Kids working out with personal trainers. I have to admit, I can’t help thinking something is wrong with that – I mean, can’t a kid just go play outside or something? Then I remember, it’s not like it used to be. Without sounding too dated, when I was that age, we played outside with other kids in the neighborhood. If it was summer, your mom was lucky if she saw you between breakfast and dinner. We played sports, rode our bikes, explored the creek, all kinds of activities.  Anybody remember playing kick the can at sunset with about 25 neighborhood kids?  I do.  Nowadays, for various reasons that I really don’t want to get in to here, we don’t see that anymore.  A lot of the activity our kids get today seems to be limited to baseball practice, karate lessons, youth football, or other organized activities.  So, as long as our kids need to be supervised, directed, exercised, herded, entertained, etc, I guess a personal trainer for my 7 year old is in order.  Still strikes me as sad and maybe a little silly.  Read this: http://aahf.info/sec_news/section/Youth_articles_26.htm

It seems like we are constantly bombarded with information regarding the need to be physically fit as we age. There are many reasons, from our overall health to the huge financial burden of a population of out-of-shape baby boomers. This article   has some great stats and facts regarding the aging process and where we are headed. Then, there’s another demographic that is beginning to show some interest in better fitness – look at my next blog about that one.

Why do we run? Everybody knows there are cardiovascular and other health benefits. Most also realize that there may be some orthopedic issues associated with the stress that running puts on the body. Can you imagine having to run in bare feet instead of your comfortable, supportive sneakers? I am in no way advocating bare foot running, but this study suggests that it may actually be better for your joints. Keep in mind this is one study with a limited population, but it is an interesting concept.

Well, we took the Wii plunge at my house this Christmas. I have never been a big video game person, but I figured the kids might enjoy it. I guess I have just a little bit of a problem justifying a video basketball game when there’s a hoop out in my driveway – if you know what I mean. Anyway, given that it’s hard to play basketball with 15” of snow and 10 degree temperatures, maybe a video game is not such a bad thing – at least when the real thing is not possible. So my kids love it, and I can see the developmental benefits, crossing midline, balance, coordination and all that stuff. We have one here in our clinic, and we’re in the midst of developing a program for it. There are doctors out there who are specifically requesting “Wiihab” for their patients. I don’t think it’s going to replace standard therapy practices, but it seems like what I like to call a “very useful adjunct” to traditional therapies, especially in the older and the pediatric populations. I’ll keep you posted on any developments at our clinic and on the other side of things – any Wii injuries I may see.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy or CTE is a condition which results from repeated head trauma. It has recently been in the news associated with the deaths some former NFL football players. This article from the New York Times discusses CTE in an individual who never played in the NFL. He did however incur multiple head injuries on the amateur level. I think a lot more study needs to be done regarding this issue – and that careful attention needs paid to head injuries at the high school level.

What does all that stuff stand for? Healthcare professionals get this question all the time, regarding all those letters after their names. I think it may happen more with PTs, OTs and SLPs because we tend to spend a lot of time with our patients. I also think we secretly love to fill up our name tags with this stuff. Off the top of my head, here is a list of some titles and certifications which you may see if you have to deal with any of us – good luck:

PT – Physical Therapist
MPT – Clinical Masters of Physical Therapy
MSPT – Master of Science Physical Therapy
DPT – Clinical Doctorate of Physical Therapy
PTA – Physical Therapist Assistant
OT/OTR – Occupational Therapist, Registered
SLP – Speech Language Pathologist
CCC-SLP – Certificate in Clinical Competency – Speech Language Pathologist
CEAS – Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist
CLT – Certified Lymphedema Therapist
CSCS – Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
NSCA-CPT – National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Personal Trainer
PES – Performance Enhancement Specialist
CES – Corrective Exercise Specialist

As a physical therapist I frequently stress the importance of good body mechanics.  Attention to how we use our bodies can be critical to avoiding a back injury.  Did you ever think about body mechanics when training?  We need to be conscious of body position and technique when performing exercises, but what about your body mechanics when loading and unloading weights, or when picking up dumbbells?  It doesn’t make much sense to use perfect mechanics for a dead lift, only to bend over at the waist in order to put plates on the bar.  There is an interesting article about this here

I came across an interesting piece in the NSCA Performance Journal about sports nutrition myths. I am not a nutrition expert, but this kind of information is really helpful for athletes who do not have professional guidance. Here are a few myths:

1. Myth: The more protein I eat, the better. The truth is, athletes should consume between 1.2 and 1.8 grams per kg of body weight, or 10 – 35% of total calories.
2. Myth: All athletes need supplements. Truth: according to the joint ACSM/ADA statement, no vitamin and mineral supplements are required if an athlete is consuming adequate energy from a variety of foods to maintain body weight.
3. Myth: I need to watch my weight because my BMI is too high. Truth: Trained athletes typically have more skeletal muscle and less body fat than sedentary individuals. Therefore, BMI is not an appropriate disease risk screening tool for athletes. The CDC recommends that athletes use methods other than BMI to assess body composition.

The whole article can be seen at www.nsca-lift.org/Perform/ .

It’s time for the “end of the summer, start of the season, let’s not get shin splints” blog.

OK – shin splints, now also known as Tibial Stress Syndrome are a family of conditions which cause pain in, well, the shins. Probably the most common are the medial (inside of the shin) variety. Common causes include overtraining, over pronation, and inappropriate footwear.

Example – a 17 year old soccer player pretty much does nothing all summer. Then, two weeks before practice he says, “uh oh, I need to get in shape,” and starts running. He’s still wearing his sneakers from last winter, and he is running on the street.

Three days later, he’s limping around with shin pain. Then there’s the athlete who works hard all summer, is in great shape, goes to practice in August, and promptly gets shin splints. Sometimes, they come on, in spite of all efforts to the contrary.

So, what to do:

1. Avoid overtraining – too much too fast will get you every time.
2. Cross Train – too much of one thing is never good.
3. Wear good shoes – lots of support.
4. Wear the correct shoes – basketball shoes are for basketball, not for running.
5. Run on level, compliant surfaces.
6. If you are an overpronator, talk to your doctor or trainer – orthotics may help.

If you get shin splints, you need to ice and rest. When you return to activity, take it easy, and follow the above suggestions.

A while ago, I blogged about the benefits of the push up. I’ve got another exercise for you – the burpee and its many iterations.

Some of you may remember this as a “squat thrust,” but “burpee” is a lot more fun to say. When I was in school, my gym teacher (remember when we were required to take gym?) would use the squat thrust as a disciplinary tool. Not fun.

The burpee is a bodyweight exercise which works upper and lower body. You do it like this:

1. Start in a standing position.
2. Squat
3. Place your hands on the ground in front of you while simultaneously kicking your legs
4. out in back of you.
5. Return to the squat position.
6. Return to standing.

Anyway, there are lots of variations, like the ultimate burpee, super burpee, death burpee, etc. For some variation, try adding a push up in when you are on the ground. Or when you return to standing, try jumping as high as you can.

Whatever you do, as always, consult your doctor prior to starting any exercise program.