Category Archives: Health and Wellness

Fit Over 50: Weight Training for Older Adults

Do the words “weight training” bring to mind sweaty 20-somethings in tank tops pumping iron? It may surprise you to hear that the group that benefits most from weight training is actually senior citizens, especially those who are sedentary or in poor health. As we age, our muscles slowly begin to atrophy, a process called […]

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 […]

Putting Your Hernia Mesh to the Test

If you are having hernia surgery, chances are you have encountered the term “mesh” in discussions with your physician. Hernias occur when part of your intestine or abdominal fat bulges through a hole in the abdominal wall. To repair a hernia, surgeons often use a special type of sterile woven mesh (typically made from polypropylene […]

Walking the Plank for Core Strength

You don’t need to be a pirate to engage in plank exercise. In a plank exercise, you move your entire body into a certain position and hold it for a given length of time—a duration that increases the more experienced you become. An excellent way to strengthen your core (trunk-stabilizing) muscles, plank exercises help prevent […]

Lose Your Balance, Gain Your Balance

Feeling off-balance can put your world into a tailspin—literally and figuratively. Balance disorders have a long list of causes: inner-ear problems, cognitive or spinal cord injuries, muscle weakness or damage, diabetes, Parkinson disease and even simple aging. Regardless of the cause, balance disorders can put people at high risk for falls and disrupt daily activities […]

Using Physical Therapy to Treat Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS)—a chronic, often progressive neurological disease caused by the loss of myelin, the protective material that sheaths nerves—has no known cure, but stabilizing and improving a wide variety of movements through physical therapy can help control MS symptoms and enhance quality of life. In fact, it is important to consult us as soon […]

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 […]

Sparing Your ACL with Knee Replacement

If you have a total knee replacement in your future, you may have heard about a procedure that retains the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), also known as an ACL-sparing knee replacement. The popularity of this surgery continues to increase, especially among younger patients. But is an ACL-sparing knee replacement worth it? First, you need to […]

At Your Service: Tennis Tips for Older Players

Fun and engaging, tennis can be played at any skill level and at any age—well into one’s retirement years. Because it can help those over 50 maintain their physical fitness, tennis may prevent some of the injuries that so often plague seniors and proactively counter natural age-related changes. As a tennis player who has reached […]