Complex and rugged our feet are some of the most frequently injured areas of the human body. In many cases, feet and ankle issues can be easily corrected non-surgically with early intervention and simple treatments. Sometimes, the solution is as simple as wearing more comfortable shoes. Below are three of our top tips for keeping feet and ankles in motion:
- Buy your exercise shoes at a running store – even if you don’t necessarily run. Whether you walk or run, it’s important to pay attention to your gait. The specially trained staff at athletic or running shoe stores can evaluate your gait, analyze your foot, and suggest the correct footwear for your stride.
- Over-the-counter orthotics are a bit of a rip-off. While a generic orthotic can help you gain padding in your arches they won’t support your foot like a truly custom-fitted orthotic. The right orthotic is made to correct the specific biomechanics of the way you walk.
- If you are experiencing pain in your foot or ankle during your exercise routine head straight to the doctor. Continuing to exercise on a slight foot injury could quickly result in another, more serious injury. Your primary care physician can refer you to an orthopaedic specialist, podiatrist, or physical therapist specially trained in foot and ankle injuries as necessary.
At In Motion, our experienced foot and ankle specialists treat the broad range of foot and ankle conditions — everything from bunions to more serious disorders like neuromas, tendonitis, and plantar fasciitis, as well as traumatic and sports related injuries such as fractures, sprains, or achilles tendon injuries.
+ Learn more about In Motion’s Foot & Ankle Program.
+ Find an orthopaedic specialist near you!
How often have you weighed yourself on Monday morning only to realize the weight you thought you lost earlier in the week was back on the scale?
Every one who is on a weight loss plan has experienced the dreaded weekend effect. For some reason we tend to gain more extra pounds in those two days than we can lose in the following five. How does that happen?
According to our experts, you may be packing on the pounds without even noticing it. In a recent study, the Washington University School of Medicine found that dieters consistently gained weight on the weekend because they were eating more. An extra glass of wine and a handful of potato chips may seem like a special reward for healthy weekday habits – when, in reality, it’s sabotaging healthy habits and creating weight loss barriers. On weekends, we’re also much more likely to eat out at restaurants, where portions can be sufficient for two or three meals.
This weekend instead of denying yourself a treat, try to add a little more exercise. Take a walk or get active instead of just lounging on the couch. If you’re worried about your weight, you may want to start writing down what you eat, especially on weekends, to help you stick to your diet.
Source: Why Weekend Weight Gain Happens
Obesity and diabetes statistics are on the risk in the United States. Hundreds of millions of people suffering from both and – as a result – more heart attacks, more strokes, and a shorter life expectancy. We all know that the key to a healthy life is to eat less and exercise more, but how can you make the necessary changes?
- Eat a Side Salad
A salad is a great way to add a little roughage to your meal of high-carb foods. Make sure the dressing contains vinegar to get its added blood sugar lowering benefits! A new study suggests that one and a half tablespoons of vinegar can lower your blood sugar by 42%.
- Prepare Your Pasta Effectively
Saute your pasta in olive oil (with vegetables!) to build up your insulin sensitivity and get excess sugar out of your blood. Sauteing any carb-rich food will help maintain your blood sugar and stave off diabetes. Expert nutritionists can help you identifying other methods to cut excess sugar from your diet and eat better.
- Move a Little More
Just one hour of moderate exercise can improve you body’s ability to control blood sugar. Move at least 30 to 45 minutes a day and decrease your chance of a variety of other diseases, including cardiovascular conditions. A personal trainer can help you get up and moving.
- Sleep Better
Not sleeping well? If you don’t get seven or eight hours a night your risk of developing diabetes shoots up from 37 to 88 percent! Try blacking out your bedroom and preparing effectively to sleep longer and better. If that doesn’t work you may want to consult with a sleep specialist!
When I learned of my problem, a prolapsed rectum, I knew I did not want surgery. After only two visits with Bon Secours In Motion, the exercise program helped me control my colon falling and the pain was less. I am hoping for things to get even better with their professional direction and care.
When it comes to the care provided by In Motion, I felt as if everyone really cared. Staff was not just friendly and polite – they were concerned with making my condition easier. They really listened carefully. Rachel, my therapist, helped me feel at east and not ashamed. – Martha S.
I am a lucky girl, especially during the holidays.
I try not to brag about it too much, but my husband cooks. The best part is that he’s really good at it.
It’s something he learned in college out of financial necessity. But as you get older and more health conscious, you realize that not only is making your own food less expensive than eating out, it’s usually better for you.
If you’re trying to lose weight, creating your own meals is one of the best ways to cut back calories and fat while increasing nutrition.
Take, for instance, the pumpkin pie.
If you buy one from the store, you’re going to be eating ingredients that you can’t even pronounce.
Using canned pumpkin and following a recipe may be no healthier either. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that bisphenol-A, also known as BPA, lurks in cans. This so-called endocrine disruptor has been linked to infertility, breast and prostate cancers, diabetes and obesity.
I don’t know about you, but that’s not what I’m looking for in a piece of pie.
When I get to dessert this Thanksgiving, I’m going to fully enjoy knowing that my husband used fresh pie pumpkins for his recipe. In five minutes flat, he had them cut, scooped and sliced for the steamer.
Did I mention I’m a lucky girl?
Alice Warchol is a freelance health writer and fitness instructor.
+ Learn about the Risks of Obesity
+ Read about Exercise and Weight Loss
The TMJ is a joint (where two bones connect) where the jaw bone (mandible) connects to the skull. TMJ disorders are most often the result of the teeth, the chewing muscles, and the joint not working together properly. It can also result from disease in the joint itself. Some individuals suffering from this condition hear clicking and popping; have muscle spasms when they yawn; get aches in their head, neck, back, and mouth; and occasionally even crack or break a tooth.
Luckily, TMJ disorders respond well to simple treatments in physical therapy. After an evaluation, physical therapists can help you learn to progressive muscle relaxation skills, improve your posture to avoid additional strain on the joint, and develop a series of facial exercises to keep the jaw loose. If you experience persistent pain, limited mobility and weakness, you may need a dental night guard to help stabilize your jaw, but normally the disorders responds well to stress reduction techniques.
+ Learn more about Physical Therapy options for TMJ disorders.
Source: Jaw Pain Causes and Temporomandibular Joint Disorder
When it comes to urinary incontinence and overactive bladder conditions, behavioral techniques can help you strengthen pelvic muscles and better listen to your physical cues. Physical therapists draw on a variety of resources in treating these conditions including:
- Kegel Exercises – These exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles that support the pelvic organs. Kegels are easy to do, but they must be done correctly. A physical therapist can teach you how to do them.
- Biofeedback – This therapy use electronic sensors and a monitor to show you what’s happening inside your body so you can learn to control your bladder muscles. As you watch your muscles respond on the screen, a certified therapist can help you train yourself to regain control of rogue muscles.
- Bladder training – An at-home exercise, this charting helps you avoid accidents by identifying triggers or patterns. Using that information, you can plan bathroom breaks before you start to leak.
While you may have to work for several weeks in behavioral therapy before noticing an improvement in symptoms, many women prefer physical therapy alternatives to more extreme treatments like surgery or medication.
Source: Treatments for Incontinence and OAB
When you’re struggling with chronic pain, even the simplest day-to-day activities can be a battle. Unsatisfied with medications and wary of surgical options, many chronic pain sufferers are turning to alternative, less invasive therapies to help them manage their chronic pain conditions.
Treatments like massage therapy and physical therapy can have a demonstrated effect on controlling and easing pain and are becoming increasingly popular among chronic pain sufferers. Massage therapy does not necessarily provide long lasting pain relief, but research suggests that massage and manual therapy techniques like myofascial release, can help alleviate aches and pains, reduce swelling, and improve mobility and range of motion. Some physical therapy clinics have a staff of specially certified experts who can provide a variety of massages designed to help individuals suffering from chronic pain find relief and learn self-massage techniques..
In addition to using manual therapy techniques to restore movement and control pain symptoms, physical therapists use ice, heat, ultrasound, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENs) to curb pain and promote healing. Some exercises done under the supervision of a qualified expert may also help correct pain-inducing musculoskeletal misalignments and destructive posture.
+ Find a clinic offering manual therapy near you!
Source: RealAge.com “Hands On Healing”
You won’t find mashed potatoes loaded with butter, cranberry sauce and gravy on any lists for healthy meals. Yet that’s exactly what many of us will put on our plates this Thanksgiving.
It’s a stressful time for anyone trying to lose weight. The entire Thanksgiving celebration revolves around a buffet of food loaded with fat and calories. Extra helpings are usually encouraged with a smile.
And the eating has just begun.
Leftovers come out of the fridge on Friday for another round.
By the time the weekend rolls around, you might feel more than a little roll spilling over your jeans.
If you haven’t figured out how to handle this situation, do it now. Remember, what works for someone else in your family may not work for you.
Look at your eating habits last year. Did you gobble everything you wanted, whenever you wanted it? Did you think to yourself: “It’s Thanksgiving. It’s my right to have apple pie and pumpkin pie. It doesn’t matter that I need to lose weight.”
What happened after that?
If you can indulge on Thanksgiving and say no to the leftovers come Friday, I think it’s OK to say yes to the pumpkin pie this holiday. But if you found yourself wanting pie every day after Thanksgiving until the pie pan was empty, I’m going to encourage you to stick to your regular healthy eating habits. Try a baked apple instead with nothing but cinnamon on it.
You see, some of us can handle a little indulgence here and there. Others are better off simply staying out of the kitchen.
It doesn’t mean you can’t have a great Thanksgiving either. It does, however, require us to think about Thanksgiving a little differently.
Ideally, the day is about appreciating each other and the positive things in our lives. Maintaining a healthy weight should be a part of that, too.
Alice Warchol is a freelance health writer and fitness instructor.
+ Know the Causes of Obesity
+ Learn More about Losing Weight with Exercise
The American College of Sports Medicine has outlined the ten trends that health professionals think are most likely to become important in the next year. Check out the list to see how your fitness goals compare!
- Educated Fitness Professionals
Board-certified physicians and health professionals are taking the lead in the health industry. Certified health professionals are more qualified to help patients heal from athletic injuries, achieve weight loss, and maintain overall health and wellness.
- Strength Training
The numerous benefits of strength training are particularly important to women’s health as they age.
- Fitness Programs for Seniors
Proactive wellness programs allow seniors the opportunity to improve their strength, mobility and balance in order to continue to live an active, functional, lifestyle.
- Exercise and Weight Loss
According to a new data, half of all Americans may develop diabetes or prediabetes by 2020, unless prevention strategies aimed at weight loss and increased physical activity are implemented. If you are overweight, losing as little as 5% of your body weight can significantly improve your health. There are a variety of exercise-based weight loss, medically supervised weight loss, and, if you qualify, surgical weight loss options for those struggling with excess weight.
- Children and Obesity
Each year, an estimated 300,000 US adults die of causes attributable to obesity. The percentage of children and adolescents who are defined as “overweight” has more than doubled since the early 1970s. Children need special help losing weight. Experienced, certified personal trainers can help kids get moving. The amount of low-nutrition, high-calorie foods children eat is a special concern. If your child’s diet is a problem, nutrition and weight loss experts can design a personalized diet and nutrition program to help then make healthier choices.
- Personal Training
Personal trainers help supervise their customers exercise in order to help motivate them and ensure that they are exercising correctly and safely. Experienced, certified personal trainers also develop personalized exercise program to meet specific health needs and goals.
- Core Training
Core stability benefits everyone, from older people to top professional athletes. Core stabilization strengthens the muscles of the core and helps build strength, decrease chance of injury, and prevent low back pain.
- Group Personal Training
Trying to lose a few extra pounds? Want to gain strength, speed, or endurance? Looking for a challenge? Group personal training allows you to experience the benefits of individual attention from a fitness professional with the fun of working out in a group environment. Group personal training rates are also typically much more affordable than individual training sessions.
- ZUMBA and Dance Workouts
Although Zumba has only recently hits its popularity in the last few years, people have been using music to motivate themselves for decades. Remember Jazzercise? It’s still around and doing well. Music enables people to dissociate themselves from the hard work of vigorous exercise.
- Functional Fitness
You don’t have to resign yourself to back or joint pain as you age. If you’ve noticed muscle soreness or tension in your body lately, improved fitness and certain exercises can help you take a proactive approach towards correcting aches and pains before you develop into a recurring, or more serious issue.
