Yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi

Physical therapists with certifications in these areas can teach you about all experience levels methods to improve your technique and form. There are many health benefits to these alternative health activities, from correcting your posture and body alignment to relaxation and stress management. Therapists will develop a plan of care to address your individual needs and goals. You will also have a home exercise plan created for your individual needs. Concepts from these areas can be catered to meet your individual needs as part of your rehab program.

Yoga

Yoga is considered a mind-body type of complementary and alternative medicine practice. Yoga brings together your physical and mental disciplines to achieve peacefulness of your body and mind, ultimately helping you relax and manage stress and anxiety.

Marcia Walker, physical therapist and 200 hour yoga instructor, teaches these methods and techniques. Yoga is offered individually for the purpose of practice. There are also group classes offered weekly. Please call 651-345-1129 for more information.

Benefits of yoga include:

• Stress reduction- With its quiet, precise movements, yoga draws your focus away from your busy, chaotic day and toward calm as you move your body through poses that require balance and concentration.
• Increased fitness- As you learn and refine new poses, you may enjoy improved balance, flexibility, range of motion and strength. Ultimately, this means you are less likely to injure yourself in other physical endeavors or during your daily activities.
• Management of chronic health conditions- Yoga can help with a variety of health conditions, such as cancer, depression, pain, anxiety and insomnia, by helping with sleeping problems, fatigue and mood. Yoga can also help reduce your heart rate and blood pressure.
• Weight loss- If you are overweight or have a binge-eating disorder, yoga may help you make healthy lifestyle changes.

Tai Chi

Tai chi is sometimes described as “meditation in motion” because it promotes serenity through gentle movements – connecting the mind and body. Tai chi has evolved into a graceful form of exercise that is now used for stress reduction. It also helps with a variety of other health conditions.

Kelly Rehder, PT, is our certified Tai chi fundamentals instructor. Please call 651-345-1129 for more information.

Tai chi has numerous benefits, including:

• Stress reduction
• Reduction of anxiety and depression
• Improvement of balance, flexibility and muscle strength
• Reduction of falls in older adults
• Improvement of sleep quality
• Lower blood pressure
• Improvement of cardiovascular fitness in older adults
• Relief of chronic pain
• Increase in energy, endurance and agility
• Improvement of overall feeling of well being