Wellfie Wednesday Tip #133: #ClimbDC This FRIDAY (1/25/19)

Welcome back! Happy Wellfie Wednesday! This week’s post is notice to an event coming up this Friday, 1/25/19, and brought to you by Nick Schmit, a physical therapist student and member of the Academy of Prevention and Health Promotion Therapies.

What happens when you bring a group of people with a passion for turning the “sick care” system into a true “health care system” together in Washington D.C.? You get #climbDC organized by the Academy of Prevention and Health Promotion Therapies (APHPT)! Small changes to your physical activity, like taking the stairs, can make a significant impact on your health and we want the D.C. community to experience this first hand. That’s why, in parallel with CSM on Friday, January 25th, we will attempt to summit Everest, a cumulative 29,029 feet, on staircases throughout the city.

Keep your eyes on #climbDC on social media for the exact locations, but we’ll be stationed throughout the city getting passersby to climb with us and celebrating their achievements. Join us, and bring some friends, at one of these spots to get in your stairs or hang for a while and help talk all things incidental physical activity and health. We also hope you’ll track all your stairs throughout the day, no matter if you’re local or remote and add to our cumulative elevation. Log your steps at www.aphpt.org/tracker.

Although the main goal of our event is to raise awareness about the large impact a small change can make on someone’s health, we are also raising money for a local non-profit that we feel exemplifies the mission of the APHPT - The After School All Stars D.C. You can get more information about #climbDC, track your steps, and make your donation or pledge at www.aphpt.org/CSM.

Thank you for all of your support and we hope to see you on the steps! - Nick Schmit

Thanks for all of the support, be sure to post your pictures this week and tag the WW crew members in your post (@TheFuelPhysio, @Eric_in_AmERICa, @FreestylePhysio, @DianaKlatt) and keep the wave of healthy change going!

- WW Crew

Wellness Wednesday Tip #24: Know Your Risk Factors for Heart Disease

Welcome back folks! Happy Wellfie Wednesday!

     As we near the end of 2016 and you begin to think about those New Year's resolutions, I wanted to get you thinking about your overall lifestyle and where improvements could be made as we enter 2017. In an unorthodox way of doing so, I'll ask you to think about your risk of heart disease. As the current #1 leading cause of death in the United States, it is something you should be considering. 

     Take a look at this infograph below by the American Heart Association. Notice the larger list of modifiable risk factors, those are factors that can be addressed with choosing healthier behaviors, most notable is a healthier eating pattern and increased physical activity. Think about those as you plan to start your new year!

Source

     If you need ideas for healthier habits, check out #WellfieWednesday on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and see how others choose healthier behaviors. And as always, thanks again for all of the #WellfieWednesday support, be sure to post your pictures again this week and tag Eric (@Eric_in_AmERICa) or myself (@PBernerSPT) and keep the wave of healthy change going!

-       Dr. Patrick Berner, PT, DPT

-       Dr. Eric Uveges, PT, DPT

Wellness Wednesday Tip #17: Try Meatless Monday!

Happy #WellfieWednesday friends!

     This week’s tip is to try participating in #MeatlessMonday! Meatless Monday, a non-profit health initiative launched in 2003 by the Center for a Livable Future at the John’s Hopkins School of Public Health, encourages people around the world to go meatless one day a week for their health & the health of the planet.

     According to research from the CLF, Americans eat an average of a half-pound of meat per day, or an average of 182 lbs. of meat per year. Personally, I never thought of the statistics that way, but when I do…it kind of grosses me out. For perspective, I’m a pretty average guy weighing in around 190 lbs. According to this research, that means in a given year I basically eat my weight in meat. Kind of gross, right?

     While you try to get that visual out of your head, consider the research linking processed and red meat consumption to heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, and premature death. Take it a step further and consider the impact these chronic diseases have on our overall healthcare system, accounting for 75% of the 2 TRILLION dollars spent on medical care in the US every year. Take it even another step further and consider the resources (land, water, food, fossil fuel) required to process 180 lbs. of meat for the 3.2 million people who live in the US.

     Now imagine reducing each these categories by 14%. That is the impact that going meatless just one day a week can have on yourself, our country, and the world as a whole. Find more information on the initiative at their website http://www.meatlessmonday.com/ or on social media @MeatlessMonday, and check out the links below for recipe ideas.

     So give it a shot, and let us know how it goes! Thanks again for all of the #WellfieWednesday support, be sure to post your pictures again this week and tag Patrick (@PBernerSPT) or myself (@Eric_in_AmERICa) and keep the wave of healthy change going!

Recipe options:

http://www.meatlessmonday.com/favorite-recipes/

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/22166/vegetarian/must-try/slideshow/meatless-monday-healthy-vegetarian-recipes-you-must-try/

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/vegetarian/slideshow/easy-vegetarian-dinner-recipes

http://damndelicious.net/2014/12/02/15-best-quick-easy-meatless-recipes/

http://www.thekitchn.com/23-vegetarian-dinners-to-make-meatless-monday-even-easier-230958

- Dr. Eric Uveges, PT, DPT

-Dr. Patrick Berner, PT, DPT