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Spring is Here and it’s Time to Get Outside.
How to Stay Healthy in 2012.

There is no better time to get in shape than the beginning of the spring season. Whereas most New Years resolutions die out in January, on account of low motivation, shortened days, and a natural temptation for carbohydrates, the warmer temperatures and longer days of spring promote greater health and continued fitness in many individuals. There are several health-related perks that come with the arrival of spring’s more favorable weather conditions.

Fitness Doesn’t Need to Cost a Dime

There are two great ways to get in shape and stay healthy during spring and the warmer months which require virtually no out-of-pocket expenses. The first, and perhaps most popular, is to take advantage of local outdoor fitness paths and attractions. An increasingly common sight in cities and towns throughout the country, these trails are typically scenic paths through parks, nature preserves, and waterfronts.

If the winter “blahs” have been keeping you inside, or cold temperatures have made a pair of gym shorts seem like a joke, the time is now to go for an outdoor run at a local park. The sunlight will rejuvenate the mind, and the jog will jumpstart a lagging winter metabolism.

The second great way to get in shape for little to no cost is to participate in a local club sport. These clubs are typically run by sports enthusiasts who have a passion for the game, and they generally charge a low admission fee or none at all. On top of this, spring sports clubs are a great way to make new friends in the community and meet people who are just as dedicated to athletic and fitness as you are. Their competitiveness will drive your motivation higher, as you get in better shape and strive to maintain excellent health.

Healthy Eating Promotes Healthy Living, No Matter the Season

Of course, no amount of outdoor exercise in the spring months will be able to compensate for a poor diet once you have left the game or the jogging path behind. Maintaining a healthy diet throughout the year not only promotes maintenance of a healthy weight, but also the loss of additional fat. And, for those who are particularly active throughout the year, a proper diet is the best way to ensure a quick recovery from muscle strain and soreness, and to ensure that new muscles are built quickly and efficiently by the body.

For those who seek to maintain a healthy diet, there are a few key rules to keep in mind. First and foremost, no specific group of nutrients should ever be off the table: the maxim “all things in moderation” is the key to a healthy diet that can be used for long-term success.

A healthy diet should be low in fats; any fats consumed by a healthy individual should be healthy fatty acids such as those found in fish or certain nuts and vegetables. Diets should necessarily be high in protein, especially for active individuals. Abundant protein is the key to repairing muscles after a long workout, and it will help the body build new muscle as it engages in the recovery process.

Finally, don’t be afraid to indulge in carbohydrates every now and then. The body requires it for energy, and they’re a great way to last long on the playing field or add an extra mile to the daily jog. Carbohydrates should always be kept complex, however: that means choosing whole wheat bread and pasta over their whiter, more refined alternatives. These complex sources of carbohydrates are key sources of protein and fiber, and they’ll promote a healthy metabolism, a healthy heart, and overall good health.

Use the Change of Seasons as an Excuse to Change Your Lifestyle

If the motivation to commit to a healthy lifestyle change has been lacking in recent months, the warmer and longer days of spring are the perfect excuse to get the ball rolling on new habits. Get out of the house, jog through a park, and join a sports club that will introduce you to fellow healthy eaters and exercisers. Pair that with a balanced diet and controlled caloric intake, and you’ll find the success is essentially self-perpetuating — as well as gratifying.

The quality of our lives is just as important as the number of years we live

All responsible people should take time to educate themselves and their children about the benefits of healthy eating and staying active. Learning to live healthily is one of the best guarantees for a long and fulfilling life. The quality of our lives is just as important as the number of years we live, therefore we should strive to do everything we can to keep our bodies in the best shape.

Thanks to the advances in modern medicine, the average person’s life span now exceeds seventy years, yet it seems that as we advance in one area, we regress in others. Perhaps we are living longer, but are we living better? Are we truly healthier than our recent ancestors?

Today, issues of obesity, lack of mobility, are more abound in this country. Perhaps our lack of education about the weight gaining process, and a lack of concern about our children’s health education has a lot to do with our current problems. What’s the solution, then?

We need to learn how to eat and exercise correctly. We must determine how much food our bodies actually need, how much physical exercise is ideal, and how best to accomplish both. Caloric, nutritional, and physical needs (and education about those needs) are things we should all understand. If you visit your local doctor, library, or fi tness center, there are massive amounts of information available to help educate yourself and your family in making good health choices.

Are you living life to the fullest? Wouldn’t it be nice to respond with a resounding YES!! The life you live is the life you choose. No matter what your fi eld of interest may be, your level of education, or your level of income, your life is tremendously affected by your health. Maintaining your health is one of the most important things you can do as an individual to enjoy what time you have on this earth. It is also one of the most important things you can do for your
family. As we become an older population, and our life expectancy increases, do we want to become burdens to our children? Or do we want our time with our children in our retirement years to be something we, and they, enjoy?

There are so many things to do in life that allow us to enjoy the fruits of our labor. All of these options can be cut short if we haven’t taken the time to take care of ourselves. Quality is as important as quantity. Education, healthy food choices, keeping your body in top shape all lead to living life to the fullest.

Our multidisciplinary approach to patient care addresses the aforementioned factors for living healthier. We are experts in the examination, diagnosis, and treatment of physical issues that prevent one from living a fulfilling life.

by Donny King
Exercise Physiologist, Core Physical Medicine

Dr. Michael Shnappauf and Dr. Stephen Ward opened the doors of their practice, Sandy Lake Chiropractic and Physical Therapy, back in November of 1996. “When we originally start our office, we were small operation,” says Dr. Shnappauf. “As we’ve expanded, we’ve improved, and even changed our name to Core Physical Medicine to accommodate out multiple locations.” These days, all of their offices are filled with state-of-the-art equipment, both diagnostic and rehabilitative.

Our CORE belief system is optimizing your health through mainstream quality care

Advanced Treatment Techniques

Core Physical Medicine, as Dr. Schnappauf puts it, “has really evolved with the ever changing needs of our communities in terms of new innovations in treatment like spinal decompression therapy, the cold laser, and the implementation of the latest in performance enhancement protocols. Further, we have opened three other fully functional locations in Las Colinas, Flwoer Mound, and most recently Keller,” Dr. Ward, Shnappauf, Griffeth, Brown, Frye, and Deevers treat people of all ages, fro one year old to seniors. “We specialize in the treatment of all joint dysfunction including: neck, shoulder, lower back, hip and knee pain, whiplash, capral tunnel syndrome, and headaches.” Our mission is to provide Coppell, Valley Ranch, Las Colinas, Flower Mound, Keller and all neighboring areas with quality mainstream that is maintaining the mobility and stability of the joint through soft tissue integrity.”

What makes Core Physical Medicine different? All of the doctors are Core complete more than 1oo hours of post graduate continuing education each per year. It keeps the doctors current on what’s out there; the latest techniques and treatments.” Core Physical Medicine also offers patients opulently designed offices with state-of-art equipment, including unique neurodiagnostic testing which Dr. Ward says, “no one else offers.”

“We’re involved from the initial, acute care of all the way through to the end stage rehabilitation. We’re also proud of the fact that our work is all hands on,” says Dr. Ward. Each patient is given an individualized treatment plan, not a generic protocol. The doctors see to it that the “work gets done, and done right!’ As is were, all of the patient rehabilitation is performed right in their facility.

State-of-the-art Facilities

Another advantage of Core Physical Medicine is that each office is co-located with a family practice group. “This is no coincidence,” says Dr. Ward. “Our current set up maximizes patient convenience as all services medical, chiropractic, and rehabilitative are offered under one roof.” This also encourages communication between all the doctors and staff so that everyone is working towards a common goal: focused patient care. Dr. Shnappauf relates, ” This multidisciplinary approach has been very well received at all of our locations and our treatment results speak for themselves.” Core Physical Medicines accepts all private insurance plans, self pay, workers’ compensation, and even personal injury. “We strive to make every aspect of your experience at our offices enjoyable, even the stuff nobody likes to deal with – like insurance,” indicates Vivian Knox, Director of Operations. The professional staff at Core is able and ready to exceed your expectations. “We’re here for you!” add Vivian.

Core Physical Medicine offers quality care by a divers group of professionals and staff with one goal: assisting patients in achieving a healthier life.

Compassion

Lastly, all the doctors are involved in sports themselves. They enjoy weightlifting, competitive wrestling/jiu jitsu, volleyball, ice hockey, tennis, triathlons, golf and boxing. “Our participation in athletics allows us a complete appreciation of sport related injuries. Most of us have experienced first-had many of the injuries that we treat daily. Also, we at Core Physical Medicine treat the gamut of our local Moms as well as a stable of over sixty-two professional athletes, and local middle and high school athletes. With both licensed Chiropractor and physical therapists on staff, Core Physical Medicine provides outstanding care for the full spectrum of athletically induced injuries. Dr. Ward adds, “Let our team treat your team.”

Tips for Avoiding Sports Injuries This Summer

There’s nothing worse than feeling physical pain from a summer day of sports. Nothing ruins a great round of golf like golfer’s elbow, or spoils a jog like runner’s knee.

While it’s not possible to completely avoid all types of injuries, by taking some precautions, it is possible to greatly reduce your risk of injury. However, simply reducing the risk of injury is not a task that is always easy to handle. By carefully following some precautions there are ways that you can avoid injuring yourself during this summer season.

Start slowly. Your best bet is to prevent injuries before they happen. Don’t expect to be in the same playing condition that you ended up in last fall, even if you have been maintaining your fitness level. New activities require muscles and joints to respond in a different way. This may result in minor soreness while your body adjusts. If you push yourself too hard, too soon, that minor soreness could turn into something more serious.

Don’t forget to warm up. Although you may feel warm in good weather, you still have to give your muscles a chance to go through the motions and get blood pumping to all the necessary areas. Gentle stretching before finishing your activity will help those hardworking muscles retain and improve flexibility.

Treat injuries. For tennis elbow, runner’s knee and similar injuries, try R.I.C.E – rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Rest means that the injured area is not put through any undue strain. When icing a body part, apply the ice in a covering such as a cotton handkerchief so that it is not in direct contact with the skin. Ice the affected area several times a day, for about 20 minutes at a time. Compression is the application of pressure to the injured area to stop bleeding (if any occurs) or to reduce swelling. Elevation helps in these respects as well. Compression and Elevation are to be used in the case of acute injuries, such as a twisted ankle.

Take frequent breaks. Even tennis pros rest between sets. Taking a rest doesn’t mean that you have to completely stop all activity (although it may be advisable sometimes). Just rest the body parts that are working hard and are susceptible to injury.

Pay attention to your body. Don’t ignore the little aches and pains in the joints and muscles. They are early signals that could help to prevent more serious injuries.

Avoiding injuries is a very important consideration for both the weekend warrior and avid sports enthusiast. By following the tips and suggestions mentioned above it should help to greatly improve your performance and reduce your risk of injury all at the same time.

by Donny King
Exercise Physiologist, Core Physical Medicine