Kevin Steele, PT, DPT

It’s the end of week 4 📆 of the new job, and I am slowly settling in to one of our few locations that I oversee. This is my home Wednesday through Friday! Notice the “motion is lotion” 💧poster on top of the shelf.

What have you done in the last few weeks to step 🚶🏼‍➡️outside your comfort zone 🎯 and try new things?

💪

Walking does the body, mind, and spirit good! 🏃🏻🏃🏼‍♀️

Yesterday was my last day at David Stevenson Physical Therapy. After 10 years, I am moving on to my next adventure and chapter. But I could not have done any of this without the friendship and mentorship of Dave and Sandy. They hired me right out of PT school in 2014 and believed in me from day one. Their office has been my sanctuary for 10 years. And their leadership has been a wonderful example of how a business should be…lots of heart, compassion, and treating people like family. I will carry these qualities with me as I take the next step. Thank you 🙌 DSPT family and clients. I am a better PT and person because of you!

My training partner, who is expert at down dog, is keeping me honest today! 🧎‍♂️‍➡️🧘‍♀️

Who is your accountability partner when it comes to your health and fitness?

I received an amazing thank you card from a patient yesterday that really brought me joy!…What we as Physical therapists do is often just as mental as it is physical! I wear many hats in my job. And sometimes, the best therapy for people is just being a beacon of light, an ear, a sounding board.

Staying active 💪 not only adds years to your life 📆, but life to your years 🙌 as well.

Think of your HEALTH as a savings account. It's a BUFFER against the unexpected.....And it's NEVER too late to start investing.

Starting the day on the mat🧘🏼‍♂️ with a beautiful view 🌞getting the body moving 🏋️and ready to tackle what lies ahead… 💪

How do you ready yourself for your day?

Do you want to know the best predictor for your health in 20 years? Look at the habits you adhere to today!

What are you doing for yourself now...today...that is building a reserve? Are you eating well? Sleeping? Drinking water? Doing something to alleviate your stress? Working out? Walking? Riding your bike? Surrounding yourself with friends and family?

Look at your habits today to predict your good health tomorrow....

Another chance to flex 💪 my PT skills, this time for the cast and crew of Jagged Little Pill 💊 at the Van Wezel in Sarasota, FL….And it was an added bonus to reunite with my old company manager from CHICAGO🤗 the musical, Dhyana Colony!

Happy to have been able to serve the cast, crew, and company as a PT for another great musical, Hadestown, during their time in Sarasota at the Van Wezel. It’s always nice to give back to my community.

Here’s the best way to manage your 🫵🏻health 🩺 in 2024: 🗓️

1) Exercise regularly 🏋️
2) Get adequate sleep 😴
3) Walk daily 🚶‍♂️
4) Eat well 🍽️
5) Surround yourself with great people….a good support system 👯‍♂️

That is 💯% better than crazy diets, supplements 💊, fads, gizmos, etc….

Trust me! 🕺🏻

“A man is as young as his spinal column.”

– Joseph Pilates

This can be applied to so many things. What do you have right now in your life that you may undervaluing? And what might you be sad to lose if it were gone tomorrow? Is there a way for you to thank that person or that thing today?

Heard today in my office...

"You were right. I have to be more consistent with my exercises."

As seen in my room....I have this conversation everyday with my patients. The road to recovery is rarely smooth or uneventful. It is often filled with up and downs, setbacks, and frustration. But as long as your trajectory is upward, you are on the right path.

Motion Is Lotion
(Keep moving)

https://www.mysuncoast.com/video/2023/05/19/how-correct-your-posture-better-back-suncoast-view-may-19-2023/

How to correct your posture for a better back | Suncoast View (May 19, 2023)

It’s what we have been saying all along. Motion is lotion!

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-61255733

Exercise is good for joints with wear-and-tear arthritis It may hurt, but exercise is beneficial for joints, experts say in guidance for doctors and patients.

"The body will become better at whatever you do, or don’t do. You don’t move? The body will make you better at NOT moving. If you move, your body will allow more movement."
— Ido Portal

Let's face it. COVID has changed all of our lives. It has impacted social connections and mental health, as well as our basic day to day activities that we used to take for granted. Even going to the grocery store seems more like a chore than ever before. Mostly, what I am hearing from nearly everyone in the clinic these days is "I have been more sedentary in the last few months than I have been in my whole life" or "I have stopped doing the things I love because the gyms/pools/etc were closed down" or "I have more aches and pains now than I did in Feb or March" or "I am more anxious and depressed than normal." Guess what? You are not alone. Although this statement may not make you feel more comfortable, it should bring you some sense of calm that you are not in this alone. We are all coping with this pandemic in some form.

So, on the simplest of levels, here is what I know. And this holds true for COVID times as well as your "normal" lives. Your body loves to move. With over 600+ muscles in the body, the body is at its best when it is active. There is power in motion! It was designed to be a dynamic, mobile, and capable machine getting you from point A to point B. The health benefits of activity are endless and may include:

*Lower blood pressure and better regulation of blood sugar
*Lower resting heart rate
*Better control of body fat
*Improved immune function
*Increased muscular strength and endurance
*Improved cardiorespiratory functioning
*Better join health
*Improved mental functioning
*Higher quality of sleep

On the other hand, a lack of activity may lead to:

*Loss of bone density
*Stiffening of joints
*Weakening of muscles
*Weakening of the heart and lungs
*Degeneration of the cellular energy systems
*increased risk of depression and anxiety

We also know that with prolonged sitting, both HDL levels (the so called good cholesterol) and insulin effectiveness may drop by over 20%. Diabetes risk may also increase as a result. In addition, simply doing nothing for even a few days (bed rest, too much Netflix on the couch), our muscles begin to atrophy and our cardio/aerobic fitness may be dramatically effected. We see this all the time in the clinic. Even a small break can have huge consequences, especially with our older patients.

So how do we go about remedying this situation? I am asked all the time "what is the best exercise?" And I always answer it with "There is no best exercise. The best one is the one that you will do on a steady basis." So, I encourage all sorts of exercise that is tailored to my patient and their needs like walking, performing yard work or housework, dancing, riding bikes, walking your dog or cat, swimming, yoga, pilates, tai chi, or whatever else will get you up and moving on a steady basis. The idea is to move, which can be different from exercise and strengthening (we will address more strength training in the coming weeks and months). The Mayo Clinic and DHHS recommend for most healthy adults:

"Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. The guidelines suggest that you spread out this exercise during the course of a week. Greater amounts of exercise will provide even greater health benefit. But even small amounts of physical activity are helpful. Being active for short periods of time throughout the day can add up to provide health benefit."

Again, it is less important to worry about what exercise is best and focus on movement and what will keep YOU coming back for more. Despite some gyms or pools being closed (or people concerned about going back to these facilities at this time, despite their being open), there are lots of great alternatives and resources online, many of them free. One person/site that we have followed online for YOGA (all levels) during COVID is "Yoga with Adriene." https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene She is a great FREE resource for yoga. I have also followed "HASFIT." https://hasfit.com/?s Please let me know or share with the community your thoughts and what has helped you to get through this challenging time.

Here is a super corny phrase I learned in school, BUT I use it on a daily basis. Let it be your mantra as well. MOTION IS LOTION. Think of motion as your internal lubricant, like WD40 for the body. It will help you to feel better, I promise. Moving your body regularly can keep joints and soft tissues more flexible and less painful. And for those of us over 40, we know that we feel better with movement. I also know that staying active during this time has helped me to feel less anxious, more connected to my life and to my partner, and more in control of the overall situation. It would be easy to succumb to the fears of COVID and this trying time. But I promise, having movement and some activity in your life will bring some normalcy and restore you sense of control.

So that's my first post. The bottom line is MOVE!
Please feel free to share your thoughts, ideas, and/or suggestions below for the rest of the community. Also feel free to ask your questions here. I will do my best to answer as quickly as possibly. Until next time, stay safe, be well, and remember to wear your masks.

~KMS

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