Happy Spring, Friends!
"The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come." Song of Songs 2:11-12
The world is waking up from it's winter slumber, and nature is bursting forth! The trees blooming, birds chirping and newness of life all around us moves us to our core, doesn't it?!
Just as in the world around us, spring is also a time of planting and of plowing new (and sometimes hard) ground spiritually. We encourage you to approach spring with a new perspective this year: as a great gift, an opportunity for "spring cleaning" for your soul, and to embrace this season as a time for spiritual renewal. Do so, and you will be amazed at the blooms and fragrance that will manifest in your soul!
Praying for you always!
Your Smith Clinic Family
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Injury Spotlight:
How to Avoid Spring Fitness Injuries
Spring is finally here, and with it comes a new and exciting season of outdoor activities! At the first hint of spring in the air, most of us naturally want to head outside to play golf, tennis, go for a walk or maybe enjoy a bike ride. Jumping into a new fitness routine too hard or too fast, however, can result in injury.
Stay safe and reduce your risk of injury while getting in shape this spring by following these tips for sports injury prevention:
Build Gradually
If it has been some time since participating in an activity, slowly ease into it to reduce the risk of an injury. Light exercise like leisurely walking can help build stamina. Gradually increase the intensity level before you actively jump into a new activity.
Warm Up and Stretch
Warming up
and stretching go hand in hand, but it is important to remember that they are different from one another. Sports injuries are most commonly caused by improper warm ups. Warm up with a
low-level activity
like jump rope or jumping jacks before you stretch, then st
retch
to improve blood circulation and increase flexibility, and continue to raise muscle temperatures after a warm up.
Use Proper Techniques & Take Breaks
Many sports require the use of different techniques. Learn the correct technique that is associated with a sport to lessen the risk of sports-related injuries to tendons, bones, and muscles. It's also important to rest during physical activities, whether it is a leisurely activity, practice or a game.
Play Safe & Hydrate
When you participate in different sports or activities, it's important to know
the rules to help prevent injuries
from occurring. In addition, be sure to keep the body hydrated, which allows the heart to pump blood easily and helps the muscles work more efficiently. As temperatures rise, it's extremely important to drink plenty of water. Someone who sweats heavily requires more fluid than someone who does not perspire as heavily.
Take Time Off & Don't Play if You Are Injured
Give yourself at least 1 or 2 days a week to take a break from your sport or activity, and give your muscles a chance to repair themselves. Recovery time is crucial and, without rest, people are at risk for repetitive or chronic injury. It may be difficult, but do not continue to participate in sports or activities if you have
sustained an injury
. It is not safe to "play through the pain" and could result in a more severe injury or a chronic problem. Allow the injury time to heal before you return to practice.
If you start to feel some aches and pains after getting back out there, follow up with one of our physical therapists at The Smith Clinic. This is an opportunity to assess whether your problem needs medical intervention or can be treated with a home exercise program. The sooner you address the issue, the faster you can get back to your favorite outdoor activities!
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LENT: Springtime in the Soul
Valentine's Day marked the beginning of Lent this year, a period of fasting and penance observed for thousands of years by many Christians. The time is meant to represent Jesus's 40 and 40 nights in the wilderness, during which he resisted temptations by the devil. It symbolizes the darkness before the dawn, leading up to the glory and joy of Easter.
Many of us tend to think of Lent as a period where we give something up for God in order to honor His sacrifice on the Cross for us, which we commemorate on Easter. While this does hold some truth, it’s not exactly how the early Church viewed Lent. It’s more about anticipating the full impact of Easter for the time we’re in now and for when Christ returns.
If we are honest with ourselves when giving up something for Lent, we sometimes mean, “I’ll throw God a bone.” But the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday is meant to be a time where we take ourselves out of the busyness of our world to spend time dying to ourselves. It’s not just our way of giving Christ a pat on the back, per say, but about re-centering our will to His and living that out in the world.
Every fast and feast in the Church for the past 2,000 odd years has been given to the whole body to remind us that Christ’s actions effect us, even now. They are spiritual seasons, reminding us that our sins are forgiven, death is abolished and Christ is risen, even now. They are for our encouragement, so that when we stand in worship on Easter Sunday, we can confidently repeat the words of Gregory the Theologian, who said, “Yesterday I was crucified with Him; today I am glorified with Him.”
Whether or not you actively participate in Lent or not, the season of Lent is the spring of hope for all who believe that the tomb is empty and the oppression of sin and death is released. May we use the remaining time before Easter to reflect on what His sacrifice means for us and the hope that only it can offer. More than that, may we share that hope to others through giving our own lives away, just as Christ did for us on the Cross!
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PATIENT FEATURE: Smith Clinic Winter Challenge Winners!!
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This month's feature is in honor of our most recent Winter Whole Life Challenge winners! Please join us in congratulating our Top 2 Challenge Winners:
1st Place: Don Maxey
2nd Place: Cynthia Maxey
Don and Cynthia Maxey are long time patients and friends, and it came no as no surprise to us to see them take the challenge by storm! In asking them to tell us a little bit about themselves and what the challenge meant to them, here is what they had to say:
"We're very happy you asked us to comment on your Challenge and it's importance to us. Best if I back up a bit: Cynthia and I recently celebrated 70 years of very active life (46 1/2 together!). She is a Speech Pathologist working with kids who face communications issues, and I have been a pilot (Navy & FedEx) since I graduated from college. We have never been held back from any activity by physical condition or health problems. But as the joints show some wear and it becomes easier to walk than run, we've both lost a bit of the edge and endurance we're simply in the habit of having. Cynthia retired from Collierville Schools at the end of last term but still works with kids after school-hours at a private clinic and assists at Bodine School. As for me, it's been five years since my piloting years ended. Now my days are saturated with volunteer church work, Scouting, road trips for odd jobs at our kid's/grandkid's homes, etc. We love doing what we do ! AND we don't want to quit any time soon!
Enter the Challenge.
This "age thing" has made it apparent that we need to stop slacking off on fitness essentials (balanced intake, water, rest, meditation, exercise) and put some order and discipline back in our lives. Discipline was easier when we were raising kids: good example and all that. Now, not so much!
Thank you Challenge!
Focusing on the elements of the Challenge, tracking them daily, and measuring our progress throughout the Challenge period (muscle mass up, fat mass down, first pull-ups since I don't know when, etc) put the needed regimentation back into our daily routine. To begin with, we thought our goals were losing a certain number of pounds and gaining endurance... but in the end, we admitted that the real goal was recalibrating our daily routines to make Challenge a set of life-habits and not a few weeks of altered living. Alas, I must admit, lacking the fixed daily exercise times at Smith Clinic, the requirement to sit and write about each day, etc, we have both managed to revert a bit (I think the better term would be "backslide")... seems like one Challenge was insufficient to alter years of poor health discipline, so we're both eager for the next Challenge to begin. If your story is anything like ours, I encourage giving the Challenge a try, it might just 'up your game' too!"
Congratulations to Don and Cynthia, as well as all of our Whole Life Challenge participants!! This challenge was our most successful to date, and we couldn't be more proud of those that played! Thank you to each of you that participated in the challenge and to those of you that cheered us on! It was so much fun to take this journey with you, and we hope you will join us again for our next challenge beginning April 14th!!
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We would love for you to join us in our next challenge! All of our staff did the Winter Challenge and it was a great team building experience!
It kicks off April 14th.
Don't miss out - register today!
Use Code "NEWSLETTER" to save $10 when registering!!
For more information and to register,
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