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We all know July 4th is a federal holiday in the United States to commemorate the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. This holiday is typically filled with fireworks, BBQ, and family and friends gathering to celebrate our great country. It’s also a great opportunity to celebrate our personal independence and autonomy.

Ways to Celebrate and Promote Independence:

1. Functional Fitness Testing. Functional fitness testing is a great way to put a spotlight on your independence. Determining your baseline fitness level and making appropriate recommendations for exercise classes, programming, or additional support is a step towards continued independence. Not sure where to start? Contact the TherapyTeam!

2. Look at Vocational Wellness. Vocational Wellness is one of the seven dimensions of wellness, and it is the ability to achieve personal satisfaction and fulfillment, maintain balance, and make a positive impact. Examples of vocational wellness can include mentoring or tutoring, volunteering, or even caregiving.

3. Exercise! Participate in wellness classes, walking programs, or aquatics. Keep your body moving! The more you move, the stronger and healthier your bones, muscles, and brain will be!Healthy minds and bodies promote independence!

As we celebrate our nation’s independence, take a moment, and celebrate your OWN independence – physically, mentally, spiritually. What things are you doing throughout the week, month, or even year, to spotlight your abilities and promote continued independence? Not sure where to start? The Functional Pathways Therapy Team can help!

When was the last time you lifted weights? Just like anything else, strength and your muscles have a “use it or lose it” policy. If you aren’t incorporating strength training into your fitness routine, now is the perfect time to start!

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a form of exercise that alternates short periods of intense anaerobic (without oxygen) exercise with brief recovery periods. Improvements in strength take place within a training zone of 5-9 repetitions. If you are unable to perform at least 8 repetitions of a specific movement (like a biceps curl), then lower the intensity (weight). If you can do more than 8 repetitions, increase the challenge for optimal outcomes.

You might do higher repetitions in an exercise class – and that’s ok! Combining HIIT into your existing exercise programs can result in the most success!

Example: You are doing a HIIT routine, and you are incorporating chair stands (standing up from a chair, from a seated position) to increase lower body strength.

Start seated in your chair, arms at your side, and stand up, completely straight.
If you can do this 10 times, advance to the next level.

Now cross your arms and try again – aim for 6-8 repetitions.
If you can do more than this, advance to the next level. 

Hold weights in your hands and try again – aim for 6-8 repetitions.
If/when this becomes easy, increase weight.

Muscles must experience stimuli higher than their current abilities to achieve improvements in muscle strength and function. Whatever level is challenging for and doable for 6-8 repetitions is your “sweet spot.”

But wait – How do we know if something is “too easy?” 
The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (PRE) is the preferred method to assess intensity. Also, a direct correlation between PRE and heart rate has been found with the use of this scale with exercise. It is often found that if you rate your PRE at an 11 (light) then their heart rate is likely around 110 bpm. While doing strength training in a HIIT routine, aim for a PRE of 12-17.

If you are unsure of where to get started, our therapy team at Kirby Pines can help you identify which strength training exercises and methods are best suited for you. For more information, please contact the Functional Pathways Therapy Team.

May is a special month for all of us who value the power of speech, the magic of hearing and the pleasure of eating and drinking. That’s right, folks, May is Better Hearing and Speech Month! A time when we can all come together and celebrate the importance of healthy communication, hearing, and swallowing. 

Did you know? Speech Therapists and Audiologists are the professionals who assist those who may be struggling with communication, cognition, eating safely, and hearing deficits. But why limit the festivities to just one month? After all, speech, hearing, and eating are important all year round! 

Here’s a list of fun ways to celebrate Better Hearing and Speech Month any time of year: 

Play a Game! A communication-themed game, such as Pictionary, Taboo, Headbanz, Boggle, Scrabble, or The Mind, are great for challenging your communications skills. They require you to express yourself clearly, actively listen, and problem solve to win! Not to mention, playing as a group incorporates an important social aspect as well! 

Host a Karaoke Party! Singing is a great way to exercise your vocal cords and improve your speech. Whether you are belting out your favorite tune or singing in the shower, make some time for music this month! Who knows – you may discover a hidden talent! 

Try New Foods! Believe it or not, trying new foods and drinks can improve your hearing! That’s right – eating can improve your HEARING! Certain nutrients, like omega-3 fatty acids, can help protect your ears from damage. So, challenge yourself to try new and healthy foods this month. FYI – National Lemonade and Apple Pie Day are also in May. There are TONS of different lemonade flavors to try – roasted peach, lavender thyme, blueberry, strawberry, blackberry mint – so this might be a great place to start! 

Communication is the essence of human life”. 

-Janice Light

Practice Mindful Listening At its most basic sense, mindful listening is taking time to experience what we are hearing in the moment. It’s about being present and patient. Put aside distractions and set your intentions to completely in the moment. Take a breath and take in the sounds around you – birds chirping, wind rustling the trees, laughter. Mindful listening supports being more present – listening is a discipline that takes time and practice. 

While Better Hearing and Speech Month is officially celebrated one month out of the year, we can celebrate our ability to speak and communicate, eat and enjoy the foods and drinks we love, cognition and brain health year-round. If you are struggling with any of these items, or have concerns about them, please contact the Functional Pathways Therapy Team for guidance. 

One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you cannot utter”. 

-James Earl Jones

What is art? Is it a famous painting hanging in a museum, song lyrics of your favorite song, or a hand-drawn card from a grandchild? Art is an expression that stimulates an individual’s thoughts, emotions, beliefs, or ideas through the senses – so, the famous painting, song lyrics, and hand-drawn card are ALL examples of art. 

There are many health benefits to being artistically creative. Studies have shown that expression through art can help with depression, anxiety, and stress. In addition, it has also been linked to improving memory, reasoning, and resilience. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be Picasso to reap the health benefits! It’s the ACT of creating art that is beneficial, not the artwork itself, and there are many ways to get creative, such as through: poetry, painting, pottery, music, and dance, just to name a few. 

Let’s look at some of the benefits of art: 

Relieves Anxiety and Stress – Engaging in artmaking can significantly reduce cortisol (“stress hormone”) levels in the body. Why? Creating art is like meditation – it forces the mind to slow down, focus on the details, and block out distractions. Painting, sculpting, drawing, and photography are relaxing and rewarding, and they can leave you feeling mentally clear and calm. Creating art provides a distraction, giving your brain a break from usual thoughts. 

Maintain Fine Motor Skills – Small muscles in the fingers, hands, and wrists are utilized during art creation. These motions, such as holding a paintbrush or pencil, molding clay, or writing poetry, are great for maintaining fine motor skills. 

Socialize and Connect – Art programs provide a community with an opportunity for attendees to share a similar purpose and commitment. You can connect with neighbors over your love of arts and crafts, or your interest in trying a new hobby. If group events don’t interest you, consider getting together with family or friends and work on something together! You get the same benefits, but in a more intimate setting. 

Not an artist? That’s ok! Does the idea of a blank canvas intimidate you, but you still want to give art a try? Consider starting off with a paint-by-number or coloring book instead. These allow for creative choices on which colors to choose and allow for artistic independence but provide some guidance. 

Art has a positive effect on both the brain and the body. You may find the addition of art into your routine can have a positive impact on your mental and physical health. If you aren’t already attending, try out the Poetry Group, Hobby Pines Group, or the Pinecone Painters to get started! If you are unsure of where to get started, our therapy team at Kirby Pines can help bring the fine motor skills used in creating art into your rehabilitation experience. For more information on the benefits of art or to learn more about therapy and how it can benefit you, please contact the Functional Pathways Therapy Team. 

You may recall an article a while back on successful sleep. Well, sleep is so important to maintaining good physical and mental function, we are back with more helpful sleep tips! Remember, sleep is how your mind and body recharge, and without it, you cannot function properly. 

Here are some controllable factors to help with a good night’s sleep: 

Limit Screen Time. The National Sleep Foundation recommends you stop using electronic devices, like your phone or tablet, at least 30 minutes before bedtime. If possible, avoid watching tv or using your phone, computer, or tablet, in the bedroom. The blue light emitted from these devices restrains the production of melatonin, which is the hormone that controls your sleep-wake cycle. Instead, try reading a book. 

Avoid Caffeine Late in the Day. Having caffeine (coffee, tea, soda, chocolate) later in the day can keep you awake at night. The level of caffeine in your blood peaks around one hour after consumption, and stays at that level for several hours for most people. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others, but it is recommended you do not consume caffeine at least six hours before bedtime. 

Pick the Perfect Temperature. Sleep experts recommend keeping the room around 65 degrees, to help induce sleep and support better sleep patterns. However, if you are used to sleeping in a warmer room, slowly decrease bedroom temperatures and see if it has a positive impact. Also think about the bedding and pajamas you are wearing – are they conducive to a “cool” night’s sleep? 

Avoid Eating Large Meals Close to Bedtime. While it may seem like a good idea to go to sleep on a nice full stomach, eating a large meal right before bed can lead to tummy troubles. If your stomach is still digesting food when you lie down, you may experience acid reflux, heartburn, or nausea, which can keep you up. Remember, sleep is a time for your body to rest and that’s impossible if you’re trying to digest a meal. It is recommended that you wait three hours after eating a meal to go to bed. 

Nap Smart. Naps can help reduce fatigue, increase alertness, and improve mood and memory, but try to nap smart. Keep naps short – aim for 10 to 20 minutes. The longer you nap, the more likely you are to feel groggy. Take naps in the early afternoon. Napping later in the day (after 3 p.m.) can interfere with nighttime sleep. 

If you are struggling with healthy sleep hygiene, contact the Functional Pathways Therapy Team for assistance! 

Happy Sleeping! 

It’s a well-known fact that regular physical activity is beneficial. It strengthens bones and muscles, combats health conditions and diseases, improves mood, boosts energy and makes you feel better. Another benefit to physical activity is the positive impact it has on your brain! 

Being physically active improves cognitive health – it can improve the way you think, learn, problem-solve, and help you enjoy an emotional balance. Exercising can also improve your memory, reduce anxiety, and even help improve your quality of sleep. And here’s the best part – ANY amount of physical activity has been shown to be beneficial. 

Some of the effects of exercise on brain health happen immediately, meaning they occur during exercise or shortly thereafter, such as a reduced feeling of anxiety, improved sleep, and improved aspects of cognitive function. With regular physical activity, other long-term benefits occur, such as improvements in executive function (the ability to plan and organize, initiate tasks, control emotions), deep sleep, and more long-term anxiety management. 

What Can You Do? 

Being active might be easier than you think. Here are some ideas for how to stay active throughout the day. Remember – every little bit counts! 

Daily Chores – what might count as physical activity? Cleaning, gardening, laundry, and other household chores can count as activity for the day! If it’s getting you up and moving, it certainly counts. 

Be Active While Watching TV – think of ways to be active to reduce the amount of sedentary time in the day. Keep a list of activities, such as arm circles, marching in place, or leg kicks, to do during commercial breaks, while watching your favorite shows. 

Walk – walking is one of the simplest and most effective things we can do. Walk your dog, walk with a friend, walk to get the mail. Take the long way to get to dinner. Walk two times around the lake. Think of ways to get extra steps in! 

The pros of exercise are countless. The next time you attend an exercise or dancing class, talk a walk, or a dip in the pool, remember you are improving your physical health, and your cognitive health! 

If you need help determining which exercises might be best for you to, reach out to the Functional Pathways Therapy Team and we will be happy to help guide you!

If you squint your eyes, you can see 2023 on the fast-approaching horizon. It’s a time for resolutions and goals, as well as an opportunity to make sure you are incorporating all the dimensions of being and staying well. The key to embracing your greatest potential is through these seven dimensions. 

Wellness is being able to lead purpose-filled and engaged lives. By doing this, you can embrace your potential to pursue and optimize life’s possibilities. Your greatest potential lives in seven different dimensions: physical, social, spiritual, vocational, emotional, environmental, and intellectual. 

Spiritual: Finding purpose and meaning in life.
Examples: meditation, Bible Study, Church Service, Worship Service.

Vocational: Utilizing your skills, passions, and strengths to help others.
Examples: Tutoring, mentoring, volunteering, caregiving, Hobby Pines Group.

Emotional: The ability to cope with challenges and deal with feelings in a positive way.
Examples: peer counseling, stress management, humor/laughter, support groups.

Physical: Strengthening and caring for the body to stay as independent as possible.
Examples: Water Aerobics, Group Exercise, and regular doctor’s appointments.

Social: Emphasizes the importance of social interactions.
Examples: spending time with family, Game Play, Bingo, Pinecone Painters.

Environmental: Respect for natural resources and/or a strong connection to the environment.
Examples: recycling, taking walks outdoors, meditation, Garden Gro’ers.

Intellectual: Activities that stimulate and challenge the brain.
Examples: Game Play, Bunko, Mahjong, reading, puzzles.

Look at how you spend a week or month. Are you hitting all the dimensions listed above? Some of the activities you participate in, like group classes, may hit a few dimensions at once (physical and social). If there is an area that is being neglected, think about how you might set goals to include those into your routine to stay balanced. Reach out to your Functional Pathways Therapy Team to learn more about the dimensions of wellness and how to ensure you are setting yourself up for a balanced 2023. Happy New Year!

The holidays are HERE! Yes, that’s right, THEY ARE HERE! How are you celebrating? Whether you are cooking, heading out of town, visiting with family, or spending a quiet day at home, you have probably thought about your plans, made the arrangements, and have already begun your preparations. So, let’s talk pre-game prep!

With Thanksgiving behind us, let’s take a minute to reflect. You wouldn’t have waited until Thanksgiving morning to decide if your family was joining you or if you were joining them. Your stress levels would certainly be affected. You also (hopefully) wouldn’t wait until the morning of a holiday party to decide who to invite, or what presents to buy for people. Same logic applies to your health and wellness goals – whether you want to try a new exercise class, create healthier habits, or improve your endurance, the level of preparation that goes into each goal can have a notable difference in your outcomes and success.

Some Prep Tips:

Identify the Purpose – What is your goal? Is the goal to walk a an extra lap around Lake Latimer? Participate in a new or more challenging exercise class? Is it to feel better? Meet new people? Create healthier habits? Impact your numbers (cholesterol, blood pressure, weight, blood sugar)? It’s important to identify the purpose or goals so you can measure your success and plan how you will achieve it!

Set Yourself Up for Success – Once you know the purpose, make sure you know what you need to accomplish it. For example, you might need to get on the treadmill or Nu-Step in the Oasis (if it’s chilly outside) and get comfortable and supportive footwear if your goal is to walk more on our grounds. If your goal is to participate in a more challenging exercise class, you will want to check out the exercise calendar and perhaps ask a friend to join you.

Review successes/opportunities – Make sure you are considering what went well, what could have gone better, and adjust for next time. Did you achieve your goals? If you did – congratulations! What was easy? What was challenging? What would you change for next time?

There are many resources and tools available to make planning for and carrying out our health and wellness goals easier. These preparation concepts can also be applied to your daily and weekly tasks to make them easier! Planning out simple things, like going to the grocery store with a list, using a to-do list for your day, or working off a schedule for the week, are easy ways to stay on track. Reach out to your Functional Pathways Therapy Team to learn more about your fitness levels, as well as how you can prepare for success!

A Little Progress Each Day Adds Up To Big Results.”

The holidays are quickly approaching, which means it’s time to start thinking about giving gifts and spreading kindness. One of the best gifts we can give is that of gratitude. Gratitude, or the quality of being thankful, is something we can give without spending money, and can be just as beneficial for the giver as it is for the receiver, if not more so!

We are all familiar with how we can show gratitude for others – saying “thank you,” paying it forward, showing a random act of kindness – but we often overlook showing gratitude for our own health and well-being. Recent studies show that being grateful can improve our health, relieve depression, and broaden the mind. Experiencing positive emotions, as opposed to negative ones, leads to optimal levels of well-being, emotional wellness, and resilience.

While the “power of positive thinking” may not fix everything, it can certainly help. Acknowledging the good doesn’t mean denying the bad. Expressing gratitude for yourself can help you become more resilient, while also boosting your mood. When you feel good about yourself, others can feed off that. In addition, spreading gratitude into the world is infectious. Think of a smile – when you see someone smiling, you often smile back, don’t you? Put kindness, gratitude, and positivity out there, and you might just get it back!

Fun Fact: World Kindness Day is November 15th! Be kind to yourself and others!

Here are some ways to show gratitude and kindness for your own health and wellness:

Take a mindful walk. Spending time in nature can improve mood and memory, reduce stress, and increase levels of compassion. While on your nature walk, take in all the sights, sounds and smells around you!

Start a gratitude journal. Expressive writing can help process negative events and emotions but can also help focus on the positive ones. Becoming more aware of what you have can make you more resilient to stress and hardships. Start by making a list of the 5 things you are grateful for every day – your health, your family, your surroundings, etc.

Try a new exercise class or activity. Challenging your cognitive and physical wellness is a fantastic way to celebrate and honor yourself. What better way to show gratitude for yourself than to push to new limits? Try taking a new exercise class, learn a new skill or language, or a participate in a new activity such as wood working, gardening, playing cards or painting.

Do something for YOU! It’s easy, especially around the holidays, to get wrapped up in ensuring everyone else’s needs are highlighted. An important way of showing gratitude for yourself: Make sure you are carving out time for YOU!! This might look different for everyone – maybe it’s taking time to practice meditation, read your favorite book, walk outside, or spend time with your loved ones. Whatever it is, make sure you dedicate time for yourself.

Whatever method you choose, expressing gratitude is a win-win for your emotional and physical health and wellness! For more information on how you can improve kindness to your body and mind, contact the Functional Pathways Therapy Team!

Just as water lilies retract when sunlight fades, so do our minds when positivity fades”

-Frederickson

VR (Virtual Reality) is where it’s at – the newest and latest technology is being hailed as a fun and interactive way to exercise, escape, relax, travel, and even participate in group activities. 

There are multiple platforms available that offer everything from guided meditation to hip-hop and other forms of dancing, to spa treatments and traveling (virtually) to favorite/desired destinations. Virtual Reality can be highly therapeutic and impact physical, mental, and social well-being. 

VR has been shown to have a myriad of benefits to users; some of the most notable benefits include: 

Mental Stimulation

Virtual Reality systems allow for a multitude of different uses, activities, etc. This includes things like activities for attention, memory, math, and other cognitive activities. 

Enhanced Socialization

Virtual Reality can be used as a tool to encourage socialization. For example, multiple users can interact with the same movie or participate in the same events and share their experiences with one another, thus promoting socialization. 

Reduced Depression

Many people, especially in today’s somewhat isolated environment, experience feelings of depression or loneliness. The ability to “travel”, interact and experience new places, even virtually, can impact someone’s mood and overall feelings of content. 

A Therapeutic Effect

Movement is life! Just getting people to increase their movement, activity, and engagement levels can have a positive, therapeutic effect on overall well-being. 

Besides offering a fun and interactive activity, Virtual Reality users report a decrease in feelings of stress, increased relaxation, and better overall mood. VR has also been hailed as a drug-free solution to many stress/anxiety-induced conditions. 

In summary, Virtual Reality may be part of a solution in helping to stay active and engaged. With options for all fitness, functional, and mobility levels, virtual reality will likely play a major role now and in future for maintaining and improving all 7 dimensions of wellness. 

If you would like to learn more about what Virtual Reality options might be right for you, or how Virtual Reality can help to increase activity and engagement, feel free to reach out to Eric Walker, our Director of Rehabilitation at 901.366.1819. 

Jen Callahan, Clinical Outcomes and Reimbursement Specialist, Functional Pathways