How to Keep up With Your Physical Therapy This Summer
Are you planning a vacation with your family this summer? Are you wondering how to keep up your PT treatments now that you finally feel better? At Taylor Rehab Physical Therapy, our physical therapists can help by providing you with home exercises that you can do no matter where you travel!
It is well known that patients who adhere to their prescribed exercises are significantly better at achieving their goals and have improved physical function. Non-adherence, on the other hand, increases the risk of re-injury or flare-ups and overall less positive outcomes long term.
Our team believes that providing a home exercise program to fit your needs is part of the solution to non-adherence. We understand that your life situation can make prioritizing exercises and physical therapy home programs difficult. We will work with you to provide the most important exercises and a straightforward program for you to follow so you can enjoy your summer vacations and do what you love!
Request an appointment with one of our specialists and see how we can help you feel better again!
How to Incorporate Home Exercises into Your Travels
One of the most challenging aspects of traveling is finding time to do all the things you want. Our physical therapists understand how difficult it is to do your home exercises when not attending regular physical therapy visits. We provide our patients with home exercises that take their daily life into account.
Here are a few tips to keep up with your physical therapy:
Use the hotel gym:
Nowadays, most hotels offer small fitness centers with equipment to keep up with your physical activity and exercises.
Exercise in the pool:
You will often stay at a facility with a pool or access to a pool. Aquatic therapy is a safe and effective way to keep up with your home exercise program. For some people, an outdoor pool will also offer you a boost to your energy levels and get you some much-needed Vitamin D.
Water offers easy ways to increase resistance by moving your arms or legs faster. This allows you to safely increase the intensity of your exercises with the benefits of buoyancy supporting your joints.
Increasing your resistance allows you to engage your muscles more thoroughly and helps you burn more calories in a shorter amount of time. Aquatic exercise also improves your strength, flexibility, and endurance.
Explore the town you are staying in:
Does your schedule leave little time to fit in physical activity?
Walking around the neighborhood or visiting the shops can be an easy way to exercise.
Even adding 30 minutes of physical activity into your busy schedule can make a big difference in helping maintain your function. Try taking a walk during your lunch breaks, or if you have access, take a walk on the boardwalk or beach to enjoy some fresh air too!
Maintain a healthy diet on the go:
Dining out spikes during the summer because more people tend to venture out in the summer and dine outside. This can pose some health risks if you are not careful.
Often the foods are loaded with calories and/or are highly processed. These types of foods can lead to inflammation, which in turn can exacerbate your painful conditions.
Maintain a healthy diet this summer by making healthy choices when you dine out and balancing dining with exercise. You can also choose the healthy options on the menu and keep the portion sizes under control.
Our team understands that delivering personalized home exercise programs that take your daily lives and travel plans into account is the key to success in maintaining improvements you have made at physical therapy.
Request an Appointment at Taylor Rehab Physical Therapy Today
It’s essential to keep your health a top priority no matter where you travel or what you do this summer. Keeping track of your progress with your physical therapy exercises is a great way to stay motivated on the go.
If you need guidance regarding your existing physical therapy treatment, or you’d like to begin participating in a regular exercise routine, call Taylor Rehab Physical Therapy to set up an appointment!
We’re here to help you and keep you feeling your best during the summer months, so you can continue to do all the fun things you love!
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MINDFULNESS EXERCISES
Do you find yourself becoming overwhelmed easily in your daily life? Do you constantly feel stressed? If so, you may benefit from practicing mindfulness.
Mindfulness originated from ancient eastern and Buddhist philosophy and dates back around 2500 years.
Mindfulness is the process of bringing one’s attention to the present moment and observing one’s thoughts and feelings without judging them. It can be applied to anything from eating, walking, or washing dishes to formal meditation practices.
Mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety levels, improve relationships with others, and help individuals lead healthier lives! The best part of mindfulness is that anyone can begin implementing these practices in their daily lives without any cost or expensive resources.
If you’re looking for ways to reduce stress and promote wellbeing— check out the mindfulness exercises below.
1. The full body scan
Begin this exercise by lying on your back with your palms facing up and your feet falling slightly apart. Start to bring awareness to your breath, noticing each inhale and exhale. Try not to change the way you’re breathing; instead, simply practice observing your existing breathing pattern.
Next, focus on how your feet feel, noticing whether you observe a sensation of heaviness or lightness. Slowly move your attention up throughout your entire body to complete a full-body scan.
2. The 5 senses test
Another way to check in with your body is to perform this 5 senses exercise. Begin by determining 5 things you can see. Then move to 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. Many people find this activity grounding and report that it can help soothe panic and anxiety.
3. The 3-minute breathing space
If you are new to meditation, this is the perfect activity for you. It is a simple 3-minute exercise designed to help those with busy lives and minds. During the first minute of this meditation, focus on answering the question, “How am I doing right now?”
For the second minute, shift your focus to your breath, noticing each inhale and exhale. The last minute should be spent scanning up and down your body, observing how your breath affects your entire body. You can place a hand on your stomach or chest to help you concentrate on how your body moves.
6 Tips for a Healthy Summer
Your diet affects many aspects of your well-being including your immune system, bone health, muscle function, inflammation and pain. In summer, it can be difficult to keep good nutrition at the forefront especially with barbeques and cookouts popping up everywhere you look — so here are six simple ways to help you stay healthy this season.
1
Swap Snacks for Fruits & Vegetables
2
Replace Steak with Fish
3
Reduce Saturated Fat Intake
4
Cut Down on Sugary Drinks
5
Drink Enough Water
6
Don’t Skip Breakfast
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Exercise of the Month
FIGURE 4 BRIDGE
Begin on your back. Bend your knees and keep your back flat on the ground. Cross one leg over the other so that your legs make a “4”. Gently, contract your abdominals and hold to keep your back flat as you move up into the bridge position. Remember to breathe. Gently, squeeze your butt muscles and lift your hips off the ground. The goal is to have your hips aligned with your knees and shoulders.
3 Sets, 10 Reps.
Melissa Bell
Melissa joined the Taylor Rehab team in December 2013. She attended Clemson University where she received a Bachelors of Science in Health Science. She then attended East Carolina University where she received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. During her time at ECU, Melissa was a graduate assistant to Dr. Leslie Allison, PT, Ph.D., assistant professor specializing in geriatrics and fall prevention research.
As a graduate research assistant she helped coordinate and run a free fall risk assessment clinic in the community. Her doctoral research was in the field of geriatric fall prevention and she was a co-winner of the North Carolina Physical Therapy Association 2011 Fall Conference student research poster presentation for development of a patented innovative clinical fall risk assessment tool. Melissa also completed advanced training in vestibular and balance disorders while at East Carolina University.
Clinical Interests & Certifications
Melissa enjoys treating geriatrics, spine pain, vestibular disorders, general orthopedics, and sports injuries. She has completed extensive continuing education in spinal and peripheral joint mobilization through Maitland Australian Physiotherapy Seminars and is credentialed in Dry Needling through the American Academy of Manual Therapy (AAMT). She is also certified in Graston Technique® and trained through the Kinesio Taping International Association.
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“Taylor Rehab Physical Therapy is a first-class professional organization that far exceeds other PT organizations. The therapists are very knowledgeable and get right to addressing the issues that their customers are experiencing. I have absolutely no inhibitions about recommending this organization to anyone in need of physical therapy!”
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