WELCOME TO MAY, NATIONAL PHYSICAL FITNESS AND SPORTS MONTH
This month's theme, selected by the U.S Department of Health & Human Services, is all about movement. During the month of May, our coaches will be sharing different workout ideas and inspiration for you to #MoveInMay. We will also host a variety of challenges. Up first: a photo contest. Submit a photo during the first week of May of how you will be moving in May. Photos can be submitted on Instagram @AHMedicalFitness with the hashtags #MoveInMay #AHMedicalFitness and #WeAreHereForYou or e-mailed to Erik Lewish at elewish@adirondackhealth.org. The winner of the photo contest will receive one paid program of their choice free!
Over the course of our lives, our knees take a beating. Running, jumping, skiing, hiking, and all of the other activities we love cause wear and tear at the joint which can be expressed as knee pain. Knee pain can have many causes and is not always due to an injury. Overuse, insufficient strength and mobility, and improper mechanics can all contribute to knee pain. Although we cannot completely reverse damage in the knee joint, we can always support the joint and prevent damage by strengthening and mobilizing up and down the kinetic chain. By strengthening the musculature surrounding the knee we can alleviate stress on the joint and reduce tendon inflammation that causes pain. By mobilizing the surrounding joints and releasing muscle adhesions we can lessen the “pull” of tight tendons on the joint and be free to perform proper movement patterns and techniques pain-free.
This six-week course designed by Sheila Decker ATC, CSCS follows a progression to gradually increase knee stability, balance, and strength in order to help you enjoy an active lifestyle for years to come. The program includes exercise demonstrations and trainer tips to help you on your way to healthy knees.
For $35 you will get access to this six-week program made by Sheila Decker.
To purchase this six-week program or any other program log into your online account at:
Log in to your account by going to www.myiclubonline.com
Click on “new user register”
If you don't know. your member ID, enter your email address that is on file with us and you will get an email. Or - contact April and Liz at medicalfitness@adirondackhealth.org
Create your new account and then follow the steps.
Or
Email medicalfitness@adirondackhealth.org and April or Liz can help you out over the phone.
By Elizabeth Purcell
Since the fitness center closed my life and household has certainly changed, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
Since the isolation period began, my family and I have done many things differently; here are just a few:
Don't Hold On So Tight
The first thing we did that was slightly out of the ordinary, and we probably wouldn't have done otherwise was purchase a ping pong table and set it up in our living room space. Yes, right in the living room! I grew up with a ping pong table and have fond memories of playing with my brothers and friends. The four of us have gotten very good at this point! My son and I play every morning (best three out of five), before he heads to school (downstairs) and I head to work, in the same room. As we play we chat about random things, memories, and what the future holds. Also, there are no phones at the ping pong table, yes! The location of the table is central to our living, which in turn has created a gravitational pull towards connecting as a family. I have not “let” any of my family members win, but I have lost two games at this point. Currently, I am undefeated but I believe this is short-lived. Ping pong is a delicate sport, one that requires patience and understanding. How a player holds the paddle is key - holding it too tightly or tilted too much will change your game instantly. Much like this isolation period, if we hold onto “what was” too tight, if we don’t tilt our heads towards something else more meaningful, we may miss something else altogether.
Creativity & Balance
Another way my life has changed since being home is our decision to cut down multiple trees and used the logs to create a homemade gym! I have been working on overhead squatting while holding a log, and we created a bench press out of recycled wood products around the house. We also scooped up sand from our road, put it in an old pillowcase, and then in a stuff sack, so we can use that to squat with as well. We also put up our slack-lines to work on balance.
Balance has been at the forefront of my thoughts for years. Balancing; work, children, dogs, bills, food, coffee vs Redbull, prepping for dinner, marriage, bedtime, laundry, finances, Netflix vs Hulu, Minecraft, Instagram, Facebook, Marco Polo, Ping Pong, and household projects to name a few. I’m not sure how I have managed to do it all and quite frankly I’m not sure I am doing it all. My family has absorbed many of these tasks thankfully, but I still find myself as a mom thinking I need to do it all. I've come to realize, I don't need to do it all, it will all still be there and sometimes playing is just exactly what we need to step back and remember to do to find that balance.
Slowing Down And Remembering
During Covid and how things have changed for my family, like my first instant being, buy a ping pong table playing reminds me of where that comes from in me. I have this instinctual place that I go that says we need to play, we need to play with our families to balance out everything else we have going on that is causing us to tip over the edge. The investment in the ping pong table was brilliant, and I ultimately thank my mother for it. She is gone now, but my memories of her run through my mind daily, especially now. She loved to play. She was from a seriously competitive family, a father who was a successful amateur golfer, a brother who was a professional pitcher, a sister who was also a phenomenal golfer, and another brother who was also excelled at sports. She was a collegiate swimmer and with all that being said, it is no wonder I am naturally a competitive person by default. This time of slowing down, playing ping pong for the joy of playing rather than to win has taught me to enjoy life as it is right now, and perhaps showing my children something they will remember back on that will form them in ways they don't realize right now. I am enjoying the peace and quiet of the mountains, the bark of a neighborhood dog, the happy Chickadee at the feeder, and the delicate ping of the ball on the table.
April’s Go-To Egg Casserole
Hi Everyone! Like me, you are all probably trying to make the most out of your groceries, and create various dishes with the same ingredients. This is one of my go-to recipes that has endless variations. You can double the recipe for a larger crowd, or for several meals throughout the week. It travels well, reheats well, and most importantly contains all the ingredients in one pan. I will share the variation I use the most.
1 cup cooked potatoes
1/3 cup diced onions
1/3 cup diced peppers
1 cup cooked broccoli
1/2 cup feta
4 eggs
Dash of seasoned salt and pepper
I like my onions and pepper diced super small so you get the flavor without noticing any chunks. I prefer my potatoes and broccoli roasted, but steamed, leftover or frozen vegetables are fine. If it’s available, I like the seasoned feta that comes in a block, then you can dice it up so it covers the entire dish. Lastly, I’m hooked on fresh eggs. If you know someone with chickens, get yourself on the egg list!
Lightly grease a nine-inch pie plate, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Evenly place the cooked potatoes on the bottom of the pie plate. Spread the onions and peppers evenly over the potatoes. Layer the feta over the vegetables. In a bowl or blender, scramble the eggs, adding the salt and pepper as you do so. Pour the egg mixture over the other ingredients. Bake for about 40-minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Allow it to cool for about 5 minutes. Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition per serving of Egg Casserole:
178 calories
9g fat
10g protein
12g carbohydrate
2g fiber
Nutrition Tidbit:
Despite their higher price, there is no nutritional difference between a white and brown egg. Simply different breeds of chickens produce different colored eggs. The terms free-range and cage-free are not interchangeable per USDA standard definitions. A free-range bird is allowed to roam freely indoors and outdoor, but cage-free birds most often live in chicken houses with the requirement that they can move freely in all directions. Labeling organic eggs as antibiotic and hormone-free is simply good marketing since it is not common practice to put these chemicals in chicken feed. The organic egg label does indicate that the chicken feed was free of pesticides, herbicides, and commercial fertilizers. Ultimately, there is no significant nutritional difference between eggs, with the exception of size affecting the quantity of overall nutrition and an increase in omega-3 with chickens fed omega-3 rich feed.
This information and more evidenced-based nutrition can be found at www.eatright.org, published by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
For more information on dietary counseling contact Joni Gerken at Jgerken@adirondackhealth.org 518-359-8854. Joni is now offering online counseling.
$15/ month Nonmember Online Access https://signup.myiclubonline.com/iclub/signup/home.htm#info/info?clubNumber=1516&planId=b72f8abb90e741738aafb9a0d655113d
Do you know someone who could benefit from joining the Adirondack Health Medical Fitness Center community? Share the love. We are here for everyone.