Need a Little Help Getting Active?
Try Physical Therapy
September 2024 Newsletter
You know that regular exercise is crucial to living a healthy lifestyle. The CDC recommends adults aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity a week–about 22 minutes a day, so you don’t have to toil away in the gym for hours. But hitting those numbers can still be a challenge, especially if you struggle with persistent pain or limited mobility.
That’s where physical therapy at SMART Sports comes in. We’re movement experts who understand all the impairments in your musculoskeletal system that can keep you from living the active, healthy lifestyle you crave. From pain management to maximizing your athletic performance, we’ll help you meet your exercise goals.
Here are just a few of the ways we can help you get healthier. Ready to get started? Call our clinic today!
We Can Reduce Pain and Restore Mobility
Many orthopedic conditions and injuries can make regular exercise feel difficult (if not impossible). Osteoarthritis, herniated discs, tennis elbow – all can make you feel like it’s easier just to sit this one out. In reality, though, all these conditions (and others) benefit from regular exercise.
Dealing with persistent pain or limited mobility? Our physical therapists offer several options for pain relief, including several manual therapy techniques, such as soft tissue manipulation, joint mobilization, or myofascial release. We use these techniques as the first step in preparing your body for regular movement.
We’ll also show you targeted, tailored exercises to reduce pain in the affected area. Joint pain often stems from muscular imbalances or postural impairments that stress the impacted joint, leading to discomfort and setting you up for more serious injuries. Strength training will help reduce your pain and get you moving again.
We Can Let You Know If You’re At Risk for an Injury
Did you know you don’t have to wait until you’re in pain to visit the team at SMART Sports? We’re in the business of preventing injuries, not just treating them – and we can help you enter into a new workout plan without fear!
Our comprehensive physical evaluations test the following:
• Muscle strength and endurance
• Overall mobility
• Biomechanics, which looks at how your body’s systems work together to get you moving
• Balance and fall risk
• Posture
• Walking patterns
• Functional movements that you might perform for work, hobbies, or recreation
During the screens, we’ll look for potential impairments that might cause injuries down the line and suggest corrections to address them – before they become a problem.
For example, let’s say that you want to take up running after some time away. During your assessment, we notice that you tend to bend forward at the waist when jogging. This habit means that every time your foot hits the ground, you cause more impact in your feet than necessary, which could, eventually, lead to an injury.
By catching the form mistake now – and working with our physical therapists to correct it – you lower your chances of suffering a knee injury (which could prevent you from exercising altogether).
We Can Help You Exercise with Confidence
Starting a new exercise program for the first time – or restarting one after some time away – can be deeply intimidating. You don’t know which exercises you should do. You have no idea if you’re performing movements correctly. You’re not even sure what types of exercise you would enjoy.
Our physical therapists can help with all these concerns and more. We can suggest an exercise program that suits your abilities, interests, and goals and work with you one-on-one to guide you through any unfamiliar movements or equipment. We can also suggest movement or activity modifications if something’s too difficult and offer reassurance that even small changes can have a big impact.
Our team doesn’t just help beginners, either. As you progress, you may find yourself plateauing or struggling with certain aspects of your performance. Our therapists can get to the bottom of things and develop a performance improvement plan so you can see the results you’re looking for.
Start the Journey to An Active Lifestyle Today!
No matter your needs, the physical therapists at SMART Sports will help you get active in a way that works for you. Call us to schedule your initial consultation!
Exercise of the Month
NECK STRETCH WITH LATERAL REACH
Start by standing up straight holding a dowel down in front of you with both arms straight. Raise both arms up to shoulder height and rotate your arms and torso over to one side while simultaneously rotating your head over to the other side until you feel a stretch in your neck. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat.
Salmon Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound salmon fillet
- 1 tbsp hot pepper sauce
- 1 large egg white
- Cooking spray
- 8 slices focaccia, toasted
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine hot pepper sauce and egg white in a small bowl; add egg white mixture to salmon mixture, stirring well to combine. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add salmon patties, and cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve patties on toasted focaccia.
Meet Bert
8 Great Reasons to Join Our 24-Hour Gym
Divided into four specialized areas, our 24-hour gym makes it easy to pursue your goals at a pace, intensity level, and time of day that’s right for you.
Whether you’re looking to amp up your powerlifting routine, get in a full-body workout, enjoy a low-impact run, or give group fitness classes a try… we’d be thrilled to welcome you into the SMART Sports family!
Your membership at SMART Sports gives you access to:
- 24-hour main gym
- Heavy lifting room
- Core/stretching area
- 90° Saltwater pool
- Free fitness classes
- Infrared sauna (business hours only)
- Access to personal training
- Retail area with energy and pre-workout drinks, protein bars, cookies, shakes and vitamins
Let’s Get You Better ASAP!
Don’t let pain dictate your life. Take the first step towards reclaiming your mobility and well-being with our expert support. Start your journey to a healthier you today.
