Are You Taking Care of Your Heart?
Have you been diagnosed with high blood pressure? Do you get out of breath going up a flight of stairs? Your heart is vital to your survival. At ReQuest Physical Therapy, our therapists understand how important it is to address underlying issues and create a plan to help prevent injury and disease.
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, accounting for one in four deaths each year. Fortunately, most forms of heart disease are preventable by making lifestyle changes, including exercising, practicing good nutritional habits, and reducing stress in your everyday life.
February is American Heart Month. Our team at ReQuest Physical Therapy can help improve your heart health by helping you learn how to eat a well-balanced diet, exercise regularly, and avoid anything that can cause damage to it.
Request an appointment with one of our specialists to learn how to keep your heart healthy!
5 Tips for Better Heart Health
Taking action and maintaining a healthy lifestyle will assist you in making sure your heart is healthy. When your heart doesn’t get enough attention, significant problems might arise in the artery lining, leading to plaque buildup. Plaque forming in your arteries is the cause of heart attacks and strokes.
Here are 5 simple ways you can make sure your heart continues to perform at its best:
- Exercise to increase your heart rate: Walking and biking around your area regularly can help you raise your heart rate. Exercising regularly can help you lose weight, reduce your stress and improve your mood.
- Participate in strength training: Strength training is one of the most effective injury-prevention strategies for the body and heart. Your therapist can help you develop safe strength-training techniques.
- Maintain mobility of the joints and muscles: Regular stretching and mobility work keeps you active and makes you feel better. The more active you are, the healthier your heart is! Knowing the right workouts and therapies for your joint and muscle health will help you feel better and enhance your overall function.
- Eat healthy meals: Nutrition plays a huge role in heart health. Plant-based foods, whole grains, lean meats, and healthy fats like fatty fish and olive oil should all be in your diet. Fried foods, trans fats, processed foods, and added sugar should all be avoided.
- Manage your stress: Stress can raise blood pressure, so do your best to find daily ways to relax. The less stressed out you are, the less tension and stress you place on your heart. Exercising, getting adequate sleep, stretching before bed, or taking a nightly warm shower are all things that could help with relaxation.
The best approach to keep your heart strong and healthy is to exercise regularly. It’s a natural, safe, and effective way to help improve your heart function! Physical therapy is an excellent method to add additional physical activity to your daily routine.
What to Expect in Physical Therapy
If you’re looking for a safe way to improve your heart health, physical therapy is a great option. At ReQuest Physical Therapy, our team of experts can play a leading role in preventing, reversing, and managing heart-related conditions. Our therapists can help you improve your heart health by advising you on lifestyle adjustments that include daily exercises, nutrition, and stress reduction strategies based on your individual needs.
Our team comprises movement experts who have the knowledge and training to evaluate and treat several kinds of acute and chronic pain conditions and abnormal physical function related to an injury, disability, disease, or unhealthy lifestyle.
We perform a thorough evaluation that includes your overall health status to create an exercise plan that ensures you’re getting as much physical activity as you can throughout the day. This will consist of treatments to address any injuries you may have and to help prevent other health issues.
We can guide you through proper exercises and specialized treatments to relieve your joint and muscle pain, increase your strength and flexibility, and improve your overall health by getting your blood flowing and your heart rate up. Participating in regular physical therapy appointments can help lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, significantly decreasing your chances of cardiac arrest in the future.
Our goal is to incorporate activities to improve your heart health so you can enjoy your life!
Request an Appointment Today
Caring for your heart is just as important as caring for any other part of your body. For American Heart Month, our team at ReQuest Physical Therapy can help you get back into shape safely and healthily!
Contact us this month to learn how you can improve your heart health by incorporating more physical activity into your life!
Say Goodbye to Pain – Get Started with PT Now!
Return to ReQuest Physical Therapy and Let’s Continue Your Journey to Wellness Together. Schedule Your Appointment Now!
Did You Know You Can See a Physical Therapist Without a Referral?
In many cases, you can start physical therapy right away without needing a referral from your doctor—this is called Direct Access. It means faster relief from pain, quicker recovery, and less time waiting to get the care you need. Whether you’re dealing with an injury, nagging aches, or want to prevent future problems, our licensed physical therapists are here to help.
However, it’s important to note that if you have Medicare, a referral is still required before beginning treatment. We’re happy to help coordinate with your physician to make the process as smooth as possible.
Don’t wait for pain to get worse—reach out today and get started on the path to feeling better!
Restorative Yoga with Shawn Hinds
About This Class
Restorative yoga is a style of yoga that encourages physical, mental and emotional relaxation. Appropriate for all levels, restorative yoga is practiced at a slow pace, focusing on long holds, stillness and deep breathing.
When: Thursday 1pm-1:45pm
Where: Gainesville Health & Fitness
Reignite Your New Year’s Resolutions
Did you set big goals last month? And have they already started to fizzle out?
The good news: You’re not alone. The better news: ReQuest Physical Therapy can help you reignite your New Year’s resolutions so you can achieve your health and wellness goals all year long.
- Is pain holding you back? Our physical therapists will dig down to the root cause and find a lasting solution.
- Did you burn out? Many people go a little too hard at the start of the new year. We’ll help you find a sustainable health or fitness program to stay with you for life.
- Are you overwhelmed by choice? One of our comprehensive assessments can give you a sense of any biomechanical issues or muscular imbalances in your body–helping to hone your focus.
No matter what goals you set on January 1st, our team wants to see you accomplish them. Schedule an appointment with us today to get started!
Introducing Positional and Lymphatic Massage Therapy: Gentle, Restorative Bodywork
now available at ReQuest Physical Therapy
Positional therapy is a gentle and highly effective form of bodywork that supports your body’s own ability to self-correct. Unlike traditional massage, positional therapy and lymphatic techniques use light touch, comfortable positioning, and enables you to be in full control of the session.
Ideal For:
- Post-surgical recovery
- Auto accident rehab
- Trauma-informed care
- Chronic pain, fibromyalgia, myalgia
- Inflammatory conditions and stress overload
What to Expect:
- Relaxing sessions
- Option of clothing on or off
- Gentle contact and positioning that feels good to your body
- Client-led – we follow your comfort and instinct
- Promotes lymphatic flow, nervous system regulation, and deep rest
- Supports homeostasis and long-term healing
You already know what your body needs — we’re here to help it get it there.
February Word Scramble
lotacehoc
eeanlnitv
bauefrry
iprdinehfs
iwentr
aceornm
Answer Key
chocolate
valentine
february
friendship
winter
romance
Quick & Easy Healthy Recipe
Carrot Pomegranate Salad
Taste How Delicious Weight Loss Can Be
Ingredients: Yields 4 cups
- ½ lemon
- 1 garlic clove, minced or zested
- Pinch salt
- 1 C nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ C mint or cilantro leaves, minced
- 2 C carrot, grated
- 1 C apple or pear, chopped
- 1 C pomegranate arils
Directions:
Juice lemon. Remove seeds and keep pulp. Avoid the bitter white pith and thin partitions that divide the sections. Zest peel.
Stir together all ingredients in a bowl.
Serve immediately or refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
This is one of the many complementary recipes shared in our healthy lifestyle program, Physicians’ Choice for Weight Loss. Enjoy!
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Exercise of the Month
MEDIAN NERVE GLIDE
Stand tall with your arm extended in front of you at shoulder height, palm facing up. Use your opposite hand to gently grasp your thumb. Slowly extend your wrist and fingers back. Return to the starting position with control. Perform the motion gently and smoothly.
3 Sets, 10 Reps (each arm).
Thank You for Subscribing to ReQuest Physical Therapy
Refer a Friend
Our purpose at ReQuest Physical Therapy is to leave a greater impact on the communities around us. In order to do that, we want to change as many lives as possible and become a beacon of positivity in our communities.
Do you have a friend or family member who could benefit from our pain-relieving services? At ReQuest Physical Therapy, we love helping people achieve relief from pain and reach their full potential, thus making a difference in their lives.
If you know someone who could use our help, click the button below to fill out our form and we will send them information about how we may be able to help their condition. Be sure to let them know you referred them so they can thank you!
Reward your hardworking employees with on-site massage!
ReQuest Physical Therapy can provide licensed massage therapists to offer chair massage at any business.
Email: samantha.ream@requestphysicaltherapy.com for more information.
Meet Our Team
Jeff Gilliam
PT, PhD, OCS
Penny Goldberg
PT, DPT, ATC
Jerry O. Rieta
PT, CSCS, CPT
Alphonso Jones
PTA, NASM CPT
Adrian Latscu
PTA, ACCI
Patricia Nichols
OT, CHT
Samantha Ream
M.Ed., LMT
Tiffany Fisher
PhD, LMT
