Active Wellness

Staying accountable! Write down your long term goals, then set a group of short term goals to be achieved and crossed off on the way to meeting those long term goals. One of my biggest goals post 3 kids was to be STRONGER for my self and to show my kids it’s good to be strong. Deano is almost 3, so this is me almost 3 years post last kid. This is not a short term goal!

Stay consistent, there will be ups and downs.

Contact me for program/to stay accountable!!

Good luck on your journey!

Deano staying accountable 😂 How did your week go?!💪🏻

Lift weights! Be strong! Feel empowered by the strength you gain. This takes WORK and ultimately consistency.

Offering an accountability challenge to start the year, which includes:

1 x 1 hour initial session to evaluate movement patterns and general strength/mobility to design a base program

Email at end of first and second week for accountability and how program is going.

30 minute session third week for assessment and adjustment of program if needed.

4th and 5th week email for accountability and how program is going.

30 minute session at week 6 to re-assess/discuss current program, plan for sustainability of program and progressions. Goal setting.

Cost: $150 - virtual (do this a lot), possible increased cost for travel depending distance

With cash based service you are investing in yourself. Outcomes are typically better because it’s your money that you put in to it and you want to get your moneys worth. Send me a message with questions.

Still working on movement patterns myself as I increase weights. Sheesh!! 😂

It’s already January 5th!! Happy New Year to my Active Wellness family and friends! 2023 was another year filled with hard work, dedication and consistency. Hope you all feel proud of what you are able to accomplish to keep moving in to 2024! Super lucky to work with all of you.

Being 5 days in to the New Year, this is your reminder that whether you have been sticking with New Year’s resolutions 100% or have faultered a few times the key is consistency.
When you have an off day, get back the next day. There will be days that don’t go as planned, don’t let that define how you move forward. Set small attainable goals that will eventually help you to achieve those long term goals. Don’t give up, journal/track your progress and what trends seem to work best for you. As the picture shows keep your eye on the prize (ball/goal/whatever it is!)

Here’s to continued wellness in 2024! ❤️💪🏻

Thank you to everyone who donated to the Project Sweet Peas non profit organization this year! With your help, I am able to make a donation of $400, which is almost double last years donation! Project Sweet Peas is such a great organization that helps families with a child/children who are in the NICU. If you would like to learn more about the organization I left a link below. Thanks so much again and I wish everyone a happy, healthy and joyous holiday season!💙❤️

P.S the winners of a free session are…Christine Smialowski (2 years in a row!) and Maureen Cannon. Please let me know if/when you would like to cash in on your session! Thank you!❤️

Project Sweet Peas Project Sweet Peas is a 501(c)3 national non-profit organization coordinated by volunteers, who through personal experience have become passionate about providing support to families of premature or sick infants and to those who have been affected by preg

Hello friends! Active Wellness will be doing another fundraiser this holiday season to benefit Project Sweet Peas, which is a National non-profit organization that provides support in the way of care packages, remembrance boxes, events, peer to peer support groups and more to families/caregivers who have a premature or sick infant in the NICU.

As many know, this organization holds a special place in my heart as we received one of their care packages when Deano was in the NICU for just over 5 weeks with severe head sparing IUGR, as so they called it and required help with regulating temp, sugars, breathing, eating etc. As hard as it was, there was always a sense of gratitude because we know how lucky we are. It’s hard to put in to words what the gesture meant at the time, but I know I/we won’t forget it.

Would love to provide a donation in time for the holidays. Each $10 donation will get you a chance to win a free session with AW, with a total of two winners. The fundraiser will go for 1 week. Last day for donation will be Dec 12. Thanks everyone!

Venmo: -ActiveWellnessnj

I love the heck out of this kid❤️

Sorry for any clients affected by 95 gate today! It was a long day being stuck on a tiny shoulder of 95 for over 3 hours, 5 hours to get back home. I appreciate everyone’s patience and feel very lucky to make it home! Back to regular business tomorrow. ❤️🙏🏻🙏🏻

As most of you know, I am on vacation this week! Going in to the third summer with Active Wellness, I just wanted to thank all my clients for all their hard work and dedication to getting and staying well! I am very lucky to work with such a great group of people. Look forward to continued wellness! Have a great start to summer everyone! 💙💪🏻

New Service Alert!!⛳️ Looking for help on how to improve your swing, which could also potentially help your overall game? Can’t hit the ball straight, back hurts/hips hurt? Feel tight or awkward in your swing?

Dean Millard, current center manager for Reconstructive Ortho and Sports PT in Pitman, NJ is looking to offer some outside services via Active Wellness.

Dean is TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) certified, which means he can help with some of the golf related issues above!!

Message Active Wellness if interested or email [email protected] and I can get you set up with Dean, who is also my husband🤣

Here is Dean working on his own game!

Hey Everyone! Accountability challenge!

Challenge:
Get up twice per week to make a 5:15am work out x 4 weeks to jump start your fitness journey.

Included:
2 group work out sessions per week
1 email to check in on accountability, ask questions on form, heart rate, modifications, progression, how to keep going on your own etc

Cost:
$60 to be paid up front WITH the hope this will keep you accountable to the 4 weeks/harder to miss a session that is already paid for (email me for illness related or emergency misses obviously!)

What’s needed:
Small space (you can see I have a small but effective space to get it done)
Light and medium to heavy set of weights
Good sneakers
Mat if working out on hardwood floors
Water

Goal:
By end of 4 weeks you have an idea of exercises that are working for you, what to keep up with and an idea of progression when appropriate

Main Goal:
That you keep going when you are done!

Contact me if interested!

Happy 2023! Wow, how did that happen?!

Below is my son, Dean. He is not very tall (he’s also 1, 🤣), but that did not let it stop him from trying to make a basket like his sisters. And, he did it because he wanted to.

With all of our goal setting, I commonly tell people the end goal is not attainable without all the little steps that get us there. Why are you motivated by this goal or what will motivate you?

Deano had no real chance to make this basket, but he tried anyway and he laughed and giggled when it trickled out of his hands.

My wish for everyone this year is to set your goals, be okay with starting somewhere, even if it’s just a “trickle” close to your goal. The hardest part many times is getting started and the patience to keep going. The patience of the daily grind, when am I going to get “there” / “get better.”

So, here’s your reminder. It’s okay to start small. To laugh along the way. Stay consistent. Stay accountable and believe in yourself. You can do it!

Me and Deano think so!

Wishing everyone a very happy holiday season from my family to yours. You all are amazing! Wishing you all continued wellness and happiness through the holidays! 💙💪🏻

Another sincere thank you to all who donated! Got this sweet thank you card from Project Sweet Pea yesterday. So greatful to bring a little joy to a family during what can be a stressful time❤️

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to all of you!! Much love to the hardest working, kindest and most extraordinary group of people I get to work with everyday!! Hope you enjoy your day with those who mean the most. Here’s to continued wellness through 2022 and beyond❤️💪🏻🦃

One class this week! It will be a Turkey Trot of sort. The class will be cardio based with some strength and core work also. 5:15am Thanksgiving morning! Get up and start the day feeling good! No class Wednesday or Friday this week. Hailey said be there or be square!🤣

Log - In:
ID: 207 855 9097
Password: 2CFUiw
$5 class/Let me know if plan to come!

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

This year, Active Wellness is doing a fundraiser for a non-profit that is near to my heart. As most of you know my son spent 5 weeks in the NICU in March 2021. While I knew there was a possibility he would stay after birth, I never could have expected the next 5 weeks and all the emotions and all that went along with that stay. I am extremely proud of this little kid and how awesome and strong he is. No matter how much time passes I will never forget that stay as it makes me even more grateful for each day than I ever could have been before. While in the hospital we learned about some of the great foundations/non-profits that work to donate special items to the NICU to help with the stay as much as possible, ie Children’s books, preemie clothes, cloths that could hold the parents smell and be kept in incubator/bed while parents had to leave at night, little Easter gift while we were there etc. we also received a package from a friend from Project Sweet Pea. It included a little preemie outfit, NICU wrist bands, color packets for our girls a little stuffy and more. This gesture meant so much to us especially at this time and we so appreciated all of these foundations.

Therefore, this year Active Wellness is giving away the chance for a free 1 hour session for 2 new or existing clients . The cost for each chance is $5. All that is raised will go right to Project Sweet Pea to help families and babies in the NICU. You can Venmo me at -ActiveWellnessnj. Each $5 increment that is donated is worth a chance to win. Deano is so excited 💙 💙

Project Sweet Pea link in comments!

Balance.

How is your nutrition?

How is your sleep?

How is your hydration?

How are your stress levels? (Reading this can be stressful 🤨)

How active have you been and how consistent are you with YOUR goals?

When we are in pain it is easy to focus on that pain. It is very important to address the issue contributing to pain, but it is also extremely important to understand how all of our systems can affect one another and when one area is off it can affect another. Recovering from an injury or management of long term symptoms takes time, patience is always hard but is key and there are many factors that we can focus on otherwise as well to help as injured areas are healing.

For example, poor nutrition/too much sugar processed foods can affect pain. Dehydration can affect discomfort/tightness and contribute to many other issues, headaches etc.

All of this can be overwhelming so, just a reminder to take it one day at a time, one component at a time. Focus on what you can control with the overall goal to show improvement slowly on all fronts. The stress of doing everything at once can be overwhelming, so do what you can setting small achievable goals, which when achieved over time contribute to the accomplishment of bigger goals and more effective management of your health 🙂

You got this!!💙💪🏻

Are you weight bearing even between sides? I know, the Wierd questions asked at PT and a lot of times we really don’t know until we start to pay attention.

Shifting weight more to one side could be as a result of injury, or even slight discomfort initially or a tight muscle. It’s obvious, that at the start of an injury the tendency is to shift off the pain to opposite side. Unfortunately, the longer we do so, the more our brain starts to think this is normal. Once the injury “heals” pain decreases and we continue to function with this same patterning, I.e. weight shifted to the opposite side. Depending on the load/activity you perform this could lead to imbalance and unfortunately another injury. With no obvious cause (because it was repetitive stress and probably not regaining full strength/mobility and function after initial injury, we often say an injury is healed once pain goes away) it is often hard to trace until a good history is taken. At this point, the goal is to restore strength and mobility between sides and NOW you really have to retrain your brain and body to move in a balanced manner. EASIER SAID THEN DONE (especially when consider time frames).

I always tell my kids when they start to limp after a stubbed toe let’s say, walk as normal as possible you walking like that will make it worse. 🙂

Obviously a broken bone and more serious injury is WAY WAY different and in that case yes, you need to off weight for a period of time to let bone heal, but when you can/allowed per Dr. and as pain allows, try to restore that balance between the body. The quicker you can do so, considering nature of injury, the better ☺️.

During an assessment/treatment, a lot of time this imbalance shows up in a squat and it can be very obvious or less obvious depending on where the imbalance is stemming from. Both pictures below show multiple imbalances, some more obvious then others 😬

Reach out with any questions💙

Move in different directions, strengthen multiple areas! Check out my personal page for more info since this page won’t let me post the video in its entirety! Thanks!💙

Hey Everyone! Having trouble with holding yourself accountable to an exercise program, but no time to commit to actual appointments/want to do on your own?

New service offered to try and start or supplement a program to include 1 hour long initial evaluation, 1 hour long in person follow up to make sure form looks okay with weekly follow ups via email to let me know how you did/how many days per week you completed the exercise and how you felt. I will return your email in a timely manner to offer any suggestions for improvement/variation if needed.

$130 to include 1 initial evaluation and 1 in person follow up visit and 4 weekly check ins via email (1 per week).

Goal is to have you feeling good and comfortable in a routine by the end of a 6-8 week time frame.

Let me know if you have any questions!

P.s. how do I look less creepy in pictures 🤣

Class tomorrow 5:15am! Let me know if you’d like to join us! Less bugs and low flying planes for class this week🤣

Post all the good pics (much more goes on behind the scenes🤣). Real life below, my kids and their lung issues! Poor babes (Hailey and Deano chronically)! It is quite a job to keep it under control, anyone else have little ones with asthma/reactive lungs?!

Have a great day!!❤️

Class tomorrow! 5:15am! 💙💪🏻

Vacation mode this week. Look forward to seeing you all back next week! You all got it this week❤️💪🏻

Another round of exercise class starts tomorrow! This round will be three weeks on and 1 week off!

Need a boost in your work out, but having trouble finding time to fit it in? Get it done early and feel good the rest of your day! Three weeks and we will be heading in to summer feeling good!

What’s needed: set of light/medium and heavier weights, space to move, water, phone/computer/iPad for Zoom

Strongly encouraged to make yourself some short term goals for each week and check in on yourself each week/(or daily) to see if you are meeting your goals. Be accountable!

Cost: $8 Wednesdays and keeping $5 Fridays moving forward 🙂

Type of class: general strength and cardio training, core training, functional strengthening with focus on good form. Modifications and progressions provided throughout class.

Time: Wednesdays and Fridays 5:15 AM!

Hope to see YOU there!😀💙

Picture for cuteness effect😊

Hi Everyone! So, I realized last week marked 2 years from when I introduced Active Wellness on social media. I thought it was probably time for a re-introduction, because I realize my social media presence does not truly represent what Active Wellness is or does! So, what is Active Wellness? I have been a Physical Therapist primarily working with outpatient orthopedic population since 2008. Many of my clients are determined individuals who are trying to manage areas of discomfort/pain to continue to be active in their lifestyle with recreational tasks, sports or to manage daily tasks and fun (let’s face it fun, can sometimes hurt:). I LOVE being able to assist/help individuals manage/improve discomfort to do more FUN “things,” because I think it’s good for overall health and well/being during our time here on earth 🙂

Cash Based Services include:
Physical Therapy
-including maintenance rehab, I.e. when insurance stops covering and D/C from PT but don’t feel comfortable returning to gym, recreational sport etc (not often covered by insurance), helping to bridge that gap, which I feel is SO important!

Fitness

Manual Therapy: to address areas of soft tissue dysfunction contributing to discomfort. Also to include joint mobilizations to help re-align and restore range of motion.

Assessment of movement patterns: to assess any breakdown of form which may contribute to injury
-good place to start if unsure starting the gym or fitness program!

Virtual sessions - 1 on 1 and work better than any of us thought lol

In person sessions

All sessions are 1 on 1 unless a group session is requested!

Please please, if you have any questions, reach out! I am typically busy during the day, lucky enough to be treating some of the best patients/clients!

I also have 3 kids, ages 5, 3 and 1! They are my motivation and I feel very lucky to continue my career and have the flexibility to help out with school functions and Coach their sports! ❤️

Much love to the current Active Wellness family!💙

P.s cervical extension was performed primarily for this picture, so do not try at home, keep it neutral 🤣❤️

In honor of Mother’s Day tomorrow, to all the mom’s doing an amazing job and getting it done, I’m offering three 50% off session discounts (new and existing clients)! Each of my kids have picked a number between 0-100 (I helped Deano:) PIck one of those numbers and win! (First 3 correct guesses win, guess until 8pm tonight. Will take closest number without going over if no exact picks:) Keep up the great work, you all are doing an amazing job! Hope you can take some time for yourself ☺️💙 Three of my favorites below🥰

Late post alert! Busy few weeks and day!! Exercise class to start back up tomorrow 5:15 am!

ID: 207 855 9097
Password: 2CFUiw

Look forward to seeing you all soon!💪🏻💙

Last class for this series tomorrow morning!! I am tired too, but you can do it! Next week is recovery week. Even with feeling tired, I know next week I will miss class. BUT, our bodies do need recovery time. To rejuvenate for the next round and in order to move forward. See you in the a.m.!!