Wellness & Health

All posts about Wellness.

Staying Sharp: Tips for Lowering Your Risk of Alzheimer’s

Published on by Wendy Quitasol
Wellness, Exercise Classes, Pilates, Baltimore

Hint: Exercise is one of the key ingredients to brain health.

Did you see the recent article on Well+Good about steps you can take to lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease, even in your 40s? The piece provides some great science-backed advice that applies at any age. (LINK AT BOTTOM) Being social, exercise and eating right. Read on for more.

The author notes that Alzheimer’s is not necessarily an “inevitable part of aging.” In fact, up to 40% of cases may be preventable through lifestyle changes. She recommends focusing on the following areas:

Fitness – aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate activity like brisk walking to encourage blood flow to the brain. Strength training is important too for building cognitive resilience.

Diet – emphasize vegetables, berries, fish, olive oil and eat less red meat and processed foods. Key nutrients like vitamin E, vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids are especially helpful.

Sleep – getting consistent, sufficient sleep allows the brain and body to repair. Work on sleep hygiene by limiting evening screen time.

Stress management – chronic stress and cortisol release can negatively impact memory and thinking over time. Practice meditation, yoga or just going for a walk to give your brain a break.

Social connection – having regular, positive social interactions seems to benefit the brain. Seek out community groups or volunteer activities that interest you.

The evidence shows it really is possible to lower your risk of cognitive decline.

The key is taking a proactive, holistic approach to better health. It’s never too late to develop habits that support brain function – our ability to learn and grow continues across our lifespan. What steps will you take today for your long-term brain health? Our classes are held several days a week…and provide exercise and social connections! Link to the full article is here. https://www.wellandgood.com/how-to-lower-alzheimers-risk-in-40s/?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wg_feed

7 Tips To Help You Live Longer

Published on by Wendy Quitasol
Balance Classes taught by physical therapists. Classes for every body, every age.

Want to live a long, healthy life? A recent New York Times article outlines 7 research-backed longevity secrets – and getting active is #1.

The piece details how regular exercise like walking just 20+ minutes a day can reduce risk of chronic disease and dementia. It also builds strength to prevent costly, deadly falls as we age.

That’s why our studio offers fun classes for every fitness level! Whether you’re new to working out or have exercised for years, our certified instructors  – who are trained physical therapists – will meet you where you’re at.

We incorporate balance training to improve stability, strength training to keep muscles and bones strong, and low-impact cardio for heart health. It’s everything the experts recommend for aging well.

Don’t just take the article’s word for exercise benefits – come try it yourself! All ages welcome. Sign up for our class and experience our supportive, social community. Let’s grow older actively together!

LINK here to the ARTICLE from THE NEW YORK TIMES

Commit To Be Fit In 2024

Published on by Wendy Quitasol
Wellness, Pilates, Reformer, Physical Therapy, Physical Therapy Baltimore
Wellness, Pilates, Reformer, Physical Therapy, Physical Therapy Baltimore

Friends,

We are excited to launch our new “Commit to Be Fit” wellness challenge for the first quarter of 2024! This two day per week program features small, personalized fitness classes led by our expert physical therapists to help you transition from rehab to lifelong wellness.

The classes appearing in the schedule are designed to improve balance, flexibility, strength and cardio fitness for people at all levels. You’ll receive the individualized attention core to our pilates and physical therapy practice, just in a fun, supportive group environment.

We invite you to commit to twice-weekly workouts and bring a friend along too! Additional details about class formats, times and locations are available in the downloadable pdf on our website.

Fitness is a journey and we aim for these classes to launch new wellness habits that you can sustain long-term. Our therapists guide you each step of the way. Let’s start 2024 strong and commit to feel our best!

Wishing everyone an active, healthy quarter ahead! Check out our WELLNESS Class schedule on our website page! And Happy New Year.

Get A Grip!

Published on by Wendy Quitasol

A firm handshake is a great indicator of longevity as it is linked to better health outcomes like cardiovascular disease and stroke.

As physical therapists and wellness experts with over 20 years of experience, we know the value of building total body strength for injury recovery, daily function, and quality of life. While often overlooked, grip and forearm strength serve important purposes that we address through our personalized treatment plans and transition to wellness from your physical therapy program. We were intrigued to see this Wall Street Journal article on the importance of grip strength and wanted to share a few key points and Link to FREE WSJ article. (BELOW) ā¤ļøšŸ‘‡

Through our Pilates sessions and wellness classes, we also incorporate key exercises that can help improve grip strength and forearm endurance. With the right balance of physical therapy, Pilates, stabilization techniques, and lifestyle change, we empower our clients to thrive through enhanced mobility, strength, and comfort. Contact us today to discuss how we can develop a holistic plan to suit your unique needs through our integrative services. Now let’s explore how targeting grip strength can benefit us at any age!

Importance of Grip Strength Training for Health and Longevity

Weak handgrip strength has been shown to be a better predictor of adverse health events than systolic blood pressure.

Factors Impacting Grip Strength:

Grip strength depends on the muscles in the forearms and hands, essential for various daily activities such as holding objects and opening jars.

Methods to Improve Grip Strength:

  • Simple exercises like squeezing a tennis ball or racket handle for 60 seconds can effectively enhance grip strength.
  • Engaging in weightlifting and hanging from a bar also contributes to training and strengthening the grip.
  • Workout Regimen for Overall Strength and Grip:
  • Exercises such as the Low Bar 45-Degree Inverted Row, Barbell Forearm Roll, and Farmerā€™s Carry With Kettlebells target overall muscle groups while enhancing grip strength.
  • These exercises also engage the core, back, and shoulder muscles, promoting overall strength and longevity.

These exercises also provide benefits such as enhancing core stability and shoulder flexibility. Contact our team to learn more and consider setting up a fitness plan that keeps your grip strong! WSJ FREE ARTICLE HERE

How to Make Resolutions A Reality? Forget The Resolution and Build a Habit

Published on by TracyQ2023

January 9, 2023

Itā€™s a new year and you may be thinking about getting a fresh start, starting something new or figuring out how to make your goals achievable. Whether it’s a goal related to exercise, nutrition, or overall wellness, it can be difficult to stay motivated and on track as the month wears on, especially in colder climates where weather can have an impact on travel. Also, New Yearā€™s Resolutions – regardless of how simple or hard – often have a way of setting ourselves up. Why not forget the resolutions and think about your own reality and make it work that way?Ā 

As a physical therapist and a Pilates instructor, I often see people struggling to stick to their New Year’s resolution goals past the first few weeks of January. As a business owner, I also see principles of management that can be applied to help stick with a wellness plan.Ā 

If you’re finding it hard to stay committed to your goals as we approach the end of the month, here are a few easy tips that may help you make it past January 31 and beyond:

Set realistic goals: It’s important to set goals that are achievable and realistic, rather than setting yourself up for disappointment. Break your goals down into smaller, more manageable steps and celebrate each step along the way. And a key management principle: embrace uncertainty, donā€™t avoid it. This will help with the questioning you might have about achieving goals.Ā 

Find a support system: Whether it’s a friend, a family member, or a coach, having someone to support and motivate you can make a big difference in your ability to stick to your goals. At MindBody PT, whether weā€™re doing Pilates at home or small class sizes, our community helps keep us connected and accountable.Ā 

Make a plan: Don’t leave your goals to chance ā€“ create a specific plan for how you’ll achieve them. This might include setting aside time each day for exercise, planning healthy meals in advance, or scheduling regular check-ins with your support system. Pulling a page from Management guru Peter Drucker, stop and reflect on your second act or what you might do in the future. This is time dedicatedĀ 

Stay flexible: Don’t be too hard on yourself if you fall off track. Life happens and sometimes our best-laid plans go awry. Remember that it’s okay to take a break or adjust your goals as needed.Ā 

Keep it fun: Finally, try to make your goals enjoyable rather than feeling like a chore. Find activities that you enjoy and go ahead and mix it up. Learning new things, new types of exercises and activities not only helps with your fitness goals, but it also gives your brain a workout. One of our Pilates clients is over 90 years oldā€¦there is always time to learn new things and have fun!Ā 

Creating some structure around your goals will provide guideposts to help make your resolutions a reality not just for the first few weeks of January, but for the whole year ahead.