The Popular “Prescription” is Exercise!
By Carrie McKewan, A2 Physical Therapy fitness ambassador
We know physical activity goes hand in hand with good health. Studies show people generally live longer and healthier lives when they are active. Even 30 minutes of moderate walking five days a week can provide incredible health benefits.
And guess what? Doctors are starting to finally “prescribe” exercise to their patients. Because eating well, getting plenty of sleep, and exercise are the three main pillars to your best health and so much better than popping a pill if you don’t need to.
The trainers at A2 Physical Therapy can help you become more active, whether you are starting from couch potato status or want to shave minutes off your running time — everyone is welcome, and everyone can benefit from moving more.
It’s true that exercise and activity may replace or reduce the need for some medications. Physical activity can reduce depression, anxiety, improve sleep, and increase brain function. It also can decrease the risk of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and much more.
Just imagine if there was a pill that could do all the things that exercise can do for your body. Good thing you don’t have to wait for that to be discovered — you already have everything you need to take control of your health.
So, if your doctor prescribes you to get moving more, look to the pros at A2 help you find workouts that are safe and sustainable so you can do it for the rest of your (longer) life!
Click on a photo to enlarge.
"Last Sunday I played full court basketball for the first time in 15 years. I will qualify the contest by saying it happened on a court just out of the back door of an elder care center. The teams consisted of a 7 year old, an d8 year old, a young woman in flip-flops (I played in sandals), a woman who proudly stated she was 55 years old (I retorted with my age of 65), and a couple of other young guys that really played well. I ran the court, I played defense, blocked shots, made shots (missed a lot), got lots of rebounds, and talked a lot of smack while playing with a group of people a lot younger than me. I even made a behind the back-twisting fall-away shot, then fell and tumbled on the court. I jumped up and continued to play, and we played for about 45 minutes.
I attribute my ability to play this game that I love so much again to the excellent training receive from Kristy who is a trainer at A2 Physical Therapy. I have worked out and trained since I was very young. I played high school basketball, baseball, and I ran track. I spent 20 years in the Army with all the training requirements associated with that occupation. I played on community and city leagues, and I have trained with weights for many years. The training program Kristy has devised for me at A2 is rigorous, thorough, diverse, fun, challenging, and focused. She prepares workout plans that are age and fitness level appropriate. My work out now is so much different then it was when I first started. She both trains me individually and as a couple. I run, jump, stretch, lift, balance, squat, push, pull, and every other movement you can imagine. I look forward to going to my workout every time. Kristy is completely in charge of every workout. I am retired, and my training at A2 allows me to fill the need to accomplish something positive every day I work out. I am doing physical activity with ease that I would not have thought I would be able be able to accomplish at the age of 65 such as hiking on Mt Rainer and running 4 days per week. Kristy and A2 have really changed my life…"
− William
"I’ve had 4 surgeries with different physical therapy clinics and this was my favorite. I felt comfortable and felt like I mattered to my PT which was a good feeling. My progress was as I had expected and any time I had a question or concern it was always answered and my PT adjusted. If it needed to be to avoid the pain I had I didn’t feel pressured to have more PT appointments or pressured to do workouts that aggravated my pain. Thank you for your help! I think offering stem and ultrasound for every patient will be really beneficial. Great experience overall."
− A.S.
"I loved it here! Everyone was so kind and welcoming and it is a very comfortable space to be in. That made it 100X easier to work on things, and ask plenty of questions. I seriously can’t think of anything to improve upon! Everything worked and helped me feel better, and is so exciting! Because of this, I can do more, and spend less time hurting."
− Georgia