It is the New Year, and it is also time for a flurry of resolutions. You are probably thinking about how you can become healthier, be more pain free, and move better than you do right now. Great thought! To help you along, here are 15 tips to get you healthy in 2011:
A gradual, personalized exercise program that takes into account your anatomy and physiology is important. Your physical therapist can conduct an evaluation and assist with this.
Make yourself accountable to someone other than yourself. Log your exercises (either at home or at the gym) in a journal and inform your physical therapist about your progress.
Self confidence is critical. Believe in yourself and your ability to become stronger, healthier and more functional. If you think you can, then you CAN!
Visualize yourself as being stronger, with increase energy, as if you already achieved your goals. Positive expectations of health, vitality and energy are helpful to improve your health and well being.
Drink plenty of water. Hydration is important for your blood, kidney, and joints.
Always seek qualified help. Expert supervision provided by a physical therapist is important, especially if you are recovering from injuries or medical conditions.
Be aware of what you eat. Fat has twice the caloric density of carbohydrates and protein. So limit your fat intake and consume a balanced diet containing lean protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
Get into the habit of reading nutrition labels at the grocery store. Not all foods are created equal. Make a conscious decision to shop for natural foods and increase the variety of foods you consume. Most individuals have the same food habits. Deviate from your ‘regular diet’ and experience a world of fruits, vegetables, herbs and lean protein.
Never skip meals, especially breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day, so start your day right - with a healthy breakfast. It will get your metabolism going, and keep your appetite and blood sugar in check as the day progresses.
Find an exercise partner to help you stay consistent with your exercise regime.
Consistency is key - exercise at least 3-4 times a week.
Challenge yourself each week - gradual progression the only way to improve. Stay within the limits of pain. When in doubt, ask your physical therapist.
Make sure a 5-10 minute warm-up and a 5-10 minute cool-down are part of your home exercise routine. Don’t forget to include stretching in the warm-up and cool-down to reduce the risk of injury.
Set specific goals for yourself (consult your physical therapist) and resolve to meet them.
Reward yourself for small victories, they are important milestones towards your ‘larger goal’. Positive reinforcement is the best way to stay on track and reach your health and wellness goals.

New Year Resolution Mistakes To Avoid
Most individuals make some health-related New Year Resolutions (I will start exercising, lose weight, quit smoking, reduce alcohol intake, etc). Most people also face the same roadblocks. The good news is that all of these can be easily remedied.

As your physical therapists and experts in exercise, we look forward to the opportunity to serve you this year. There are three main reasons for failed New Year Resolutions and this is something we can help you with:

Absence of a structured plan of action (a firm, focused routine will help overcome this)
Low self confidence (we help you by setting small, progressive goals and encouraging you with positive reinforcement and accountability)
Poor time management (we empower you to make the best use of your time, with a program personalized for your health and fitness needs)

Most Resolutions Fail Unless…

Did you know that a majority of New Year Resolutions end in failure? Manage your expectations. Remember that the road to health is a marathon, not a sprint to the finish line. Be patient and take progressive, sustainable steps towards your goal. Some examples for you to consider:

If you are planning to run a marathon, make sure you set a short term goal - walking/running 3-4 times a week.
If your resolution was to lose 15 lbs, a good first step is to avoid the morning bagel, cream cheese and coffee and opt for fruit and green tea instead.
Instead of depriving yourself from your favorite foods, resolve to eat a healthy combination of fruits, vegetables and lean meats, allowing yourself to indulge in your favorite foods once every other week.
Instead of “going to the gym to exercise”, call health professionals like us and ask for an evaluation, so and a structured exercise program under the supervision of a physical therapist.
If one of your resolutions is to improve your health and wellness this year, then we look forward to serving you as your trusted physical therapists. We will set reasonable goals, hold you accountable and empower you with confidence by designing a structured, personalized exercise program. Such a program is engineered to improve your muscle strength, flexibility and endurance. We look forward to working with you this year and will do everything we can to improve your health and well-being in 2011.

A new fashion trend is emerging, one that can cause more pain than you may realize. It is those trendy, oversized bags (purses for women, and handbags for men) that wreak havoc on the human body. There is nothing wrong with being trendy. The trouble starts when you start loading up these bags with your laptop, wallet, shoes, cell phone, water bottle, magazine, make-up, and a some work related documents – and carrying this everywhere. Before you know it, there’s a nagging pain in the neck or shoulder that may even radiate down the arm. Carrying the extra weight may cause problems in two ways:
It pulls on a web of nerves that can cause aching or shooting pain from the neck down the arm. Every time you sling your bag over your shoulder, the upper back muscles that stabilize the shoulder blade struggle to counterbalance that weight; eventually they get overworked until a small movement like giving someone a hug or reaching for the phone causes sharp pain. Carrying 10 extra pounds on one side of the body can cause the trunk to tilt sideways to compensate, causing more stress for your lower back. As the stiletto heel is to your foot, the designer handbag is to your upper back. Your Physical Therapist Can Help You: As your physical therapists, we want the best for your health. Here are some tips that will help you stay injury-free.
1. Posture - This matters more than anything. The ideal stance is shoulders relaxed, back upright with no leaning to either side.
2. Strength - Strengthening the right muscles makes a big difference. Not sure what your muscle imbalances are? We can help. Call our office today to see what your muscle imbalances are and which exercises are ideal to keep painful days away.
3. Strap-Hanging - If your bag has a strap that rides diagonally across your body, use it. That should distribute the weight better, and you don’t have the feeling it will slip off, so you’re less likely to hike your shoulder. Also, swap sides so you’re not always using the same shoulder.
4. Switch It Up - Pack as little into the bag as you can, the bare essentials. Also, try to vary the bags, and the weight you carry.
5. Don’t Ignore Pain - If your bag is big and heavy, and your posture is far from ideal, you might be on your way to an injury. Frequent neck stiffness, headaches, and pain radiating down the arm may develop. If you notice any of these symptoms, and if ice and rest don’t help, leave your bag behind. It’s time to head over to our office.
Your Best Bag
As your physical therapists, we recommend that your purse (or handbag) should not exceed 10% of your body weight. So a bag that’s more than 5 pounds when empty is a bad start. If the load is excessive, your head and neck jut forward rather than staying over your shoulders. This can lead to headaches, neck tension, and back pain.

Things to look for in the right purse:
Avoid long-straps – they cause the purse to bump you at the hip, and may slip down the shoulder (causing you to hunch up the shoulder).
Short-handled bags/purses should be: Over the shoulder, tucked under your arm, over the forearm, or held in your hand.
An over-sized bag is dangerous because it invites you to put lots of things in it, which can get pretty heavy.
Try placing your things in a way that minimizes any twisting of the trunk when you look in your bag to find something.

Track and field season is off to a start in California. This weekend we will see the first of several invitational meets. High school athletes are in the midst of preparing for the upcoming season. The arduous training can lead to overuse injuries. To ensure your athletes stay healthy throughout the season, FreeMotion Physical Therapy offers a weekly Running Clinic. The clinic is held every Tuesday evening at 7:00 pm. The running clinic emphasizes strengthening and stretching to prevent injuries. The class consists of 10 minutes of cardiovascular warm up followed by 15 stations that are 2 minutes each and the finale is 10 minutes of extensive static stretching. The class can be modified to meet individual needs. For example a jumpers focus would be a bit different than a long distance runner. The atmosphere of the class is upbeat and positive. It is a great opportunity to get a superb workout and learn exercises that you can do independently each day to keep you performing at the optimal level. Please phone with any questions you may have 949-542-5000 or email us at mcota@freemotion.com.

We are excited to announce we have two clinical reformers at FreeMotion physical therapy.  Pilates is a unique approach to training in mind/body awareness and controls of movement and posture. The reformer, aspecialized apparatus used in Pilates, provides an opportunity to train a variely of movement patterns.

Pilates has been shown to yield numerous benefits:

• Strength and flexibility, particularly of the abdomen and back musculature
• Posture, balance and core strength
• Bone density and joint health improvement
• Increased lung capacity and circulation through deep healthy breathing

We are utilizing Pilates along with a variety of our traditional physical therapy methods to provide neuromuscular re-education, strengthening and stabilization. This unique combination of methods has helped our patients with a variety of diagnosis recover quickly and achieve maximum strength and mobility.

Whatever your sport - golf, tennis running, walking, throwing - these will enhance your performance and help prevent injuries. Here are three great challenging, core exercises we recommend. Form is important, do not let your low back sag. It is best to do these exercises in front of a mirror. Bridges, prone on forearms, and side plank. Come by FreeMotion Physical Therapy to have us demonstrate these great core exercises.