Exercise as a Prescription

Every day, every where we look, there’s a study, a news article, a blog, or a health professional explaining how important exercise is for our health.  We know exercise can help decrease cholesterol levels, keep blood pressure in check, minimize the amount of insulin a diabetic would have to take, and flat out make you “feel good” (It really does… by increasing the amount of endorphins released in your brain).  So we know it is good for us, and many people reading this are probably partaking in exercise on a regular basis.  But we must ask ourselves some important questions.

·         Are we doing the right exercises?

·         Are we performing the exercises correctly?

·         Are we really exercising enough?

In order to choose the correct exercises one should talk to a health professional regarding any underlying pathologies.  It is important to contact an individual who not only has extensive education regarding health of the human body but also someone who can modify your exercise program based on your overall health condition, your needs, and your “aches and pains.”  Physical therapists fill this need and are a great transition point for those just entering the world of exercise.

It is interesting to me, as a physical therapist, to hear friends who go to their general practitioner, only to come back and tell me “my doctor told me I need to exercise more.”  Yes, there are even scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles stating that those groups who where prescribed “exercise” perform better on most objective measures than those who were not.  It is my belief that those exercises need to be prescribed by those who have the education to do so.  One thing you will never hear is a doctor tell you, “You’re sick, just take some drugs.”  No, that doctor is diligent enough to tell you which drug, how often, and what to watch for in terms of side effects.  The physical therapists at Hayashida and Associates can truly prescribe you exercises based on your biomechanics and current strength and agility levels.  And best of all you will perform the exercises correctly, minimizing any chance for injury.

It is recommended for the average American to exercise 30 minutes a day, close to all days of the week.  This exercise should address cardiovascular health, strength, flexibility and balance.  If you are currently not maintaining this level of exercise or you need guidance on how to perform exercises correctly Hayashida and Associates offers both one-on-one personal training and group fitness classes.

A Call to Blue Cross

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius sent a letter on Monday, February 8, 2010 to Anthem Blue Cross and called on the company to publicly justify its decision to raise premiums for its California customers by as much as 39 percent. In her letter Sebelius notes that the parent company of Anthem Blue Cross, WellPoint Incorporated earned $2.7 billion in the last quarter of 2009.

Contact: HHS Press Office @ 202-690-6343

Not only have premiums gone up but Anthem is also cutting benefits at the same time.

YOU TOO CAN HELP!

Send your own comments directly to Anthem Blue Cross.

Nidhi Jagani
Director of Network Management
Anthem Blue Cross
21555 Oxnard Street, CAAC08-08A
Woodland Hills, CA 91367

Laptop Health

Now that the new year is in full swing it’s time to recognize that this new decade will soon be designated as the decade of the laptop computer.  Everywhere you look, whether it is in an airport, office building or your local coffee shop you will find a good percentage of people on a laptop computer.  Laptops are great for everything we do; increasing connectivity and productivity.  It is this need for constant contact that leads us to use these devices for prolonged periods of time and often in awkward positions.

As we spend multiple hours on our computers we set ourselves up for repetitive motion injuries. Our ligaments and joints develop inflammation when they are held in awkward positions for prolonged periods of time.  Concurrently our muscles must constantly be active to hold these positions leading to fatigue and breakdown.

 When you talk to any ergonomist they will teach you that for proper computer set up the monitor should be 18-24 inches from your head and slightly below eye level.  Your keyboard on the other hand should be positioned so your elbows can be bent to 90 degrees and your wrists in a neutral position (not bent either direction).  Now if you look at your laptop what do you see?  Your monitor is connected to your keyboard! This makes it impossible to sit correctly at your computer. 

Please see the illustration demonstrating the most common positions when using a laptop.  Remember that red glowing joints are not normal.  If one must use their computer in any of these postures there are some things you can do to prevent repetitive motion injuries. If you do find yourself in these positions make sure to:

a)      take frequent breaks

b)      change positions often

c)       stretch you joints in directions opposite of sustained position.

 If you have any overuse injuries please remember that your local physical therapist can help!

Reference: Case Study: Freescale Netbook Design at SCAD, by Dave Malouf

Need a Cure for Exercise Boredom?

Does your workout routine need a change?
Many of us repeat the same exercise routine day after day, week after week and month after month. We forget that there are so many different exercise options available to us these days. In fact, the American Council on Exercise encourages us to switch up our workout routines for two main reasons: 1)It eliminates the boredom of doing the same workout everyday and 2)It prevents yourself from reaching a plateau with your workout performance, which will effect your results.1 The body's physiological system adapts to a workout routine after six to eight weeks and once that happens the body is not getting the same physical challenge.1

With that said, if you are in need of a new workout to spice up your routine, we would like to invite you to test ours for FREE. What better time to change your workout routine than during the Holiday Season. By January 1, all of us will be wanting to work off the extra pounds that surfaced after the 3rd helping of Grandma's stuffing, the second piece of pumpkin pie or the fifth cup of egg nog. Set up a free 30 minute pilates and/or personal training session or reserve your free spot in a our group fitness class today.

What are the Group Class Offerings?
The Strength and Conditioning Class targets different muscle groups to strengthen the body’s core and improve functional movements which can also help with injury prevention. The class can be tailored to each person’s fitness level. The spots in the class are limited so please email Trainer Anthony Sanchez, CSCS to reserve your free spot today. anthony@hayashidaPT.com
Dates and Times of class Vary
The Pilates Mat Class incorporates the fundamental movements and principles of the Pilates Method. Mat work is adaptable to any fitness level with a focus on strength and stabilization. Spots are limites so please email Pilates instructor Erin to reserve your free spot today. Erin@hayashidaPT.com
Wednesdays at 12noon.

Interested in the solo training or pilates sessions?
The Personal Training with Anthony is a dynamic workout that can be created to target sport specific muscle groups, designed for weight loss, toning or general fitness. Anthony@hayashidaPT.com
Pilates is an anaerobic exercise that targets the body’s core postural muscles which are essential to providing support for the spine. Erin is a certified pilates instructor and will use both mat and reformer techniques to customize your workout so you can reach your individual goals. Erin@hayashidaPT.com


Don't wait too long to take advantage of this offer! It is for a limited time only.


1.Bryant, Cedric X. ACE Fitness Matters. November/December 2004.

Keeping Up With The Times!

It seems strange that just a few years ago blogging was only an idea in someone's mind, social networking sites had not been conceived and we were still using print newspapers to learn what was going on in the world. The rapid progression of technology has not just effected the daily lives of most living and breathing human beings but has had the same effect on medical knowledge and the findings available to professionals these days. For this reason, it is imperative those involved in the various medical disciplines make sure they are continuously attending courses that will teach the newest findings and techniques within their respective specialties.

At Hayashida & Associates, our therapists are not only regularly involved in these courses but also act as a host site for visiting therapists to come learn. This year we are excited to have partnered with Evidence In Motion (www.evidenceinmotion.com) for our continuing education offerings. Evidence in Motion is an education and business practice company whose sole purpose is to create as well as promote a culture of evidence based medical practice among physical therapy professionals. For those that do not know, the practice of evidence based medicine is demonstrated when a clinician integrates clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic outcomes.1 Our therapists at Hayashida & Associates work hard to practice this model of treatment. Therefore it was a high priority for us to partner with such a well respected group in order to further progress our own practice as well as the physical therapy profession in general.

Note: Next Course at Hayashida & Associates Goleta Clinic
Oct 10, 2009: "Evidenced Based Treatment & Selected Interventions for Patients with Cervical Spine Disorders"




1. Sackett, D., Rosenberg, W., Muir Gray, J., Haynes, R. Richardson, W. (1996) Evidenced Based Research: What It Is and What It Isn't. British Medical Journal, 312, 71-72.

3 Myths Debunked

Having been involved in the health care & physical fitness industry for the past three years, I've come across a wide variety of clients who have been more or less informed of the technological and scientific advances that have recently been made. Unfortunately for some, these advances disprove the same common myths that have been keeping them trapped in a commercialized world of gym routines, late night infomercials, and a mindset that will eventually lead to the downfall of their fitness goals. As members of the fitness community, it is our responsibility to help educate the fitness enthusiast to avoid these mistakes when possible.

Myth 1: Spot Reduction Exercising
One of the main ways people believe they can tone-up is to exercise the muscle directly beneath the part of the body they want to improve. They'll perform hundreds of tricep extensions for their flab arms before ever thinking about lifting heavier weights performing squats, or other total body movements. This concept, called Spot Reduction Exercise, does not work! As much as our conscious mind wants to believe in SRE, our genetic makeup and gender play the biggest role in deciding where and when to reduce fat after exercise. Men will typically lose weight in their mid-section last, while women will lose the weight in their hips and buttocks last. If you want to tone-up any part of your body, the best way to see muscle definition is to stick to a resistance training program, which will raise your metabolism throughout the day. In addition, think about weight loss in terms of calories in vs. calories out- if you're eating more calories per day than you're burning, you will gain weight.

Myth 2: Women + Weights = Bodybuilder
Women, do not be afraid to use weighted resistance programs! Due to an excessive amount of magazine publications displaying women of mass muscle, the public has been lead to believe that women who weight train will end up looking like a USC linebacker. What isn't mentioned in those magazines is the use of anabolic steroids to attain that same appearance! The prime reason why men and women can build muscle at different amounts is because of Testosterone. Men on average produce 10 times more testosterone than women, which is the most important hormone in increasing muscle mass. Women may naturally get some increases in muscle size, in addition to the other positive effects of exercise and weight-loss, but nothing near the same proportions of men doing the same type of work.

Myth 3: I run, therefore I'm perfectly fit.
I understand that most people have a favorite activity or exercise, and may often excel in the activity enough to believe that they're in the best shape of their lives. Let me additionally preface this myth revelation by saying that I am in full support of 'doing what works', meaning that if running 5 miles a day allows you to reach your fitness goals, then go for it.

BUT, there are many reasons why we see great athletes in physical therapy clinics, and sometimes that reason is because they only do what they do best- runners run, cyclists cycle, swimmers swim, etc. With each sport comes muscular imbalances leaving them susceptible to possible injuries, or with goals that are unattainable through their choice in sport. As a trainer, I have had plenty of athletes who appear to be in great shape, but after checking their hip or core strength, I came to realize their weaknesses in these areas are more prominent than to accept them as a true force in their sport. An example of this is for any person who sticks to one type of motion as their only form of exercise, i.e. running- typical imbalances & weaknesses may occur within the core musculature, hip abductors, adductors, arms, back, etc., because the sport primarily relies on use of the muscles that move your body forward (quads, hamstrings, gluteal muscles, etc.). To offset these imbalances, it would be best for the runner to incorporate some some form of resistance training that focuses on the mentioned weaker areas to help avoid injury. In addition, strengthening the non-dominant parts of your body will help improve your endurance and provide you with another opportunity to enrich your training.

So Long Everybody!

This will be my last post on the Hayashida blog and I just want to say how much fun I have had working here over the last two years. The entire staff at this clinic is composed of truly genuine, caring and just plain cool people that I am happy to say I got to work with! I hope everyone the best and will definitely keep in touch...maybe Katie will even allow me to write a guest post once in a while!

Peace out,

Tom, George, Ducky, The All American Blonde Boy or however else you may know me!