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

Hope you had a great summer. We did! 

Check out what some of us have been up to . . . 

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

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.”