Athletico Health Resources

In 2019, 37.3 million Americans, or 11.3 % of the population, had diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes.  Diabetes is also a significant contributor to national healthcare costs. In 2017 the national cost of diabetes was more than $327 billion, up from $245 billion in 2012¹. Diabetes is the most expensive chronic condition to treat in the US, as $1 out of every $4 healthcare dollars is spent on care for people with diabetes². Despite these staggering statistics, our nation’s diabetic future isn’t looking any brighter.

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Planks are a great way to increase strength and stability in your core musculature. Although there is debate about what muscles are included in the “core,” most people can agree that it at least includes the abdominals. I’ve always believed that the core consists of every muscle in the torso, as they all contribute to some degree to movements that target the “core.” The muscles are fluid in their definition based upon what movement is being performed. The traditional plank is the most known plank exercise, though there are countless other varieties to use depending on your goals.

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Stretching is an often overlooked yet vital component of any fitness routine or lifestyle routine. The truth is most of us are guilty of not stretching enough. Stretching increases muscle flexibility & length, which increases the range of motion of joints. Muscles that are not at the proper length prohibit the joints from moving as they should, leading to muscle damage, strains, and joint pain.

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In 2018, Bunt and his colleagues found “knee pain affects approximately 25% of adults, and its prevalence has increased almost 65% over the past 20 years, accounting for nearly 4 million primary care visits annually.”¹ There are a number of causes for knee pain, and in many cases, physical therapy and exercise can help address the pain. Let’s take a look at five common exercises that can help reduce knee pain.

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I’d like you to take a minute and picture a car. Imagine driving that car for an entire year without stopping. It’s not possible, and even if it were, the car wouldn’t run as smooth as it would if you took the time to realign the tires or change the oil. If you drove this car all year without taking the time to focus on the smaller pieces that help the car run as efficiently as possible, then you’d run the car to the ground.

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Shoulders are the most mobile joint in the human body, offering a wide range of potential movements and positions they can get into during our daily life. The shoulder’s mobility relies on muscles, ligaments, and tendons as a source of stability rather than bone like the hip joint. Due to their nature, the shoulder is also commonly injured, with 18-26% of the population having some shoulder issues at any given moment. To combat this phenomenon, I will provide exercises aimed at improving overall shoulder health and longevity, with some nice side effects of improved posture and increased muscle tone. A good routine to follow with the following exercises is to perform 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions to supplement your current training routine.

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Most of us had our first experience with physical therapy after we sustained an injury or underwent surgery. It should be no surprise that we often think of physical therapy as something we do after an injury or post-surgery. But did you know that physical therapy is often used as a preventative tool? Preventative physical therapy may be more valuable than we realize, as the old adage tells us, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Let’s dissect what preventative physical therapy looks like.

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The short answer is YES! Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. With a widespread problem, we should consider all of our options for prevention.

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