Need More Physical Activity? Here’s How to Get It

Did you know that 80 percent of the U.S. population falls short of the Physical Activity Guidelines recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services? Millions of Americans are risking serious health consequences simply because they do too much sitting and not enough moving around. You may not find that information shocking, especially if you're one of those 80 percent. What really might surprise you, however, is just how easily you can give your daily activity level a dramatic boost. Here are seven simple tips from our physical therapist for adding some much-needed additional exercise to your life.

1. Walk Instead of Drive

Many people automatically get into their cars even for a brief trip to the mailbox or corner store. What if you spent an extra few minutes each day walking instead of driving? It might not sound like much of a workout, but walking increases the circulation, exercises your legs and feet, sheds excess pounds, keeps your joints limber and helps to release stress.

2. Get a Bicycle

If that trip to the corner store takes too much time on foot, maybe it's time you remembered how to ride a bicycle. Cycling exercises different muscles than walking, making it a valuable complement to that discipline when you need to go a little farther and a little faster. It also provides you with a significant cardio workout.

3. Take Up a New Sport

Getting that extra activity doesn't have to be a chore; it could just as easily take the form of new fun. Have you thought of taking up tennis, golf, surfing, swimming, running, or a team sport such as soccer or softball? These sports all offer different physical benefits, and they all get you up and moving.

4. Join a Yoga Class

Physical activity isn't always a matter of running or jumping around at a frenetic pace. Yoga offers profound benefits to body and mind by releasing stress, stretching muscles, increasing your range of motion, and helping you master your breathing. A yoga class offers structured learning as well as a positive social environment.

5. Stand at Your Desk

Standing desks have become all the rage in workplaces, and for good reason. Standing at your desk instead of sitting can help prevent unwanted weight gain, regulate blood sugar levels after meals, ease back pain, elevate your mood and energy level, reduce your heart disease risk and add years to your life expectancy. You may even find that you get more work done!

6. Turn "Couch Potato Time" Into a Workout

There's nothing wrong with spending some quality time watching your favorite TV shows or movies -- but you don't necessarily have to spend all those hours sprawled on your couch, motionless. Consider getting a stationary bike or treadmill that you can use while you're catching up on your stories. You'll have just as much fun, but you'll be working out instead of sacking out.

7. Exercise With Your Dog

Have you ever marveled at the sheer energy and endurance displayed by your dog? Dogs love to walk, run, play catch and explore. Join in these activities, and you'll find that your dog gives you one heck of a workout.

One Final Tip: Get Physical Therapy

Are there activities on this list that you'd love to try -- if only your body would let you? Physical therapy could get you back in shape to get into better shape. Ask our physical therapist for a one-to-one consultation!

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Improve Your Overall Health with These 5 Stretching Benefits

Some people think that stretching is an unnecessary part of exercising. The truth is that stretching is a necessary component of exercise. According to physical therapists, stretching is an important part of one’s daily routine, whether you’re exercising or not.

The 5 Benefits of Stretching

  1. Stretching specific exercises prior to exercising helps the muscles to achieve maximum range of motion. It also helps strengthen the muscles. That is why during physical therapy stretching is a main focus.
  2. Stretching helps reduce muscle tension. It’s a therapeutic treatment by a physical therapist. You’ll feel the rewards of stretching during your daily routine, walking or lifting.
  3. Stretching enhances joint range of motion. It enables the body part to move easier. For more dynamic movement, stretching increases muscular coordination. Some physical therapy sessions focus on a muscle group instead of just one muscle for stretching.
  4. Another benefit of stretching is increased blood circulation. Muscles require sufficient oxygen and nutrients in order to perform well. Stretching ramps up blood flow and transports oxygen and nutrients.
  5. Lastly, a benefit of stretching is heightened energy levels. The increased circulation increases energy levels. Learning to stretch properly will lead you to a more active lifestyle. “According to results of a new systematic review, moderate-grade evidence seems to support strengthening and stretching exercises to help ease chronic neck pain.”

Types of Stretching Exercises in Physical Therapy

Stretching involves stretching connective tissue, a muscle or a tendon. The goal of stretching is to improve range of motion, flexibility and muscle elasticity. The five most common stretching exercises are:

  • Ballistic
  • Dynamic
  • Static
  • Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)
  • Low Load

Ballistic stretch physical therapy is a rapid bouncing motion to stretch a muscle. Dynamic stretching by a physical therapist entails stretching with motion at different speeds and distances. These movements are performed in a controlled and slow manner. Examples include torso swings, arms swings and leg swings. Static stretch physical therapy involved stretching the muscle and holding it for a few seconds. PNF entails holding and controlling techniques to activate specific receptors in muscles. This technique improves muscle length and decreases muscle tension. The low load stretching technique is gradual application of tension to enhance connective tissue remodeling.

A physical therapist will determine the best stretching exercises for your affected area and implement them into your treatment plan. They will also give you home exercises. These stretching exercises may include groin stretches, quadriceps stretches, knee stretches, calf stretches and more. They will also show you how do easy stretches with a towel at home. Knee stretches are very common in all age groups. That’s because knee injuries are common due to overuse or athletic injuries. Activities like running and biking can result in tight quadriceps muscles. Keep in mind that tight muscles can predispose you to injury. If so, quadriceps stretches will be implemented into a treatment plan.

Whether you see us at Washington Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation or not, stretching should be a part of your daily routine. You’ll feel better, perform better and avoid injury.

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Physical Therapy for Non-Pharmaceutical Arthritis Pain Management

Stiffness and discomfort don’t have to be a part of our daily lives — and yet many people assume that they’re doomed to suffer from arthritis pain. If you’ve been losing more and more of your mobility and productivity due to chronic joint inflammation, you may be disappointed by the usefullness of painkilling drugs or even alarmed by the potential dangers of such drugs. Fortunately, you have a safer, more effective path toward arthritis pain management: physical therapy.

How and Why Arthritis Causes Pain and Stiffness

Arthritis includes an entire family of painful joint conditions. For some individuals, it may take the form of painful gout in a toe joint; in others, it can strike due to a bacterial joint infection. The majority of arthritis suffers, however, suffer from one of two agonizing conditions:

  • Osteoarthritis – This most common form of arthritis is usually a natural consequence of a lifetime of joint motion, coupled with certain changes that take place during aging. Healthy joints contain not only a lubricating fluid to keep the bone ends moving smoothly, but also a layer of cartilage that acts as a shock absorber and anti-friction component. Over time, however, the production of lubricating fluid can start to dry up, while the cartilage becomes thinner and more worn until it finally breaks down completely. This leaves you with pain, stiffness, and inflammation that usually feels worse whenever you try to move or put weight on the joint.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis – This form of arthritis is caused by an auto-immune disease or dysfunction. The same protective mechanisms that normally fight off disease germs decide to turn on your joints, treating them as the enemy and attacking them. This results in painful inflammation that may come and go, leaving joint swelling and deformity in its wake.

Many arthritis sufferers naturally turn to medication in the hopes that it will ease their symptoms. NSAIDs, steroids and (and in the most severe cases) opioid drugs may produce such relief, but only temporarily. These drugs can’t address the physical problems that actually cause your symptoms; they can only mute the symptoms themselves. What’s more, painkilling and anti-inflammatory drugs can pose significant risks if they’re used constantly. NSAIDs can damage the internal organs, while steroids may contribute to everything from cataracts to osteoporosis. Opioids can be extremely dangerous, not only because of their addictive properties but also because overdoses can (and often do) prove fatal.

Our Physical Therapist Can Develop Customized Pain Management Plans

If you want an arthritis pain management plan that improves your health without presenting you with the dangers of drugs, turn to physical therapy. Our physical therapist can examine your joints to see how advanced your arthritis has become and how it may be affecting your stance, gait or mobility. You’ll then receive a customized pain management plan that may include:

  • Exercise – Exercise can aid arthritis sufferers by boosting circulation, easing inflammation, strengthening joint tissues and increasing range of motion. It can help you improve your balance, if that’s become a problem for you.
  • Physiotherapy techniques – You may benefit from massage therapy, cold/heat therapy or laser therapy.
  • Corrective devices – Your physical therapist can recommend specialized insoles and train you in the use of devices such as walkers or canes.
  • Lifestyle guidance – Your physical therapist can recommend specific changes to your everyday ergonomics or lifestyle that will ease your pain.

Don’t just numb your arthritis pain — manage it the smart, safe, effective way. Contact our physical therapy clinic today!

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