Blog
Love the One You’re ALWAYS With…Yourself!
By Susanne Michaud, DPT, OCS The practice of self-compassion is paramount in the healing and recovery process. Practicing self-compassion towards one’s negative self-emotions leads to a softer, kinder motivation that improves the brain and body’s ability to learn and change.1 Evidence for this is found in the research of psychologist and founder of the self-compassion movement, Kristen D. Neff. In...
Get Ready for Golf Season
By Tim Ainslie, MPT Snowflakes may be flying as I write this but, it’s not too early to start thinking of golf. A program to promote flexibility, strength and balance can improve your primary piece of golf equipment—your body. Although golf is less a game of strength and more a test of timing and coordination, there are some exercises that...
Women’s Ways of Cycling: Finding the Joy, Freedom, and Empowerment of Bicycle Commuting in the City
By Susanne Michaud, DPT, OCS I love Seattle. I’ve lived here since 1987 so can attest to the changes in density and traffic patterns. The conversations about the Seattle then versus now often degrade into complaints about the traffic. I can recuse myself of these negative grumblings because I have the magic carpet ride for transportation – my bike. When...
Postpartum Athletes’ Return to Fitness and Running Guidelines
By Laurie Gribschaw, DPT, ATC, PRC Recently, I had the luxury of taking another course on the management of pregnant and postpartum fitness athletes. As a female clinician without children, I try to do everything I can to expand my understanding and clinical skills associated with this underserved population. For too long, women’s health issues have been silenced and unrepresented...
Sleep: The Unsung Hero of Healthy Bodies Everywhere
By Laurie Gribschaw, DPT, ATC, PRC The latest overwhelming recommendation in our modern medical system is: getting 8 hours of sleep (go figure that what’s old is trendy again)! Researchers and healthcare providers across nearly all disciplines universally agree that sleep is of critical importance for our health. We are recognizing sleep as the cornerstone of our cardiovascular, neurologic, and...
Happy Feet: Get the Most Out of Your Hikes This Summer
By Coral Lewis, BSc, MPT, CAFCI After what has been a rather long chilly winter, and a dubious spring, it seems summer is finally upon us! Sun and warm weather mean more hiking adventures, but can also mean sweaty and blister-prone feet. Running into blisters and pressure related foot pain can put a real damper on a hike and can...
Fertilizer for Gardener’s Backs
By Susanne Michaud, DPT, OCS Sunshine, birds singing and buds poking through is Spring’s call to all gardeners to go outside and play. We heed the call, pick up our gloves and tools and head outside to find our bliss in dirt and seeds and bugs and plants. As gardeners, we “Just Do It” - good news, bad news... This...
The Power of Mindfulness
By Alexis Eusterbrock, DPT, COMT, OCS You have likely heard about mindfulness or been told you should be more mindful in daily life, but what does it really mean and how can you practice it successfully? Mindfulness was defined by Jon Kabat Zinn PhD, the founder of mindfulness based stress reduction, as “The awareness that emerges through paying attention on...
The Everyday Hip-Hinge
By Laurie Gribschaw DPT, ATC, PRC & Coral Lewis MPT, CAFCI The ability to effectively hip hinge is a fundamental and foundational movement pattern that is relevant to everyone! Can you remember how many times you bent forward today? If you’re anything like the average human, that number is going to be quite significant. Given that everyone has to lean...
Up and Over the Chilly Hilly
Cheers to you if you braved the cold and finished the 2019 Chilly Hilly. For many Seattle cyclists, the Chilly Hilly marks the start of the organized ride season. In prep for an organized ride, you likely took your bike in for a tune, checked the tire pressure, lubed the chain all to ensure a successful day on the bike....