In honor of National Physical Therapy Month, during October Marathon will award prizes to those individuals who answer trivia questions throughout the month on various topics related to this month’s theme. Check this page or visit our Facebook fan page daily for the current questions and the previous day’s answers. To participate, send your answers to info@marathonphysicaltherapy.com
- Every day a winner will be drawn from all entries and awarded a $15 gift certificate for services or products at Marathon.
- Every Friday a winner will be drawn from all of the week’s entries to receive a Marathon bag filled with a $75 gift certificate, Marathon t-shirt, water bottle, and mini-band.
Happy National Physical Therapy Month!! Have fun!! ~from your friends at Marathon Physical Therapy
Week 4: Perinatal health and fitness
Daily Question:
Thursday Oct 28: Is it safe for women to do abdominal exercises during pregnancy?
Week 4: Perinatal health and fitness
Monday Oct 25: The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans makes recommendations for exercise during pregnancy and postpartum. What are a few of these key recommendations?
Key Guidelines for Women During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Healthy women who are not already highly active or doing vigorous-intensity activity should get at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Preferably, this activity should be spread throughout the week.
- Pregnant women who habitually engage in vigorous-intensity aerobic activity or are highly active can continue physical activity during pregnancy and the postpartum period, provided that they remain healthy and discuss with their health-care provider how and when activity should be adjusted over 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.
Tuesday Oct 26: What are specific recommendations for a woman who would like to start an exercise program during pregnancy when she has not been exercising regularly?
According to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 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 a program of regular physical activity during pregnancy, women should increase the amount gradually over time.
Wednesday Oct 27: What are/have been your thoughts or impressions of women exercising during pregnancy? If you have ever been pregnant, what type of exercise/activity did you do while you were pregnant?
Week 3: Adult health and fitness
Monday Oct 18: The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans cites health benefits for active adults beginning with 150 minutes of moderate-intense aerobic activity weekly. What types of exercise is considered aerobic and what are some of these health benefits?
Aerobic activities, also called endurance activities, are physical activities in which people move their large muscles in a rhythmic manner for a sustained period. Running, brisk walking, bicycling, playing basketball, dancing, and swimming are all examples of aerobic activities. Physically active occupations and active transportation (such as biking to work) also count as long as they are of sufficient duration and intensity.
Benefits of at least 150 minutes of weekly aerobic exercise include lower risk of premature death, coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and depression.
Tuesday Oct 19: What additional health benefits are attained as one gets closer to 300 minutes of weekly aerobic exercise?
Additional benefits include lower risk of colon and breast cancer and prevention of unhealthy weight gain.
Also, as a person moves from 150 minutes a week toward 300 minutes a week, the benefits that occur at 150 minutes a week become more extensive.
Wednesday Oct 20: On average, how many minutes of weekly aerobic exercise are you doing?
Week 2: Youth sports and physical activity
Monday Oct 11: The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans provide specific guidelines for children and adolescents over 6 years old. What is a key recommendation for this population?
Key Guidelines for Children and Adolescents
- Children and adolescents should do 60 minutes (1 hour) or more of physical activity daily.
- Aerobic: Most of the 60 or more minutes a day should be either moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, and should include vigorous-intensity physical activity at least 3 days a week.
- Muscle-strengthening: As part of their 60 or more minutes of daily physical activity, children and adolescents should include muscle-strengthening physical activity on at least 3 days of the week.
- Bone-strengthening: As part of their 60 or more minutes of daily physical activity, children and adolescents should include bone-strengthening physical activity on at least 3 days of the week.
- It is important to encourage young people to participate in physical activities that are appropriate for their age, that are enjoyable, and that offer variety.
Tuesday Oct 12: What are childhood obesity rates in the US?
An estimated 16.9% of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese. Between 1976-1980 and 1999-2000, the prevalence of obesity increased. Between 1999-2000 and 2007-2008, there was no significant trend in obesity prevalence for any age group.
Among preschool children aged 2-5, obesity increased from 5.0% to 10.4% between 1976-1980 and 2007-2008 and from 6.5% to 19.6% among those aged 6-11. Among adolescents aged 12-19, obesity increased from 5.0% to 18.1% during the same period.
80% of children who are obese are expected to remain obese at age 25.
Data from www.cdc.gov
Prevalence of Obesity Among Children and Adolescents: United States, Trends 1963-1965 Through 2007-2008; By Cynthia Ogden, Ph.D., and Margaret Carroll, M.S.P.H., Division of Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys
Whitaker RC, Wright JA, Pepe MS, Seidel KD, Dietz WH. Predicting obesity in young adulthood from childhood and parental obesity. N Engl J Med 1997; 37(13):869–873.
Wednesday Oct 13: What are suggestions of activities to encourage childhood physical activity?
Thanks for the great suggestions! A sample of the suggestions made included providing a good example (by having parents that are physically active), maintaining good physical activity programs (classes, recess) in the schools, and finding an organized sport that is fun for the child.
Thursday Oct 14: What do you think are barriers to physical activity for children?
Friday Oct 15: What are some ways Marathon is actively promoting safe and effective childhood physical activity?
Week 1:
Monday Oct 4: What is the official theme of National Physical Therapy Month 2010?
“Smart Moves for Families” to Prevent and Combat Obesity and its Consequences. Physical therapists from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) say that making the commitment to be physically active is one of the best ways children and adults can prevent or combat obesity and its consequences.
Physical therapists often encounter children and adults who have experienced difficulties making physical activity a part of daily life. The guidance of a physical therapist who understands individual needs, priorities, and challenges and who is able to closely support and monitor progress can be the determining factor in helping an individual to achieve his or her goals.
Tuesday Oct 5: Physical therapists support the Department of Health and Human Services’ 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. What are a few of the major conclusions described by these guidelines?
A few key research findings about the health benefits of physical activity:
- Some physical activity is better than none. So grab some small pockets of activity whenever you can!!
- At least 150 minutes/week (2.5 hours) of moderate-intensity exercise is when most health benefits begin to occur.
- Episodes of activity >/= 10 min long count toward meeting the Guidelines.
- Aerobic (endurance) AND muscle-strengthening (resistance) physical activity are beneficial.
Wednesday Oct 6: To everyone in the Marathon community, let us know your favorite form of physical activity!!
Thursday Oct 7: Make a suggestion or two of ways families can be active together.
Friday Oct 8: What is a program or activity available at Marathon that can help individuals achieve their goals for physical activity?