Jump start
Labor Day is past and school has started, and the fall schedules are here. Summer had its "go with the flow" vibe, which was great, but now it is time to get down to business with your health.
Fall seems to be a time brimming with opportunity to set new goals for yourself and your family. There is a set routine, which helps us to be more disciplined in our approach to our health. I have never really loved the idea of having to be so disciplined, but as we get so busy with daily life, it seems like the only way to be well in all the avenues of your life. To be well, you have to teach yourself the skills you need. Sometimes they come naturally and other times it's the hardest thing in the world to change. But change comes with practice, and to get good at something it takes time and effort. I tell my kids that all the time, and yet I sometimes don't take my own advice. So here's to fall and the next steps to wellness. You can do it!
1. Pick your time. Everyone has optimal times for exercise. A.M. is best for some of us before the day gets wild; for others, after work is the most practical. Others pick noontime, or at their afternoon slump.
2. Pick your mode. Different days, different ways of challenging the body: paddleboarding, biking, running, walking, yoga, lifting, cross-fit, kayaking, etc.. I like to change it up so the chance of injury goes way down.
3. Know your strengths. You might make muscle mass fast, but your cardio is slow to improve. So start with lifting weights to get your metabolism rolling and then begin to push the cardio. Always play to your strengths when you get started, so you can have some success. Then it motivates you to move to the area that is most difficult for you.
4. Know your weakness. If you know that you have tight hamstrings, then it's definitely part of why your back is always an issue; if your Achilles tendon is always talking to you with your running regime, then most likely your calf muscles are too tight. So you need to address your weakness and change up your program.
5. Look for inspiration. Hang out with, read about, and talk to people who inspire you to greatness with your health. We all need people to give us tips on what worked for them. You can always learn something from others who are walking the road and have had success. Listen to their wisdom.
6. Never give up. In my profession, we often see people who are struggling to walk, get out of bed, play their elite sports, or merely lose weight so their knees are not killing them every day. Often, our patients feel like they will never be well again. But I am here to tell you, that is just not the case. Our bodies are resilient and heal in ways that make me marvel at the gift we have been given. Often you just need a little help, a jumpstart, a do-over. That's what we do in physical therapy every day: we are facilitators for your health. We help your body restart its connections and remember the way it is suppose to move. So don't ever give up: come to therapy and let us help you start of new way of living. Wellness is just around the corner. I believe in you!
Sheree DiBiase, PT, is the owner of Lake City Physical Therapy. She and her staff can be reached for an office consult in Coeur d'Alene at (208) 667-1988 and in the Spokane Valley at (509) 891-2623.