Celebrating 25 years!

McDonald Physical Therapy News

February 2014

Contact us at (574)233-5754

Fran's Favorite Quotes

"Everyone Smiles in the Same Language"

MPT's Referral Program is Back!!!

January-March when you refer a friend or a family member,

MPT will give you a choice of the following prizes!

$25 Gift Card to one of these:

*Martin's Grocery Store

*Metro Run/Walk

*Ginger Valley

*Starbucks Coffee

That's not all!

Your name will then be entered to win a BIG CASH PRIZE

to be drawn on Tuesday April 1st

Winter Walk 2014

February 16th

Join the MPT team and help

St. Margaret's House improve the lives of women who struggle with economic poverty.

Winter Walk Info

Dear Friends,

If you ever wonder whether our patients continually help us improve our services, just ask. Our clinic has evolved into one of the premier clinics in the country because of our staff and our patients. Our patients continue to help us improve our services.

One of the services we added for our patients over time was the independent workout program. Believe it or not, this idea came from one of our patients. He had just finished his physical therapy program for a total knee replacement, and he wondered why he couldn't continue his exercise program in our facility. He came up to me, and I was at a loss for words. I informed him that we were a physical therapy clinic, not a gym. He went on to inform me that he felt safe and comfortable at McDonald Physical Therapy. He knew and trusted his physical therapist and would rather work out in a place he could be monitored.

I looked into this possibility, and we began offering our independent workout program. This has been a wonderful addition and is used more often than we could have ever imagined.

Then, in November 2013. A family member of one of our patients called me about a piece of equipment that might be beneficial to many of our patients. I took the call; had seen information on this exercise equipment, but thought it was too expensive for us. After this request, though, I decided to revisit the idea and called the representative of this company. The first surprise was the cost. I had thought it was twice the cost. It was still rather expensive, but its overall technology, and the endless possibilities to help more patients might be worth it.

We brought it in for a 30 day trial. It was made by NASA in order to help astronauts adjust back into gravity. The Alter G (as it is called), allows anyone to step into this device and adjust the machine so the individual is walking, jogging, running or exercising on up to only 20% of their body weight. This allows anyone the ability to begin the activities mentioned above with less stress on their joints, muscles and tendons. It will allow a person recovering from a stroke, joint replacement, Multiple Sclerosis,etc.,to begin exercising sooner because they can do so with less than their body weight. As a result, many of our patients can begin conditioning without a limp or with little or no pain.

After the 30 day trial and the impact it has had on our patients, we have decided to purchase this piece of equipment. We do think it will help those patients who have difficulty walking and getting in shape. So many people tell us they would love to exercise but it hurts to walk more than 5 minutes. We have found, with Alter G that most people can walk, with less weight on their joints, further and without pain. They are better able to improve their health and eventually get strong enough to get on their own independent workout program.

Thanks again to all of our patients and their families who care enough to suggest ideas that may help us improve our overall health and lives.

Enjoy,

Fran

Announcing the newest addition to the McDonald Physical Therapy family....

The AlterG� Anti-Gravity Treadmill� is revolutionizing fitness by allowing you to run or walk with reduced impact. Through patented NASA technology, the Anti-Gravity Treadmill provides up to 80% body weight support to reduce the stress and strain on your body.

"Give us a call to see if Walter the Alter G

is right for you!"

Winter Sports Workouts

Snowed in? Rather than hibernating during the snowy months-or consigning yourself to snooze-worthy workouts on the dreadmill-take advantage of winter's playground and embark into the great outdoors for one fun, total-body workout.

Winter sport workouts (such as ice-skating, skiing and even snowshoeing) burn mega-calories, sculpt tighter tushes and tummies and get you in tip-top shape. Not to mention, being outside in the fresh aspen air is exhilarating and energizing, great for beating winter blues. "There has been a lot of research on the psychology and wellbeing of being outside," says Robert Gillanders, PT, DPT, a doctor of physical therapy and spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association.
"People who exercise outdoors are happier, more satisfied, less depressed."

Find out how many calories your winter sport workout just burned*, then go ahead and warm up with a mug of hot cocoa.

Cross-country skiing: 722 calories/hour
For an unparalleled experience in the great outdoors, there's nothing quite like gliding across snowy terrain on a pair of cross-country skis. Not only is Nordic skiing a great way to explore winter woodlands, you'll also get a challenging low-impact workout that scorches calories, tones the entire body and improves cardiovascular fitness. "Because the arms and legs are working at the same time, the energy expenditure is huge," Gillanders says.

Ice-skating: 319 calories/hour
Glide, twirl and spin your way to better health on the ice rink. Ice-skating challenges your balance, works your glutes and thighs and gets your heart rate pumping.

Downhill skiing: 554 calories/hour
Hit the slopes for a fun, invigorating workout that'll get blood flowing and tone your whole body. To maintain balance on the slippery slope, you'll engage your core stability muscles while working your glutes, hamstrings, quads and calves. Says Gillanders: "With downhill skiing, you're in a crouched position, so you're working the legs in a functional way and activating the lateral glute muscles."

Snowboarding: 394 calories/hour
Similar to skiing, snowboarding conditions the whole body and is fantastic for improving balance and agility.

Snowshoeing: 577 calories/hour
Want an unforgettable adventure in the great outdoors? Strap on a pair of snowshoes and get moving! Snowshoeing just happens to be one of the best endurance exercises out there. "Most of the time, you're trudging through heavy, unpacked snow, which forces the glute muscles to activate," Gillanders notes. Plus, unlike running and other forms of vigorous aerobic activity, it's low-impact and easy on the joints.

Sledding/tubing: 436 calories/hour
It might be smooth-sailing down the slope, but you'll work up a sweat trekking back up the hill-and tone your legs, butt and hips.

Shoveling snow: 386 calories/hour
You're probably thinking, "Shoveling isn't a winter sport-it's a tedious chore!" Well, that may be true, but shoveling your driveway also doubles as your daily workout. As it turns out, shoveling all that heavy snow is a demanding cardiovascular exercise that revs up your heart rate, all while strengthening the upper body, core and back.

*Calorie burn estimates based on a 140-pound female

Article provided by: Spryliving.com