Getting Creative During Covid-19

 

Author: Sierra Klotz, Physical Therapist and Athletic Trainer

 

Here are just five of the ways that you can get those creative juices flowing. Let this time be one of transformation. Even when it seems like the world is falling apart, we all have the ability to create and generate our own small transformations. In this time, when so many of us are home, it is easy to sit too much on the computer, cell-phone or watching TV. This can be very harmful to one’s health. Sitting for long periods can increase our risk of diabetes and leads to physical pain by tightening our muscles. These are ways to stay indoors while being up and active:

1.  Prepare a Delicious, Healthy, Artistic Meal: One way to be creative in a practical way is to make food! The act of cooking itself is very creative. Plating the food in fun designs and patterns adds even more creativity. Eating healthy foods like salads does not have to be boring if you use fun patterns and designs like the salad I made this weekend, pictured below. I also had fun this week with a yogurt parfait for breakfast. The base was yogurt, and then I used chia seeds, flax seeds and fruit to make a beautiful design on top. 

2. Play or Learn a New Instrument: Playing an instrument not only boosts creativity, but it also helps our brains and bodies. Most athletes know that listening to music can help focus and concentration and it can help set a good pace while running. When we create and play music, it helps our brain development and memory. Research done at the Beth Israel hospital has shown that singing is helpful for those recovering from a stroke or brain injury, particularly when the left side of the brain, responsible for vocalization is damaged (Harvard Health Publishing. Music Can Boost Memory and Mood). It is therefore likely that playing music is particularly helpful if you have suffered from one or more concussions. For kids who are home, get out those instruments! The College Board has found that the more years a student has practiced music, the higher their SAT scores. (Forgeard et al. Practicing a Musical Instrument in Childhood is Associated with Enhanced Verbal & Nonverbal Reasoning)

 

3. Make a Music Video: This is a great indoor activity for children or families. Choose your favorite song and choreograph a dance to go with it. It is most helpful to break the song into sections and for each section of the song, think of a certain dance move such as shuffling to the side, kicking in different directions, squatting down to the floor, jumping up and tapping your feet in different directions. Choose any moves that feel good and you feel fit the song. You can even post it to YouTube or TikTok!

4. Create a Piece of Art: There are countless ways to make art! One of my favorite things to do is to make photo collages. You can also cut pictures from old magazines and make collages from those. Art can have messages of inspiration, help you remember joyous past experiences or be functional such as all of those crafty folks who are currently making masks. As a healthcare worker at the hospital in my other job, I am extremely grateful for the donations of homemade masks.

5.  Support Nature: It is remarkable to witness the changes and surprises all around us in nature. A wonderful way to be creative is to help support these changes. If you have the space, this is a time of year to start planting the first seedlings or young plants. You will not only be rewarded by watching a beautiful garden, but if they are edible plants, by eating it too! If they are pollinator plants, you can watch the beautiful butterflies and insects. You can also put up a bird feeder to see all the birds. (Just make sure to take it down in June or when recommended by the state, so as not to attract bears). It can also be really nice to make homemade bouquets. This time of year, they can be made with pussy willows and forsythia.

Light at the End of the Tunnel: What To do If You Get Sick

Author: Sierra Klotz, DPT, ATC Physical Therapist & Athletic Trainer

Now is the time when the state is expecting a surge in the number of people who come down with covid-19. Here are some tips that will hopefully prove helpful if you start to feel ill. Along with the tips below, it is important to contact your primary care provider to find out if you need a test and determine together if you need more serious medical care.

1. Get Organized. If you have symptoms of the virus, it is important that nobody in your household go into public places. There is a good chance that everyone in the house has contracted the illness. At this point, set up or have a loved one coordinate a grocery delivery to your doorstep either by a friend, friendly neighbor or family member who lives nearby. There are also many groups on Front Porch Forum of volunteers who are doing grocery shopping for those who cannot go out. There also may be grocery stores or restaurants in your area that do delivery to your house. This is a good option as well. This strict quarantine should last for fourteen days or for seven days after your symptoms resolve.

2. Sleep. Sleep and rest are very important when you feel ill. This is what your body craves in order to recover. If you are having a difficult time sleeping, avoid all screens within two hours of going to bed and drink chamomile tea before bed. Doing some of the exercises below may also help to get to sleep. It is also a good idea to take many naps throughout the day. Research studies have indicated that sleeping longer helps us fight off infection and recover from various illnesses (Increased Sleep Promotes Survival during a Bacterial Infection in Drosophila. Williams et al)

3. Drink Hot Liquids. It is especially important for respiratory illnesses such as this one to drink or eat plenty of hot liquids including teas and soups. Honey has also been shown to be beneficial for coughing, so this can be good to add to hot tea. Peppermint is also a natural expectorant, which means that it helps to loosen mucus, so that it can be cleared out of your lungs. (5 Natural Expectorants to Kill your Cough, Medline) Also, according to several studies, chicken soup helps clear nasal congestion, clears mucus and has a mild anti-inflammatory effect. (WebMD)

4. Let the Sun Shine! If it is a sunny day, open your blinds and let the sunlight stream in. Pioneering nurse, Florence Nightengale once wrote, “It is the unqualified result of all my experience with the sick, that second only to their need of fresh air is their need of light…And that it is not only light but direct sun-light they want.” We now know that increased sunlight exposure can shorten hospital stays and improve healing. (Sunlight is the best Medicine. Dr. Micheal Terman) Research has found that the coronavirus is more sensitive to heat, as the temperature increases above 39.2 degrees fahrenheit, the warmer temperatures kill the virus. The sunlight will add warmth, but it also may be important to raise your thermostat higher than you normally keep it. Cntechpost

5. Do Gentle Exercises. When you are cooped up in the house all day, sitting or lying down, it is easy for muscles to get tight and stiff. Keep in mind that muscle achiness may be an effect from the illness, but it can help your muscles feel better to do these gentle stretches. All of these can be done right in your bed. The first is child’s pose or prayer position, where you sit back on your heels and reach forward towards the ground or the bed. Hold for 5 deep breaths. Then, reach your hands to the left. Hold this for 5 breaths and then reach to the right. Next, lie on your back and lift your leg as high as you can while keeping your knee straight to stretch your hamstrings. Gently bring the leg across the body until you feel the stretch on the outside of your hip. Hold it there for 5 deep breaths. Now, while lying on your back bring both knees in towards your chest. This can help to relax your internal organs and decrease low back pain and achiness. Together, these exercises should give some gentle relief to help your recovery. 

How To Return From a Walk Refreshed
Author: Sierra Klotz, Physical Therapist & Athletic Trainer      

          

Thanks for reading this second week of the Covid-19 Blog Series! Are you starting to get bored with your daily walks? Do you seek out a way to let go of your stress and anxiety but your walks just aren’t doing it? Perhaps it is time to turn them up a notch. These tips will help enliven your senses and can also be used while hiking, jogging or even sitting still.   

 

1. Start out by noticing what you hear around you. This time of year, many of the migratory birds are returning, so chances are     there will be many bird songs. You may also hear the sound of snow crunching under your feet or a river flowing over the
   rocks. We are often very focused on what we see, but it may take some extra effort to concentrate on the sounds around you. This will help the stressful thoughts flow by. 

 

2. Once you are ready to move on from sounds, maybe after 10-15 minutes, tune into body sensations. This may be the feel of your feet on the soft ground or a leaf crunching underfoot. It could be the wind blowing against your face or rain landing on your head. Try to be open to all sensations, even those that have previously been uncomfortable. If you truly have pain in your body, it may be wise to see an expert such as a Licensed Physical Therapist or Athletic Trainer. I, and many other healthcare practitioners are doing on-line telehealth consultations. You can schedule this through Fit2Excel at 802-871-5423. As you climb a hill, feel which muscles are working. This not only helps to strengthen the muscles and keep your balance, bringing conscious awareness to each muscle group, but it also lets you take the time to actually feel how strong you are! You may be surprised to feel your abdominals and shoulder muscles also working while you climb up and down that steep hill. 

 

3. Now, bring attention to sight. Most of us are constantly scanning in front of us while hiking or walking outdoors. Instead of constantly shifting your attention, see how it feels to focus on one tree for a few minutes. Notice the moss or pattern of the bark or how the sun reflects off of it. There are many intricate patterns in trees that many of us don’t notice. I have been hiking recently looking for the Chaga mushroom on Birch Trees, which makes me notice these birch trees in a whole different way. It can be very stimulating for the eyes and calming for the mind to take the time to focus on a tree or a rock or a section of the river for a few minutes at a time.

 

4. Now, bring attention to all the smells around you. Now in Spring, the smell of the mud or manure if you are near a farm, can be quite strong. The trees often also give off their own unique odor. If you are having a hard time smelling anything, try leaning up against a tree for a couple moments. I have personally felt my nose awaken and able to smell everything much more clearly after this. You can also hold a handful of dirt closer to your nose and try to smell it. If you still cannot smell anything, take out the coffee grounds when you get home and make sure that you can smell those. They are actually finding that Anosmia, or lack of smell is a symptom of covid-19, so be sure to self-isolate and contact your healthcare provider if you have no sense of smell and start to feel sick. The sense of smell is typically the one we are the least aware of and the least skilled at bringing attention to, so do not worry if it takes a little while. It is deeply rewarding when you can smell the pine trees, mud under our feet or snow melting and it will help rekindle your desire to return to the outdoors! 

 

COVID-19 Blog Series: New! Weekly Blog to give you information and healthy tips. This is a blog for our valued clients of all ages who are missing personal connections or looking for answers during this time of uncertainty.

Author: Sierra Klotz, DPT, ATC, Physical Therapist, Athletic Trainer

TIPS To Stay Healthy During Covid-19          Posted 3/24/20
Here is a list of my top 5 Ways to Stay Healthy During This Pandemic.

1. Join A Virtual Exercise Class. This is a great way to improve your social wellbeing while staying strong and fit. Fit2Excel is continuing most of our weekly classes virtually which you can join via this link: https://www.fit2excelvt.com/zoom-classes/

Pros: Improves social & Physical Wellbeing
Cons: Costs $15/class (drop in) or one punch with a punchcard.

Yoga/Pilates With Adrien: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRKmB-78elI

Pros: Free

Cons: Little Social Connection & Not Recorded Live

2. Go For A Walk In Nature. We are fortunate to live in Vermont where there are so many trees, dirt roads and outdoor spaces to explore. The sunshine and fresh air help boost our immune system to fight off the virus. This article describes how just opening your windows to the sunlight can kill bacteria indoors. It goes without saying that being outdoors under the sun will also help kill bacteria. https://www.healthline.com/health-news/want-to-kill-dangerous-germs-open-your-blinds#Sunshine-as-medicine. This New York State department website describes how being in nature can help boost our health, while citing many medical studies: https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/90720.html. In summary, being among the trees helps to boost our immune system, reduce stress and increases our energy level and ability to focus.

 

3. Jog Outside. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity such as brisk walking or 75 minutes of vigorous activity such as jogging each week. What better time to improve your heart and lung health?

Here is an excellent blog post written by Christie Ashwanden, citing research on positive effects of outdoor exercise. She also                  points out how it is important to limit the duration of a run or vigorous activity to 60 minutes or less.                                                                                     https://elemental.medium.com/this-is-the-exercise-your-body-needs-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak-8b924c92e861

4. 
   Sleep. There are numerous positive health benefits of getting more sleep. These include improved memory and concentration, improve emotional wellbeing and even improved immunity and ability to fight viruses such as the common cold, as evidenced by by Dr. Cohen in his study Sleep Habits and Susceptibility to the Common Cold. Any time that we have physical or emotional stress, our bodies require more sleep. It is important to take naps, get to sleep earlier or sleep in later to maintain physical and mental health. If you are having a difficult time getting to sleep, it may be helpful to avoid all screens within two hours of going to bed, avoid eating within one hour of going to bed, exercise for at least thirty minutes each day and breathe deeply just before going to be to increase parasympathetic Nervous system activation.

 

5. Start a Mindfulness Practice. Mindfulness can be a great tool to strengthen your brain and make you a more competitive athlete or build resilience. Are you a student athlete and cannot practice right now? This will give you a boost to be ahead of the curve when you return to sports. There was a famous tale of a golfer who was shot down during the war in Vietnam and became a prisoner of war. He visualized his swing every day and when he came out of prison, he scored his best ever. Below are talks on mindfulness with guided meditations that are relevant during this time and mental imagery exercises. If you are looking for more guidance, Sheila Stawinski is offering sports psychology consultations through Zoom.
   

Meditation Podcasts To Improve Resilience:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/id1474245040

https://www.tarabrach.com/facing-pandemic-fears/

https://oneworldindialogue.com/blog/deepening-our-humanity-in-the-coronavirus-crisis/

Sports Imagery Podcasts & Videos:

https://play.acast.com/s/sportsmotivationpodcastbyimnotyoumindsetstrategieshabitspsychologyathletedevelopment/how-to-visualize-like-an-olympian

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQfP989n1Yg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlwlpDrRfiE