Pelvic Health & Orthopedic Physical Therapy
Addressing your questions about pelvic, women's, and musculoskeletal health. Health is a journey. Movement is healing!
3...2...1....Happy 2018! Have any resolutions lined up and ready to go? Still working on that perfect beach body from last year? Health is a physical, mental, and emotional journey to improved well-being. Taking small steps is the key to making larger changes.
Weight Loss So let's talk about the most popular resolution out there, losing weight. The intention is good, the application can be really tricky. Weight loss is a combination of positive attitude, healthy diet, and exercise. It is important to have all three. It's also important to keep your expectations reasonable, losing 5 pounds a week isn't healthy or sustainable! You are just going to gain all that weight back plus some once the diet, exercise, or pill you are on stops. So what is reasonable? Shedding 1-2 pounds of weight a week is reasonable and healthy if you are correctly nourishing your body. You can track your food and calorie intake as well as exercise and the amount you are losing on applications like MyFitnessPal or FitBit. Diet In terms of diet there are SO many fad diets out there. You really can't beat increasing good ole fruits and veggies and cutting down on processed foods. Decreasing the amount of sugar or fried food you have is also important. Maybe you decide just cutting down on how often you eat out because a lot of times those restaurants could be prepare your food in an unhealthy way even if it seems healthy. Drinking more water is another excellent New Year's resolution. Our body's crave water especially our bladder and gut, yet we oftentimes are not getting nearly enough water throughout the day. (The dry air in the winter months also dehydrates our bodies). Exercise Don't rush out and buy a gym membership unless you REALLY want to work out at the gym. It's not for everyone. There are so many forms of exercise out there. You may just start with a brisk walk to get your blood pumping! Our bodies need moderate exercise multiple times throughout the week. So make sure whatever you are doing you are increasing your blood pressure and getting a little sweaty. Try a few things and find what you like! Biking, hiking, running, tai chi, yoga, pilates, zumba, aerobics, swimming, weight lifting, crossfit...the sky is the limit. A lot of places will let you try a class for free or even let you have a few classes discounted before purchasing a full membership. So shop around. Mental Health Don't forget to take care of your mind! Managing your stress is so important. Maybe you set a goal to meditate or journal this year. Maybe it is to recognize more positivity around you. Maybe you finally take the plunge this year to link up with a counselor or psychologist. Environmental Health The space you surround yourself with is important to your well-being as well. You may find yourself making resolutions about your environment. Are you going to keep a cleaner house? Recycle more? Cut down on the plastic water bottles you use? How will your environment impact you and vice versa? There are no limits to the options for resolutions. There are so many new and exciting things on the horizon whether you pursue a goal with your personal health or do something broader! Week one of 2017 is officially in the books. I'm still in denial though, I keep vehemently scrawling 2016 and then having to vigorously scratch it out or try to magically turn the 6 into a 7. I've been spotty about sticking to that resolution of mine. I have a valid excuse..I have been travelling! I am finally back home in the great state of Tennessee so I can get back into a routine. Even with the craziness of travelling I've managed to do yoga 4 out of the last 7 days, not the best but definitely not the worst. So I'm going to consider it a jumping off point for next week. Between Pinterest (I have a yoga page with a bunch of videos pinned for your viewing pleasure) and Gaia ($0.99 your first month, yippeee skippee), Mom and I have been finding some really great yoga videos to do at home!
How are your resolutions going? Have you started to make small changes? What can you do this upcoming week to be more successful? Big things are in store for 2017. Next week marks the beginning of my LAST, I repeat, LAST, semester of physical therapy school. Two weeks after that I start my last clinical in a pediatric rotation. So standby for pediatric updates on pediatric physical therapy services as well as the continuation of working through the material you want to more know more about! Here's a nice breakdown of how to build a new habit as we approach the start of 2017. Start with little, daily things that will add up to your bigger goal!
2016 has been a big year, but it has been mostly a year spent waiting, anticipating, and preparing for 2017. 2016 was a year spent mostly in the classroom and out on clinical rotations learning more about different facets of physical therapy. 2017 holds my final coursework, final clinical rotation, graduation, board examination, starting my career, and a potential move.With all of that buzzing about I need to get mentally and physically focused for the craziness that 2017 has in store. So here is my resolution for 2017...in order to get through all of the wonderful, chaotic events that will largely be out of my control I will make at least 30 mins a day devoted to self care, including practicing yoga and journaling, as I gear up for this whirlwind of a year. So this leads me to my blog-related thought this morning. What is your resolution for 2017? What will you do to improve your mental and physical wellbeing? Real change takes commitment and determination. What small steps can you make in your daily routine to lead to a healthier and happier version of yourself? Can you add more water into your day? Get outside and take a walk? Start a new hobby? Reduce salt and sweets? It doesn't have to be something big to start with. If you start with totally eliminating all sugar and you have a wicked sweet tooth, you aren't going to be very successful. Instead try taking small steps towards your bigger goal, like instead of eating the cereal with marshmallows in it (I know, it's magically delicious) look at the nutritional label and find an option with less sugar or try oatmeal. So let’s start an open dialogue about our health goals for 2017. You can either comment on this post or hit the contact tab and send me a message. If you do send me your goal I will create a monthly forum to share goals and goal progress as well help to provide encouragement and accountability. Hope you have a safe and happy New Year's! #NewYearNewYou #2017BestYearYet |
AuthorHello! I am Caitlyn, Doctor of Physical Therapy and Board Certified Women's Health Physical Therapist working in St Louis, Missouri. Faculty in developing residency program. Endowarrior Categories
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