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It’s January and there’s a good chance you are thinking about taking better care of yourself this year. Many Americans make New Year’s resolutions, most of which are health-related. Whether you’re setting goals for weight, exercise, sleep, stress reduction, or another wellness metric, Dr. Karyn Staples offers some tips and a video series of mobility exercises that can warm up your resolutions.
“Movement is really the best medicine,” Dr. Staples says. “Staying active is the number one predictor of longevity.”
Dr. Staples, PT, PhD, NCPT, and owner of ProHealth Physical Therapy and Pilates Studio in Peachtree City, loves to see people commit to improving their fitness but warns that starting too aggressively is a recipe for injury. Every year, one in eight new patients at ProHealth arrives as a result of an overzealous approach to exercise.
“The best way to begin or return to a fitness routine is with realistic goals,” Karyn says. “Start with one thing, like a 20-minute walk five days a week, and after a few weeks, add another simple element.”
Dr. Staples also recommends a good warmup before a walk or run or gym routine. A lowered risk of injury is one of the many benefits of warming up before exercising. Mobility exercises using an elastic band are a great way to stretch before exercising or just to get ready for the day.
In a video playlist of 10 exercises, Dr. Staples demonstrates how to use an elastic band to warm up. These exercises are great before or after an exercise or athletic activity or at any time of the day.
“I have one client who keeps an exercise band at the desk in her home office,” Dr. Staples said. “It’s a good way to counteract long periods of sitting.”
Karyn also recommends Pilates as a foundational exercise and leads a staff of more than a dozen physical therapists and Pilates teachers in providing safe, effective, research-based therapies and exercise. Pilates clients at ProHealth…
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