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Health & Wellness

Weekly Health & Wellness Article

The Fitness Trends for 2009
June 23, 2009
By: Nathalie Kuffer

Every year, you can expect new alternatives, techniques and innovative options in the health and wellness field. There is no shortage of health and fitness trends, it’s just a matter of what trend is going to help you get to your goal and maintain it.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, this year’s top ten fitness trends include everything from core exercises to kinds of equipment that are on the rise in fitness centers and living rooms across the country.

Lucky for you, the 2009 #1 trend is ‘educated and experienced fitness professionals’ and not an impractical gadget.

This ‘trend’ is one worth keeping. It is in your best interest to embrace this influx of fitness professionals. After all, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 74.1% of Americans are overweight or obese, and that number is expected to increase by another 40% within 10 years. Despite this sobering fact, it is comforting to know that we as a nation see an epidemic of unhealthiness in our population and are trying to correct it.

Furthermore, you may have noticed a rise in wellness products, active toys and healthy gifts this holiday season. If you haven’t heard about the wii yet, you will. Such innovative concepts are facilitating active lifestyles in the comfort of your own home.

Not only are the influx of fitness professionals and in-home exercising alternatives helping us be healthier as a nation, they are opening new and positive health possibilities for the clinically obese, the time-bound professional or the immobile

As a fitness professional, I predict that the future holds more exciting trends and opportunities to enjoy wellness from the convenience of your own home, particularly with the growing trend of mobile wellness services. More and more fitness professionals are opting to deliver their services to their clients’ location of choice. This alternative is attractive to many demographics of our population because it is convenient, affordable and easy; characteristics of a long lasting trend.

As we welcome 2009’s top fitness trends, it is reassuring to see that our nation has a great chance of surmounting the health crisis.

For a complete list of the top 20 fitness trends of 2009, go to www.webmd.com and search for ‘fitness trends 2009’.

Cool Moves
June 17, 2009
By: Barbara Russo

You wouldn’t think that raising your body temperature by working out would serve to lower it other times during the day but that’s exactly what recent medical studies are indicating. Published last spring, a Spanish study of 48 women in menopause – 24 of whom adopted a twice-weekly exercise program for a year; 24 of whom did not – found that the percentage of women in the exercise group who suffered debilitating menopausal symptoms such as intense or frequent hot flashes plummeted from 50% to 37.5%, while the percentage of non-exercisers with severe menopause-related symptoms rose from 58% to 66.7%. Older studies have produced similar results – yet the science isn’t exactly all sewn up.

The precise physiology behind hot flashes, which 75% of women in menopause experience, isn’t known, says Barbara Bushman, PhD, professor of health, physical education and recreation at Missouri State University in Springfield. “Beyond that, the studies that have pointed to regular exercise as an internal air conditioner of sorts for menopausal women were observational, as opposed to casual.” So we don’t know what specifically about exercise helps to relieve hot flashes, only that it does so, for some women.

Here’s what scientists do know; during menopause, there’s a narrowing of the “thermo-neutral zone” – the temperature at which you’re neither sweating nor shivering. “think about it: If that zone is literally smaller,” says Bushman, “you’re ‘neutral’ less often than before. Your body thinks you’re more frequently hotter, so it signals the blood vessels to your skin to dilate in order to circulate more blood to cool you off. The flush you feel during a hot flash comes from the dilated blood vessels.”

Exercise, in some as yet undefined way, appears to reduce these incidents as well as sleep problems, which also tend to plague women during menopause – but only for some women. “The research isn’t exactly clear cut,” says Bushman. “In some of the studies that include women at higher weights, intense exercise appears to bring on hot flashes, not discourage them. The exercise actually raised core body temperature in those heavier, unconditioned women.”

Is there enough evidence to view exercise as the new menopause Rx? “Exercise doesn’t have across the board menopausal benefits,” Bushman says. “But it helps some women tremendously. Besides there’s literally no downside.” Regular exercise builds bone strength (which slides, along with estrogen levels, during menopause). It improves heart health (shrinking estrogen levels raise a woman’s risk for heart disease). It increases metabolism (which slows down during “the change”). And it boosts mood (which can turn dark during menopause due to all those unwelcome changes).

Good reasons to keep coming back to your Curves workout.

Summertime Exercise and Leisure Safety
June 11, 2009
By: Kristen R. Warzynski

The hot summertime weather is quickly arriving and with its arrival people are spending more time outside for both exercise and leisure activities. It is important to remember that while the sunshine often feels good certain precautions need to be taken to avoid sunburn and heat illness such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion with outdoor activities. Although many people don’t realize it, all outdoor summertime activities put you at risk. Knowing the warning signs of and how to prevent sunburn and heat illnesses can lead to a safe and enjoyable summer season.

Overexposure to the sun can lead to sunburn which causes premature aging of the skin and more dangerously increased possibility of skin cancer. Prevention of sunburn is simple. Wear sunscreen. It is recommended that your sunscreen be SPF 15 or greater. It is also recommended that your sunscreen be applied 15 to 30 minutes prior to your sun exposure. Sunscreen also needs to be reapplied after water activities and excessive sweating.

Heat illness includes two main categories, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat exhaustion, the more common of the two, is caused by dehydration and includes symptoms of chills, lightheadedness, dizziness, headaches, and nausea. Body temperatures are often between 100°- 102°. Heat stroke is a sudden failure of the thermoregulatory system and can be fatal. Symptoms include those of heat exhaustion accompanied by disorientation, loss of consciousness, and seizures. Body temperatures are often 105° or greater. Prevention of both heat illnesses includes the following: 1. Proper hydration: Drink plenty of fluids both before and during your outdoor activities. Your best choices are water and sports drinks. Avoid alcoholic and caffeinated drinks as they act as diuretics and can increase your chance of dehydration. 2. Acclimatization: Build up your tolerance to activities out in the summer heat. 3. Avoid peak heat hours: When exercising outdoors try to limit your activities to morning and evening hours. 4. Dress cool: Wear light colored, light weight clothing to help with evaporation of perspiration. Most importantly always use common sense when enjoying your out door summer activities.

Heat Illness High Risk Groups:
1. Infants and children 0-4years old
2. People 65 years and older
3. Overweight people due to increased retention of body heat
4. Those who over exert themselves during exercise due to increased risk of dehydration
5. People with certain illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
6. People taking certain medications such as those for depression, insomnia, poor circulation, and nausea.

If you think you or someone you are with is experiencing heat exhaustion or heat stroke the following should be done:
1. Move to a cool shaded area.
2. Administer fluids. Fluids should be given by mouth if the person is conscious or otherwise by IV.
3. Seek immediate medical attention.

The summertime can be a very enjoyable time of year. But remember we must all take the necessary steps to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

Kristen R. Warzynski, MPT
Keystone Rehab Systems, Ellwood City
324 Wampum Avenue, Suite 102
Ellwood City, PA 16117

Love Match
June 3, 2009
By: Dan Zelch

Most people who play tennis regularly get “tennis elbow” at one time or another. This overuse injury, known as lateral epicondylitis, occurs at the point where the tendons of the forearm muscles attach to the bony prominence on the outside of the elbow (the lateral epicondyle). While prevention is largely associated with improved technique (among tennis players) and revised motions (among workers), there is no clear idea about which treatment produces the best results for those already suffering from the condition. To find out, five Cochrane reviews and a new meta-analysis and systematic review were undertaken. They conclude that physical therapy, consisting of a combination of ultrasound, deep-friction massage, and exercise, is remarkably successful over the long term.

You don’t need to be suffering from tennis elbow to benefit from physical therapy. Our compassionate therapists can help you whether you’re recovering from an automobile accident, a surgery, arthritis, or something as simple as an imperfect backhand. We work with you to create a program to get you back in the swing of things. Call 724-758-3338 or visit our website: www.airphysicaltherapy.com today to learn about what we can do for you. Our office is located at 628 Lawrence Ave. Direct Access Certified. Board-certified orthopedic clinic specialist.

P.S. Lateral epicondylitis affects 1% to 3% of adults, but it affects tennis players and many workers at significantly higher rates.

Expert Bio's

Nathalie Kuffer

Bio:

Can Fit Pro Certified
Personal Trainer Specialist (PTS)
Fitness Instructor Specialist (FIS)
Nutritional & Wellness Specialist (NWS)
Mobile Wellness Directory Developer

Nathalie is an internationally experienced Fitness Expert who has a passion for helping people find their personal fitness solutions in a busy world. She has a versatile combination of experience, qualifications and innovation that excludes her from the rest.

This Canadian born former gymnast graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Social Sciences, majoring in both Sociology and Leisure Studies from the University of Ottawa, Canada’s capital city. Shortly after graduating college, she pursued her dream of traveling and embarked on a journey to study various forms of message therapy. Her voyage began in Japan, where she taught English to fund her education in the ancient form of massage therapy called Shiatsu. She continued her travels to Thailand to further expand her knowledge of health and wellness. There, she studied another form of message therapy called Thai massage. She went on to Australia where she began exploring a variety of forms of other holistic health practices.

Her travels continued another two years when she was employed with Club Med in Mexico, then sailing the Caribbean aboard a Cruise Ship and lastly, in the Bahamas. It was in the resort city of Cancun that she began attending and then teaching aerobic classes to visiting tourists. Upon her return to Canada, she went back to school for yet another year and became a Certified Personal Trainer Specialist (PTS), Fitness Instructor Specialist (FIS) and Pilates Matwork Instructor. A few years later, she added the certification of Nutritional & Wellness Specialist (NWS).

In 1999, she founded the company Fun ‘n Fit, a mobile fitness service with a mission statement of “…creat[ing] an environment which encourages and facilitates individuals to incorporate holistic health into their daily routine by providing a variety of mobile and online fitness and wellness services to people of all ages and fitness levels in order to foster a healthier lifestyle.

In 2007, she founded a subsidiary company, called WellnessToYou which has become the #1 resource for locating and advertising mobile wellness services. WellnessToYou has a mission of: …provid[ing] a variety of mobile wellness services to clients through a network of certified wellness professional who will conveniently deliver their services at the location of choice in order to assist Americans complete holistic health.

Her many skills, work ethic, dedication and commitment to the fitness industry led the Canadian Government to sponsor her endeavors, sending her to school (for business management and marketing) and financing a 2 month trip to Cameroon (Western Africa) with a non-profit organization to instruct local Fitness Instructors and Personal Trainers new fitness techniques, teach physical education classes to school children as well as conduct Health Consultations and Wellness Seminars in rural villages. Soon thereafter, she relocated to beautiful Bermuda when she accepted a position at a leading fitness club. It was there that she met and married her husband of 9 years.

Nathalie currently resides in Ellwood City with her husband Luke, a high school Physics teacher at North Allegheny High School and their two beautiful children, Chloe (8) and Max (6).

Barbara Russo

Bio:

Barbara Russo is the manager and fitness technician at the Ellwood City Curves, a position she has held since the club’s opening on January 19, 2004. Barbara is certified as a personal trainer by the American Council on Exercise and received Cooper Institute Circuit Training and Weight Management Certification with special emphasis on nutrition and kinesiology. She regularly attends ACE council continuing education courses. Her mission at Curves is to provide her guests with the safest, most effective, most inspired workout every visit. Barbara is the mother of two daughters and resides in Shenango Twp. with her husband, Michael. She enjoys spending time with her family, especially her awesome grandsons, knitting, and “changing stations now”.

Kristen R. Warzynski

Bio:

Kristen R. Warzynski is a licensed Physical Therapist with Keystone Rehabilitation Systems in Ellwood City. Kristen holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy from Gannon University. She specializes in gait and balance training, back injuries and dysfunction, sports injuries, and home care. She particularly enjoys treating patients who are having difficulty with gait and balance, which affect every aspect of a patient’s life. She believes helping to improve a person’s balance and ambulation can really make a positive impact in their overall function and safety.

Kristen believes in a treatment program that involves hands on therapeutic techniques with strong patient communication and education. She feels each patient is an individual with unique issues and should be treated as such. Kristen has been active in the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life and enjoys reading, sports, and swimming.

Dan Zelch

Bio:

Dan Zelch, a licensed physical therapist, is the owner of AIR Physical Therapy & Fitness on Lawrence Avenue in Ellwood City. He has been a resident of the Ellwood City Area for 11 years, originally from the south hills of Pittsburgh. Dan received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Penn State University in 1990 with emphasis on physiology, he then received his masters degree in physical therapy from Duquesne University in 1993. Since then Dan has been practicing physical therapy as an inpatient and outpatient physical therapist treating primarily neurological and orthopedic diseases and injuries for rehabilitation. He is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, Pennsylvania Physical Therapy Association, the U.S Department of Health and Human Services’ “Campaign of steps to a Healthier US”, and APTA’s Orthopedic section. He has been appointed Adjunct Clinical Instructor in the Duquesne University Department of Physical Therapy’s Rangos School of Health Sciences. He is Ellwood City's only Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS). Dan is Direct Access Certified (DAC) - allowing Dan to see patients without referral from a physician. He has clinical special interest, and has developed programs in fall prevention for the elderly as well as treatment of peripheral neuropathy. He has certificates of completion in “Integrating Pilates into Physical Therapy”, “Improving Balance and Decreasing Fall Risk Using T’ai Chi”, “Job Analysis and Ergonomic Assessment”, “Examination and Intervention: Balance Disorders in the Elderly”, “Anatomical Perspective of Management of Common Shoulder Pathologies” and “Manipulation/Manual Therapy of the Spine”.