In a letter to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius, the Coalition was able to obtain bipartisan support from Congress urging her to begin the process of reviewing and renewing the federal physical activity guidelines issued in 2008.

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans include recommendations of the types and amounts of physical activity that people of any age or ability level should perform to gain important health benefits.  Because of the rapidly evolving nature of our scientific understanding of the benefits of exercise, we believe the guidelines must be reviewed at least every five years, as are federal dietary guidelines.

The Pink Ribbon Program originated when Doreen began working with breast cancer survivors as a Pilates Instructor and Exercise Physiologist.  She was stunned to discover that survivors were discharged following mastectomy, lymph node dissections and even reconstructive surgeries without a plan for either physical therapy or rehabilitation of the affected side.  With her energy, drive and knowledge of exercise physiology, Doreen set out to develop a program to help her clients achieve their best possible recovery.

The Pink Ribbon Program was well underway when Doreen faced her own cancer diagnosis when an early cancer was discovered following breast reduction surgery.  Even with her level of fitness and understanding of breast cancer, she was overwhelmed by both the diagnosis and recovery.  She applied the Pink Ribbon protocol to her own recovery, and continued to tweak the exercises and stages based on her experience.  Today the Pink Ribbon Program is a gentle, staged process that begins when the survivor is either six weeks past her surgery or has received her doctor’s approval to begin gentle exercise.

You can become a Post-Rehabilitative Breast Cancer Exercise Specialist by registering for the Pink Ribbon Program in Reno, Nevada on November 4 & 5, 2011.  The classes are brought to you through the efforts of the Healing Moves Foundation.  We would like to thank our co-host Saint Mary’s Center for Health & Fitness. 

Register today for the Pink Ribbon Program!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

985 Damonte Ranch Pkwy,  Suite 320  (Grubb & Ellis office in south Reno, just west of the Home Depot store.)

(775) 686-9296  cell phone (text or call)

Why volunteer?

There is nothing quite like helping people who are in need. When you start to feel overwhelmed with the pressures of life, try to focus on someone else’s life. Open your eyes to the challenges others are facing. Oftentimes our personal struggles don’t seem so daunting when compared to the worries of our friends or acquaintances. If you are able to give help to others in need, a true healing will begin to take place. You will help heal another person, but most importantly you will help heal yourself.

Click here to register for the Pink Ribbon Program

Course Description:

The goal of this interactive two day course is to provide the participants with a knowledge base that is essential to the successful evaluation of the breast cancer survivor, from diagnosis to treatment, recovery, prevention of lymphedema and proper exercise guidelines and protocols.

Date and Times:

November 4 & 5, 2011
Friday: 2:00pm – 8:00pm,  Saturday:  8:00am – 2:00pm

Training Location:

Saint Mary’s Center for Health & Fitness
645 N. Arlington Ave., Suite 100
Reno, Nevada  89503

Cost:

Workshop $425, Course materials $35 plus shipping

Title:

Post Rehabilitative Breast Cancer Exercise Specialist

Continuing Education Credits:

Approved by ACE (American Council on Exercise) – 1.1 CECs
Approved by PMA (Pilates Method Alliance) for 11 hours

Upon completion of the class you will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the different surgeries, including breast reconstruction and the impact of these surgeries on physical mobility.
• Understand the signs and symptoms of upper extremity lymphedema and axillary web syndrome.
• Develop a comprehensive rehabilatation program using a Pilates-based approach including movement sequencing specific for the breast cancer survivor.

Click here for more information on the Pink Ribbon Program

All ages and abilities are encouraged to come out and try something new in a fun, safe environment. Participants are required to have a guardian sign a release form to take part. Don’t forget the sunscreen and wear close-toed shoes.

For more information, call 353-7815. The Sparks Marina Park is located at 300 Howard Drive.  Print the flyer for the event.

Click on Disabled Sports USA Far West to read about more fun and exciting programs designed for people of all ages and abilities!

Governor Brian Sandoval and the State of Nevada have joined the Healing Moves Foundation to celebrate Exercise is Medicine™ Month.  The Governor’s Proclamation is a Call to Action encouraging primary care physicians and other health care providers to include exercise when designing treatment plans for patients.  Regular physical activity is indeed a powerful prescription, with great potential to improve the health of all Americans.

Click on image to see Proclamation

Celso R.F. Carvalho Ph.D., P.T., P.E., did research on the benefits of aerobic exercise training in patients with persistent asthma.  He found that aerobic exercise training can be performed even by patients with severe asthma if they are clinically stable (without crisis).  During the study, some patients complained that they could not walk two blocks without experiencing asthma symptoms; however, after three months, most were exercising at high intensity without any symptoms. 

Dr. Carvalho gave three suggestions to other healthcare professionals: 

1. It is important that all health professionals prescribe/indicate/orient their patients to keep moving.
2. We must gradually dispel the misconception that most asthmatic patients should be restricted from physical activity during their lifetime.
3. We should perform other studies to evaluate the benefits of other types of exercise, allowing patients to choose specific sports that they enjoy and that will benefit them.

Exercise recommendations for people with asthma

• Schedule your exercise session at a time when you’re least likely to experience an attack, such as mid- to late-morning.
• An extended warm-up and a gradual cool-down may help reduce the likelihood of developing symptoms.
• Realize that it might take up to six weeks to get used to your routine and figure out what works best for you.
• Be prepared to adjust your workouts according to changes in weather and fluctuations in your symptoms.
• Start slowly and gradually progress the intensity and duration of your workouts.
• Take frequent breaks during activity if needed.
• Talk with your healthcare professional before starting an exercise program and ask for specific programming recommendations and possible changes to your medications.
• Take all medications, as recommended by your physician.
• Your exercise program should be modified to maximize the benefits while minimizing the risk of aggravating your health condition.

Exercise cautions for people with asthma

• Avoid extremes in temperature and humidity.
• Walking and jogging, particularly in warm, dry climates, may produce more asthma symptoms.  The same is true for cold-weather, high-intensity activities.
• If exercise aggravates your symptoms, immediately stop all activity and contact your healthcare practitioner as you may need more intensive medical management for your asthma.
• Limit your activity on days when pollen counts are high.
• Don’t be concerned if you are unable to reach the higher end of your target heart-rate range–you still experience significant benefits from physical activity.

Source:  Exercise is Medicine
 

*Celso R.F. Carvalho Ph.D., P.T., P.E., Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, School of Medicine, at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.  Active Voice:  Understanding Physical Activity for Asthmatic Patients.  American College of Sports Medicine – Sports Medicine Bulletin.

World Asthma Day – May 3, 2011

Exercising with Low Back Pain

• The goal of exercise training is to improve overall fitness (cardiovascular, muscle strength and endurance, flexibility, coordination and function).
• Talk with your healthcare practitioner before starting an exercise program and ask if they have specific concerns about you doing exercise.  Most people do very well with regular exercise and sufficient time, but some need surgery.
• The goal of exercise training is to improve overall fitness while minimizing the stress to the lower back.
• Choose low-impact activities, such as walking, swimming and cycling.
• Strong abdominals, back, and leg muscles are essential for helping you maintain good posture and body mechanics.  Once the acute pain subsides, you can begin doing light strengthening training exercises designed to help posture.
• Yoga and tai chi may help relieve or prevent lower back pain by increasing flexibility and reducing tension.  Be careful, however, not to do any poses that could exacerbate your condition.
• Start slowly and gradually progress the intensity and duration of your workouts.
• Do low- to moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise for 20 to 60 minutes at least three to four days per week.

Cautions for Exercising with Low Back Pain
 

• Avoid high-impact activities such as running.
• While low-impact aerobic activities can be started within two weeks of the onset of lower back pain, exercises that target the trunk region should be delayed until at least two weeks after the first sign of symptoms. 
• Never exercise to the point of pain–if something hurts, don’t do it.

Source:  Exercise is Medicine

Strong scientific evidence shows that the risks of moderate-intensity activity done by healthy women during pregnancy are very low, and do not increase risk of low birth weight, preterm delivery, or early pregnancy loss. Some evidence suggests that physical activity reduces the risk of pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes, and reduces the length of labor, but this evidence is not conclusive.

During a normal postpartum period, regular physical activity continues to benefit a woman’s overall health. Studies show that moderate-intensity physical activity during the period following the birth of a child increases a woman’s cardiorespiratory fitness and improves her mood. Such activity does not appear to have adverse effects on breast milk volume, breast milk composition, or infant growth.

Physical activity also helps women achieve and maintain a healthy weight during the postpartum period, and when combined with caloric restriction, helps promote weight loss.

Women who are pregnant should be under the care of a health-care provider with whom they can discuss how to adjust amounts of physical activity during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Unless a woman has medical reasons to avoid physical activity during pregnancy, she can begin or continue moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity during her pregnancy and after the baby is born.

When beginning physical activity during pregnancy, women should increase the amount gradually over time. The effects of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity during pregnancy have not been studied carefully, so there is no basis for recommending that women should begin vigorous-intensity activity during pregnancy.

Women who habitually do vigorous-intensity activity or high amounts of activity or strength training should continue to be physically active during pregnancy and after giving birth. They generally do not need to drastically reduce their activity levels, provided that they remain healthy and discuss with their health-care provider how to adjust activity levels during this time.

During pregnancy, women should avoid doing exercises involving lying on their back after the first trimester of pregnancy. They should also avoid doing activities that increase the risk of falling or abdominal trauma, including contact or collision sports, such as horseback riding, downhill skiing, soccer, and basketball.

In fact, a 2008 Harris poll of a cross section of 5,000 Americans found that 6.1 percent — which would translate to nearly 14 million adults — say their doctor or therapist recommended yoga to them.

Yoga is an ancient healing practice that has become increasingly popular in our modern, stressful world as a powerful way to stretch and strengthen the body, relax and calm the mind, enhance energy and lift the spirit. Doctors often recommend yoga to people over 50 because it can help lower blood pressure, ease pain and improve balance. But people stick with the ancient practice because they find it improves their mood, reduces stress and, simply put, makes them happier.