getfitt.ed
Ergonomics and Wellness Services
03/11/2021
We love using resistance bands to increase the challenge of an exercise or to help with specific muscle activation and learning.
It's relatively low cost makes it reasonable for us to recommend to our patients and a great item to add to your home gym!
Since there are so many out there, we are going to talk about the two most common ones you seen on Amazon.
Looped Rubber
-often comes in packs of 5 with variable resistance
-low cost
-less durable than the cloth ones but personally, they have lasted me a couple years before they rip or get over stretched
Cloth Bands
-often purchased individually or in packs of 3
-higher cost due to the higher durability
-less ability to stretch through a large range. Want to clarify that this doesnt mean the resistance is low, it just doesnt stretch as far for a specific resistance level so you are limited in what exercises you can do.
Our recommendation:
We purchase the rubber version before the cloth version.. but we have both!
⭐️Or better yet, purchase a roll of rubber elastic and cut it to your specific need! You will also more variety of exercises you can do with a band that is not looped!
03/11/2021
OUR PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS 🧑🏾💻
The Theracane! This is the “Kleenex” of over the shoulder massage sticks.
♥️Why we love it:
- Its easy to keep at your desk, store, and transport.
- It’s a great way to massage your neck and shoulders while keeping your neck and shoulders relaxed (versus reaching awkwardly behind you).
- You can control the pressure you put into it.
- $29.95 on Amazon, but other brands have similar versions for $20!
- This massage device is paired best with stretches and good posture. 🤓
Follow along with Wendy as she tackles her overhead mobility for the next three weeks! Each routine will follow a similar flow of foam rolling, stretching, active movement, eccentrics and loading.
Prescription: 3x/week for 3 weeks
👇🏼 Keep reading to understand the why 💡
Pre Test: gotta know where you started to see if what youre doing is working!
Foam roll: Wendy likes to relax her muscles a bit before doing any stretching
Stretch: a longer duration hold to lengthen the muscles and joints
Active Movement: important to use your own muscles to go through the range that you are trying to gain
Eccentric: combines loading and stretching at the same time, yay two for ones! Found to be very effective in improving range of motion.
Load: works on stability in the new range!
Tag us in your before and after photos if you decide to follow along!
19/08/2021
🎒Back to school means new backpacks! (And traffic 😑🚗)
Check out these few tips to keep your little ones shoulders and backs happy all school year long!
Straps:
- Sorry, kiddos, single strapping. 👎Keep muscles and joints balanced by wearing two straps.
- low hanging bags are also not cool🙅♀️. Keeping the bag close to the body minimizes strain to the low back.
What to look for in a backpack:
- ↔️broad straps help distribute the load through the whole shoulder
- chest and waist straps keeps the backpack close and also unloads the weight from the shoulders to the hips.
Weight:
⚖️Limit the bag to 15% of your child's weight. 48lb kiddo should only be carrying 7lbs at most!
Happy back to school! We hope all the stay at home moms and dads are enjoying somewhat of a break 🤪 And thank you to all the teachers, we appreciate all your work! 🍎
04/04/2021
Hope you got a visit from the Easter Bunny this year!
🤰👩🍼Pelvic girdle or sacral iliac joint (SIJ) is a common region of pain for women during and after pregnancy. One common test that can help determine the presence of SIJ pain and help us determine the right treatment plan is the Active Straight Leg Raise test.
⭐Feel free to try it at home with a friend if you're wondering if you might be dealing with SIJ symptoms but I HIGHLY recommend you contact a PT if you are dealing with pain. This is just ONE of many many many tests and movements we do to help us determine your treatment plan. Finding the location of pain is easy (👆point to it), treating it is a whole different beast! 🤪
Instructions:
1. Lie on your back with your legs straight and 8 inches apart
2. Raise one leg at a time about 8 inches off the table, keeping the knees straight
3. Rate the difficulty for each leg (0= not difficult, 5=unable to do)
4. Now have a friend place their hands on the sides of your pelvis and squeeze together to provide stability
5. While friend is squeezing, raise one leg up at a time again and rerate
Results: if it was easier to perform the leg raise with the squeeze, you may have REDUCED FORCE CLOSURE and would benefit from improving your motor control and improving your posture.
Did you have a positive test? Do you deal with SIJ pain? Reach out if you need help!
Fellow PTs, do you use this test? It was a nice reminder for me, for sure!
31/03/2021
An office with a view! Great! 🪟But where you position your computer in relation to the nearest window can cause strain to your eyes. 👀
Here are 3 different scenarios:
👎❌Facing a window: The brightness from the window makes it hard for your eyes to focus on the screen. Although this might provide optimal lighting for that zoom call, it can cause eye strain and discomfort. 😎
👎❌Back to window (not pictured): The glare from the window reflecting on your screen makes it difficult for your eyes to focus. And if you haven’t noticed already, this option makes you look really dark while on a zoom call. 👤
👍✔️Window to the side: This allows the benefits of having nice natural lighting in the room while minimizes glare and strain for your eyes. 🤩
Swipe to see our example ➡️. The computer screen brightness is the same in both! The difference in what we can see is pretty amazing! So imagine how much your eyes will thank you with this simple fix!
Do you work near a window? Send us some photos or drop a comment below! 🤳🏻⬇️
BEAT THE DESK🧑🏾💻
Tension in your low back? Try Nicole’s favorite low back release!
Lay in a supported bridge position, with a foam roller right at your belt line.
From here you have options:
1. Stay here and breathe
2. Hug one knee to the chest and let the other straighten out
3. Let both legs straighten out
4. Lift your legs up towards the ceiling (knees straight or bent)
Spend 1-2 minutes in the version of your choice. 😎
This also works great with a yoga block!
21.3 & 21.4 RECOVERY
We hope you all had fun with this last workout!
This routine pretty much covers it all:
🏋🏼Foam Roll Lats- 30 seconds each side
🏋🏼Foam Roll Pec Stretch- 1 minute hold
🏋🏼Foam Roll Hip Flexors- 30 seconds each side
🏋🏼Hip Flexor Stretch- 30 seconds each side
25/03/2021
Have you been trying to stand more while you work but get tired quickly? 😪 That's okay! Most people can only maintain a good posture for about 10 minutes before they start to lean and shift on their desk! 😮
⭐️Try breaking it up every 30 mins: ⏰
-Sit and work for 2️⃣0️⃣ minutes
-Stand for 8️⃣ minutes
-Then stretch and move around for 2️⃣ minutes ( anyone?)
📊 In an 8 hour day, this equates to 5 hours of sitting, 2 hours of standing and 30 minutes of moving/stretching.
🤸🏽♀️We always preached movement to be the best prevention of pain and this would allow for 16 total transitions a day!
⭐️Of course, this is not set in stone and you can adjust as needed pending your work tasks.
🚶🏻♂️Simply walking will be sufficient but if you want something more specific, check out our Beat the Desk series and growing library of Reels for short mobility routines. 👍
BEAT THE DESK for a STIFF NECK
Try this stretch and strengthen combination to help loosen up your neck.
★ Clasp both hands around your head
★ Let the weight of your arms pull your chin to your chest
★ Hold for 10 seconds
★ Look up, making sure your chin parallel to the floor
★ Perform 5 chin tucks
21.2 RECOVERY
Hey CrossFit athletes, try out this quick 3.5 minute flow to loosen up your lower 🔙. We know you need it!
‣ 30 seconds of prone press ups
‣ 1 minute pigeon pose on the left
‣ 1 minute pigeon pose on the right
‣ 30 seconds QL stretch to the right
‣ 30 seconds QL stretch to the left
We will be posting recovery stretches every Monday for the entire open! 💪🏽 2 down, 3 to go!
18/03/2021
Week 1 of PPP Course with was filled with great material!
I originally wanted to share information about 🔴 RED-S (never heard of it? Me neither🤷🏻♀️) but already did such a good post so I'm sharing that in our stories!
Instead, I'll share some 📝 research that helps us answer a question I get all the time from clients and patients ⁉️ "Is it safe to exercise if I'm ... trying to conceive... going through IVF treatments... pregnant?" There's such a (valid) fear 😕 that exercise can harm your chances of getting pregnant or be harmful for the baby.
Good news: exercise is safe and even beneficial!
Have you been told not to exercise? Were you shamed for continuing to exercise throughout your pregnancy? Share below, you're not alone! And be sure to check the post on 🔴RED-S in our story!
17/03/2021
POOR POSTURE EFFECTS EVERYTHING
As PTs, we focus on the health of your musculoskeletal system AKA everything involving bones and muscles. However, we did want to note the shocking effects poor posture has on the other systems of your body.
👃🏾Nasal & Sinus Cavities- When your head is constantly looking down it can effect the way fluid moves, and pools, in your sinuses.
👄Forward Jaw & Throat- When your head sits forward your jaw juts forward and your throat is compressed. This can effect the way you chew and swallow.
🫁Compressed Rib Cage- A forward rounded position compresses the way your rib cage expands open. This can effect the way your lungs expand, preventing your from inhaling and exhaling completely. Your heart is also compressed in this position, which can impact cardiac output and circulation of blood to the rest of your body.
🩺Compressed Kidneys & Adrenals- These organs control metabolism, hormone production and regulate stress. Compression and impairment to these complex systems can lead to a whole slew of health problems.
🚽Compressed Stomach & Intestines- Sitting slouched (and mot moving from this position for a bit) effects the way food travels through your digestive system.
What’s the solution?
⭐️Better posture
⭐️Frequent movement
BEAT THE DESK
Sometimes it’s just that simple… Get up, and MOVE!
Nicole’s go to: Squats.
Get up and do 10 of something. Jumping jacks. Squats. Push ups. Calf Raises. High Knees. Run in place. Dance. Clap your hands.
Stepping away from your workspace to move improves blood flow, loosens up muscles and joints, and boots mood.
[ Pro Tip: the more silly the move, the more happiness it will bring 🤪 ]
11/03/2021
If you're pregnant, was pregnant, or plan to be pregnant, these questions did or most likely will come up!
Hi! 👋 Wendy here! These questions definitely did for me but I was lucky enough to know some pretty great PTs and doctors to guide me through it all. 🙏
I also did a lot of research and took courses to learn as much as possible. My interest in pregnancy and postpartum care has only increased since then so I am super excited to be taking an 8 week course () to learn about all things related to pregnancy and postpartum, specifically on how to help women navigate their way back to sports!
🌟I plan to post once a week, sharing topics that I learn along the way so stay tuned! Or share with a friend, daughter, wife, or baby mama who might benefit from this!
📥 Drop a comment if you have specific questions! Ill be sure to pass along any questions to my super duper smart instructors 😉
10/03/2021
TEXT NECK 🤳🏻
Did you know that for every 𝟙 𝕀ℕℂℍ your head drifts forward of midline, an extra 𝟙𝟘 ℙ𝕆𝕌ℕ𝔻𝕊 of unnecessary force is placed on your spine?
We are all guilty of looking down at our cell phones. But for 𝕙𝕠𝕨 𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕘 do you spend time in this position?
We don’t encourage trying to be perfect- we certainly aren’t! We 𝔻𝕆 encourage you to be more mindful of how long, or how often you put yourself in these positions.
Your muscles and spine can only take so much of poor posture before they say “I GIVE UP” and cause pain and injury.
Beat the Desk- Shoulders & Elbows
If you work at a computer all day, your arms don’t get much movement. ⌨️ This can lead to pain and stiffness in your shoulders and elbows.
So let’s get you MOVING and follow along with this arm flow! It only takes 30 seconds! ⏱
08/03/2021
Happy International Women's Day to all the beautiful, strong, and empowering women! Tag someone below you want to celebrate! ❤️
"Here's to strong women, may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them" 💪
07/03/2021
Happy National Dentists Day to all of the great dentists we have worked with! 🦷🪥😁
Not only do they work hard to keep your teeth clean, but they also have been working hard on their posture! 🤓
HAPPY MONDAY!
The tiny joints and muscles that make up your fingers, wrists and forearms can get tight and overworked when you repeatedly type and mouse all day. ⌨️🖱
Take this quick break to stretch and massage your hands and forearms!
26/02/2021
We are vaccinated! 💉
Science is great. 🤓
We both experienced some symptoms:
> Wendy only had symptoms after shot 2, but her symptoms were more intense.
> Nicole felt symptoms after both shot 1 and shot 2.
Drop a comment below if you experienced symptoms! 🗣
For you data nerds out there, 📈check out what our Garmin watches detected after shot #2:
Stress Response 😰(measured by heart rate variability):
> Wendy: High stress response as she was experiencing symptoms. Her immune system was HARD AT WORK, even though her physical body was just resting.
> Nicole: Slightly higher than normal stress response during symptoms. She was also just resting during this time.
Resting Heart Rate 🫀 (RHR):
> Wendy: 8 bpm higher than her normal. Her highest recorded HR that day got up to 132 even though she was just resting!
> Nicole: Slightly higher than normal RHR.
25/02/2021
Lateral Epicondylitis aka Tennis Elbow 🎾
Along with frozen shoulder, tennis elbow has been another commin diagnosis we have been seeing a lot in patients WFH.👩💻
The muscles effected with tennis elbow are your forearm extensors. These muscles are responsible for bringing your wrist up and moving your fingers up (Think typing)
They are also involved whenever you grip or rotate your forearm. (Think opening a jar)
⏩Swipe ⏩through the slides to learn more!
Stretching and massage always feels good but the key🔑 to rehabbing it is properly load the muscle so it can tolerate your daily and extracurricular activities!
A good desk up will also minimize risk of developing tennis elbow so reach out, we can help with that!
Have you had tennis elbow? 🗣️ Let us know what worked for you in the comments! ⏬⏬
24/02/2021
We get this question ALL THE TIME: Ice or heat? 🔥🧊
Swipe to read about the latest research. ➡️
It was once the gold standard to use ice for a new injury. “RICE” (rest, ice, compression, elevation) was the popular acronym used in first aid for injury for so long.
Now researchers have found evidence to support that ice slows down the inflammation process- which is part of our body’s natural healing process! When we do that, it doesn’t allow for optimal healing.
Instead, when it comes to a new injury, research supports “PEACE & LOVE” for better issue healing. This stands for Protection, Elevation, Avoiding anti-inflammatories, Compression, Education, Load, Optimism, Vascularization, Exercise. ✌🏼❤️
And what about heat? Heat improves blood flow and feels really good on achey, tight and stiff areas. 🧖
Our advice: Do what feels good. The healing process is SO complex. See, how research thought “ICE” was the go-to, and now it’s “PEACE & LOVE” - that’s a lot of other things that we found over the years to help healing! We love . 🤓
If you like heat, use heat. If you prefer ice, use ice. Or, use a mix of both! Just be sure to address the other areas of healing as well.
Still confused? Ask us! 📩
BEAT THE NURSERY CHAIR 👩🏻🍼 360 Breathing 🌬️
This can be started for most moms immediately after birth! Why is this so beneficial and important?
🤰🏽 During pregnancy-
·Ribs flare out ↔️ and diaphragm gets pushed up ⏫ to make room for baby to grow
·Leads to more shallow breaths (yeah, thats why you felt out of breath all the time!)
🫁 Deep breathing benefits-
·Diaphragm and pelvic floor work together, this helps with pelvic floor healing post partum
·Proper breathing (avoiding excessive intra abdominal pressure) helps minimize hernias, diastasis recti, back pain, and prolapse.
·Increases oxygen which promotes healing
·Can decrease stress hormones by affecting our parasympathetic nervous system.
🔑 Key points: we are usually familiar with our ribs expanding out to the side, but often times we forget about the ribs expanding backwards too! Your ribs wrap ALL the way around your body 😜
Give this a try, even if you arent post partum to help with stress! Share with a friend. Save it. Let us know how it goes!
21/02/2021
This ones for the mom's and dad's out there! How is daylight savings treating you? 🤪 This little guy interrupted my workout so he gets to be a special guest today!
👶How To Carry a (wiggly) Child:
Ideal posture carrying a child includes our shoulder, hips, and knees all stacked in one line ✔️
But this is hard to do because it requires use of your muscles! 🥵 So we start using our passive structures like our ligaments and bones ❌ We shift our hip sideways or lean back through our spine.
This is all fine for a short period of time ⏰ but if this is what you do all the time, it can lead to pain in the hip, SIJ, and low back to name a few.
Try changing positions frequently to unload different parts of your body. Its hard but you only get stronger doing it correctly! 💪
Slide 3️⃣ show's shifting baby more to the back of the hip which will unload your low back and work your core instead! There's also some silly options I wouldn't recommend for long term options 🤣
Give it a try and have yourself an extra cup of coffee with me!☕
🙌 Happy Friday! This series is for the 👩🏻🍼 new moms and 🤰🏽moms-to-be who are spending those long hours ⏳ in the nursery chair nursing or rocking baby to sleep.
I remember feeling sooo tight 😩 those first couple months postpartum. These two exercises were my go to for a quick stretch before and after nursing. No equipment needed!
The goal for these two is to reverse the hunched over position.
🚪 Doorway pectoral stretch: Place hand in doorway frame and step forward until you feel a stretch at your chest. You can adjust your hand placement higher or lower to get a better stretch for you. Hold for 30secs on each side.
⤴️ ⤵️Midback rotations: Get down on all fours (milk drunk baby staring up at you is optional), place one hand behind head. Rotate through your mid back and aim for feeling a stretch there. You might also feel a stretch at your chest. 5-10 reps on each side!
❓What feels tight after you nurse or rock your baby? ⏬ Let us know in the comments and we will make a post!
18/02/2021
⚡Pain out of nowhere?? Getting stiffer each day? Can't undo your bra or tuck your shirt in?
🥶You might be experiencing Frozen Shoulder or as the fancy people call it - Adhesive Capsulitis (AC). 🥶
AC is a sudden stiffening of your capsule that surrounds your shoulder. The verdict is still out there on the cause 🤷♀️ but common factors include white or asian women over the age of 40, post menopausal, and history of diabetes.
We recommending being evaluated by a Physical Therapist 👩⚕️👨🏻⚕️ to confirm this diagnosis since the symptoms present very similarly to other shoulder pathologies.
This can be a really frustrating diagnosis for both patients and PT because we can't really speed up the recovery. We used to torture and stretch our patients 3x/week 😧 (thinking more must be better) but research has shown that those who received treatment 3x/week compared to those that were doing general stretching ended up doing the same after a year.
Your Physical Therapist will help optimize your recovery by guiding you on pain management and gradual progression of your exercises based on your symptoms. 👍
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💥Hey ! 💥
Have you noticed an uptick in in your practice since the pandemic? Our clinic has gotten a TON of patients this past year. 🤔
PT WORKS! 🤓
Nicole here, sharing my latest physical therapy accomplishment. 🦶🏼
So often I give exercises to my patients and they tell me “Well I can’t do that.” BUT if you practice it, you just might gain that ability back. And here’s ⬆️ the proof!
As part of my 30k PT reps in 2021, I dedicated time to working on this movement.
Toe dissociation is the ability to extend and flex your big toe and little toes independently of each other. This dexterity plays a huge role in balance and stability of the foot, ankle and the rest of the leg. We often lose this ability because we don’t practice it.
I use toe dissociation as a test and an exercise. I was unable to do it on my left side- the struggle was SO REAL (see left foot on video from 11/5). As frustrating as it was to practice something I couldn’t do, I kept at it until I could.
Why I decided that I needed to work on this:
- There was a clear discrepancy in symmetry here (see how my left toes were unable to dissociate).
- My left leg hasn’t been as strong as the right since my knee surgery. I knew that focusing on my knee alone wasn’t enough. I took this inability as a clue to get my entire leg stronger.
- I am transitioning into more minimalist shoes and need the foot strength to do that without chancing an injury.
- I am working on increasing my running mileage as I train for a triathalon
- I was healing a stress reaction injury in my right foot that occurred in December.
I still have some work to do, but it is so fun (and motivating) to work on something when you see results.
Videos (show all)
