harsh reminder that the spine was not designed for long hours of sitting. Do you get back pain while traveling? Likely, especially if you travel frequently. You’ve probably felt the pain and stiffness that come with extended periods of sitting down in a car or airplane. However, there’s good news! By […]

Back Pain Exercises: Your Road to Relief

Discover Relief with Back Pain Exercises Are you tired of dealing with back pain? You’re not alone. Incorporating targeted back pain exercises into your routine can be a real game-changer. In this guide, we’ll explore effective exercises aimed at providing relief and strengthening your back muscles. Let’s dive in! Back Pain Relief Exercises Stretching for […]

Traveling With Kids: An Essential Guide

Traveling with kids can be a whirlwind of fun, but it can also come with its fair share of stress. Because of this, it can take savvy planning to keep everyone happy and healthy. In this essential guide, we’ll cover key tips for traveling with kids, so you can enjoy your summer vacation stress-free. Essentials […]

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas: Health & Wellness

If you’re scratching your head for last-minute Mother’s Day gift ideas, we’ve got you covered! This year, let’s show our appreciation by gifting something that screams ‘self-care’ and ‘you-time.’ Here is a lineup of health and wellness gift ideas that not only pamper, but also prioritize the well-being of the special women in our lives. […]

Mobility Exercises & Progressions

Previously, we discussed mobility exercises and the importance of improving mobility. Now it’s time to kick it up a notch! This time around, we’re diving into some progressions that’ll take your flexibility and movement to the next level. In this article, we’ll cover: Shoulder mobility exercises Neck mobility exercises Ankle mobility exercises Hip mobility exercises […]

How To Improve Mobility

Learning how to improve mobility can boost your overall health and well-being, whether you’re aiming for better sports performance, bouncing back from an injury, or just wanting to improve overall movement. In this guide, we’ll explore the various aspects of mobility and provide practical tips and exercises to improve mobility. The Importance of Mobility in […]

Relieve Stress With Exercise

We all know the importance of exercise in our lives. Exercise keeps our body, soul, and brain, healthy. And now you can relieve stress with exercise without ever leaving your home. In fact, adults who exercise regularly have lower rates of getting any kind of mental illness. Different types of exercise, like breathing techniques and […]

How To Stay Active While Working From Home

Whether you work from home or your office, the question of how to stay active can be a challenging one. It becomes increasingly important as many jobs require sitting behind a desk for what feels like infinite hours during the work week. Actually, it has been determined that desk workers sit for more than 1,000 […]

Add Physical Therapy To Your 2024 Health Plan

Add Physical Therapy To Your 2024 Health Plan The new year is upon us and it’s time to kick off our health and fitness resolutions with a plan that includes Physical Therapy. Why include PT? As physical therapists, we are uniquely qualified to evaluate physical changes in your body that could potentially lead to pain […]

Exercise Your Way to Better Sleep

Exercise Your Way to Better Sleep Do you have trouble falling asleep at night? Do you wake up in the middle of the night and find yourself unable to get back to sleep? You are not alone. More than one-third of adults in the United States report either trouble falling asleep or daytime drowsiness. Not […]

Raking Tips To Help You Avoid Injury

Essential Tips For Injury-Free Yard Work Autumn In Action: The Beauty and The Demands of Fall It’s peak Fall season again – time for hot chocolate and bonfires as we watch the leaves turn. Our homes feel cozier this time of year as we prepare for holidays and the arrival of loved ones. However, autumn […]

Exercise: Working Out the Details

Why is it recommended that you work out three to five times a week? For decades, experts have known that working out helps to do more than just promote weight loss. It alleviates stress, helps to lower cholesterol, promotes joint health and keeps your blood pressure low. In many ways, these benefits overshadow any weight […]

Mastering Posture: What Is the Best Workout for Posture?

Exercise Your Way To Better Posture In this article, we’ll discuss what posture is, why it’s important, and the best exercises to include in your workout for posture improvement. First, what is posture and why is it important? Posture refers to how your body holds itself—primarily when standing, but also in sitting or even lying […]

Pre-Workout Nutrition for Optimal Performance

When we workout, our bodies require fuel to support energy production within the muscle tissues. Unsurprisingly, the food we eat directly supports these bioenergetic pathways! Proper pre-workout nutrition can greatly boost your performance while delaying fatigue and soreness. However, there are a few important considerations, including what, when and how much to eat or drink, […]

Recovering Movement After Back Surgery

Following back surgery, many patients experience a mix of relief and anxiety regarding what’s to come. Between stories that we hear from our friends, to sometimes unclear recovery timelines, the road to being 100% is not always straight forward. That’s why having the right clinicians in your corner can make a world of difference. In […]

Shed The Winter Weight

Are you struggling to find the motivation to get back on your workout program and shed the winter weight? You’re not alone! Many of us find ourselves with unwanted pounds after long winter months filled with holiday parties and yummy foods. But worry not: we have ideas for ALL levels of athletes, from walking to […]

10 Ergonomic Gardening Tools

Gardening is a great way to relax the mind, but it can be very physically demanding, leaving you achy and sore. But don’t give up a good habit just yet! With the use of ergonomic gardening tools, you can enjoy a pain-free gardening experience. In this article, we’ll delve into the advantages of using the […]

Keys to Healthy Lifting and Carrying

From grocery bags to gardening supplies, having the proper lifting and carrying technique can be the difference between making memories and sustaining an injury. We all know to “bend with your legs, not your back!” but is there more to healthy lifting and carrying of heavy objects? Your “lifting” muscles Let’s keep it simple, what […]

Gardening Posture and Injury Prevention

Spring has sprung, and many of us are eager to get back to our gardens. The joy of seeing your flowers bloom and vegetables ripen is unbeatable. But, amidst all the excitement, have you ever stopped to think, “What’s the best gardening posture?” In this article, we’ll explore the importance of proper gardening posture and […]

From Recovery To Performance

Often times, as our patients reach the end of their treatment with us, one of the most common questions we get is: “What’s next? How do we go from recovery to performance?” In fact, the answer is simple: you need a plan based on your unique needs. That’s why we’re partnering with the DC Area’s […]

Ice or Heat? What To Do When You’re In Pain

Ice or Heat? A question our physical therapists get frequently asked is whether to use ice or heat to reduce muscle or joint pain. Truth is, it depends. Ice is for injuries and after activity and heat is for loosening and relaxing tissues, used before activity. While the suggestions below apply to most people, it […]

Working From Home Pain-Free

Does this working from home position look familiar? Truth us, we know that with this “new normal” and many of us working from home, new neck pains and back pains are GOING to happen. But, how can we prevent them? And how can we find relief once the pain has already set in? If your […]

The Cost Of Being Sedentary

While it might be easy to list off all of the benefits of exercising, we don’t typically talk about the cost of being sedentary. In fact, a recent study published in JAMA followed over 100,000 adults for more than 8 years and measured their fitness using a treadmill. The participants were arranged by age and […]

Stay Active While Social Distancing

Let’s face it: most of us never expected the pandemic to go this long. As we try to avoid crowds and stick to the guidelines, how can we stay active while social distancing? The good news is that recent research shows gyms to be overwhelmingly safe places. But the numbers also show that many of […]

How To Fit Exercise Into A Busy Schedule

Research has consistently shown that exercise produces a number of benefits, ranging from improved mood to better strength and cardiovascular health; however, with a hectic lifestyle, figuring out how to fit exercise into a busy schedule can be a daunting task. Balancing the demands of work, family, and personal commitments while prioritizing health can be […]

In Flight Exercise: Staying Healthy in the Air

In Flight Exercise: Staying Healthy in the Air We all know that sitting down for extended periods of time, particularly in a cramped airplane seat, isn’t good for you. In fact, the media has paid a great deal of attention to the risk of passengers developing Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) in flight. Although some reports […]

Shed Those Extra Holiday Pounds

Shed Those Extra Holiday Pounds The holidays are here once again, with all their edible temptations that we can barely resist. “This year I’ll do better!” While we always encourage our patients to ‘live a little’, the truth is that most of us feel an urgent need to get back on the horse after the […]

Gifts for Fitness-Minded Friends

Gifts for Fitness-Minded Friends This Holiday Season, getting the perfect gift can be quite the challenge, especially if the recipient is involved in fitness activities. Let’s face it: gym attire and workout equipment can be hard to buy for someone other than ourselves. What do they like to wear? How much weight can they lift? […]

Stay Fit During Holiday Travels: Your Essential Guide

How To Stay Fit During Holiday Travels While many people worry about staying fit and healthy during the holidays, doing so can be particularly challenging if you are traveling. On the road, most of us eat our meals in restaurants or at hotel buffets. That, combined with a break from your usual fitness routine and […]

How Much Sleep Do I Actually Need?

We all know that nutrition and exercise are important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but sleep is often overlooked. As kids get ready to go back to school and our daily schedules get more demanding, how much sleep do we actually need to stay healthy? According to research, it depends on your age. The National […]

How to Create an Ergonomic Study Space for Your Child

Creating an Ergonomic School Space At Home Setting up a comfortable and healthy study space for your child can make a big difference in their productivity and well-being. With many students spending considerable time on their laptops after school, ensuring that their study area is ergonomically friendly is essential. Here’s a guide to help you […]

Moving In May

Are you struggling to find a fitness routine that works for you? We have ideas for ALL levels of athletes, from walking to running and cross training. So, fill up your water bottles and let’s get you moving in May! Just getting started? To help you get started, we have come up with a few […]

Staying Warm During Winter

AVOID HYPOTHERMIA Spend more than a few minutes outside and you’ll agree that it’s not easy staying warm during winter. Thanks to the wind, sleet, and snow, our our bodies begin to lose heat faster than it can be produced. In fact, prolonged exposure to cold will eventually use up your body’s stored energy. The […]

Shovel Snow Safely

Snow Shoveling: A common cause of soft tissue injuries & low back pain Our patients ask us all the time: “how can I shovel snow safely? Hint: don’t be this guy. In fact, an average of 11,500 people are treated at ERs for injuries related to snow shoveling each year. The majority of the injuries […]

The 4 Stages of Recovery

Every injury, and every patient is unique. While most of us recover at approximately the same rate, the stages of recovery can look very different for each person. In fact, the latest research shows that Recovery can be classified in 4 stages.  These stages are: Acute, Sub-Acute, Late and Final. Let’s take a look at […]

Can I Exercise Safely with a Cold?

The average adult gets one to six colds every year, with symptoms lasting a week to 10 days. Should you let these colds interrupt your exercise routine? Probably not, as long as you pay attention to what your body tells you. So, how can you exercise safely with a cold? The general rule for exercising […]

Get the Skinny on Diets and Exercise

Diets and exercise go hand in hand for people who want to lose weight and maintain good health. High-protein diet and exercise programs, are popular because they generally provide fast results. This means, people generally experience faster weight loss than with diets featuring more carbohydrates. But is the high fat content of a mostly protein […]

Blood Clots: Don’t Bring Them on Your Holiday Trip

The coming holidays and winter breaks mean traveling for many people. But spending more than four hours in a car, bus, train or plane leaves you at moderate risk for blood clots in your legs caused by a lack of circulation. These can sometimes break free and travel to the lungs, causing a potentially fatal […]

EXERCISE IMPROVES LEARNING

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, e-learning platforms have quickly become the new norm. As a result, our kids will experience a sharp jump in their screen time. Screen time refers to how many hours per day your child spends in front of a screen, whether watching TV, playing video games, or using electronic devices. However, […]

Working Out in the Great Outdoors

Say your gym is expensive, and there are long waits to use certain exercise equipment. Maybe it is time to return to the basics and exercise outdoors. There is considerable evidence that an outdoor workout can be more beneficial than indoor exercise in several ways, especially to improve your mood and relieve stress. One reason […]

How To Combat Fatigue From Blood Pressure Medications

Does High Blood Pressure Medicine Make You Tired? If you answered “yes,” rest assured that you are not alone in feeling fatigue from blood pressure medications. This common side effect can be frustrating, especially when trying to maintain an active and energetic lifestyle. However, there are effective ways to manage and mitigate this fatigue. In […]

Build for a Healthy Retirement Now

Some good news for people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s who exercise and are fit: A long-term research study recently published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that the more fit you are during your midlife years, the lower your risk of developing chronic diseases in old age. This holds true for both […]

Climbing Stairs – One Step at a Time

Although going up the stairs may feel challenging, some people experience more pain going down. This is because your muscles have to work hard to control your weight as you descend. If you have suffered from knee problems in the past or continue to have problems, it is probably time to look at increasing strength […]

Using Physical Therapy for a Safer Run

Running may seem like a simple activity, one that results in many health benefits, but it can bring with it the risk of related injuries. This is especially true during the warm summer months, when outdoor running is more pleasurable. Fortunately, proper training can help to reduce this risk. Most running injuries occur from overtraining, […]

Fight Menstrual Problems with Diet and Exercise

There seems to be a great deal of talk nowadays about menstrual dysfunctions experienced by young women. Could the media-driven quest for the perfect body have caused a problem among women in this age group? Concern over their body image leads many young women to limit their food intake obsessively, preventing them from getting the […]

Working Out with Exercise-induced Asthma

Another name for exercise-induced asthma (EIA)—exercise-induced bronchoconstriction—is more descriptive of what your condition actually involves: The passages that carry air into and out of your lungs become constricted when you exercise, resulting in asthma symptoms, such as wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. These symptoms do not necessarily occur during exercise but usually […]

Born to Run Farther

As the days get longer, you may consider adding distance to your runs. What kind of plan should you follow to run farther and increase your endurance but to do so safely and prevent injury? The first rule to remember is that if you find it too difficult to complete a new distance level, do […]

Mononucleosis: Does Mono Mean No Exercise?

Answering: Does Mono Mean No Exercise? In this article, we’ll walk you through the key aspects of mononucleosis and answer whether having mono means taking a break from exercising. But first, what is Mononucleosis? Mononucleosis, often called “mono,” is a viral infection most commonly caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). It’s sometimes referred to as […]

Hit the Links in Better Shape

Whether scratch golfers or weekend duffers, most players want to improve their game and lower their score. But maximizing your golf game means more than just practicing regularly. By increasing your fitness, you can play with confidence and success. Your golf game depends on balance and stabilization, endurance, strength and power, and flexibility and coordination. […]

Vary Your Routine and Improve Your Fitness

Cross-training involves engaging in different types of physical activity and brings multiple benefits. It is an excellent way to prevent sports-related injuries, improve your skill in a variety of sports and improve your overall health—all while keeping workout boredom at bay. A good cross-training program improves all three elements of fitness: aerobic endurance, flexibility and […]

Safe Exercise for Patients with Diabetes

Exercise is as important for those with diabetes as it is for anyone else. The goal of most exercise regimens should be to work out at a moderate intensity for 30 minutes at least five days a week. Patients with diabetes, however, need to take several exercise-related precautions: If you already have problems with your […]

Keep Your Blood Pressure in Check

To lower the risk of high blood pressure, or hypertension, public health officials have urged Americans to reduce their salt intake. In addition to modifying your diet, however, a sensible exercise program is essential to control hypertension. Significant evidence reveals that moderate exercise for as little as 30 minutes a day may lower blood pressure […]

Staying Active and Fit in Cooler Weather

While the summer months bring a flurry of outdoor activity and exercise, the cooler fall and winter months mean that you need to tweak your routine for the best results. Protecting yourself from the elements and keeping your program varied will help you maintain optimal fitness results, without compromising your safety and health. Most people […]

What Are Kettlebells? How Can They Help Me?

Kettlebells are cast iron balls about the size of bowling balls with a curved handle on one side. Ranging in weight from two to 100 pounds, they are used to promote functional, whole-body conditioning. Some models are designed so that additional weight can be added in small increments to create a progressive resistance regimen. Because […]

Getting the Right Amount of Exercise

How much exercise is enough? There is no one answer. Age, sex and current fitness level, along with risk factors such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and excessive weight, must be factored into the equation. All of these considerations may make it impractical to compare various fitness programs. But he following guidelines can help you […]

Alleviating Soreness During Car Rides

After a few hours in the car, your body may crack and creak, often painfully. What is it about a simple automobile ride that can cause such dreadful muscle soreness? You are at risk of developing soreness any time you stay in one position for an extended period of time. Some of the most common […]

Walking: An Effective Tool for Weight Loss and Maintenance

The simplest exercise available is placing one foot in front of the other and walking. Because this is something we do every day, it is often overlooked as a valuable tool for weight loss. A 140-pound person walking at a moderate pace for 20 minutes will burn approximately 92 calories while increasing heart rate, thus […]

Should You Use Weights While Walking?

You may think that carrying weights when you walk increases your calorie burn. But doing so increases your risk for injury. Think twice about holding weights when you walk—in many cases, you will burn more by just walking farther or faster. Even though it’s common to see people carrying weights as they walk, many experts […]

Core Reasons to Strengthen Your Core

Everyone seems to be talking about “core strengthening,” but many people don’t know what this phrase means. The body’s “core” refers to the muscles around the abdomen, pelvis, back, shoulders, chest and hips—the body’s center of gravity—all working together in a symphony of movement. As a result, it plays a role in virtually all activities. […]

Resuming Exercise After the Flu Bug

Flu season is in full swing, and along with the regular flu, the new H1N1 virus is infecting thousands of people. Influenza can be a serious illness. Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, body aches, sore throat , runny nose, dry cough and a general feeling of exhaustion and sickness . While the fever usually lasts […]

Managing your Holiday Stress

The physical consequences of unattended stress can be far reaching and, at some point, become more permanent than chronic. This holiday season keep yourself from over stressing by using our amazingly easy stress reducing techniques! LISTEN TO CLASSICAL MUSIC When overwhelmed take a break from the carols and listen to relaxing classical music. Playing calm […]

Pain at the Mall

As the outside temperatures drop, people contemplating undertaking an exercise program often consider walking at the mall. Benefits include a controlled climate, an absence of traffic, security and easily available restrooms and water. However, starting a new walking program can sometimes bring on shin splints, pain at the front of the lower leg. As the outside […]

Helping Your Spouse Adopt a Fitness Plan

You can’t open a newspaper these days without reading something about rising levels of obesity in America. You know that eating right is key.  You know that you have to exercise. But how can you convince your spouse? Many people tend to grow more sedentary after marriage. Between work and family commitments, fitness just falls […]

Trigger Point Dry Needling

Dry needling is a technique physical therapists can use  to treat myofascial pain. The technique uses a “dry” needle, one without medication or injection, inserted through the skin into areas of the muscle, known as trigger points. It helps to reduce pain, improve flexibility, and restore normalized movement when combined with corrective exercises. In addition, […]

Spring Into Fitness

As the days get warmer and longer, it is natural to want to spend more time outdoors. And outdoor summer sports provide the perfect opportunity to spice up your fitness routine. It is easy to transfer your indoor gym routine to the great outdoors. Tired of the treadmill? Go hiking. Head spinning from spinning class? […]

Staying Active with Diabetes

Virtually everyone—including people with diabetes—can benefit from being active rather than sedentary. In fact, exercise can have the same positive impact for people with type 2 diabetes as some drug treatments. If you haven’t exercised regularly for a long time, there are a couple of easy strategies to employ to get you started. Begin a […]

Massaging Away Muscle Pain

Strenuous exercise creates minuscule muscle tears. In response, your body releases cytokines, which create inflammation as a by-product of your muscles trying to repair themselves. Recent research has demonstrated that massaging muscles after they have been worked to full exertion helps reduce the body’s production of those inflammation-causing chemicals, which theoretically means less post-workout soreness. […]

The Benefits of Exercise for People with Diabetes

If you are currently at risk for developing diabetes or have already been diagnosed with it, regular exercise can offer surprising benefits due to its ability to lower both stress and blood sugar levels. The National Institutes of Health suggests you get at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise each week, and the American Diabetes […]

Statins and Exercise: Maintain a Balance

A high cholesterol level puts you at an increased risk for a heart attack or stroke. Perhaps your physician has recommended that you take a statin, a drug that helps block your body’s ability to make cholesterol. Statins lower cholesterol levels but can also reduce the amount of plaque in your arteries. They are known […]

Fitness: A Lifelong Commitment

First, the bad news: It doesn’t matter if you ran a marathon in your twenties or were the star quarterback of your college football team. Being physically fit at one point in your life—even on an elite level—does not mean that you will stay that way without committing time and energy to doing so. In […]

Exercise: Solo, Duo or Group?

Some people view their workouts as a chance to grab some personal, meditative time, while others think of exercise as a social event. Some find that they adhere better to an exercise routine if they work out with a friend or family member. Does exercising alone or with others make a difference to your health? […]

Moving Past Metabolic Syndrome

Being overweight can result from overeating or eating fattening foods, or it can be caused by a condition called metabolic syndrome, a combination of disorders that, when occurring together, increases the risk of coronary heart disease and other diseases related to plaque buildups in artery walls (e.g., stroke and peripheral vascular disease) and type 2 […]

Exercising While Taking Blood Thinners

If you have been prescribed blood thinners, you may wonder if it is safe to exercise while taking them. The answer is a little tricky, because it depends on what type of exercise you are referring to. Plus, the reasons why you need to use caution may not be what you expect. The first thing […]

Joint Supplements: Can Popping a Pill Cure What Ails You?

Walk through the supplement aisle of your local pharmacy, and you will likely see row upon row of “joint supplements”—pills or liquids that promise to relieve joint stiffness and pain, and increase mobility. If there are so many of these products on the market, they must be effective—right? Unfortunately, the answer is not quite so […]

Controlling Blood Pressure Without Drugs

Putting on the blood pressure cuff in the doctor’s office can make anyone’s heart rate rise. Nobody wants to be diagnosed as hypertensive, especially when that label can mean a lifetime of antihypertensive drugs that come with a long list of side effects—dizziness, sexual dysfunction, coughing and more. Years ago, people were not considered hypertensive […]

The Dangers of Rapid Weight Loss

Modern society puts an enormous amount of pressure on people to keep their weight down. The impetus to lose weight can be almost unbearable, and the promise of losing weight quickly seems too good to be true. Rapid weight loss can be a risky proposition. No matter what the advertisers tell you, rapid weight loss […]

Relieving Depression with Physical Therapy

Contrary to some beliefs, depression is not a purely psychological condition. Many systemic factors—from chemical imbalances to chronic pain—can trigger depression. When medication and therapy fail, however, physical therapy can often help people who suffer from depression. Because chronic pain is a leading cause of depression, we can help a person alter his or her […]

Raise Testosterone with Exercise

Low testosterone in men can cause a host of symptoms, from fatigue and depression to lowered libido and erectile dysfunction. In some cases, however, a man can test positive for low (or “low normal”) levels of testosterone in the blood (also known as “low T”) without experiencing any symptoms. In these cases, is it smart […]

Take Heart: Exercising with Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure (CHF) forces patients to make significant life changes. And because the heart is a muscle and exercise is a vital part of heart health, it seems natural that physical therapy would be a great asset for these patients. But whether and how much physical therapy can help CHF patients depends on a […]

Nothing Odd About Eccentric Exercise

When you hear the term “eccentric,” you may think of a quirky aunt or a piece of shabby but chic furniture. In the physical therapy world, however, this term has a much different and very important meaning. Eccentric exercise—active contraction of a muscle while it is lengthening—has gained popularity in recent years among both athletes […]

Regain Your Knee and Gain the Pounds?

It sounds counterintuitive. You have surgery that makes it easier to be active and mobile, and then you begin to gain weight. But that is exactly what recent studies have suggested: Patients who have knee replacement surgeries have a 60% chance of gaining 5% or more of their body weight within five years. The good […]

The Golden Age of Fitness

As we get older, we may still feel young mentally, but after age 50 or so, we must acknowledge that our bodies need slightly different physical accommodations than we did earlier in our exercising lives. Working out reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, breast and colon cancer, depression and type 2 diabetes, for starters. […]

Hit the Ground Running After a Long Hiatus

In your youth, it may have been possible for you to sporadically run 5k races without any prior training regimen. Young bodies, blessed with the gift of superior metabolism, increased flexibility, and strong muscles and joints, can withstand a lot of abuse. But from our 30s on, our lung and muscle elasticity, bone density, muscle […]

How Much Exercise Is Enough?

Every few years, the U.S. government releases recommendations on how much exercise Americans should be doing. Thirty minutes of moderate activity every day might be a worthy goal, but it is easy to think, “Why bother?” if you cannot seem to fit a half-hour workout into your daily schedule. If this sounds like you, keep […]

Lose the Pounds—Ease the Knee Pain

When it comes to weight, “lightening up” has benefits for knee pain. Knee pain is a common kind of joint pain, resulting from a variety of causes. These range from overuse and repeated movements by athletes to chronic illnesses such as arthritis. Research shows that, when it comes to your knees, what you weigh matters. […]

Gaining Weight After Losing Weight

As if dieting were not frustrating enough, new research shows that we are practically guaranteed to gain the weight back after engaging in calorie-restricting diets. In fact, 80% of dieters on a range of diet plans regained the weight they had lost within a year. In the past, we have been quick to blame our […]

Strength Training: Stronger, Not Bigger

The thought of strength (weight) training may bring to mind body builders with six-pack abs and bulging biceps. As a woman, you may not aspire to that physique. You may also wonder, since women produce significantly less testosterone—a hormone that helps build muscle mass—than men, is there any reason to bother with the weights? Men […]

Keep Fit Through the Winter Months

Cold winter temperatures in many parts of the country make it a challenge to keep fit during these months. People who run or walk outside may find regular exercise difficult. Now is a good time to schedule a visit with our office to benefit from a winter exercise program that complements your schedule and fitness […]

Getting Back Into the Swing Following Angioplasty

Coronary angioplasty is a procedure to open clogged heart arteries. First, a catheter, or small tube, is snaked into the artery; then, a balloon on its end is expanded to force the artery open. Often, a stent, or small wire mesh device, is inserted at the site of the clog to keep the artery open […]

Training in Planes

Many trendy buzzwords and catch phrases are often used in fitness circles, with the phrase “training in planes” heard quite frequently. The concept, which has nothing to do with aviation, sounds interesting, but what does it really mean? Simply put, every move we make involves one of the following three planes of motion in the […]

Using Exercise to Manage Type 2 Diabetes

The bodies of people with diabetes either do not produce enough of the hormone insulin or do not utilize it properly. A crucial compound, insulin regulates blood glucose , also called blood sugar, which is the body’s primary energy source. While type 1 diabetes occurs mostly in children and young adults—the result of a biological […]

Will the Wii Fit Keep Me in Shape?

Wii Fit is a video game by Nintendo designed to get gamers off the couch and improve their fitness. Using the Wii Balance Board, players play mini-games in four fitness areas: yoga, aerobics, strength training and balance. The Wii Balance Board records body mass index and length of time the games are played, and tracks […]

Attaining Those Elusive “Six-pack Abs”

For many people, achieving a defined abdominal area seems to be a nearly impossible goal, one for which we purchase a variety of abdominal trainers with the hope that they live up to their advertised claims of attaining “six-pack abs.” Unfortunately, achieving a slim and defined midsection is more challenging than simply using one piece […]

Exercise and Osteoarthritis

After receiving a diagnosis of “arthritis of the knee,” which is the most common form of osteoarthritis, you might be surprised when your doctor recommends exercise. Because osteoarthritis involves a progressive deterioration of the protective joint cartilage, the bone is exposed within the joint—leading many to believe that exercise would only intensify the condition. This, […]

Pedaling Your Way to Health

You probably remember learning how to ride a bike. But most likely, your six-year-old self had no clue just how beneficial this newly acquired skill could be to your overall health and wellness. One of the most popular and enjoyable fitness activities, cycling was recently celebrated in the medical community for enhancing cardiac health, thanks […]