Dr. Rick Douglass, PT

National Director of Education

Orthopedic Clinical Specialist

Fellow American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists

Nearly 1/2 of all Americans make New Year’s Resolutions but only 8% actually follow through and accomplish their goals.  So how do we keep our ambitious fitness goals from dissolving into a feeling of self-defeating thinking and disappointment?

1. Find your, Why?  Author Simon Sinek defines your “Why” as the purpose, cause or belief that inspires you to do what you do.  At FYZICAL Fitness we ask all of our clients to create a “Why Statement” and then we ask them to write them down on our “Why board” for all to see.   A Why Statement is one sentence that provides you with clarity, meaning and direction.  As we make our New Year’s Fitness resolutions it is easy to come up with the what and the how.  To make those resolutions stick, start with Why!

1. 2.Find the Truth in your starting point.  To begin the process of creating change you must start with an honest acknowledgment of where you are with regards to your current health and fitness level.  This may require consultation with your physician if you haven't already done so.  After that, a fitness professional can help you to establish the baseline from which you will work from.  At FYZICAL Fitness we utilize the state of the art BODYQ for innovative benchmarking of your body’s performance from which we can create specialized fitness routines.  See for details.

1. 3.Set Smart and Stretch Goals.  Too often we fail at our fitness resolutions because we set goals that are unrealistic or unattainable. We set ourselves up for failure by creating goals that seem nearly impossible to achieve.  On the other hand, while setting fitness goals that we can accomplish quickly might give us a sense of accomplishment, that “mood repair” will be short lived and is hardly a path to better health and wellness.  Instead, author Charles Duhigg suggests that the best strategy is pairing SMART and stretch goals.  Your Stretch goals can be pretty much what they sound like, far reaching goals that might initially seem impossible to achieve.  Your SMART goals help you to get there.  If your Stretch goal was to lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, get off of all medications and lose 30 pounds you can break that down into a series of SMART goals to assure that you never lose your way and that you always know what to do next. SMART stands for:

Specific: “I am going to walk for 30 minutes, 3 times this week”

Measurable: I will use an activity tracker or a fitness app on my phone to measure my performance

Achievable:  I have the time set aside and good walking shoes and my course all mapped out!

Realistic:  I am physically able to walk this distance, there is nothing standing in my way!

Timeline:  I am going to walk from 7:30 to 8:00 am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week!

Pairing of Stretch and SMART goals allows you keep in mind your larger ambition while also creating consistent sense of accomplishment.  This is a system that rewards your brain over time!

1. Keep a Journal:  Write down your stretch and SMART goals.  Keep track of your progress.  Write about how it felt to accomplish your specific goal for each day.  Consistently remind yourself of your WHY!
2. Find a Buddy:  Exercising with a friend creates a sense of competition and holds you accountable.  Find someone with similar goals and at a similar starting point and plan, together to reach your goals!
3. Make it Fun!:  Find what is fun for you!  Some of us enjoy exercising in groups or as part of a class, others enjoy the solitude of an early morning walk on the beach.  Whatever it is, find what is fun for YOU and make that the biggest part of your daily routine

Click on the link below to see Matt Smith from FYZICAL Fitness in Fort Myers present these ideas on our Fitness Friday spot on Wink News!  Please share on your social media sites!!!

http://www.winknews.com/2016/12/30/fitness-friday-making-your-new-years-fitness-resolutions-stick/

Recently featured in Sarasota's MySunCoast ABC7, FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers is helping individuals of all ages. From the very beginning, FYZICAL's approach has been to incorporate the best possible PT formula coupled with medically based fitness programs to help individuals who are hurt heal faster and expand their boundaries, while revitalizing their health and feeling better.

FYZICAL provides services and programs that balance biological, psychological and sociological factors for optimal client care. The primary goal is to provide premium physical therapy care and medically based fitness programs for clients who have suffered from pain, mobility, or balance problems.

Donny B Fit - FYZICAL

Posted on Feb 5, 2015 by Don Brennan

"Leonor Morris comes to FYZICAL with several very good reasons in mind -- her grandchildren.

"I'm weak. Now that I have to run after grandchildren, and especially since I had trouble picking them up, I realized I needed to do something," Morris says. "Otherwise, I was just going to get weaker and weaker."

Along with getting stronger, Leonor likes FYZICAL because one of its Sarasota locations is downtown, so she can walk there, and she also like that the staff are all trained Physical Therapists.

"I know that you can hurt yourself by doing things the wrong way, so it is very important to me that I get coaching to make sure I am putting forth the effort, and doing it the right way," adds Morris.

FYZICAL is a scientific and medically based therapy organization with (72) locations in the country. It specializes not only in wellness and physical therapy, but also in balance therapy, which, as we age, is almost mandatory.

"We know that 1 out of 3 people over the age of 65 will fall this year. We know that 1 out of 2 over the age of 70 will fall. We know that as people age, they lose their muscle mass. Its important to get on an exercise routine to increase their strength," says Keefe Fugelberg, the Chief Innovative Director for FYZICAL.

Joe Odom, a former football player at Purdue and for the Chicago Bears, goes to Fyzical to stave off the aches and pains that come with being a battering ram day in and day out. Fred Willis, on the other hand, has already paid the price for playing in the NFL at Boston College.

Fred Willis explains, "I've had 2 knee replacements and 2 hip replacements which were the cause from my football career. Its been a huge benefit for me, especially with the type of therapy they have given me, specializing in therapy for me knee and hip replacements."

Besides the human element of the trained physical therapists, is the top-notch equipment. As the Chief Innovative Director, Keefe Fugelberg is always on the lookout for new technology. "If it is scientific-based and validated, it is coming here. We get state of the art equipment," says Fugelberg.

One piece of that equipment is the medical body composition analyzer. Fugelberg explains, "Not only does it give your fat mass and your muscle mass, but it also gives you your inter-cellular and extra-cellular water. They have been using this in Europe for the past 4 and a half years."

The body composition analyzer is cutting edge for helping to determine how to proceed with fitness or therapy. Even though it is helpful for improvement doesn't mean you have to be happy about the info it spits out."

Read the full article here

The newly acquired FYZICAL Fitness center in Fort Myers, FL was recently featured on WINK News discussing how the latest technology can help you achieve your fitness goals. 

"WINK News fitness expert Mike Drumm stops by with FYZICAL's Matt DiMauro to talk about the latest technology that will accurately assess your current fitness levels and measure your progress.

The majority of New Year's Resolutions involve health and fitness goals like running your first 5K, losing 10 pounds, or building muscle. More often than not we fall short because the goal we set is unrealistic, or you lose motivation when there is no easy way to measure your progress other than the dreaded scale. To give yourself the best chance of success this year, it's important to set S.M.A.R.T goals (small, measurable, attainable, realistic, time based) and by assessing and tracking your progress using state of the art technology it takes all the guess work out of it.

Last month Mike's health club 'Fitness on the Move' was acquired by FYZICAL to offer medically-based fitness, health, wellness, and balance programs in addition to physical therapy.

FYZICAL Quantitative Assessments

The marriage between physical therapy and fitness not only makes sense, but it enhances our clients' experience and safety by placing the client experience first. Basic membership includes access to the center's equipment, programs, and classes as well as a quantitative fitness assessment for all members and quarterly re-assessments. Once we have their baseline data we will tailor a fitness program to help achieve personal goals.

Fyzical utilizes state-of-the-art specialized technologies designed to give the most accurate diagnosis and targeted treatment. Some of the assessment tools we use are Fit3D Proscanner, BODYQ, Rail Systems, Omniax Chair, etc.

FYZICAL State of the Art Technology

FIT3D:
A real-time, data-driven machine called Fit3D Proscanner. The 360 degree, upright scanner captures your body's measurements up to 1/10th of an inch. The technology is convenient for tracking progress and provides you with a personal email of your assessment (only you see this and no one else) to login and see in-depth reports of 20 reference points across your body.

BODYQ:
A dynamic set of measurements that assess movement, function, general health, balance, and recovery that is provided by a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT). Once this assessment is completed, a DPT will work with certified personal trainers, taking into consideration your specific limitations, to develop a medically-based fitness program designed to help you reach crucial health and wellness goals.

WORLD CLASS BALANCE CENTER:
Rail Systems, Omniax Chair (1 of 14 in the world!)

FYZICAL, LLC is a medical and scientific based therapy organization that offers prescribed physical therapy, balance centers, and physical fitness programs. FYZICAL has (72 locations in 20 states) and is headquartered in Sarasota, FL.

*FREE 7-DAY PASS offered to all local residents (December 29th – January 4th) Just email Mike Drumm at 123mpd@gmail.com or call him to reserve your guest pass at 239-561-1177 X202.

Jim Abrams, CEO of FYZICAL, has acquired 14,000 sq. foot Fitness on the Move to expand their offering of medically-based fitness, health, wellness, and balance programs in addition to physical therapy.

Sarasota, Florida – November 21, 2014—FYZICAL, LLC, announced today Jim Abrams' purchase of a Fort Myers fitness center, Fitness on the Move. Adding to FYZICAL's current 47 physical therapy locations, the fitness center will offer medically-based fitness programs and services, and in 2015 will offer physical therapy and balance programs.

FYZICAL, LLC successfully took over the operations of Fitness on the Move on November 4, 2014, and will rebrand the facility as FYZICAL FITNESS. The facility is a 14,000 square foot fitness center in Fort Myers that opened in 1996. Currently, there are around 2,000 members, a substantial portion of which is affiliated with Silver Sneakers, a Healthways fitness program. The same management team and current employees will remain, while doctors of physical therapy and balance experts are additions to the team. In 2015, a more comprehensive physical therapy and balance program will be offered. There will be rail systems, an Omniax chair (1 of only 14 in the world), and private treatment rooms to best serve patients. "We are elated with our move into medically-based fitness. This acquisition underscores the commitment by FYZICAL to enhance the value of the brand for its affiliates. The marriage between physical therapy and fitness not only makes sense, but it enhances our clients' experience and safety. Placing the client experience first is the core tenet of the FYZICAL culture," states Dr. Chris Mulvey, PT, DPT, Owner, FYZICAL Fort Myers.

FYZICAL FITNESS will provide two different medically-based fitness memberships. The first membership is basic and will include access to the center's equipment, programs, and classes as well as a quantitative fitness assessment for all members and quarterly re-assessments. Once a new member has completed a quantitative fitness assessment, their baseline data will have been acquired and used to tailor a fitness program to help achieve personal goals. The second type of membership available is a medically-based fitness membership. In this offering, a full musculoskeletal assessment by FYZICAL's proprietary diagnostic tool, BODYQTM will be provided by a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT). Once this assessment is completed, the member will then complete a quantitative fitness assessment to understand baseline data. The DPT will work with certified personal trainers, taking into consideration specific limitations of client, to develop a medically-based fitness program. This program is designed to help FYZICAL FITNESS members and patients reach crucial health and wellness goals such as weight loss and disease prevention.

FYZICAL, LLC is a medical and scientific based therapy organization that offers prescribed physical therapy, balance centers, and physical fitness programs. FYZICAL has 47 locations in 12 states and is headquartered in Sarasota, FL.

For more information, email Allison Purcell at apurcell@fyzical.com, call 941.444.2209, or visit www.FYZICAL.com.

Having the motivation to exercise can sometimes be a challenge. Building the motivation to exercise when it is freezing outside... of course that can be a challenge. If you are a workout warrior who loves running outside, hiking, biking, and burning those calories off under the warm sun each day, the winter months can be devastating to your waistline.

Here are some tips to keeping an eye on the prize for the next time beach season rolls around!

1. Warm yourself up! If you are an individual that prefers to workout outside, make sure to increase your body temperature and heart rate before stepping outside. Warm up with a light cardio for 5-10 minutes inside your home. This way when you step outside, you are warm both physically and mentally. 
2. Select your clothes the night before: If you like to work out in the morning, select the clothes you will be wearing the night before. This will prepare your brain to get ready in the morning and will be much easier to crawl out of your warm bed and go outside for that quick jog!
3. Pack your clothes: Do you work out after work? Instead of stopping at home to change, pack your clothes and head straight to the gym after work. Stopping at home and grabbing a quick snack, sitting on the couch and flipping on the TV sounds much easier than getting back in the car and heading to the gym.
4. Mix it up! Perhaps your go to workout is playing soccer with your friends, rock climbing, or something that just isn't possible during the winter months. This doesn't have to be a bad thing! Think of this as an opportunity! Try your hand at some new sports. Mixing up the muscles you work can be very good for your body. If you have never tried to ski or snowboard, give it a shot and see how your legs feel the next day. Your gym probably offers a handful of classes each day. You may be pleasantly surprised at the workout you get from a Yoga or spinning class.  
5. Play like a kid again: Activities like running in the snow, snowball fights, sledding, and making snow angels are not reserved for children. Remember how fun these days were as a kid! You'll be surprised how challenging playing around in the snow can be for a few hours.
6. FYZICAL Fitness: Having a medically-based fitness professional lead your workouts is a great way to stay in shape, in addition to building your motivation. Our friendly and knowledgeable FYZICAL therapists can customize a total health and wellness plan that bridges physiology, exercise and nutrition to meet your fitness goals. Find a FYZICAL near you to see what type of fitness memberships are available.
7. Watch what you eat: In addition to the cold weather, the cooler months bring plenty of opportunities to fall off the healthy eating train! Eating your children's leftover Halloween candy, Thanksgiving, Christmas... there always seems to be something unhealthy to snack on around the house. Ditch them after the holiday. If they are in your house, you will eat them!

Remember, the winter months offer plenty of excuses for you to not get up and move. Remember to #livefyzical and #loveyourlife! 

Participating in regular exercise is the only way to achieve and maintain the health of our precious body, mind, and spirit. Regardless of this, we are often misguided by the supplement and beauty industry into believing that physical exercise is merely an adjunct to the products they are selling to us and profiting from. As a passionate health professional I want to remind you of the reasons why exercise is beneficial to our overall health. Exercise causes long-term physiological adaptation including improvements in heart function, muscle strength, muscle endurance and body composition. These adaptations allow you to better perform the activities of daily life and help to maintain your functional independence as you age. 

A common axiom is resistance training strengthens and sculpts our muscles. What is less widely discussed is that the tendons, ligaments and other supporting structures in our body also get stronger when engaging in this type of exercise. Additionally, the density of our capillaries increases to compensate for the increased oxygen demand of our muscles. Changes in our nervous system also occur with resistance training. These include increased neural drive resulting in more forceful muscle contractions and improved communication between our brain, muscles and peripheral sensory systems. This type of neural adaptation is the reason why exercise is so effective in improving the symptoms of central nervous system diseases such as Parkinson's and others.

Cardiovascular exercise also induces specific physiological adaptations. The most apparent adaptation is the increased efficiency of the little engine of life, our heart. On average, the resting heart rate decreases by 10 – 15 beats per minute. Blood pressure decreases in untrained individuals who engage in regular cardiovascular exercise. The reason our heart function improves is because our heart literally increases in volume, what we call healthy cardiac hypertrophy. Invariably our heart also gets stronger. A stronger and bigger heart means that the heart can pump more blood with less effort. In essence, cardiovascular exercise is a drug-free approach to reducing blood pressure and can prevent many dangerous diseases of the cardiovascular system over time.

It is well known that cardiovascular exercise and resistance training is beneficial for people with diabetes. It improves glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity through a combination of physiological adaptations and changes in body composition. Guidelines on exercise jointly released by the American Diabetes Association and the American College of Sports Medicine say regular exercise can tame Type 2 Diabetes. These guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week spread out at least three days with no more than two days between each exercise session. Considering individual limitations, diabetes should not be an excuse to avoid physical activity.

Exercise is the magic elixir, the fountain of youth, and the panacea. Now that I have reinforced what you already knew, Saïd says, "Exercise, be healthy, and love your life!" FYZICAL Sarasota Main Street offers PT-directed fitness training along with a modern fitness center, complete with a full line of strength and cardio equipment.

Always consult with your physician before starting any exercise program.

Why is posture so important?

Posture can improve your quality of life. Posture essentially refers to the body's alignment and positioning vs. gravity. Posture can be measured with sitting, standing, lying down, or any other time gravity is exerting a force on our muscles, joints, and ligaments. Good posture is typically demonstrated by distributing gravity through our body so no one structure is overstressed.

Much of the population struggles with improper posture while using a computer or driving. A few tips to help your posture during these two activities that are performed by many on a daily basis include:

1. Sit properly: Ensure your feet are supported, your knees and hips are level, and your spine is vertical. 
2. Fix the empty space in your chair: While sitting all the way back in your chair, place a towel or small pillow in the arch of your lower back.
3. Get up and move! As your muscles grow tired from sitting for an extended period of time, your back and neck will have more pressure. Take a brisk walk around the office every 30-45 minutes. If you are driving a long distance, take plenty of breaks at rest stops or gas stations to stretch those legs and get your blood flowing. 
4. Do not overcompensate your posture: It is important to maintain an overall relaxed posture. Do not restrict movements by clenching muscles or adopting an unnatural, stiff posture. 
5. Exercise: Proper exercising can help your posture at the office. Daily workouts can help increase your mobility and lead to a safer workplace environment. Check out Fyzical's whole health programs that bridges physiology, exercise and nutrition to meet your fitness goals.

If you are struggling with aches and pains for improper posture, a physical therapist can help you improve your mobility and function, in addition to helping you fix your issues moving forward. 

In addition to driving and desk employees, another target for improper postures are the hardest workers out there... mothers! In this article below, find out more about maintaing proper posture as a mother. Simply performing everyday tasks such as carrying and picking up your children, cleaning, pushing a stroller, etc. can lead to improper posture. 

http://www.moveforwardpt.com/Resources/Detail.aspx?cid=1a4cc05b-761e-4441-8c42-dd730efc186d#.UwukkvldVrO