Most Wednesdays Patient PT hosts Wellness Wednesday, a free weekly wellness discussion group. Each week there is an introductory talk or presentation on a wellness-related topic, followed by an interactive discussion. For the most up-to-date information on current Wellness Wednesday events, please visit @PatientPhysicalTherapy on FaceBook.
Wellness 101 is a ten-part series of discussions that lays the groundwork to develop a workable understanding of managing wellness in a world that makes it much more complicated than meets the eye.
12/18/2019: Introduction - What is Wellness? There is a lot of conflicting advice on the best ways to live a healthy life. This week we’ll cut through the noise by reviewing the evidence on practices that enhance longevity and reduce morbidity, and discuss realistic and usable strategies for adding a wellness focus to your busy modern life.
1/1/2020: New Year’s Resolutions Many of us set new years resolutions to improve our wellness every year, but how often are we able to stick with them? This week we'll discuss alternate ways to approach New Year's Resolutions, and how you can use them as a positive motivator year-round instead of as a source of guilt for a couple of weeks in January.
1/8/2020: Exercise – Why Tho? We all know we’re *supposed* to exercise, but do we really understand why? Learn about the almost limitless benefit of adding a little more movement to your day.
1/15/2020: Nutrition – Not a Fad There are a lot of fad diets and lifestyles that affect nutrition. What is really best for your body? How do we learn to interpret hunger and satiety signals in a sustainable, realistic way? Let’s talk about it.
1/22/2020: Hydration – The Power of Water Most of us have heard that we should drink more water, but surveys and studies routinely show that 60-75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. What effect does this have on our health? Learn about how something as simple as increasing your water intake can improve blood pressure, encourage weight loss, increase energy, promote healing, clear up your skin, and so much more!
1/29/2020: Mental Workouts – No, Really You've probably heard about the "mind-body connection," or maybe you've heard that your real symptoms are "all in your head." What is really going on between our brains and our bodies? What is the relationship between how we feel mentally and how we feel physically? Does thinking and visualizing result in physical changes? Learn the answers to these questions and more this week at Wellness Wednesday.
2/5/2020: Sleep – Rest, Recall, Recover Sometimes all you need is a good night's rest. But what exactly is happening while we sleep? Is there a right or wrong way to sleep? What effect does sleep have on healing? Does anyone really know what is happening when we dream? Let's talk about it.
2/12/2020: Social Support – Love Heals All We've seen the studies showing that people who are married live longer, that those who have four or more friends during their senior years are happier and healthier - why is this? We'll discuss the physiologic impacts of romance, family, and long-term friendships and how these social supports set us up for health and happiness.
2/26/2020: Perspective & Outlook A lot has been said over the years about the power of positive thinking. Self-help gurus line up to explain how we can transform our lives by transforming the way we think. What does the evidence show? Where do most of us get tripped up? How do we stay positive amidst negative influences and events? Learn about how your own perspective on the world is an especially influential aspect of wellness.
3/4/2020: Living on Purpose Why do we get out of bed every day? What is the point of all this? How to we put all of this together to create a more well life? Cultivating wellness is both more simple and much more complex than most of us believe. While one can begin by making small changes that add up to big results, at a certain point big change may become necessary. Whether your purpose in life is to be the best at whatever you do, to raise a happy and healthy family, achieve a dream, or, like many of us, you're not quite certain yet, this final session of Wellness 101 will pull together the many concepts discussed throughout this series. This talk can serve as a conclusion for dedicated discussion group members, or begin to build a foundation for those just joining.