May Is Bike Everywhere Month
Are you gearing up for Cascade Bike Club’s Bike Everywhere Month? We are! Check out https://www.cascade.org/connect/2018-bike-everywhere-month for ideas on how to become more active on your bike during the month of May.
Be sure to stop by our Celebration Station on the Burke-Gilman Trail at the intersection of 36th Ave. NE and NE 45th St. on May 18th during F5 Bike Everywhere Day. If you feel like something is off with your bike and body alignment, or have some new aches and pains from increasing your mileage, schedule an evaluation or a bike fit online at mobilizept.com today! @mobilizept @cascadebicycle @F5Networks @cliffbar @nuun #BikeEverywhere #bikemonth #bikefit #mobilize #physicaltherapy
Don’t Forget To Breathe!
Breathing. We do it every single day. It is a somewhat passive, reflexive, and innate muscle behavior. On average, we take 12-20 breaths per minute, adding up to about 36,000 breaths per day. So, it is vital that we have a diaphragm that works well! The diaphragm is a big muscle that influences and is is influenced by our body posture, dynamic activities, and daily life stressors. The diaphragm function can become a problem if any of these factors cause a change in it’s operation. For example, poor posture while sitting at your desk at work or driving in your car can cause the diaphragm to become flattened, not allowing for proper inhalation or exhalation (contraction and relaxation).
Ever wonder why your low back or mid back hurts after sitting for an 8 hour work day? Your spine becomes patterned or locked into one postural behavior, and the rib cage loses it’s ability to expand and contract with the breath. Your back muscles now tighten up and cause compression, which can be painful after working 8 hours a day! Ever wonder why your neck hurts or is tense after your daily run? If the diaphragm muscle isn’t functioning correctly, your neck muscles may have to ‘take over’ to help your ribs move to get air in your tank.
Try this exercise that may help assist with reducing your pain or stiffness while sitting at your desk or before/after your daily run to make sure your diaphragm can do all that it is intended to do:
- Sit at your desk with both feet fully in contact with the floor, mid back in contact with the back of your chair
- Gently press your hands into the desk in front of you, feeling your muscles under your armpits engage. Your shoulders should not be shrugged as you do this.
- Hold the gentle hand press and inhale very slowly, feeling the mid back and chest expand without the shoulders shrugging. The inhale can last 5 seconds.
- Slowly, and fully exhale until you have all the breath out. You should feel your abdominals turn “on” near the end of your exhale. The exhale can last up to 7 seconds.
- Slowly, repeat this sequence 4-5 breaths. Perform every hour for your work day.
For more tips and techniques for improving diaphragm function, schedule today with Mobilize Physical Therapy www.mobilizept.com
The Importance of Stretching – Whether You’re Active Or Not!
Do you know that stretching, even when you’re not consistently exercising, is largely important? Many believe that stretching is an activity reserved for pre and post workout – not true! Incorporating a daily stretching routine can be more beneficial than most would like to believe.
Both body and mind benefit greatly from a daily dose of stretches. Moving our muscles promotes everything from maintained flexibility to relieving stress after a long day at work or school. Through routine stretching, our bodies can perform better not only during our workouts, but our day-to-day activities as well. By getting proper nutrients and oxygen to the muscles through stretching, typical tasks such as yard work or carrying groceries can be performed without the potential threat of injury. Stretching throughout the work day can promote better posture by loosening muscles in the back. It’s even proven that a simple, five minute stretch of the major muscle groups can provide one with a quick boost of natural energy to power through the rest of the day. Stretching can also help relieve our minds of the everyday stresses — when our mind is stressed, it is reflected in our bodies.
One does not have to participate in athletics or exercise to experience the benefits of a consistent stretching regimen. Relieving stress through stretching has been found to incite instant relaxation of the muscles and increased blood flow throughout extremities. Maintaining mobility of our muscles promotes happy bodies and minds. Go ahead — take a break and stretch it out!
Top 10 Health Benefits of Stretching. (2016, March 21). Retrieved September 08, 2016
Making Fitness Stick!
How can you seamlessly incorporate fitness into your lifestyle? Good question, and one we’d all like to answer. One way is to shift your perception of what fitness involves. “Fitness” doesn’t have to involve intricate workouts and tricky moves if that’s not your thing. Maybe fitness for you is walking for 20min each night, or making a conscious effort to get out of the office and walk throughout the day. Making it happen can be as easy as finding a goal to train for, or just something that makes you happy.
Fitbit has put together a list of some other science-approved ways to keep fitness simple, so it sticks:
Get Outside
Stepping outdoors has been proven to boost happiness and even cause positive thinking. Researchers at Stanford University recently found 90 minutes of walking in a natural environment can reduce repetitive, negative self-thoughts. In other words, taking a hike in a park-like setting can make you feel better about yourself—which can be pretty motivating!
Buddy Up
Solo exercise can help relieve stress, but for some, a partner makes workouts more fun. Research shows it can help keep you accountable, and one study published in the Journal of Sport and Exercise revealed that exercise adherence is related to perceived support—so knowing your friend has your back can help you stick to your plan. The same study showed the buddy effect can make you feel more positive about your routine, too.
Be Efficient
If a long run seems daunting, get outside for three brisk, 10-minute strolls during the day (and get your steps in). Research has long shown three shorter bouts can have similar calorie-burning benefits as one 30-minute session.
So get out there and enjoy the Seattle sun before it’s gone, and bring a friend with you!
____________________________________________________
“Athlete Tested, Science Approved: 3 Simple Ways to Make Fitness Stick.” Fitbit.com. Ed. Laura Rosenbaum. Fitbit, 26 Apr. 2016. Web. 23 Aug. 2016.
Shredded about Stress Fractures?!
A stress fracture is a common injury among runners, and can set back your running schedule by an average of 6 weeks! But what exactly is a stress fracture, and how can it be prevented? Well, never fear were here to answer some questions you may have!
What is a stress fracture?
A stress fracture is a small crack in any of the weight bearing bones of the body. The most commonly injured areas of runners are the tibia, or shinbone, and foot.
When am you most likely to get a stress fracture?
Stress fractures happen most often when runners increase their intensity and mileage over several weeks to a few months.
What does a stress fracture feel like?
A stress fracture typically feels like a dull ache along the bone. The pain usually feels localized to the specific spot of the fracture. Typically, it will hurt it you press on it. The pain will get progressively worse as you run on the injury, and it may even hurt if you jump on it.
What is the treatment for a stress fracture?
There is no real treatment other than rest. A physician may prescribe a boot or crutches to help keep the pressure off the affected area. This allows for complete healing of the fracture. If you continue to run and put pressure on a stress fracture it can lead to a bone fracture that could set you back months, and may result in surgery.
How can you prevent a stress fracture?
Check in with your training program and make sure you are not pushing too hard – make sure you’re not making dramatic increases in distance. Strength trying is key to keeping your body up to the increased needs of distance running. Strengthening of your hips, core, quads, and calves can help prevent a stress fractures.
There are so many running activities coming up this summer, so get out there and enjoy them! Just be sure to take care of yourself along the way and listen to what your body is telling you.
Soreness Vs. Pain- The Battle!
There are endless benefits of exercise; staying active supports our physical and mental wellbeing. To gain strength and make physical improvements, our bodies need to be pushed to an appropriate level where gains can occur. That bring said, every person is different – age, baseline strength, and participation level all factor into what is appropriate for your body.
It’s important to be realistic about your activity threshold and to be able to differentiate between moderate muscle soreness and pain. our friends over at the American Physical Therapy Association are a wealth of knowledge on the topic of soreness vs. pain, and have provided the following table to help you navigate what your personal activity threshold.
Muscular soreness typically peaks 24-72 hours after activity. This is the result of small, safe damage to muscle fibers and is called Delayed Onset Muscular Soreness. Your muscles may be tender to touch and feel tight and achy. In contrast to soreness, you may experience pain during or after performing exercise. This may feel sharp and be located in your muscles or joints. This pain may linger without fully going away, perhaps even after a period of rest. This may indicate an injury – If you feel that your pain is extreme or is not resolving after 7-10 days you should consult with a medical professional. This person will diagnose your injury and direct you to the appropriate road to recovery.
__________________________________________________________
“Soreness vs. Pain: What’s the difference?.” Move Forward PT. American Physical therapy Association, n.d. Web. 23 Aug. 2016.
Halloween 2016 Safety Tips!
Halloween Safety 2.0!
It’s that time of year again, Halloween is here – which means candy, costumes, and potentially injuries! We want to make sure your Halloween is full of of fun so we’ve attached a list from Safety Kids Worldwide full of helpful reminders to make your Halloween a sheer delight!
Walk Safely
- Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks.
- Look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross.
- Put electronic devices down and keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street.
- Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them.
- Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.
- Watch for cars that are turning or backing up. Teach children to never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars.
Keep Costumes Both Creative and Safe
- Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors.
- Choose face paint and makeup whenever possible instead of masks, which can obstruct a child’s vision.
- Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights to help them see and be seen by drivers.
- When selecting a costume, make sure it is the right size to prevent trips and falls.
Drive Extra Safely on Halloween
- Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods.
- Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs.
- Popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. so be especially alert for kids during those hours.
Miles for Midwives | Saturday, October 1, 2016
Miles for Midwives 2.5 mile Family-Friendly Fun Run/Walk takes place in the autumn to raise awareness around the benefits of midwifery and the important work of Washington midwives! Your participation helps to ensure that families in Washington State have greater access to quality women’s healthcare and the lower healthcare costs associated with utilization of midwives.
Event Info:
Location – Lincoln Park in West Seattle
8:00 am: Day of Event Registration/Packet Pick Up
9:45 am: Kids’ Lollipop Run
10:00 am: Fun Run/Walk starts promptly!
- Event starts at Shelters 1-2 (near tables 1-43) in the SOUTH END of the park.
The 2.5 mile loop will take you along the perimeter of gorgeous Lincoln Park, down along the water, around Colman Pool, and back up into the park. The path is stroller and pet friendly, along walking paths or sidewalks.
Proceeds from Miles for Midwives benefit the Washington Affiliate of the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) and the Midwives’ Association of Washington State (MAWS). For more information and to register check out www.milesformidwives.org
