Physical Therapy Can Help You Stay Active This Winter
Do you find it challenging to get motivated when it’s cold outside? Are you worried about spending your time slipping and sliding instead of getting a workout? At Carolina Prime Physical Therapy, we can help you find ways to stay active safely no matter the weather conditions!
Just because it is winter, it doesn’t mean you have to stay indoors. Remaining active in the winter months is just as important as remaining active during other seasons. The winter presents several fun activities that can double as workouts.
Even something as small as taking a walk around the neighborhood to look at holiday lights or building a snowman with your kids can give you the amount of daily exercise you need.
At Carolina Prime Physical Therapy, we can design specialized treatment plans for anyone who may need a little extra push to stay active during the winter. Contact us today to learn more!
What Are the Benefits of Exercising During the Winter?
It is undeniable that daily exercise is essential for staying healthy and promoting wellness. The American Heart Association recommends getting at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. Depending on the type of workout, exercising in colder weather can meet and exceed these recommendations.
Too often, it seems easier to stay in, nestled up in blankets, while it’s snowy and cold, and there is evidence that we workout around 10 minutes less per day in the winter compared with the summer months.
With winter, some risks don’t exist in warmer months. For example, slipping on ice as you walk or run on the sidewalk or in more severe risks like hypothermia or frostbite can result from improper clothing or underestimating the temperature.
Staying active is a necessary component of well-being and one of the best ways to improve your mental and physical health. Physical activity has been linked to:
- Improved sleep
- Reducing anxiety
- Strengthening bones
- Strengthening your muscles
- Lowering blood pressure
- Lowering your risk of type 2 diabetes and many kinds of cancer
- Maintaining or losing weight
- Reducing the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s
- Improving balance and reducing your risk of falling
Exercising in the cold can be invigorating and serve as an immune system boost. Even just a few minutes of outdoor exposure during the winter can help prevent both bacterial and viral infections.
Staying safe is essential, and so is staying active. Anything you can do to spend less time sitting and keep active during the winter months is a step in the right direction!
Don’t Let Your 2024 Insurance Benefits Go To Waste!
Take charge of your health today and make the most of your insurance benefits!
If you’ve already met your deductible this year or have funds left in your HSA account, you can take advantage of our remarkable opportunity at Carolina Prime Physical Therapy. Don’t let these valuable benefits go unused!
What To Expect From Physical Therapy Sessions
At Carolina Prime Physical Therapy, we want to make sure you stay safe this winter, so you can enjoy doing the season’s activities without fearing a harsh fall or other serious injuries. No matter what winter activity or exercise you’re partaking in, warm-ups should always include a combination of low-intensity movements that will make the physical activity easier to perform.
Our physical therapists will start with an assessment identifying the factors contributing to your pain and/or injury. We will perform a thorough history to understand more about your challenges and your overall health status.
We will use this information to develop a comprehensive program that includes targeted manual techniques, mobility work, strengthening, and appropriate pain relief techniques. We will progress your program to help you get back to the activities you enjoy in the most efficient way possible.
Sources: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31193280, https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf#page=56, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30719382, https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults
Contact Us Today!
Whether you’re looking for ways to recover from an injury and get moving in the winter, Carolina Prime Physical Therapy can help.
Contact us today to find out how we can help make your winter season as enjoyable as possible!
Feel Better by Eating Better!
Oatmeal Pancakes With Cinnamon Apples
- 1 1⁄2 cups buttermilk
- 3⁄4 cup instant rolled oats
- 3⁄4 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1 Tbsp melted butter
- 1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
- 1⁄2 tsp baking soda
- Pinch of cinnamon (plus 1⁄8 tsp for the apples)
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
- 1⁄2 cup apple juice
- Butter or cooking spray
In a large bowl, mix the buttermilk, oats, flour, milk, butter, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Let it rest. In a small saucepan, simmer the apple, apple juice, and cinnamon until the apple softens and the liquid thickens. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add butter or cooking spray before each round. Scoop 1⁄4-cup portions of batter, spreading into thin circles. Cook 2-3 minutes per side. Keep pancakes warm in the oven. Serve with warm apples.
Intimidated by the Gym? Try These 3 Tips
While some people struggle to exercise regularly due to pain or busy schedules, many more find themselves holding back for one simple reason: going to the gym is intimidating.
At Carolina Prime Physical Therapy, we strive to create a welcoming, inclusive environment for all our patients. But we also understand that going to a physical therapy clinic is quite different from going to a gym, where you often have little to no guidance about etiquette, exercise equipment, and more.
Fortunately, our physical therapists can offer a few simple tips for overcoming gym intimidation:
- Take a few deep breaths. Deep breathing exercises can help calm your nerves before entering the building. Find a quiet space (your car, an empty corner in the locker room) and take five deep, steady breaths before you start your workout.
- Don’t leave your cell phone in your locker. We often see our cell phones as needless distractions–but in the gym, that distraction can help soothe anxiety. One study found that cell phone usage during a workout filters out environmental stressors (like that super-buff guy lifting weights beside you). So consider this permission to load up your favorite podcast and plug in your earbuds!
- Know before you go. When you walk into a gym, you’re met with a maze of cardio and weight machines, free weights, and lots of mirrors. Figuring out a workout program before you step through the doors will help take some of the pressure off. Our physical therapists can help, offering guidance on specific exercises, workout plans, and equipment and gym etiquette instruction.
Gym intimidation is a genuine phenomenon–and the team at Carolina Prime Physical Therapy is here to help combat it! Call us today to learn more.
Sources: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1612197X.2020.1739108, https://journals.lww.com/jbisrir/fulltext/2019/09000/effectiveness_of_diaphragmatic_breathing_for.6.aspx
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