Health & Wellness , Physical Therapy , Aches & Pains , Blog

How Exercise Can Benefit Your Mental Health

Written by Amanda Edwards, PT, DPT, CSCS

We often read about the physical benefits of exercise, but we overlook the importance of what exercise can do for our brain as well. In this post, we will dive in on how exercise can improve your mood, quality of life and how to implement it into your daily routine.

Improves anxiety, stress, and depression

A numerous amount of evidence has demonstrated that exercise may improve our mood, alertness, concentration and even our sleep patterns. In 2019, an analysis out of King’s College in London examined over 40 studies that followed more than 267,000 people who participated in regular physical activity. They found that regular physical activity decreased the chances that someone would experience depression by anywhere from 17% to 41%. This was found in all ages, genders, and various modes of exercise.

Quality of Life

Participating with a partner or a group allows you to connect with others with the same interests. Research has shown that isolation can contribute to depression and anxiety. Exercising with a group of people promotes connection and belonging. You are also more likely to stick with in exercise routine if someone else is holding you accountable to join them.

How much is enough?

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), we see improvements in depression and anxiety if we exercise at least 150 minutes/week or just 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week.

The Great Outdoors

Studies have indicated the exposure to nature may increase your attention, lower stress and improve your mood. It has also been linked to decreasing risk of psychiatric disorders. Feeling connected to nature can produce similar benefits of well-being, regardless of how much time is spent outdoors. In a research study in Japan, scientists took hundreds of people on walking tours in a forest and measured a variety of bioindicators in the participants related to stress. It was found that being out in the forest (compared to urban walks) can significantly reduce stress levels and decreased both blood pressure and heart rate. Our area has so many great areas to get out in nature, check out a complete list HERE.

How To Start

Find an activity you enjoy! Whether it’s going a on a hike with a friend or participating in a workout class with a large group of people, make sure
you ENJOY the activity. This will allow you to be more compliant with exercising.
Start SMALL. If you are new to exercise, start with something that is a short time commitment and slowly build from there. If you are new to exercise, starting a program that requires a major time commitment can be overwhelming, unenjoyable and you are more likely not to stick with it.
Find a group of people, a fitness center, or a personal trainer to find what program would be best for you. Not ready to start with a group? There are many apps/training devices out there. One that it user friendly and free is the Nike Training app, which is great for beginners along with advanced athletes looking to get a cardio or strength workout in.

Exercise is one tool to help improve your mental health. It is not a substitute if you need professional help. It is always a good idea to seek advice from your primary care provider or mental health professional prior to starting a new exercise program.

Health & Wellness , Aches & Pains , Physical Therapy , Blog

Tips for Pregnancy and Postpartum Health

Written by Molly Hoppenjan, PT, DPT, ATC

Hey everyone! I’m Molly Hoppenjan, a physical therapist and one of the new moms at Dubuque Physical Therapy. As all moms know, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum times are truly a journey. A journey that can be very different between moms, and even between kids of your own. Our bodies are amazing! We not only grow and develop a baby, but bring them into this world, then care and nurture them afterwards. Now that I have gone through it once, I feel like I have a little more knowledge to share. Don’t get me wrong, I know there is still plenty to learn. With my experience, as well as my knowledge as a physical therapist, I want to give a few helpful tips for each stage. Please keep in mind that everyone and every journey is not the same, so feel free to reach out to your OBGYN, Midwife or favorite Physical Therapist for help to tailor to your own specific needs.

Pregnancy

The body is made to move, and continuing to do so throughout your pregnancy, to the best of your ability, is a great idea! However, this isn’t a great time to pick up a new form of high level activity if you weren’t used to doing it before becoming pregnant. If you have concerns about your baby being able to tolerate your activity, you can always ask your health care provider if you are cleared for certain exercise programs.

Some of the great benefits of exercise during pregnancy include:

improved energy levels
better circulation and less swelling
improved sleep
better digestion with less constipation
reduced backaches and muscle/joint soreness.

The further along you are in your pregnancy, the more your body releases a hormone called relaxin. This hormone is responsible for allowing your ligaments to relax and stretch so your pelvis can expand for your baby to pass through the birth canal. This is when having enough strength in your back, hips, pelvic floor, and abdomen is important to provide your pelvis with support. It is also important to remember to drink plenty of water throughout your pregnancy.

Early Postpartum

Congratulations! You are a Rockstar and don’t let anyone tell you differently! This time is for loving on your new beautiful bundle of joy and giving your body time to rest and recover. You can start some kegels to help get some of the strength back in your pelvic floor, but don’t feel like you have to get back to exercises right away. If you had a c-section you will have to be a little more careful about not overexerting yourself with lifting or bracing with your core. However, once your incision has healed, roughly 2 weeks post delivery, it is important to start scar massage to help with sensitivity and mobility of your scar.

Breastfeeding and Bottle Feeding

If you missed the video that I made in our baby ergonomics series, (check it out!) here are my 4 key tips for positioning with nursing and bottle feeding. I also want to remind you that regardless of if you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding, the saying is “fed is best”. So again, you’re a Rockstar regardless of your journey!

Top 4 baby feeding tips:

1: Sit with your back supported

2: Bring baby to you, not you to baby (for nursing mommas)

3: Avoid always keeping your hand in the supinated (palm up) position

4: Avoid excessive/prolonged neck flexion

Lifting/carrying your baby

Try to remember the trusty saying of “lift with your legs, not your back” for all your lifting tasks. That includes lifting baby off the floor, out of bed, out of a car seat, out of the tub, and in a car seat. When carrying your baby’s car seat longer distances or when lifting into the car or onto a taller surface it is best to use both arms. (check out the rest of our baby ergonomic video series for crib transfers, carrying a car seat, and lifting your child off the floor)

Common vs Normal

There are a lot of things that our body goes through when having a child and unfortunately that can be the excuse for problems such as urinary urgency and frequency and leakage even long after baby is born. Even though it is common for women to leak when they laugh, cough, or sneeze, that is not normal. There are a few other common vs. normal things listed below. If you are experiencing any of these common, but not normal things, it is time to see a physical therapist! There are so many simple things that can be done to help you improve incontinence and your pelvic health!

Common	Normal
Voiding less than 3 times or more than 9 times a day	5-8 voids in a 24 hour period, so voiding every 2-4 hours
Just in case peeing: going before you leave a place “just in case” you have to go even though you just went a little bit ago	Voiding every 2-4 hours
Waking up several times throughout the night to void	0-1 times if you are under 65 years old. Only 1 time is considered normal for 65+
Leaking a few drops with activity like running or jumping or with laughing, coughing, or sneezing	NO leaking
Urgency with triggers like cold weather, putting the key in the door, or with running water	Feeling urgency when the bladder is full
4-6 servings of fluid a day with some being water and some other fluids	½ of your body weight in ounces, with ⅔ of that being water

The human body is truly amazing for everything it goes through to have a baby. New moms are usually very wrapped up in taking care of their baby afterwards, however it is also important to take care of yourself. Getting back to certain activities after having a baby can be challenging and a physical therapist may be exactly what you need to get you there.

Health & Wellness , Physical Therapy , Aches & Pains , Blog

Physical and Mental Health Tips for the Holiday Season

Written by Laura Timmerman, PT, DPT, OCS

The holidays are the most wonderful time of the year… right? They sure can be! Filled with quality time spent with friends and family, remembering all we are thankful for, and looking forward to what the new year will bring. But the holidays are also known for overeating rich food, trying to pack everything in (seeing every single family member on both sides in the same day?) and a lot more sedentary time to sit around and chat.

Now those last few things don’t have to be a bad thing. I am a firm believer in trying to find balance in your life and the holidays are no exception. I truthfully want everyone to enjoy the holiday season, but without sending your physical and mental health backwards. Here are just a few tips to stay on track with your health over the holidays while still enjoying all that the season has to offer.

BODY HEALTH

Specifically, I want to talk about your musculoskeletal system, or your muscles, bones and joints. The holidays usually involve get togethers with family and friends, and sometimes this involves a lot of sitting around. Now I am all for diving into a great conversation, especially with an elderly person or someone you haven’t seen in a while, but here is your reminder to build in some time to move your body as well.

If you know the day is going to involve a lot of sit-down time, sneak in a walk or strength training session before you leave your house.
Grab someone else who wants to converse but also move their bodies and take the dog for a walk.
Don’t forget about the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning!
Go outside and play with the kids! A family flag football game is always fun on Thanksgiving. Or when was the last time you went sledding or had a snowball fight!?
Even better, if you can plan to get the whole family together to do something active, you’re helping everyone stay healthier! Plan a trip to the ice-skating rink, go bowling, or go for a hike if it’s nice out (or snowshoe if there is snow. PRO TIP: Swiss Valley in Dubuque rents out snowshoes for free)!

MENTAL HEALTH

Remember how I said before it is all about balance? That is how I like to look at mental health. I am definitely no expert, and if you feel like you need an expert, there are some great psychologists in our area who have even more tips and ways to work through the stresses of the holidays.

I’m going to start with what I think is the hardest one: IT’S OK TO SAY NO. By saying no to something, you might disappoint someone or make someone angry, but when you say no to one thing you are saying yes to another thing. In this case it might be saying yes to maintaining your mental health. Overwhelming yourself with going to too many places or trying to squeeze it all in might work for some people, but it might not be OK for everyone. Listen to what your brain and body are telling you.
There are some great groups in the tri-state area that would love volunteers over the holidays. Bringing joy to others is a great way to bring some joy into your life too. Dubuque Toys for Tots Salvation Army of Dubuque United Way of Dubuque
Find a way to connect with people that decreases the stress or workload for you. If that means spreading out seeing all the people you want to see over a few weekends, great! If that means having one day where every person is invited to your house and then you are done and can check everyone off your list, great! If you usually host the party, but just don’t think that is good for you to do this year, ask another member of your family to host! Find what works for you and your family.
When in doubt, if you are feeling overwhelmed, find a quiet place to step away and be alone to take some deep breaths. Preferably “diaphragmatic breaths” which is when you inhale into your belly, letting your diaphragm drop down and fully fill your lungs, rather than breathing in to the top of your chest. Research suggests diaphragmatic breathing decreases your heart rate and blood pressure in the short term and performed regularly can help manage symptoms of depression and anxiety.

DIGESTIVE HEALTH

Do we really need to talk about this one? We’ve all heard it before, but I just want to give a gentle reminder that you can enjoy the delicious food that comes around more at the holidays without completely falling off the wagon of your healthy lifestyle.

It’s all about portion control. Can I have a piece of pie? Absolutely! Can I have 5 pieces of pie? No, that’s probably not the best choice.
If you’re worried about healthy options, bring some yourself! There are some delicious recipes for festive salads or roasted veggies that do not involve cream of mushroom soup. So if you bring a side dish or two that you know is healthier, you’ll know there are some yummy options!
Drink plenty of water. Even though it is colder outside, you can still get dehydrated especially if you are eating food that has more sodium in it like green bean casserole, ham or bacon wrapped things or if you are drinking more adult beverages. (Speaking of that, please always have a DD as an option! Let’s all stay safe this holiday season!)

So, lets summarize.

Move your body. Take some deep breaths and let yourself say no sometimes. Find some healthy food choices this holiday season, but enjoy your favorites as well. Work towards balance!