Susan Brady, Author at Nurtured Bones

Home Health Haven Day 5: Perfect Posture

by Susan Brady | Mar 27, 2020 | Exercise

Yesterday I touted the benefits of technology for keeping us socially connected during this time of social distancing. But with the increased time spent on our computers, using our mobile phones or pads, or watching TV, we need to take extra care to be mindful of our posture.

Prolonged slouched sitting and use of mobile phones and pads can strain the muscles of our back and neck leading to pain and the dreaded forward hunch.

Poor posture can also affect our breathing. If you slump while sitting at your desk or lounging on the couch, your diaphragm and lungs get compressed, hampering optimal breathing. This can lead to the use of secondary breathing muscles, such as the upper trap and neck muscles along with the pec muscles of the chest. When these muscles are overworked in this fashion, they become tight and shortened, furthering postural dysfunction.

Here are some tips for maintaining healthy posture:

Sitting at your desk:

• Sit with your buttocks all the way to the back of the chair, so the chair is supporting your entire thigh.

• Position the height of the chair so that your hips are level with your knees. If your knees point down, the chair is too high. If your knees are above your hips, the chair is too low.

• Make sure you have good back support. If your chair doesn’t have lumbar support built into it, you can place a small pillow or towel behind the lower curve of your back for added support. You’ll be amazed at how just adding a little back support will encourage a straighter spine and improve sitting posture.

• If your computer chair has arm rests, make sure they are positioned so that your elbows and wrist are on the same level. If your wrists are higher than your elbows, try padding the arm rest with towels or pillows to elevate your forearms.

• If your chair does not have arm rests, make sure your keyboard is positioned close enough to allow your arms to hang comfortably at your sides with your elbows bent at 90 degrees.

• Your keyboard and mouse need to be positioned close enough so that you are not reaching for them.

• Your computer screen should be line with your eyes so you don’t have to look up or down at it.

• Don’t sit too long. Get up every hour and move around.

Sitting on the couch:

• Make sure your back is supported so you don’t slouch.

• Try and keep your feet on the floor

• Make sure your neck is properly supported

• Avoid the text neck by raising your phone up to eye level so you don’t have to look down…both in sitting as well as standing.

Now that you are done reading this email…take a break before you move on to the next one. Put your arms up over your head and stretch them back allowing your spine to arch backwards and your chest to stick out. Hold for 10 seconds. Next, move your head side to side and pause for a few seconds while comfortably looking over your shoulder. Bring your chin down to your chest and then slowly look straight up towards the ceiling a few times. Stretch out your legs by extending them out one leg at a time and finish up by marching your legs in place and tapping your toes.

Now you can move on!

Check out these exercises to help stretch and strengthen your postural muscles.

Maintaining good posture not only looks better aesthetically but can help your health as well.

Susan Brady
is a Physical Therapist,
Nutrition Consultant and
Doctor of Integrative Medicine.
She has been treating women with osteoporosis for over 30 years and is dedicated to helping people achieve
lasting good health and vitality.

Want to learn more about how you can improve your bone health? Contact me for a free 15 minute phone consult to learn more about the BONES Method™ and how it can help you achieve strong, healthy bones for life!

Home Health Haven – The Science

by Susan Brady | Mar 26, 2020 | Healthy aging

Ok…we all know that to stop the spread of the corona virus we need to be diligently washing our hands. But do you know the science behind hand washing and why it is so important to wash for a full 20 seconds?

There are actual scientific reasons for all those hand washing tips that we have been inundated with and it isn’t simply to wash away the germs from your hands. The lathering, scrubbing and rinsing actually keeps the virus from infecting a human cell.

Hand washing physically dismantles and destroys the virus.

As with most viruses, the corona virus or COVID 19, is encapsulated by a lipid membrane, a coating of fat. This lipid membrane protects the virus from our immune system as it invades and infects our bodies.

The act of washing your hands does 2 things:

First, the friction caused by rubbing our hands together helps to weaken and breakdown the protective lipid membrane of the virus.
Second, the soap molecules also act on the lipid layer to break it down and disrupt it. Whether scented, anti-bacterial or natural, soap is a mixture of fat, water and an alkali, or basic salt. The fat in the soap bonds with the lipid membrane of the virus and breaks it open. Once the protective membrane of the virus is penetrated, the content of the virus is released, deactivated and washed away. Leaving it unable to bind and enter human cells.

Think about what is needed to wash a greasy pan. Will rinsing in water alone breakdown and remove the grease? No you need soap. The soap breaks down and neutralizes the fats in the grease so it can be easily washed away. When viruses interact with soap, the same thing happens.

How much time does it take for soap to breakdown the lipid membrane? 20 seconds! Hence the advice for washing your hands for 20 seconds.

Are anti-bacterial soaps more affective? No. According to the FDA, there is no evidence that antibacterial soaps are any better at killing viruses than plain soap and water. In fact, in 2016, the FDA banned 19 antibacterial additives commonly found in antibacterial soaps that potential harmful to humans and the environment. There is also concern that the use of antibacterial soaps may increase the risk of generating drug-resistant bacteria.

What about hand sanitizers? Alcohol based hand sanitizers can also break down the lipid membrane of a virus through a chemical reaction. The hand sanitizer needs to be at least 60 percent alcohol content to be effective. However, unlike the rinsing action that occurs with hand washing, hand sanitizers don’t wash the content of the virus from our skins.

So if you have access to soap and water, choose that method first.

Bringing your hand washing technique up to speed:

Temperature of the water doesn’t matter. You can remove the virus using any temperature water.
Choose liquid soap over foam or bar soap. Liquid soap works better at washing away bacteria than foam soaps. Because liquid soaps are thicker than foam soaps, you tend to wash your hands for a longer period of time to wash and rinse the residue from your hands.
Bar soaps can also be used but when they sit around wet and slimy, they can start to harbor bacteria, and the more the soap is used, the more microorganisms it holds. If you are using bar soaps, rinse them off prior to using and store in a place that will allow it to dry off.
Dry your hands completely. Further rubbing your hands with a towel will remove any remaining germs left behind after washing. Wet hands are more likely to spread germs than dry hands.
If using a hand sanitizer, let it fully dry on your hands. If you pat dry your hands before the sanitizer has fully dried, you risk reducing its effectiveness.

I hope you are staying healthy, fit and sane during these days of confinement.

I would love your feedback as to what you are doing to reduce the stress of being quarantined.

Susan Brady
is a Physical Therapist,
Nutrition Consultant and
Doctor of Integrative Medicine.
She has been treating women with osteoporosis for over 30 years and is dedicated to helping people achieve
lasting good health and vitality.

Want to learn more about how you can improve your bone health? Contact me for a free 15 minute phone consult to learn more about the BONES Method™ and how it can help you achieve strong, healthy bones for life!

Staying Socially Connected

by Susan Brady | Mar 25, 2020 | Healthy aging

Human beings are not meant to live in isolation. Although we vary in the degree to which we seek our social contact, humans are social creatures that need each other.

There is no shortage of research that shows that contact with other people positively affects a person’s health and feelings of well being.

How do we stay socially connected while social distancing?

Although I am one that often views technology as a blessing and a curse, right now it is a tool that can really help us stay connected and caring.

Here are a few tips to stay connected to your loved ones:

• Pick up the phone. Remember those days when the phone was the only way to communicate? Take time in your day to reach out to family members or friends that you haven’t actually spoken to in a while. Hearing each others’ voices will bring immediate joy and happiness.

Many of you have already shared that you are spending more time on the phone with friends and family and how nice it is to have this extra contact.

• Virtual gatherings. When just hearing the voice of a loved one is not enough, there are many different platforms that allow you to do face to face video communications. Consider scheduling a virtual coffee, lunch or dinner date. If you are new to virtual communication, see the list below of the most popular, free apps available. This is the time to embrace technology!

A friend of mine had a virtual birthday party the other day! No need to shelf these important occasions.

• Group text messages. Consider creating a group text. This a great way to share pictures and daily updates to a group of family members or friends.

As I was writing this, I took a quick break to send some love and happiness to friends on a group text chain.

• Facebook. Although I am not a frequent user of Facebook, it is an easy and convenient place to connect and share photos and life updates with the masses.

These days I bypass the news and go straight to posts with funny animals or kids, better yet, kids interacting with animals. Join in by posting some sunshine for us all to enjoy.

• Missing your book club, Bible study or Meetup group? See if they want to meet by video!

• Can’t walk with your exercise buddy? If you have a treadmill schedule an indoor walk and talk.

If you are new video technology, this is a list of some of the most popular options out there to help us stay connected.

Zoom. Although Zoom is primarily used for business meetings, it can be used for personal use as well. They do offer a Free basic personal plan. It is easy to sign up and use.
WhatsApp. This is a popular free messaging app owned by Facebook, which also features video and voice calling, all at no charge. WhatsApp is especially useful for those with loved ones in other countries.
Google Hangouts. Google has its own communication and messaging platform with Google Hangouts. Google Hangouts is free for anybody with a Gmail account. Messaging, video calls and voice calls are all available.
Skype. This is a free app owned and operated by Microsoft, but it is readily available for Mac and iPhone as well. Messaging, voice and video calls are included for free. It is easy download right onto your computer.

Despite the quarantine, today’s technology has made it so friends and family are never too far away. Please take advantage of this technology, old and new, to stay connected during this unsettling time.

If you happen to be tech-savy, please help someone that is not gain access to this virtual technology!

Please if you are feeling lonely….REACH OUT.

If you know someone that lives alone or may be lonely….REACH OUT.

Just because we need to stay physically distant, doesn’t mean we can’t continue to love and care for one another.

Susan Brady
is a Physical Therapist,
Nutrition Consultant and
Doctor of Integrative Medicine.
She has been treating women with osteoporosis for over 30 years and is dedicated to helping people achieve
lasting good health and vitality.

Want to learn more about how you can improve your bone health? Contact me for a free 15 minute phone consult to learn more about the BONES Method™ and how it can help you achieve strong, healthy bones for life!

Essential Impact Exercises

by Susan Brady | Mar 24, 2020 | Exercise

I received many wonderful responses yesterday as to what you are doing to stay healthy during this time of confinement. I am encouraged to hear that many are trying to stay active. One thing that is really important is getting daily exercise. And if you have osteoporosis, getting daily impact exercise is essential.

Walking alone isn’t enough. Unless you are “power walking” where with every step you are strongly impacting the ground, walking will not adequately stimulate bone formation.

In order to stimulate bone formation, there needs to be an “impact” or a “ground reaction force.”

If you are simply standing or walking, you are getting a loading stress equivalent to your body weight. Unless you are consistently gaining weight, (which most of us are trying to avoid!) your bones and your body accommodates to that force and grow strong enough only to support that weight. Adding an impact component increases the force through the bones and generates new bone formation even more.

Several studies over the years have shown that doing impact exercises for a few minutes twice a day can significantly stimulate bone formation.

I have attached a short video and accompanying handout on some quick and easy impact exercises that should be a part of everyone’s daily routine.

Click her to view the video

Click here to download the exercise hand out

If you are experienced with impact exercises and need to challenge yourself further, you can add a weighted vest when performing these exercises. My favorite weight vest comes Challenge Weighted Workout Wear. You can order from Amazon for $139.00.

Please continue to share with me what you are doing to stay healthy, fit and mentally strong!

Susan Brady
is a Physical Therapist,
Nutrition Consultant and
Doctor of Integrative Medicine.
She has been treating women with osteoporosis for over 30 years and is dedicated to helping people achieve
lasting good health and vitality.

Want to learn more about how you can improve your bone health? Contact me for a free 15 minute phone consult to learn more about the BONES Method™ and how it can help you achieve strong, healthy bones for life!

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

Creating your Home Health Haven

by Susan Brady | Mar 23, 2020 | Healthy aging

Wow, what a time we are living through.

With the rapid spread of coronavirus throughout the US, it has become clear that self-quarantining in our homes is the best course of action for our own health and the well-being of our entire society.

However, spending days on end indoors has its own health drawbacks, especially for those of us with osteoporosis. Not only is it stressful, but it also challenges our ability to exercise and eat right.

So over the next 30 days, I am going to share with you 30 ways you can create your own Home Health Haven. Each day I will give you an idea or tip on what you can do to keep your bones, your body and your brain strong, healthy and happy.

We are all in this together, so I would love to hear from you about the things you are doing to maintain a healthy lifestyle as well!

Let’s start by stocking up on non-perishable or semi-perishable foods….stocking up, not hoarding! Although fresh is always best, there are many bone healthy foods to fill our pantry and freezer.

Click here for your Creating Your Home Health Haven Food Pantry

Susan Brady
is a Physical Therapist,
Nutrition Consultant and
Doctor of Integrative Medicine.
She has been treating women with osteoporosis for over 30 years and is dedicated to helping people achieve
lasting good health and vitality.

Want to learn more about how you can improve your bone health? Contact me for a free 15 minute phone consult to learn more about the BONES Method™ and how it can help you achieve strong, healthy bones for life!