“A new year and a new you” – This is a resolution that is shared by multitudes this time of year. Intentions are high. Motivations abound. Memberships are purchased. One thing is missing – A Plan! Continue reading “How to Start a New Years Exercise Program”
It’s recreational league basketball night or church league softball game night. We’ve got our Lebron James’ headband and jersey on or we are supporting the Ken Griffey, Jr. forearm sweatbands. We enter the playing arena with the swagger of our yesteryear. All goes well as we ring up a triple double (that’s three double dribble calls) or go four for four at the plate (that’s four hotdogs at the concession stand since we didn’t eat lunch or dinner). Continue reading “Weekend Warrior”
As summer vacation winds down and school activities ramp up, kids’ routines have the potential to undergo a drastic change. Much of the time spent during the summer months in being active will be replaced with classroom time sitting still. As parents, we need to help our children avoid the nationwide epidemic of childhood obesity by promoting after school physical activity. Continue reading “Keeping Kids Active Once School Begins”
The importance of the feet in sports and the role they play can perhaps be understood through an analogy of a NASCAR racecar. All of the cars in the race look the same. The majority of the cars in the race have equal or very comparable engines. The difference in the winning car and the others is often times the ability to negotiate the turns better (known as the “handling” of the race car). The relationship between the tires and the chassis determines how efficient the driver can manipulate the racecar. The same holds true for the athlete. The relationship between the feet and the remainder of the other joints in the body (collectively known as the kinetic chain) determines how efficient the athlete can manipulate his or her body during skilled athletic movements. Continue reading “The Role of Orthotics in Athletic Performance”
The Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) method has clearly been established as the best means possible for testing and measuring a person’s physical and functional ability, at this given time. The FCE has been used throughout occupational medicine to assess many patients in a variety of circumstances and employment settings. King, et.al (1998) reviewed ten currently marketed FCE systems and presented “A critical review of functional capacity evaluations”. The most widely utilized reason for ordering an FCE is to perform a current assessment of an injured workers readiness to for returning to work following a work related injury or illness. King, et.al identifies other reasons for FCE’s to be performed which include; post offer pre-employment screenings, to determine levels of current disability, identifying deficiencies and setting treatment goals for industrial rehabilitation, and most importantly case closure. Continue reading “Are the FCE’s You are Getting as Good as you Want or Need”
Core training continues to receive more and more attention by the sports conditioning industry. Medical professionals such as physicians, athletic trainers, and physical therapists along with personal trainers and workout partners are encouraging the physically active to begin core training. This is because a strong core improves overall strength, power, speed, quickness, agility, coordination and balance. The co-authors of this article agree that core training is essential to performance enhancement and injury prevention. The purpose of this article is to define the core, outline the importance of the core to runners, and define core conditioning. Continue reading “Why is the Core Important to Runners?”
This is one of the most asked questions in rehab centers. It is an important question that can be very confusing sometimes. We have simplified it here for you. Continue reading “Heat or Ice?”
Why Strength Training?Research has shown that strengthening exercise is safe and effective for women and men of all ages, including those who are not in perfect health. In fact, people with health concerns often benefit the most from an exercise program that includes lifting weights a few times each week. Continue reading “Benefits of Strength Training for Older Adults”
When a person sustains a serious injury or sudden loss, he/she will generally experience five reactions: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. These are normal responses that everyone goes through at different rates. It is also important for the affected person to experience all of the stages to help achieve a full recovery. Continue reading “Coping with Injury and Loss”
A very common and acceptable pre exercise or athletic event activity is stretching. Stretching has long been widely recognized as a necessity for fitness, flexibility and above all injury prevention. However over the last couple of years this popular activity has been questioned on whether it really does indeed prevent injury. In 2004 The Centers of Disease Control (CDC) reported that static stretching does not prevent injury. Now as a licensed Physical Therapist and Certified Athletic Trainer I have been telling my patients for years that stretching “prevents” injury. And then the CDC came out with that one and I thought about all the inaccurate advice I had been promoting over the years. Well like anything else you have to not believe everything you read until you critically evaluated the information. After I read the CDC’s review of the literature it was concluded that STATIC STRETCHING did not prevent injury in most populations. It did show that it did prevent injury in older folks and young athletes who require extreme ranges of motion such as ballet or dance. But for the average Joe or Jane who goes out and runs 10-15 miles per week and does a little static calf or quadriceps stretching you cannot state that those stretches will PREVENT injury. Bottom line with all of this is that static (no bouncing) stretching held for 15-20 seconds for 3 repetitions is not going to hurt you but it is not going to prevent injury or improve athletic performance. Continue reading “Stretching: Myths Vs. Realities”