RecoverRx Performance and Recovery BlogThis blog is dedicated to all things from recovery to performance. Our industry expert Physical Therapists provide evidence based information and opinions educating our readers on how to optimize their health in order to be able to overcome injuries and live the life they were meant to live!
|
|
By Dr. David Bokermann, PT, DPT, C-PS Over the past 6 weeks, I have become addicted to pickleball. My wife and co-workers can definitely attest that my thoughts, attention and conversations have been geared around my new hobby. My only connection to pickleball was in high school gym class. I remember liking it but didn't hear anything about it until about 6 months ago. Some of my patients were telling me that they started to play and I became curious. I was playing ping pong with my wife a lot over winter break and I started to see more pickleball videos plastered over social media. I bought a racket, took a week long class and am now taking private lessons. I am excited to take you along this journey with me, but first we must talk about what pickleball is and why it is such a great sport for so many people of different ages and abilities.  Pickleball is America’s fastest growing sport for the 3rd year in a row. More and more people are starting to play, stores are starting to carry the equipment, and athletes and celebrities alike are sharing their love for the easy to pick up sport. This blog will be the first of several blogs that will dive into the basics of pickleball, my personal pickleball journey and ways to maximize performance and injury prevention in a new sport.  Pickleball is a rapidly growing sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping pong. It is played on a court with a net, a wiffle ball, 2 hard plastic paddles used to hit the ball over the net. It is played both indoor and outdoor and requires little space and time to set up and get playing. Pickleball is a fun, low-impact sport that offers a range of physical and mental benefits for players of all ages and abilities. Let's explore some of the many Benefits of Playing Pickleball. 1. Low threshold for entry. Part of pickleball’s rapid rise in popularity is that almost anyone can jump in a game and play. All you need is a racquet and a general understanding of the rules. As an example- when I was playing at open play at a local recreation center, one of the best players brought his old college buddy to come out and play. He had never played before but he and I played in a competitive game against 2 veterans of the sport. Best advice- get on out there and just try it. 2. Pickleball is great for agility and flexibility. Players have to move forward and back, side to side, cross 1 leg over or behind the other, turn backwards and rush forward under control. As a physical therapist, I love the sport for all populations as the ball is not traveling incredibly fast but you still have to move your body to get where you want to be. It is a fun way to improve your balance.  3. Improves heart health and cardiovascular stamina. Singles pickleball is more intense than doubles pickleball in terms of fatigability, but both can provide positive effects. Pickleball improves heart health through increasing your heart rate above a resting state. Frequent participation in moderate intensity activity has been shown to decrease the risk of heart attack, strokes and even lower cholesterol. 4. Promotes socialization and positive mental well-being. I can attest to this aspect of the game. Honestly my best work days are when I play pickleball before my day or over lunch. Pickleball is a social sport especially in recreation leagues and in open play games. When you go to play, you put your racquets in a waiting line, then the first 2 or 4 racquets get pulled and you have to talk amongst each other to figure out who will play together. This requires you to get to know other people and develop friendly conversations between teammates and opponents.  5. Lowers stress and anxiety levels. Exercise and community participation is very healthy for our bodies and our minds. Exercise helps to release endorphins which make us feel good. Being a part of a community helps to create a stronger identity and lowers feelings of anxiety or loneliness. I could continue to go on and on with other talking points that demonstrate rewards one receives from pickleball. I will end this blog by saying: if you are at all curious about playing, take a beginner class at your local recreation center, YMCA, or local tennis club. If you currently play pickleball, post a comment about what you like best about the sport. If you are looking to get started, leave a comment and I may be able to assist you in where to start the process. Happy Pickling, Dr. David Bokermann 
0 Comments
If resistance training is part of your fitness routine, you may be motivated by the actual muscle gains this type of exercise provides. From feeling stronger and more efficient in daily activities to actually seeing more definition in your muscles when you look in the mirror, some benefits of resistance training are obvious. But building strength through activities like lifting weights, using resistance bands, or even performing bodyweight exercises like push-ups goes beyond muscle gains. From establishing more mobility to supporting your metabolism and even improving brain function, the benefits of resistance training are plentiful and diverse. If you’ve been looking for a reason other than muscle gains to begin a resistance training routine, or maybe just need some reasons to continue yours on days you’re lacking motivation, here are six unexpected ways that this type of exercise can support your body. 1. It’s good for your heart. It’s a common assumption that in order to achieve cardiovascular benefits, you have to be engaging in heart-thumping cardiovascular activity, but resistance training can support your heart and blood vessels too. Lifting weights and other forms of strength training reduces risk of heart attack and stroke, lowers blood pressure, and improves overall cardiovascular health. Increased lean muscle mass also provides more surface area for blood to flow, which in turn puts less pressure on arteries. 2. It keeps your metabolism humming. Many people associate caloric burn with cardiovascular exercise like running, biking, or swimming, but resistance training helps support energy burn (i.e. your metabolism) in a big way. The increased muscle mass gained from resistance training increases your basal metabolic rate, or the number of calories your body uses when it is at rest. So, if you have more muscle mass, you will burn more calories - even when you’re sleeping.  3. It increases mobility. A decline in mobility can often come with age, and it can put you at risk for falls and injury. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, resistance training improves mobility, especially in older adults, and when combined with aerobic training it has been proven to reduce falls as well. Mobility can also help you perform everyday tasks, such as carrying bags of groceries or lifting a small child, with more efficiency and with a lower chance of injury.  4. It strengthens your bones! Not only does resistance training support the strength of your muscles, but it also helps maintain density and strength in your bones as well. Regular strength training has been shown to improve mineral bone density, which lowers your risk of fractures. It also slows bone loss and helps prevent diseases like osteoporosis, which is a major cause of disability, especially in older women. 5. It improves cognition and mood. When it comes to your brain, resistance training could be your ticket to sharper cognitive function and even mood improvement. Lifting weights and other types of muscle-building exercise have been shown to increase memory, enhance the ability to handle life’s challenges and stress, and ease depression symptoms. Research shows that resistance training can restore cognitive deficits and even slow or halt dementia and Alzheimer’s. 6. It helps prevent type 2 diabetes. In addition to your bones, muscle mass also comes into play in your blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity as well. Low muscle mass is associated with insulin resistance, and chronic insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes. Gaining and maintaining muscle mass through resistance training can help prevent this disease, and can also help regulate blood sugar levels.  With so many benefits beyond just muscle gain, resistance training can absolutely be a key component to feeling your best, preventing disease and injury, moving with integrity and mobility, and even keeping your metabolism efficient as you age. Combining aerobic training or cardiovascular exercise with resistance training in a balanced fitness program can help you achieve the results you’re after, whether short-term, long-term, physical, or mental.
What is intermittent fasting?
The health and wellness landscape is certainly full of trends, and one nutrition strategy that has gained a lot of attention recently is intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting, or “IF”, is defined as when a person alternates between periods of eating and periods of fasting. The terms “patterns” or “cycles” may also be used to describe this almost rhythmic type of diet. Using intermittent fasting as a tool does not necessarily mean you are cutting your caloric intake way down, but rather you are consuming your calories in designated windows of time, usually with longer stretches between consumption, and these windows are consistent day to day or week to week. For example, you may choose to only eat between the hours of 9am and 5pm each day. Some methods of this type of diet suggest you decrease caloric consumption on certain days, while also adhering to specific eating windows 
What are the potential health benefits of IF?
The belief behind this approach to nutrition is that your body may become satisfied with smaller portions, and cravings for less healthy foods may also decrease. The outcome of IF may be weight loss, which can also help lower the risk of diabetes, sleep apnea, and some types of cancer. According to Mayo Clinic, some research suggests that intermittent fasting may be more beneficial than other diets for reducing inflammation and conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis, and stroke. What are the potential risks? Intermittent fasting is not recommended for everyone. Those who should avoid this type of diet include pregnant or nursing women, people with a history of eating disorders, people with risk of hypoglycemia, and those with certain chronic diseases. It is always important to consult with your healthcare provider before beginning any dietary changes. What are the different types of IF? According to Cleveland Clinic, there are a few different approaches to intermittent fasting, which is a benefit of the diet overall - there is no one-size-fits-all way to incorporate it into your life. Below are some ways this type of diet is utilized:
How do you know if IF is right for you?
Just like no two people are the same, no two diets are either. Everyone’s lifestyle, preferences, and resources are different, so intermittent fasting may or may not be a good strategy for you. With several methods of IF, it’s important to be open to some trial and error if you decide to give it a shot - one method may work and feel much better than others. Consulting your healthcare provider and being open to trying something new when it comes to your approach to nutrition are great ways to start exploring this diet.
What is NEAT?
Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is the energy your body uses to do everything other than sleep, eat, or formal exercise. In other words, it is the calories that are burned by the movements you make by going through your daily routine, not including those expended at the gym. There are a vast number of activities that fall into this category, including typing at a computer to walking around the grocery store to performing yard work. While some types of movement or activities you do during the day may not seem significant, NEAT can have a big impact on your metabolic rate and overall health. 
The Benefits of NEAT
Research shows that incorporating more informal movement into your day - like biking to work or taking a phone call while walking around the block - could be a critical piece to the weight management puzzle and also help you stay more mobile, agile, and feel better overall. Higher levels of NEAT are also connected with lowered risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular events. A study in 2018 showed that a low level of NEAT is associated with obesity, and that a higher level of this type of physical activity enhances lifestyle. People who report having a moderate-to-high level of activity throughout the day outside of formal exercise also report feeling more energetic and an improvement in mood versus when they experience days of low levels of physical activity. From disease prevention to feeling good both physically and mentally, it’s clear that NEAT is a useful tool. Ways to Boost Your NEAT (and Still Be Productive)
Whether you have a goal to lose body weight, prevent cardiovascular disease, or feel more energetic, NEAT could be your ticket to get there. Little choices and small steps taken repeatedly can add up to big achievements when it comes to your health. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to wellbeing - find what works for you and your health journey and stick to it!
Blood Flow Restriction Training: What Is It and Is It Right For You?By: Dr. Jesse Espe, PT, DPT, CSCS, CIDN  BFR-main-pic--1024x854.jpeg (1024×854) (theathletedaily.com) So... What Is BFR exactly?
In order to fully understand what blood flow restriction (BFR) training is and how it works, first we need to brush up on how the cardiovascular system works. In a nutshell, your arteries carry oxygenated blood to your working muscles, then your veins carry the deoxygenated blood back to your heart. BFR was originally developed in the 1960’s in Japan, known as KAATSU training there, to play with this system and try to hack your physiology. Essentially it involves applying a band or cuff proximally to the muscle(s) being trained, typically upper arms and legs. The cuff is then inflated to a determined pressure. This pressure then will limit the amount of venous return out of the muscle while still allowing the arteries to carry oxygenated blood to the working muscles. Once applied, the athlete will complete a low load (20-30% of 1 RM), with high repetitions (15-30) with a short rest interval between sets (30 seconds). |
AuthorsDr. Luke Greenwell, Dr. David Bokermann, Dr. Sarah Greenwell, & Dr. Ariel Sernek are Performance Based Physical Therapists with extensive backgrounds in treating the injured athlete. At RecoverRx, they are passionate about returning people to the sports & activities they love. Check out more about them by visiting our About Us page. Categories
All
Archives
March 2023
|
RSS Feed
