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Meet Our Staff – Medical Fitness Trainer Mariah!

Every month or so, we hope to highlight one of our amazing employees. The folks who work at OrthoSport Hawaii come from many different backgrounds, have a wealth of experience and knowledge to share, and love staying active while helping others improve their health and fitness. To schedule an appointment or get more information please call (808) 373.1114.

Aloha! My name is Mariah. I used to work briefly at the downtown location a couple years ago & I’m beyond grateful to be back working at OrthoSport at the Niu Valley location! I’m a certified personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist. I was born and raised on the west side of the island. I played collegiate soccer at Graceland University, where I studied Psychology and Corrective Exercise & Performance Enhancement.

Following my college years, I continued my soccer career, playing competitive soccer with semi-pro team Kansas City Courage. I have 10+ years experience of coaching soccer and training athletes – to be a more effective coach & trainer, I’m currently working on obtaining my Certification in Strength & Conditioning. I’ve also had some experience in the outpatient physical therapy setting as both a physical therapy aide/exercise specialist and Personal Trainer. When not in the work setting or on the soccer field, I love to surf, hike, workout, read books on my hammock, and cook! It feels great to be back at OrthoSport!

Why You Should Spend Time in Nature

We live in one of the most beautiful and unique ecosystems on the planet. How often do you get out into nature? Are you a regular hiker, swimmer, snorkeler,  gardener, or surfer? Do you run trails, mountain bike, or birdwatch? Even in Hawai’i it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. You commute to work on packed highways, spend most daylight hours indoors at work or school,  and drive home often in the dark. Then you watch some TV and off to bed to repeat again the next day.  Weekends can fill with household chores, childcare, errands, and social obligations. It’s no wonder so many people are disconnected from the natural world, and struggle with insomnia, anxiety, obesity, headaches, and so on.

Why make the effort? We’re so busy, why find time for nature? According to the American Psychological Association exposure to nature has been linked to many benefits including improved attention, lower stress, better mood, reduced risk of psychiatric disorders, and interestingly–improved empathy and cooperation.

There is also increasing amounts of research correlating many physical health benefits with at least 120 minutes per week spent in green areas (forests, trails, urban parks) and blue areas (rivers, ocean, beaches.)  A study published in Nature describes decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, asthma hospitalizations, diabetes, and more.

Children who spend time in nature also benefit significantly. Increased physical activity outdoors improves Vitamen D absorption to build strong bones, may decrease risk of childhood obesity, can reduce stress, and improve sleep.  A study in Pediatrics found positive associations with activities such as spending time in residential or school greenspace, nature walks, gardening, and wilderness experiences.

Lucky we live Hawai’i – we can get ourselves and our families outdoors year-round with great weather and a variety of natural environments to explore. Here are a few ways to get 120 minutes a week in the natural world:

  • Walk through urban parks, such as Kapiolani or Ala Moana. Make note of the weather, (is it windy, humid, cloudy?) birds and other wildlife, trees and plants. Apps such as Seek and Merlin can help you identifity plants and birds.
  • Grab your phone or camera and find some natural beauty to photograph. Focus on crashing waves, plumeria flowers, coconut palms, lava rock — whatever sparks your interest.
  • If you have any outdoor space of your own, plant something. Take the time to really care about a tomato plant or Hawaiian chili pepper and it may reward you with a tasty snack.
  • Have breakfast, lunch, or dinner outdoors at the beach or in a park.
  • Start a nature journal. This is a great way to learn about the plants, animals, and ecosystems in your area.
  • Exercise outdoors. Take a surfing lesson, join an outdoor boot camp workout, try Yoga on stand-up paddleboards, or ask your personal trainer to work with you outside.
  • Join a nature conservation group and volunteer to watch over monk seals, weed invasive species, or help protect and plant coral.
  • Take a whale watching or manta ray snorkeling tour. Make sure the tour group is ethical, doesn’t harrass the marine life, and has a spotless safety record.Thumbs up on surfboard
  • Sign up for your first trail run. Yes it’s okay to walk!
  • Learn a new outdoor sport like canoe paddling, pickle ball, or scuba diving.

Not sure you are strong enough or fit enough to increase your time and activity outdoors? We’re here to help! We have free lectures and screenings for improving running form and fitness for court sports like pickle ball. We offer free 1 hour fitness assessments and orientations to our medical gym services. Our massage therapists are experts at helping you release tension and muscle aches. Our physical therapists are available to chat with you during a free consultation. If you’re having pain, balance issues, or signifcant weakness, health insurance may cover your treatment.

OrthoSport Hat on KayakDon’t let stress, fitness, or health issues keep you from your goals.  Call 808.373.1114 for information on medical gym and massage therapy services in our Downtown and Niu Valley clinics.  Call 808.373.3555 for information on physical therapy services in our Downtown, Niu Valley, and Kaka’ako locations.

A hui hou!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44097-3

https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/148/4/e2020049155/181269/Nature-and-Children-s-Health-A-Systematic-Review?autologincheck=redirected

Meet Our Staff – Personal Trainer Vincent!

Every month or so, we hope to highlight one of our amazing employees. The folks who work at OrthoSport Hawaii come from many different backgrounds, have a wealth of experience and knowledge to share, and love staying active while helping others improve their health and fitness. To schedule an appointment or get more information please call (808) 373.1114.

I’ve been a trainer for the last 8 years. My passion for fitness and training stems from playing sports from a young age. The ability to train and work on ourselves through sport or physical training day to day, always improve, and overall feel better mentally is something I feel that should never be taken for granted. After years of playing sports and not having an outlet to train, I found CrossFit and it revamped my love of training. It really showed me how I can take control of my health physically and mentally.

VincentThrough CrossFit I learned about powerlifting, bodybuilding, gymnastics, Olympic weightlifting, calisthenics, speed and agility, endurance, HIIT training, and mobility. All the strength and knowledge I gained from training I wanted to share and have others experience the same as well. My goal is to help others take control of their lives by training and realize their bodies true potential or just to help maintain normal function and independence.

Time (and Social Media) Marches On

OrthoSport Hat on KayakAs more people shift from reading blog articles to scrolling social media, we’ve ramped up our presence on other platforms and decreased our frequency of posting content here in the blog.  It’s nice to take some time to delve into different topics, and this part of the website is an easy way to provide ongoing information about our staff and their activities. So we probably won’t be giving up this part of the site altogether. However, you may want to check out some of our other platforms to keep up with OrthoSport current events, special deals or discounts, and health-related topics. All of our social media links are posted at the top of the website home page but here they are for your convenience. Have any topics you’d like to learn more about? Contact us through Facebook or Instagram and we’ll get on it!

Facebook link
Facebook

 

Instagram
Instagram

 

YouTube Med-Fit
YouTube

 

Meet Our Staff – Personal Trainer Travis!

Now that our Medical Fitness program has re-opened during our COVID19 restrictions, we can return to highlighting our amazing employees. The folks who work at OrthoSport Hawaii come from many different backgrounds, have a wealth of experience and knowledge to share, and love staying active while helping others improve their health and fitness. To schedule an appointment or get more information please call (808) 373.1114.

 

Travis smiling

Years of experience:  I’ve been a trainer at OrthoSport since 2018 and have been an ACE – certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor since 2014. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Specialization: Senior Fitness, Parkinson’s. I enjoy working with clients of all age ranges.
Interesting fact: Former high school football assistant coach.
Hobbies, interests: I enjoy exercising, hiking, and going to the beach. When I’m not doing any of these I am watching anything related to sports!
Travis Hiking a Ridge
What got you interested in your field/passions? I was actually a business major in college and ended up working in an office all day. I always enjoyed helping people and being more active so I made a career change that led me to the health and fitness field. I have been enjoying it ever since!

A Bit About the Biz – OrthoSport Hawai’i in the MIDWEEK

Treating And Preventing Injuries

MIDWEEK STAFF on March 4, 2020 at 10:54 am
www.midweek.com/treating-preventing-injuries

By THOMAS FASULO OrthoSport Hawai‘i Medical Fitness Director

In 2009, Dr. Michael Turner started OrthoSport Hawaii as an outgrowth of his own passion for leading an active, healthy lifestyle. While Turner’s original intention was to operate strictly as a physical therapy clinic, he began to see a glaring issue in the current medical model. This model does little to stop the revolving door of re-injury and largely ignores the need for prevention.

So, he developed the Medical Fitness Program, combining the best of both worlds — injury treatment, post-injury care and preventative wellness. Kinesiologists, athletic trainers, physical therapy assistants, postural specialists, medical massage therapists, and registered dietitians joined the physical therapy team to create a one-stop-shop for injury prevention and wellness needs.

Working closely alongside each other, we have created medical fitness programs such as a boxing class for Parkinson’s patients; the BrainFit workout, which combines physical and mental training to promote healthy brain function; and many other specialty group fitness classes. These classes, along with one-on-one rehab and training sessions, can make an active, healthy lifestyle an achievable reality for anyone, no matter their age or ability level.

Anne Davis, an Egoscue postural specialist, provides medical fitness training on The Shuttle.
Anne Davis, an Egoscue postural specialist, provides medical fitness training on The Shuttle.

In 2015, we expanded our services to the heart of downtown Honolulu. In addition to our Kaka‘ako location inside Queen’s Island Urgent Care on Keawe Street, we recently opened a 1,600-square-foot clinic on the lobby level of Topa Financial Center at Bishop Street and Ala Moana Boulevard.

Catering to professionals suffering from pain associated with desk work, the avid golf or tennis player, young athletes or simply downtown residents, the downtown and Kaka‘ako clinic teams are prepared to help you remain injury-free and return to the hobbies and activities you enjoy.

Standard medical, auto and workers compensation insurance generally covers physical therapy but may require a doctor’s referral. All other Medical Fitness services are not typically covered by insurance but remain one of the most effective and affordable ways to prevent health issues and maintain wellness.

OrthoSport Hawai‘i can be reached at 373-3555 for any questions or scheduling needs.

Meet Our Staff – Medical Fitness Director Thomas!

Every week or so, we hope to highlight one of our amazing employees. The folks who work at OrthoSport Hawaii come from many different backgrounds, have a wealth of experience and knowledge to share, and love staying active while helping others improve their health and fitness. To schedule an appointment or get more information please call (808) 373.3555.

Thomas is the director of Medical Fitness in our Niu Valley and Downtown locations. He first came to Oahu in 2006 to attend the UH Kinesiology program and is also a licensed massage therapist and certified personal trainer.  He has experience working with youth as young as 8 years old, seniors as young as 94 years old, and everything in between. He believes the entire spectrum of wellness is important to consider and strives to make sessions as personalized as possible.

He utilizes soft tissue mobilization alongside strength training to ensure each client is treated as an individual with custom needs and goals. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, boxing, and eating all the food in the world.

Pre-diabetic and not sure what to do now? Read on…

According to the World Health Organization, diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, and lower limb amputation. Have you had your blood sugar checked? 

Apple recently announced that select Apple Stores will now sell One Drop, a blood glucose monitor that closely integrates with the iPhone and the Apple Watch. Although this may be of great benefit to those who struggle to keep tabs on their blood sugar, the interesting thing is that Apple wouldn’t be selling this product if there weren’t a large enough market to make it profitable.  All forms of diabetes can benefit from close blood sugar monitoring and lifestyle choices that promote overall health. Type II diabetes and pre-diabetes are on the rise and Apple knows this as well as anyone.  A healthy bodyweight, appropriate diet, and the correct amount of exercise can go a long way in preventing, improving, and in some cases even curing Type II diabetes.  We know this, and yet diabetes continues to increase in both adults and youth.  

The American Diabetes Association states that “A healthy meal plan for people with diabetes is generally the same as healthy eating for anyone – low in saturated fat, moderate in salt and sugar, with meals based on lean protein, non-starchy vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and fruit. Foods that say they are healthier for people with diabetes generally offer no special benefit.”  

In addition, they recommend at least 150 min of aerobic exercise per week as well as guidelines for resistance and flexibility training. 

If your physician has told you that you are “pre-diabetic” what does this mean in terms of your current diet and exercise plan (or lack therof?)  Should you follow a “fad” diet to lose weight in hopes that general weight loss will lower your blood sugar? Should you cut out all carbs and try to get your body into ketosis? Is saturated fat a good or a bad thing to eat? Both refined sugars and high quantities of fat can trigger spikes in blood sugar as can overeating in general. Is your doctor prescribing the correct lifestyle changes needed to improve your health? 

Why Treating Chronic Disease is so Difficult

One of the reasons modern western medicine struggles with chronic diseases such as Type II diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, asthma, cancer, and so on is because our single cure model of treating illness worked so well in the past. Acute illnesses such as polio, TB, cholera, and smallpox which were once the scourge of humanity responded immediately once a single treatment or preventative vaccine was discovered. Medical/pharmaceutical research is still looking for that single magic bullet that will eliminate chronic illnesses because our health care system is focused on cures, not prevention. 

Also, if the cure or preventative treatment isn’t patent-able (for example, broccoli ) it isn’t profitable. Who will fund such research? Prevention requires knowledge, motivation, lifestyle changes (sleep, exercise, stress, etc.), dietary changes, and commitment. Fortunately, even if you already have issues with blood sugar, these same preventative measures may decrease your symptoms and need for further treatment.   

Where to Begin

So if you’ve found yourself in a situation where you know you need to make a change but aren’t quite sure how to go about it, where can you turn? Your health insurance may not cover the dietary and exercise guidance you need to be healthy.  Do you give up?  Start taking medication but continue poor health habits?  Now is the time to take charge of your own health by investing in the knowledge and expertise you need to manage your blood sugar and prevent the debilitating effects of this serious disease.   

Here are three simple steps to begin your journey to a healthy lifestyle: 

  1. Consult with a registered dietitian regarding your diet and any changes you should implement. Find a meal plan you can stick with.
  2. Consult with a medically-focused personal trainer regarding an exercise program specifically designed for someone struggling with blood sugar.  You can work one on one with a trainer, join an appropriate group class, or learn a program to do at home.
  3. Inform your MD of your plans, and make sure to monitor any lab values they recommend as you make changes. Some people are able to reduce or eliminate medications as their health improves.

Yes, you may have to pay out of pocket for some or all of these interventions.  The choice is yours, pay now, or possibly pay with very serious consequences later.  To learn more about how the dietitians and personal trainers at OrthoSport Hawaii can help, call 808 373-1114 to set up a free, no obligation orientation in our Medical Fitness center. You literally have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

 

Exercise or Have Fun? Why Not Both?

One reason people give for not exercising is that they don’t “enjoy it.” Yes, sometimes we have to force ourselves to get off the couch or drive to the gym after a long day at work, but exercise CAN be enjoyable if you find the right “happiness mix.” Research has shown that happy people have common characteristics, and many are under our own control.  Here are some ideas on how to make an exercise program enjoyable and even fun! 

1. When you start a new exercise program, aim low.

In other words, most people try to do too much, too soon, too fast and for too long. They end up fatigued and sore which is definitely not fun. Eventually, they give up. If you joined a gym to start weight training, limit your first session to 30 min and use weights that seem extremely easy. You should be able to perform the exercise for 15 repetitions (reps) before muscle fatigue sets in. As you get stronger, you can increase the weight and lower the reps. If you’ve decided to begin jogging, start slowly! You shouldn’t hear yourself panting or feel seriously out of breath. Go easy and limit yourself to no more than 10 minutes if you haven’t jogged since, well, forever. Walk for another 10 minutes or so. Then add a couple more minutes of jogging every session or two and soon you will be jogging for 20 minutes or more. Make the initial workouts feel a little too easy and you’ll be back for more next time.

2. Make exercise a party!

Or at least make it a social activity.  Joining an exercise class, sports team, or training group means meeting new people and getting inspired by the instructor, coaches, and athletes more advanced than you. However, you still need to follow tip 1make sure the workout is a little too easy the first few days.  Don’t kill yourself to complete all the bootcamp exercises like the advanced students, and don’t try to keep up with those goat-footed hikers racing ahead of you on the trail.

3. Have fun with technology.

There are many different types of fitness trackers, GPS watches, phone apps, websites, etc. that provide more data than you will probably know what to do with. You can track your daily steps, your average heart rate, your max heart rate, your stress level, your sleep quality, calories burned, pace, distance, and more. You can generate maps of your runs, hikes, swims, bikes etc., to share with friends.  You can compare your workout efforts over the weeks and months to see how much you’ve improved. Be careful though, that you don’t become overly obsessed with collecting data and miss the actual experience of the workout.

4. Make it meaningful to yourself.  

Why are you exercising, to look good and improve your health? Those are great reasons, but they may not be enough to keep you motivated over the long run.  One way to stay focused is to have a larger goal.  Are you trying to overcome an injury? Don’t let where you are now, limit your potential, dream big!  Perhaps you’d like to complete a marathon, sky dive, or snorkel the great barrier reef?  Is there a mountain you always wanted to climb, a wave you wanted to surf, or a sport you always wanted to try? If you don’t know how to achieve your goal, consult with a personal trainer who can set up a customized plan to get you where you want to go and keep it fun along the way. When you’ve accomplished one goal, enjoy your success and then pick something new to work towards.  You will have achieved a fitness-based lifestyle!

5. Make it meaningful for others. 

Many charities sponsor awareness and fund-raising runs, walks, races, and so on. Staying fit while helping others can be very rewarding. Even without a charity, you can dedicate your efforts to someone or something you care about. Create your own team, design your own t-shirts, medals, events, and so on to proudly accomplish your goals in honor of a greater cause.

push button in car6. Use music.

It’s great to listen to your tunes while exercising on your own or feel the beat in a group class. But you can also use music to get yourself pumped prior to your workout. Listen to inspirational music when you first get up in the morning or in the car while you drive to your workout and you’ll be less likely to talk yourself out of exercising. Not a big music fan? Try listening to positive affirmations, freely available on YouTube and other sites to get your motivational juices flowing.

7. Get outdoors.

It may seem obvious but staring at the same four walls for every workout is not conducive to calling it “fun.” If you usually swim in a pool, learn how to swim in the ocean, it’s really quite different! Instead of an indoor rowing machine, try joining a recreational paddling club or rent a kayak.  Attend an outdoor Taichi or Yoga class.  Go for a full moon walk.  Play a new outdoor sport like Frisbee (Disc) golf or lawn bowling. Use your creativity and don’t let the weather keep you indoors. With the right attire, you can enjoy just about any sport in most conditions.

 

The key to achieving a lifestyle where exercise is consistent and productive is to make it fun.  After a year of fun, you may be surprised how fit and healthy you have become and possibly made new friends along the way. 

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