The last few weeks have been warmer than usual; it feels like the middle of summer.  Most people are still geared towards heading to the beach for a dip in the ocean to cool off.  However, it is the end of September and soon it will start to feel a lot like Christmas!  This means that the winter sports season is right around the corner and it is time to start preparing!!
Before you show up for basketball tryouts or head to the ski slopes, make sure you are ready.  Focusing on your fitness before the season starts will make you a better athlete and help to decrease and in many cases eliminate injuries.
Should your cardio training focus on distance or short interval work?
Do you have adequate leg strength to perform your sport?
Is your core in good shape? 
How about your posture, does it need some correcting?
Are you flexible enough to bend over and touch your toes?
Let an expert at Evolve Physical Therapy + Advanced Wellness evaluate your overall fitness and strength.  We will point out any areas that need a little fine tuning before the season starts.  Also, we will teach you proper body mechanics for your specific sport to help decrease your risk of injury.  Call our office today for a general health and wellness evaluation!

The heart of a woman is different from the heart of a man, and so are the symptoms they experience when having a heart attack.  Read this and share it with others.  It could save some beautiful womans life!

In 1992, the US started using the food pyramid to educate the public regarding specific food groups and the recommended intake for each. 

The recommendations put together by the US Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services are updated every 5 years.  In 2010 they decided to move away from the pyramid in favor of the plate.  The plate is thought to better show the relative portions of each food group combined to make a healthy, balanced meal.

Quick Guidelines from Healthy Lifestyles

• 3 oz. of meat is about the size and thickness of a deck of playing cards.
• a medium apple or peach is about the size of a tennis ball
• 1 oz. of cheese is the size of four stacked dice.
• 1/2 cup ice cream is about the size of a tennis ball.
• 1 cup of mashed potatoes or broccoli is about the size of your fist.
• 1 tsp of butter or peanut butter is about the size of your thumb.
• 1 oz. of nuts equals one handful.

Great Websites
www.choosemyplate.gov
Has recipes and dietary guidelines
www.supertracker.usda.gov/default/aspx
Helps you to track food intake and activity
www.foodinsight.org

Do you have bouts of dizziness?  Does it occur when you go to lie down, roll over in bed, or look up at something?

You may have a condition called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV).  BPPV is one of the most common causes of vertigo.  It is characterized by brief episodes of mild to intense dizziness that can last from a few seconds to a few minutes.  These bouts are triggered by specific changes in the position of your head

BPPV is due to a disturbance within the inner ear.  The inner ear has three semicircular canals (pictured in pink above) filled with fluid.  Movement of your head causes the fluid to shift and it is this shift of fluid that your brain detects and then interprets as your head’s position and movement in space.  Occasionally, a small calcium crystal called an otolith breaks free and migrates within the semicircular canal.  This free floating otolith can alter the detection of fluid shifts and, therefore, the brain’s interpretation of position and movement.  If the input from your inner ear is altered and does not match the input from your eyes or other joints in your body, then a sensation of dizziness results.

Treatment for BPPV is very quick and effective.  Physical therapists at Evolve Physical Therapy + Advanced Wellness can perform a procedure called “Eply’s Maneuver” that will move the otolith back to its point of origin.  With this maneuver, symptoms should immediately improve.