The Exercise Conundrum
by Erin Dunham, DPT
September 2013
Take your foam on the road!
Love your foam roller as much as I do? Pick up a travel size roller to keep in your car. Ideal for self massage and stretching following a long car ride, tough hike, plane ride, or the inevitable morning soreness after a night camping. You’ll feel refreshed and loose, ready to tackle the next leg of your adventure!
Fits in your
backpack!
Exercise is making headlines every day. And, living in Boulder, I witness and participate in a spectrum of strength and cardiovascular exercise. Some people exercise for hours and hours each week, or even hours and hours each day. Some of those folks like to compete, while others are happy to be outside just enjoying the day. So, what is the BEST way
to exercise? What kind of exercise is BEST? How much exercise is BEST?
I don’t have all the answers, and I have read quite a few different opinions to answer those questions. Here are some interesting and contradictory conclusions I have read:
Exercising for 30 minutes per day at any intensity helps you maintain a healthy weight and may help you lose excess pounds.
Low intensity exercise, even for long periods of time, ultimately slows your metabolism and makes you gain weight.
Exercise improves your mood.
Too much exercise can make you depressed.
Regular exercise can improve heart and lung
function.
High intensity exercise that places high demand on the heart muscles, can cause enlargement of the
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heart muscle and increase the risk of a heart attack.
Regular exercise can improve the function of the immune system, making you less sick, less often. Too much exercise can weaken the immune system’s ability to fight off germs.
A Mind-Body Scholar . . . Meet Kristine
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” –
Aristotle
Kristine Bellinger, PTA, has always been
fascinated by the mind-body dynamic
and how it relates to our ability to heal
from injury and illness. “In today’s
world, more than ever it seems, stress,
worry, and hurry impacts our bodies’
ability to move and recover. Movement
patterns and postures become a
reflection of our state of mind. Likewise, when in pain, our
minds become a reflection of our bodies. Discomfort, the
inability to participate in recreational activities and loss of
function can become an exhausting mental battle.
Nurturing the well-being of mind and spirit is imperative
to effectively repair the physical body.”
BS: Health Psychology, Morgan State University,
Baltimore, MD 2008
AAOS P. T. Assistant, Pima Medical Institute, Denver,
2011
Member: APTA
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Favorite activities: Qigong, yoga, trail running, hiking, and mountain biking.
Kristine’s therapeutic techniques are grounded in the integration of psychology, physiology, and exercise science. With a research background in the psychology of chronic pain and a degree in PT, Kristine is a natural teacher of relaxation and breathing techniques to assist with pain management and stress reduction.
Kristine is also a certified
Qigong (chē-ˈgu̇ŋ) instructor and
she finds the practice a perfect
way to use all of her skills.
Qigong, with its slow, relaxed
movements, improves balance
and coordination, reduces
stress, and strengthens the
body.
“I am passionate about the health and wellness of the people in my community. I am grateful to work with a team of therapists who share that passion. Each individual’s needs are as different as they are complex. It is my goal to treat compassionately, paying special attention to each part of the person, so that they may return to their healthy whole.”