Flexibility Training for Seniors
By Scott Hazuda, PT

Flexibility is a very important, but often neglected, fitness component. The number one reason for injury in my older patients is due to a lack of flexibility. Every activity we do in life requires a specific amount of motion from typically multiple joints. If one or more of those areas lacks a certain amount of flexibility, then you are going to injure one or more regions of your body because of that stiffness. You must remember that balanced muscle length and unrestricted movement around your joints is essential for avoiding injuries. Flexibility is defined as; the maximum ability to move a joint or a combination of joints through a range of motion. Many factors though can influence your flexibility, including muscle temperature and elasticity, distensibility of the rubberized joint capsule, and the extensibility of your ligaments and tendons.

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Preventing Golf Injuries
By Bob Cairo, PT

Fair weather golfers are hoping that warm weather is just around the corner and are breaking out the clubs and golf shirts in eager anticipation. As with every sport, the anticipation is a mere part of the equation and planning and preparation become the larger part of the process. Good preparation and conditioning can go along way to help prevent golf injuries, and it is highly recommended that the eager golfer take the time necessary to prepare physically for the riggers of the sport.

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Daily Tips for Women With Arthritis
By Trish Hendrie, OTR

In the U.S. alone, 2.1 million people, or 1% of the population have Rheumatoid Arthritis (according to the Arthritis Foundation). It can affect anyone including children. 70% of the people with Rheumatoid Arthritis are women. Women are 2-3 times more likely to get Rheumatoid Arthritis than men. In 2005, the number of Americans with arthritis (as reported by the Arthritis Foundation) is 66million (nearly 1 in 3 adults).

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Diabetes and Exercise
By Jennifer Hamilton, DPT

Diabetes is a serious condition that affects over 20 million children and adults in the United States. Type II Diabetes is the most prevalent type of diabetes and is also termed “adult-onset” diabetes. Obesity, poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle are some common risk factors for Type II diabetes. This disease can have devastating effects if left untreated. Diabetes occurs when the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin, or the insulin that it has doesn’t work well to remove glucose (sugar) from the blood. As a result, the person will have abnormal blood glucose levels. Normal fasting blood glucose levels are between 70-110mg/dL. This level will change depending on what you eat and how much you exercise. Someone with fasting blood glucose levels less than 70mg/dL would be considered hypoglycemic (low) and someone with a fasting level over 126mg/dL would be considered hyperglycemic (high).

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Exercise and Aging
By Leigh Sacks, DPT

Much has been written about effective interventions for many diseases and conditions associated with aging. Most often, the solutions and treatments discussed are related to the latest drug or surgical procedures, however more simple and conservative solutions are overlooked and do not always seem to compete in reaching out to the aging population.

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Suffering from Osteoarthritis?
By William Hamilton Jr., D.P.T.

Nearly 21 million Americans are currently affected by osteoarthritis (OA) and most people over age 60 have some degree of OA. Odds are you may be dealing with the aches and pains from OA and wishing you could do something about it. Or maybe your not sure what is causing the discomfort or pain, but think it’s probably “just arthritis”. The chance of developing some form of OA increases with age and in people over age 50, the incidence is higher in women. OA can occur in just about any joint in the body. The most common joints affected are weight-bearing joints such as the spine, hips, and knees. This article will focus on the definition, causes, symptoms, and treatments for osteoarthritis

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