Tom Willemann Health Tips

"Almost Daily Health Tips From Physical Therapist Tom Willemann..."

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Improve Your Golf Game This Winter

Improve Your Golf Game This Winter

When the winter winds blow and snow covers the ground, it may be hard to think about your golf game. However, keeping yourself in condition during your sport’s off-months helps prevent “weekend warrior” syndrome—incurring injuries when you play overzealously at the beginning of the season. And the strategies we will create can make your gameContinue Reading »

Ease That Nagging Back Pain

Ease That Nagging Back Pain

Your back is killing you, and the last thing you want to do is exert yourself. Unfortunately, for most cases of back pain, lying around in bed can only make the problem worse. Numerous studies have shown that exercise improves back pain, and the more regularly you engage in physical activity, the better. Exercise alsoContinue Reading »

Can Exercise Prevent Falls?

Can Exercise Prevent Falls?

Falls. They are the fear of many older adults. They can range from harmless stumbles to severe accidents, the effects of which can take years to heal. One of the best methods of avoiding falls might be the proactive use of exercise. Usually thought of for sculpting the body and improving cardiovascular conditioning, exercise canContinue Reading »

Bone Up to Fight Osteoporosis

Bone Up to Fight Osteoporosis

Primary osteoporosis is the name given to osteoporosis cases not caused by an underlying drug reaction, disease or syndrome. In this condition, the bones—the word itself means “porous bones”—become brittle, making them highly susceptible to fracture. An event as innocuous as landing the wrong way when sitting down on a chair or twisting awkwardly duringContinue Reading »

Hit the Links in Better Shape

Hit the Links in Better Shape

Whether scratch golfers or weekend duffers, most players want to improve their game, get in better shape and lower their score. But maximizing your golf game means more than just practicing regularly. By increasing your fitness, you can play with confidence and success. To ensure that you are in the best possible physical and mentalContinue Reading »

Weight Machines or Free Weights: Which is Better?

Weight Machines or Free Weights: Which is Better?

The debate over whether weight machines or free weights better help a person achieve fitness is not new. Recently, the trend has been away from weight machines and toward free weights, so it is worth revisiting the benefits and drawbacks of both. Weight machines have several advantages. For one thing, they are easy for theContinue Reading »

Fighting Arthritis? Strengthen Your Muscles

Arthritis may be a joint disease, but strengthening the muscles is an important component in its treatment. That is because a leading cause of limited movement in people with arthritis—especially, for instance, knee arthritis—is the weakening of surrounding muscles, rather than pain, dysfunction or abnormalities in the joint itself. This raises an important question: IsContinue Reading »

Test your balance: Are you at risk for falls?

The statistics on falls for patients over 50 show that for falls that result in hip fractures, 25% result in death after a year! Prevent falls with good balance! Use the simple and quick Unilateral Stance Test, also known as “balancing on one leg.” Do it alone or try it with friends of the sameContinue Reading »

Climbing Stairs—One Step at a Time

Although going up the stairs may feel challenging, some people experience more pain going down. This is because your muscles have to work hard to control your weight as you descend. If you have suffered from knee problems in the past or continue to have problems, it is probably time to look at increasing strengthContinue Reading »

Transitioning to Indoor Activities

Transitioning to Indoor Activities

While summer offers opportunities to walk, jog, bicycle, garden, play sports and get into shape, cold weather brings the temptation to eat more, move less and hibernate indoors. Shorter days, frosty air and holiday parties can threaten the fitness gains you made during the summer. Instead of fighting the cold and darkness, you can maintainContinue Reading »