How to Make Exercising Fun!

We all know that regular physical activity is an important part of staying healthy, but committing to a regular exercise routine isn’t always easy to do- in fact, sometimes it can seem quite daunting. But it doesn’t have to be! You are more likely to stick to an exercise routine if you enjoy what you are doing and if it is easily accessible/attainable. Check out and explore your options and find something that works for you so exercise becomes part of your everyday life! Below are some ideas on how to make exercise more enjoyable:

  • Make a game out of it
    • Deck of Cards – in this game you turn a 52 card deck into a workout. Take out the Jokers and come up with one exercise for each suit and then shuffle the deck and place it face down. Pick up one card at a time and perform the exercise for that suit for the amount of repetitions designated by the number on the card (*all face cards equal 10 repetitions)
      • Variations can include making the 4 exercises all lower body focused, upper body focused, core focused, etc.  
      • Progressions can involve timing yourself and trying to “beat the clock” the next time you perform that set of exercises. Or you can choose more complex exercises to perform. 
    • Exercise Roulette – for this game, you write down various exercises on individual pieces of paper, fold them in half and toss them in a box/hat/bowl/etc. Once you decide how many exercises to do, you choose that many from the box and to create your workout. Then, you choose how many sets and the duration. A sample workout could be to pick 5 exercises and perform each for 50 seconds with a 10 second rest between each and then repeat that circuit 3 times. 
      • Variations can be similar to those listed in the Deck of Cards explanation.
      • Progressions can involve increasing your “on” time, decreasing your “off” time, or just choosing more exercises to complete.
  • Find a class 
    • In Person – Gyms, fitness centers, and sporting goods stores everywhere provide a wide variety of classes for people of all ages and fitness levels. If you belong to a gym, explore the classes they offer and see if one is a good fit for you. If you don’t belong to a gym, do your research to see what is available in your area (and keep an eye out for programs that may offer a free first lesson or a certain amount of classes at a discount). 
    • Virtual – Since the pandemic, virtual workout classes have been on the rise. You can find practically any kind of exercise/workout class online now and some fitness centers/gyms even have virtual access to lessons. Take some time and browse the web for what might interest you, and be sure to look at all different channels/accounts to see what instructor(s) work best for you. 
  • Meet with a friend/group
    • If you don’t feel comfortable going to a group class for whatever reasons, try meeting up with a friend or two to exercise. This will help pass the time and keep you accountable.

Written by: Dr. Taylor Ryan

Why Should I Strengthen my Core?

Your core muscles are important for strength, balance, and overall function. Having a strong core helps to decrease the likelihood of developing back pain due to muscle compensation. There are many core exercises that can be performed in a variety of positions. You can even contract your core while performing any exercise of your choice to make the exercise into a core strengthening exercises.

Here is a core strengthening exercise you can perform anywhere to strengthen your core muscles.

  1. Assume a push-up position but bend your arms at your elbows so your weight rests on your forearms.
  2. Tighten your abs, clench your glutes and keep your body straight from head to heels.
  3. Start by holding the exercise for 10 seconds and build from there.

Make sure you are breathing while performing this exercise.

Tracking Your Heart Rate With Exercise

During exercise you can track how hard you are working by your heart rate. Find your maximum heart rate by using the equation 220- your age.

For moderate intensity exercise, aim for a heart rate of 64%-76% of your maximum heart rate.

For high intensity exercise, aim for a heart rate of 77%-93% of your maximum heart rate.

If you perform the same cardiovascular exercise at the same intensity and time frame, as you track your heart rate you will notice it will not get as high overtime. This is because your cardiovascular fitness is improving. You want to progress your exercise every approximate week to continue to challenge yourself and improve your cardiovascular fitness.

Dr. Taylor checking her heart rate during exercise

Stair Negotiation Physics

Many people with pain in the front of their knee comment that going down stairs is more challenging and painful than going up. Let’s take a quick look at why that is!

In the images below, Dr. Scott compares the forces at work when going up vs. down a step. The yellow arrow indicates the force of gravity and the green arrow is the force placed through the kneecap. A larger arrow = greater force, and as you can see the higher degree of knee bend when going down creates a higher force, and thus more stress, on the knee. This can cause increased pain and make descending steps quite challenging for those with a painful knee condition.

Written by Dr. Scott Newberry

Dr. Scott going up the step
Dr. Scott going down the step

Is Muscle Soreness Normal After Exercise?

The answer is YES! Muscle soreness after exercise is called DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). This happens when you exercise a muscle that has not been used stressfully in awhile. The soreness results from tearing and or stress on the muscle fibers and as the body repairs these small tears your muscles become stronger. After exercise, you will normally feel muscle soreness anywhere from 24 to 72 hours after the activity. The intensity of the muscle soreness you experience will depend on how intense your workout was and if that muscle group has experienced a workout before of this variety/intensity.

If your symptoms of muscle soreness linger longer than 72 hours and either get worse or stay the same, then you want to consult with a medical professional. The reason for this is your exercise possibly caused a muscle strain, ligamentous sprain, or injury.

How To Make Consistent Exercise Goals That Stick

With the new year upon us, everyone is setting out to start on those New Year’s Resolutions. Every year, exercise and practicing healthier habits are always in the top few resolutions and so we at Harbor PT want to give you some tips on how to make those resolutions into habits and help you create a healthier and happier life!

1. Set realistic goals – while the goal of going to the gym 7 days a week sounds great, it is best to be honest with yourself  and set goals based on your daily schedule and current fitness/health level. Setting too lofty of a goal can sometimes become overwhelming and lead to discouragement or can lead to injury.

2. Join a class- finding a form of exercise that works for you is important and joining a class can make exercise fun, hold you accountable, and teach you safe exercise habits all while being in a group of people with similar interests and goals.

3. Have a fitness buddy- setting fitness/health goals with a friend can make working toward your goals less intimidating and more enjoyable and make you more accountable. You don’t necessarily have to make the same exact goals, but even working toward similar goals as a team can help make the process more effective and enjoyable.

4. Start small- you can set a big goal for yourself, but as stated above, it is important to be realistic and to be honest while setting your goals. If you want to set that big goal, try breaking down that goal into smaller milestones; this will help keep you motivated while making progress.

5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help- starting something new is exciting but it can also be a little intimidating. But there are always people around to help you reach your goals. Whether that be a friend to help motivate you, a dietician to help you make smart choices in changing your nutrition, a personal trainer to help ensure safe exercise, or a physical therapist to help address a current/chronic injury so that you can continue exercising safely, there is always help available, so use it to your advantage.

Written by: Dr. Taylor Ryan, staff physical therapist at HPT

Electrolyte Essentials

While we all know that it is important to drink enough water (sweating or not), what some people don’t know is that sometimes water isn’t enough to keep us hydrated as we sweat during exercise.

When we sweat, we aren’t just losing water, we are also losing what are called electrolytes. Electrolytes are essential minerals to the body that help maintain the body’s internal functioning (keeping a proper pH balance and ensuring proper nervous system functioning), keep our muscles performing properly, and ensure adequate hydration.

Sports drinks are commonly used to help replenish electrolytes after a big sweat session, but before you go grab a Gatorade or Powerade, make sure you look at the nutrition label. Make sure the sports drink, or other electrolyte solution, isn’t high in sugar. The increased sugar levels may make the drink taste better, but it won’t be as helpful hydrating you.

Not a sports drink fan? No problem, there are other alternatives to gaining back those lost minerals. Fruits and veggies that are high in calcium, potassium and magnesium are good go to’s. And while sodium (salt) is also something we need to replenish after a workout, don’t reach for the bag of chips, but rather have a handful of nuts or a small bowl of pretzels.

Written by Dr. Taylor Ryan, staff physical therapist at HPT

Cold Weather and Joint Pain

With the fall season in full swing, colder weather is well on its way. A common question amongst people with joint pain is does the weather actually play a role in my joint pain? The answer to this is yes (to an extent). While it may not be the sole reason for your joint pain, changes in the weather can have certain effects on your musculoskeletal system.

Take colder temperatures for example, a decrease in temperature can cause our muscular tissue to tighten up which in turn can restrict joint movement, causing an increased sense of stiffness in the joints. Decreased temperatures can also cause the fluid in your joints to thicken slightly, which can decrease its ability to move around the joints as freely as it would in warmer weather, causing that sense of stiffness. 

Another element of weather that has a role in joint pain is atmospheric pressure. Before a shift in the weather (rain or snow), the pressure of the air experiences a significant drop. A drop in atmospheric pressure allows the pressure within the body to expand. This internal rise in pressure can cause subsequent increased pressure in the joints, causing increased aches and pains. So when a friend predicts rain because their knees are aching, you may want to make sure you have an umbrella on hand in the days that follow. 

Just because colder weather is coming to stay for a while, does not mean you should have to live with that increased pain and stiffness in your joints until Spring. This is a great time to get up and move, as increased physical activity will help increase blood flow to your muscles and help warm up those joints.

Written by: Dr. Taylor Ryan staff physical therapist at HPT

Let’s Run

A lot of people ask, “does my running form matter?”. The answer is YES. And while there is not one “right” way to run, there are certain elements of your form that you should be aware of to help you get the most out of your run. Making these small adjustments to your form may also help you begin to see an increase in your breathing ability, endurance and speed during your runs.

  1. Head – keep your head and neck in a neutral position to decrease the strain on your neck.
  2. Shoulders and Arms -keep your shoulders relaxed, keep your arms slightly bent at the elbow, don’t let your hands come up above your chest, avoid crossing your arms in front of you (this will help with your breathing?and avoid cramps!).
  3. Trunk- while you run you should keep a slight forward trunk lean to help propel your body forward, forward lean does NOT equal hunching, hunching over should always be?avoided to help optimize breathing.
  4. Knees- be sure to drive your knees up and forward to help propel you forward and also help avoid tripping.
  5. Feet and Ankles- try to land on your midfoot/forefoot when running rather than your heels (this will help keep you moving forward and avoid increase force/stress going up your leg).

If you or someone you know is interested in a running assessment please do not hesitate to contact us and one of our PTs would be happy to help you!

Written by: Dr. Taylor Ryan, staff physical therapist at HPT

Think Before you Lift

No matter what your occupation is, it is very likely that you pick things up (and put them down) from lower surfaces at least once throughout the day (both in and out of work). Whether it be packages, weights, children, groceries, something you dropped on the floor, etc., knowing how to properly lift is extremely important for your physical health.

When lifting, it is important to remember the 5 L’s:

1. Load- know your limits! If an object is too heavy, do not be afraid to ask for help.

2. Lever- for heavier objects, it is important to decrease the lever arm (your arm length usually). Lifting something closer to your body will decrease the  strain on your back and also make it easier to lift.

3. Lordosis- always do your best to maintain a neutral spine when lifting and avoid bending over (even if it is for something of little weight). It is also important to remember to minimize the amount of twisting you do when lifting something. Rather than twisting to put a box/groceries/etc on a table, try doing a small pivot.

4. Lungs- believe it or not, breathing is important in a heavy lift. A good rule of thumb is to take a deep inhale when preparing for the lift and then exhale during the lift. The biggest thing to remember is to NOT hold your breath when lifting something heavy.

5. Legs- you’ve probably heard it loads of times, but here it is again – lift with your legs NOT your back. Your legs can produce more power during a heavy lift than your back. Using your legs can also help you maintain a neutral spine.

So whether you are at the gym lifting weights, picking up your phone, lifting up groceries, or picking up your young one, remember these tips and your back will be sure to thank you.

Written by: Dr. Taylor Ryan, staff physical therapist at HPT