How to (actively) enjoy the rest of your summer

REMINDER: Summer isn’t over yet, so you still have a lot of time to enjoy the outdoors before the Chicago weather turns and forces us indoors. Studies also show that enjoying the outdoors reduces stress, cortisol levels, and muscle tension which benefits us both mentally and physically! Here are 5 simple things you can do to reap these benefits and enjoy the rest of your summer.

1) Walk 30-45 minutes daily between sunrise and sunset:

A lot of us spend up to 8 hours a day working in an indoor environment, but we shouldn’t let this rob us of the Vitamin D that our body needs. Our body produces Vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, and Vitamin D helps your body maintain calcium and prevents brittle or thin bones. Walking for at least 30 minutes a day or more is also a great way to improve or maintain your overall physical health.

2) Get in a pool at least 2-3 times a week:

Swimming pools are synonymous with summertime and getting in the pool a couple of times per week can bring a lot of benefits to your overall health and strength. Getting in the pool builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness which in turn helps you maintain a healthy weight, healthy heart and lungs, tones muscle and builds strength.

3) Go for a bike ride:

One way to keep our legs strong and reverse that lower body pain would be to find your nearest bike trail and bike for 30-45 minutes a day. Biking helps to strengthen and loosen your hamstrings, which lift the pedal up with each cycle and stabilize your joints. You'll work your calves with each cycle, which helps to protect and strengthen your ankles and feet.

4) Take a City Stroll:

Whether it be visiting downtown Chicago, or going to your local downtown area, taking a nice stroll to window shop or perform some retail therapy is a good, fun way to get your daily steps in!

5) Visit your local forest preserve:

Go out for a nature walk and spend some time with the trees! Being out in nature offers health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, increasing brain activity, improving mental and physical well-being, and even improving sleep quality.

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Discomfort and soreness are a part of life. What is not normal is living with pain. If you are still experiencing that pain, it's time to talk to your physical therapist or primary care physician.

Try to stay away from narcotics, injections and knife happy surgeons as a primary option for your treatment. There are no magic bullets, but majority of pain symptoms can be resolved with conservative measures like exercises, manual therapy and pain management.

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• Zuhair Haque, Exercise Specialist at Rehabon Physical Therapy. Zuhair enjoys basketball and he cannot wait to start the DPT program at North Central College in 2023. Zuhair has an extensive experience for working for multiple physical therapy/rehab organizations.

• Irfan Ibrahim is an Owner/Physical Therapist at Rehabon Physical Therapy, Downers Grove IL 60515. He enjoys sunshine and rainbows with his three children. Loves hiking, biking and golfing but he has accepted to live with his mediocre skills. Questions??!! Email him: Irfan@rehabon.com follow him on Facebook

In pain, we are what we eat!

Food is fuel for our bodies, but it doesn’t just give us energy, what we consume can also impact our physical health as well due to inflammation caused in the body. You cannot completely heal physically without putting the correct fuel into our bodies. Our diet can be used as a form of medicine for our bodies. Knowing this, how can we make better food choices?

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Research shows that processed foods can affect the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP)—a marker for inflammation—in your blood. That could be because some foods like processed sugars help release inflammatory messengers that can raise the risk of chronic inflammation. A poor diet can also alter your immune system, so it acts abnormally, and can contribute to persistent low-grade inflammation. In fact, some studies have found that the immune system reacts to an unhealthy diet in much the same way it would respond to a bacterial infection.

Foods that cause inflammation include:

Eggs, refined carbs (white rice, white bread, pasta), dairy products, meats, wheat/gluten, alcohol, coffee, tea, milk, bad fats (eg: safflower oil, sunflower oil)

On the other hand, foods that fight inflammation include:

Berries, Fish, Broccoli, Avocados, Turmeric, and Olive oil.

So, this means if you are suffering from some type of arthritis, what you are eating is having a direct impact on your joints!

A sample diet that can ensure that you consume these anti-inflammatory foods includes the Mediterranean diet which is a whole food based diet where foods such as whole grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices, are the foundation of the diet.

Take care of your body as it is working hard to heal! Proper nutrition goes a long way when it comes to the recovery process, so stay focused and work with a registered dietitian for help along the way. Our goal is to get injuries healed and our bodies running as optimally as possible!

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Discomfort and soreness are a part of life. What is not normal is living with pain. If you are still experiencing that pain, it's time to talk to your physical therapist or primary care physician.

Try to stay away from narcotics, injections and knife happy surgeons as a primary option for your treatment. There are no magic bullets, but majority of pain symptoms can be resolved with conservative measures like exercises, manual therapy and pain management.

*My lawyer told me to inform you that this is an informative article and not medical advice.

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• Zuhair Haque, Exercise Specialist at Rehabon Physical Therapy. Zuhair enjoys basketball and he cannot wait to start the DPT program at North Central College in 2023. Zuhair has an extensive experience for working for multiple physical therapy/rehab organizations.

• Irfan Ibrahim is the Owner/Physical Therapist at Rehabon Physical Therapy, Downers Grove IL 60515. He enjoys sunshine and rainbows with his three children. Loves hiking, biking and golfing but he has accepted to live with his mediocre skills. Questions??!! Email him: Irfan@rehabon.com follow him on Facebook

How to Protect Your Lower Back When Lifting Heavy Objects

One bad movement with improper lifting mechanics can be enough to take you out of action for longer than you would expect...

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more than one million workers suffer back injuries each year, and back injuries account for one of every five workplace injuries or illnesses. It is important to know how to use the muscles in your glutes and hamstrings as opposed to your low back to lift heavy objects.

Here is an 8-step process to follow to lower your injury risk when it comes to lifting heavy objects.

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1. Get a secure grip

2. Keep your shoulders leveled, and facing in the same direction as your hips (WHEREVER YOUR HIPS GO, YOUR HEAD GO)

3. Use the power in your leg muscles to support your body as your stand up instead of relying on your back.

4. Bend at your knees, not your lower back; (a completely flexed (forward bent) back can be highly susceptible to a ligament and/or disc injury.)

This picture illustrates how to safely pick an object off of the ground and pivot

5. Do NOT bend or twist at the waist,

6. Pivot your feet and hips, rather than twisting your lower back.

7. Keep the object close to your body as you move.

8. When unloading the object, lower the object with your arms as you bend your knees with your shoulders facing in the same direction as your hips.

This picture illustrates how to safely place an object back on the floor

Discomfort and soreness are a part of life. What is not normal is living with pain. If you are still experiencing that pain, it's time to talk to your physical therapist or primary care physician.

Try to stay away from narcotics, injections and knife happy surgeons as a primary option for your treatment. There are no magic bullets, but majority of pain symptoms can be resolved with conservative measures like exercises, manual therapy and pain management.

*My lawyer told me to inform you that this is an informative article and not medical advice.

---

• Zuhair Haque, Exercise Specialist at Rehabon Physical Therapy. Zuhair enjoys basketball and he cannot wait to start the DPT program at North Central College in 2023. Zuhair has an extensive experience for working for multiple physical therapy/rehab organizations.

• Irfan Ibrahim is an Owner/Physical Therapist at Rehabon Physical Therapy, Downers Grove IL 60515. He enjoys sunshine and rainbows with his three children. Loves hiking, biking and golfing but he has accepted to live with his mediocre skills. Questions??!! Email him: Irfan@rehabon.com follow him on Facebook