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Motivate Yourself to Stay Active in COVID-19 Pandemic

April 16, 2020 By Gregory Synnestvedt PT, DPT Leave a Comment

If I offered you a pill that has been proven to provide dozens of positive health benefits and which you can take easily and safely at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, would you take it? Don’t worry if you are not a fan of taking pills because you do not have to take any pills to get these benefits — the only thing you must do is exercise! ?

The recommended prescription is at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

Unfortunately, many of us go through times when getting physical exercise is a hard pill to swallow. Exercise can help you mitigate stress levels, sleep better, focus better, aid in a change of emotional state, give you an energy boost, reduce stiffness from sitting inside, and yet many of us struggle to find the motivation to exercise consistently—we fail to “stick with it” and make exercise a habit. You may even enjoy exercise but find that there just aren’t enough hours in the day.

Let’s talk about some methods to getting your recommended dose.

First, it is important to acknowledge that any amount of physical activity “counts.” Have 10 minutes during your lunch break to walk? Perfect, do it! Have 1 minute between meetings after using the bathroom to get up and down from your chair 20 times? Do it! 20 minutes before sunset for badminton with your spouse or kids? Get out there!
Set a goal/find a purpose. This is not simply saying “be motivated by finding your motivation…” It might help to set a goal – I want to be able to go on walks with my family or get back to pick-up soccer once distancing is done. I want to stay connected to people through exercise. Now is a great time to train for a couch to 5K.
Make it social. Especially during these times of physical distancing, exercise is a great way to connect with other people. Get the whole family moving and grooving. Get the kids involved (or use them as progressive resistance), get the parents involved, get the siblings and other friends and relatives involved. I have been having video conferencing exercise sessions with my sister and brother-in-law. Keep up with your team-mates or exercise buddies to keep each other accountable and motivated.
Routine. Try scheduling exercise into your day. Many people like to exercise in the morning, but almost any time of day works (not right before bed in case it makes you feel too awake). Connect exercise into part of your pre-existing routine e.g. every day I’ll get dressed in exercise clothes and then do a little exercise routine before I shower.
Use an exercise log to help you stay on track. A simple pencil and paper check-box system can work well. There are also websites and apps that will do this for you.
Get set. Set up your environment to make exercise convenient. When you want to learn an instrument, you make it accessible—you keep the guitar out on a stand, not in a case in the closet. So put on your work out clothes, clear some space, and put on some energetic music (music is key!!!). Or set up your badminton net already! Now you might as well start doing some exercise.

But what exercises to do? What pills to take? Start with striving to get a moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, i.e. something that gets your heart rate up for a bit. This could be achieved through a brisk walk outside, doing a routine inside, or playing badminton with enthusiasm. Explore different kinds of exercise to find something you enjoy. Strengthening exercises (the ones that make your muscles burn and feel sore the next day) are also great for you.

Use technology to your advantage. There are plenty of exercise routines for various levels on YouTube. There’s the 7-Minute Workout app; Fitness Blender has exercises for every fitness level. I made a home exercise program which I have shared on Facebook and will gladly email it to you if you contact me [email protected]

COVID-19: Who is at the greatest risk according to the CDC?

April 15, 2020 By Amanda Nguyen PT, DPT Leave a Comment

The Coronavirus attacks the respiratory system, which includes your nose, mouth, throat, and lungs. The lungs can then become inflamed and specifically affect the alveoli, which is where the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your body takes place. If this area in your lungs is not working properly, carbon dioxide is not leaving the body and oxygen is not provided to your muscles and organs as efficiently. Lack of oxygen to your body and brain will cause detrimental effects. Common symptoms of the coronavirus include fever, sore throat, cough, and shortness of breath. While the virus affects all ages and symptom presentation can vary in severity, there are people who are at more risk to contract the virus and present with severe symptoms.

People with lung and heart issues are at high risk. The heart and lungs are vital organs to provide blood, nutrients, and oxygen to your brain, muscles, and other body organs. Any diseases affecting the heart or lungs directly will decrease the efficiency of the organs to provide for your body. Some diseases included in this group include diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, history of heart attacks, atrial fibrillation, and hypertension. If a person with one or multiple diseases gets infected with COVID-19, it will further affect the supply of oxygen and blood to your body and could cause more severe symptoms.

Generally, people over 65 years old are at risk because of their more compromised immune system and co-morbidities. If your immune system is not working as well as it should, it will have a more difficult time fighting off the virus.

However like mentioned before, not everyone under 65 years of age is immune. Anyone who is immunosuppressed is at risk as well. These include people who are diagnosed with:

Liver disease
Kidney disease undergoing dialysis
Prolonged use of steroids
Immune deficiencies
Recent surgeries
Organ transplants
HIV/AIDS
Cancer going through any form of treatment
Severe obesity
Smokers
Women who are pregnant

To protect yourself, follow the CDC guidelines of wearing a mask around your nose and mouth, avoid touching your face, wash your hands for the appropriate amount of time often, and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

For more information, please visit the CDC or contact our office for any specific questions.

Stay well and healthy!

A Pain in the Neck?

April 6, 2020 By Wendy Webb Schoenewald, PT, OCS Leave a Comment

Do you remember sitting in front of your laptop for hours without realizing your head is way too far forward or browsing on your phone with your neck bent and this eventually results in getting stiffness in your neck with a mild headache?

With the onset of the Coronavirus, COVID-19, many of us are working from home with our mobile laptops or even completing classwork online, it as important as ever to remember to be aware of good posture to prevent neck and thoracic pain.

We have all experienced neck stiffness and neck pain once in a while. Neck pain can also accompany by headache, TMJ pain, shoulder pain or pain radiating in arms. Headache which is coming from your neck is known as cervicogenic headache. The roots of the upper 3 cervical spinal nerves (located at C1, C2, and C3) share a pain nucleus (which routes pain signals to the brain) with the trigeminal nerve. Because of the shared nerve tracts, pain is misunderstood and thus “felt” by the brain as being located in the head. This headache sometimes can be misdiagnosed as migraine or cluster headaches.

By far the most common cause of neck pain is poor posture, which can lead to soft tissue or muscle strain in the neck area. The most common muscle gets involved with this strain is levator scapulae muscle which is located in your back and side of the neck. This muscle connects your shoulder (scapula) and your cervical spine (first four vertebrae).

Levator scapulae can be strained due to, sleeping with the neck in an awkward position or holding the neck in an abnormal position for longer periods. Sports or motor vehicle injuries were getting a sudden impact that pushes the head to the side or repeated activity which involves turning head side to side can also cause levator scapulae strain. Many times, experiencing excessive stress or anxiety can lead to tension in the neck.

Neck pain and related headaches can be prevented by having good postural awareness. Supporting your lower back with a rolled pillow while sitting corrects lumbar and cervical (neck) curvature. Some important tips to prevent pain:

•Always keeping your screen or your book at your eye level helps to prevent any extra strain while bending your neck.
•Moving neck in all different directions and stretching every couple of hours prevents it from getting stiff. Chin Tuck exercises are very important since we tend to protrude forward when working and this corrects your alignment.
•Squeezing shoulder blades together and keeping ears in line with your shoulders prevents it from getting forward head posture.
•Get up move around and do a couple of minutes of general stretching at least every hour.

If this isn’t working and you are having neck pain, your Physical Therapist can help. We can provide telehealth or clinic visits to help you.

Be Well!

Wendy W. Schoenewald PT, OCS

Mask for Me & You? Gov says, “Yes” in PA

April 4, 2020 By Wendy Webb Schoenewald, PT, OCS Leave a Comment

In addition to the directives of Social Distancing, good Hygiene, Hand Washing, and wearing Gloves, Governor Tom Wolf, PA., announced yesterday that he wants residents to wear a nonmedical or homemade mask when they leave their homes to:

Shopping at essential businesses, like grocery stores or pharmacies.
While visiting your health care provider.
Traveling on public transportation.
Interact with customers/clients at essential businesses.
When feeling sick, coughing, or sneezing.

There is another important consideration … to emphasize that you need to keep your hands and mouth clean so you need to not touch the mask when you take it off … touch just the ties or the bands so you do not contaminate the mask itself.

Homemade masks limit the spread of infectious droplets in the air by containing coughs and sneezes.
When a homemade mask can’t be acquired a scarf or bandana can be utilized. By implementing community use of this homemade fabric or cloth masks, everyone will have a higher degree of protection from this virus.

Remember: “My mask protects you, your mask protects me.”

From PA.Gov, the Best Practices for Homemade Masks include:

Consider buying materials online to avoid exposure in public places.
Purchase masks made by small businesses, saving medical masks for health care workers.
Before putting on a mask, clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
The mask should fit snugly around the mouth and nose.
If the mask has a metal wire it should be fitted snuggly to the bridge of the nose.
Avoid touching the mask while using it, if you do wash your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub.
Made out of two layers of tightly woven 100% cotton fabric.
Be discarded or washed after every use.
Should not be worn damp or when wet from spit or mucus.
To remove the mask: remove it from behind, do not touch the front of the mask.
The wearer should immediately wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds after removing the mask.

Wendy W. Schoenewald, PT, OCS

WWS Physical Therapy & Vestibular Rehabilitation

**Information source Gov Tom Wolf, PA, news conferences.

Protect Yourself From Coronavirus, COVID-19

April 2, 2020 By Cassie Zanolini, PT, DPT Leave a Comment

As the number of cases of the Coronavirus, #COVID-19, grows in this area, it is becoming increasingly important to protect ourselves from the virus.

By this point in time, we are all familiar with the importance of hand-washing and social distancing. However, it is also important to practice good respiratory hygiene, meaning covering our mouths with an elbow or a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Coughing and sneezing create droplets that may contain the virus and subsequently contaminate others. For this same reason, it is important to avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, as this may transfer the virus.

Another precaution that many are taking is the use of rubber gloves in public. While many believe this is an effective method to prevent infection, experts at the World Health Organization, #WHO, report that frequent hand-washing is more effective. Even when wearing rubber gloves, we run the risk of contracting the virus by later touching our face or eyes. Additionally, glove use may result in cross-contamination. For example, someone may wear gloves to the grocery store and come in contact with the virus. Then while paying may contact their credit card, subsequently transferring the virus. After removing their gloves they may later contact that same credit card, resulting in exposure to the virus.

Finally, take precautions by disinfecting the surfaces of your smartphone with a cotton pad soaked with isopropyl alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, for germs and viruses.

Please be sure to stay informed through the news, #WHO or #CDC websites, and contact your doctor if you believe that you are experiencing symptoms.

Motivate Yourself to Stay Active in COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19: Who is at the greatest risk according to the CDC?

A Pain in the Neck?

Mask for Me & You? Gov says, “Yes” in PA

From PA.Gov, the Best Practices for Homemade Masks include:

Protect Yourself From Coronavirus, COVID-19

Our Mission at WWSPT

WWSPT Mission 2.0

Contact WWS Physical Therapy

Ask About WWSPT Professional Associations

From PA.Gov, the Best Practices for Homemade Masks include:

Our Mission at WWSPT

WWSPT Mission 2.0

Connect With WWSPT:

Contact WWS Physical Therapy

Ask About WWSPT Professional Associations