The Body Blog
How to Get Strong Enough to do a Full Pull-Up
Many women shy away from doing pull-ups because they can't do one right away. You have to build the muscles and the form up over time to do a proper pull-up. The strength to do a pull-up comes from your shoulders and back, and for most women, even those who are athletes, these can be harder muscles to develop. Compared to men, women have a stronger lower body than upper body. Women can be hesitant to develop their upper body strength because they think it will make them look “bulky”. In reality pull-ups help you build strength and lean [...]
Benefits, Safety and Tips for Exercise During Pregnancy
By Dr. Sarah Martinez, DPT As a physical therapist in Reno who works with many pregnant patients, I often get asked about exercise during pregnancy. The most common questions patients ask are what exercises are safe to do, and what exercises should I be doing to prepare for labor? Patients are also often misinformed that exercise can be harmful to their pregnancy when in fact it can be incredibly beneficial. So, let’s get into the benefits; what to watch out for; and how to stay mobile and active during your pregnancy. Benefits of Exercise During Pregnancy It is ideal [...]
Nutrition for Your High School Athlete
Kids in Washoe County are officially back in school this month. For many families, this means mornings are a lot more hectic to get everyone out the door on time. Oftentimes breakfast and overall nutrition for your teen is overlooked or goes from thoughtful to convenient. And I get it! I am just as guilty of arguing with my daughter to eat something whole as she races off to first period at 7am. But with a little education and a little planning, you can ensure that your high school athlete still gets good nutrition throughout the busy school year. [...]
Swimming Workouts: How to Condition In and Out of the Water
By Dr. Danielle Litoff, DPT I was a competitive swimmer for most of my life. I can tell you first-hand that it is an incredible way to get strong and stay in shape, but I can also most certainly say that it is not the only workout you should be doing. Like any other sport, swimming needs incorporation of other training exercises to keep an athlete balanced. We don’t live in the water, so swimmers need to do things on land as much as they do in the pool. When we are in water, we have an alternate sense [...]
Functional Medicine Health Coach vs. Wellness Coach – What’s the Difference?
Oftentimes “wellness” gets confused with “functional medicine” and are thought to mean the same thing. While they both have the same goal to get the patient to their ultimate health status, functional medicine takes a more data and science-driven approach. Wellness is a more umbrella term that is broader than the specificity of functional medicine. Certified functional medicine health coaches, like Dr. Danielle Litoff, DPT work with their patients to find the root cause of the issues they are experiencing and then build a custom plan using nutrition, hormones, supplements, exercise and lifestyle changes to get them back to [...]
Selective Functional Movement Assessment – Treating the Problem vs. the Symptoms
Continuing education is important in any profession, but especially in healthcare. At Battle Born Health, we are on a mission to make you stronger than yesterday, and a big part of that mission is our approach to treating the problem, not the symptom. To further our expertise in functional assessment, Dr. Litoff, DPT and Dr. Martinez, DPT attended a two-day conference on the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA). It was a refresher for Dr. Litoff, DPT who had completed the training 10 years ago. This course deepened both of their ability to assess and heal the root cause of [...]
Benefits of Prenatal and Postpartum Physical Therapy
Reno physical therapist, Sarah Martinez specializes in working with prenatal women to prepare for delivery, and postpartum women to recover after childbirth. A woman’s body goes through many changes during pregnancy and often times there is significant recovery needed to restore the pelvic floor and the abdominal muscles. Sarah is specially trained in breathwork to help reengage the diaphragm and heal diastasis recti, which is the separation of stomach muscles as a result of a growing fetus. Sarah also works with pregnant patients who may be experiencing back pain, fatigue, sciatica pain, swelling, and leg cramps. The prenatal physical therapy [...]
Ramp Up Your Running Routine in the Spring
It is officially spring in Reno, Nevada and after a cold winter, there is no better feeling than the sun on your face and the fresh spring air in your lungs. Spring is the perfect time to ramp up your running routine. Whether you have been training on a treadmill or an indoor track over the winter months, now is the time to get back out onto the roads and the trails in our area. Start Small and Build If you are just getting into running, start small and then build your strength and endurance. The biggest training mistake [...]
The Dangers of Ignoring Your Pain
Don’t let acute pain become chronic pain. Have you ever said, “I have a high pain tolerance” as a point of pride? People who ignore their pain or “muscle through it” are not doing themselves any favors. Ignoring your pain can be a very dangerous gamble. Pain is not a natural or normal human condition – it is your body’s way of saying something is wrong. As a physical therapist, I see patients all the time who have ignored their pain for too long and are now facing serious injury and a longer recovery. It is so much easier [...]
Why Do Hormones Play Such a Big Role in Weight Loss?
If you are struggling to lose weight, it may be time to look at your hormones. It’s that time of year again – New Year’s resolutions abound and you have set a weight loss goal for yourself after all the holiday indulgence. But it is rarely just about diet and exercise. For women, weight loss has as much or more to do with hormones and hormone balance than what you put on your plate. If you are struggling to lose weight, it may be time to look at your hormones. The main players in female hormone dysfunction are cortisol, [...]
