The holiday season is upon us! Let’s make it a happy AND healthy holidays this year! Holiday eating can be one of the biggest challenges to maintaining progress in our health and fitness goals this time of year. So, we wanted to provide you with a holiday nutrition survival guide in this month’s blog article. In the article, we cover 5 strategies that can be used to maintain good nutrition habits and get through the holiday season without sabotaging your goals and needing damage control come January. Check it out! And Happy Holidays to all!

Protein is a CRITICAL nutrient in our diet. BOTH for fueling training sessions to gain and maintain muscle AND to keep our bodies healthy over our lifetime. Check out this month’s blog article if you are interested in how to best optimize the daily protein intake in your diet. We’ll cover – how much protein to eat each day, what type of protein sources to eat, when to eat protein throughout the day and how to time protein intake around our workouts.

Nutrition plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, acting as the foundation for overall well-being and optimal functioning of the body. A balanced diet rich in essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals fuels energy levels, supports immune function, and promotes healthy growth and repair of tissues. Embracing mindful eating habits fosters not only a healthy body but also a greater sense of well-being and longevity. Read more about keeping nutrition habits and tips to include in your daily life.

Blood flow restriction (BFR) training, a technique that has been utilized for over five decades, revolves around the innovative method of partially restricting arterial blood flow to the limbs while completely occluding the return of venous blood. This specialized approach significantly elevates the oxygen demand in the muscles during physical activity, leading to a greater accumulation of metabolic byproducts, which together enhance muscle fatigue and promote hypertrophy. By manipulating blood flow, BFR training allows individuals to achieve substantial strength and muscle growth with lighter weights, making it a valuable tool for rehabilitation, endurance sports, and enhancing overall athletic performance

Creatine is the #1 most researched supplement on the market. However, until recently all the studies were done on men. It has also almost exclusively been marketed towards men. I know many women, myself included, have been skeptical of creatine use because of the “bro-like” atmosphere surrounding it. Thankfully things are changing and more and more research is looking at the effects of creatine on the health of women. And not just young women, but women throughout the lifespan.

I have had many conversations with my patients lately about the quadratus lumborum, commonly known as the QL. In many cases, these patients have suffered from chronic low back pain without a specific injury. This muscle has multiple functions and can be the source of low-level, chronic low back discomfort if overused, tight, and/or weak. Releasing and re-training the QL can be very successful in finally getting rid of low back pain.

Meet Ann! We love Ann and can not say enough positive things about this wonderful human. Ann is a functional medicine nurse practitioner and has a wealth of knowledge on how to optimize your health in order to not just prevent disease, but get you functioning at your best! Click here to learn about her, her practice, and how she can help you!

One of the best parts of working as a physical therapist and fitness coach is the opportunity to meet so many like-minded people. This week, I am interviewing Sam Stuart. Sam is a licensed mental health therapist and trauma informed personal trainer in Baltimore. Click here to read the blog interview and learn more about Sam and the services she provides. You can also find Sam at Braving Wellness in partnership with 410 Fitness.

We all know the old adage of RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) for the management of acute injuries. But new research is kicking RICE to the curb. Ice may actually be causing more harm than good. Read our blog to learn more and the new mnemonic that is trying to take the place of RICE.

Cold water immersion has been a popular practice over the past few years. It has been on many a social media post and most health-adjacent podcasts have at lease one episode dedicated to it. So what is the deal with it? Is it actually aiding physical recovery? Is it improving mood? Is it improving immune system function? Is it just a practice in mental toughness? Click here to read our blog to learn more.

As our society and healthcare system evolve, more and more people have made the mental shift to a proactive, preventative approach to their own health care as opposed to the old model of retro-active, “treat only what is broken” approach. Physical therapists are ideally suited to provide this type of preventative care. Read our blog to uncover 3 specific ways you could benefit from working with a physical therapist even if you do not have an injury or pain.

The official start of summer is right around the corner! As the warmer weather and summer months are upon us, more and more exercise will be happening outside. This is a great time to provide a reminder on the importance of properly hydrating for exercising out in the summer heat. Not hydrating effectively can also have detrimental effects on our physical and mental performance. If you don’t want to let your performance suffer as you transition more of your training outside, check out this month’s blog article to learn how to properly hydrate for health and performance.