All Things Recovery & Prevention:

Comprehensive Physical Therapy for Arlington, VA

Candace Harding Candace Harding

7 Tips for Restful Sleep on the Go This Holiday Season

The holiday season is a time of joy, togetherness, and sometimes a bit of chaos—especially if travel is part of your plans. While reconnecting with loved ones and enjoying festive activities can be wonderful, travel often brings challenges to your sleep routine. Whether you’re crossing multiple time zones or just spending a few nights away from home, maintaining healthy sleep habits can help you stay energized and enjoy the holiday season to its fullest.

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Candace Harding Candace Harding

Enjoy Thanksgiving! Without the Food Coma...

Thanksgiving is a time for connection, gratitude, and, of course, amazing food. But no one loves the sluggish "food coma" that often follows the feast. The good news? You can enjoy all the flavors of the holiday without feeling weighed down. Read to find out how!

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Candace Harding Candace Harding

Unplug to Recharge: Technology Breaks for Relaxation

These days, we’re more connected to technology than ever. While devices like our phones, tablets, and computers keep us informed and entertained, they can also impact our well-being. Today, let's chat about the benefits of taking a tech break to help you unplug, recharge, and improve your overall health.

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Candace Harding Candace Harding

Overcome Stress in Nature: Your Natural Reset

In today's fast-paced world, it often feels like there’s no time to pause. Yet, there’s a simple, accessible solution to help you unwind—spending time in nature. Before winter arrives, let’s explore how stepping outside can be a powerful antidote for stress and anxiety.

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Candace Harding Candace Harding

The Benefits of Daily Walking: A Simple Way to Transform Your Health

In today’s fast-paced world, we often think that to improve our health, we need intense workouts, complex routines, or special equipment. But sometimes, the most effective solutions are the simplest. One of the easiest ways to boost your overall well-being is by incorporating daily walking into your routine.

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Candace Harding Candace Harding

Sleep Better with These 5 Foods: The Secret to Restful Nights

We all know that sleep is essential for good health, but did you know the foods you eat can play a major role in how well you sleep? While having a calming bedtime routine and a sleep-friendly environment are important, certain foods can naturally support your body’s ability to relax and fall into a deep, restorative sleep. In this post, we’ll explore five sleep-promoting foods and how they work, as well as some tips on what to avoid before bed.

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Candace Harding Candace Harding

Nutrition Myth Busters

Navigating the world of nutrition can be challenging with the plethora of conflicting advice available. To help you make informed decisions about your diet, we’re busting 10 common nutrition myths that might be affecting your choices. Let’s dive in and clear up these misconceptions to support your journey toward healthier eating!

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Candace Harding Candace Harding

Herbal Teas for Relaxation and Digestive Comfort

Finding ways to relax and support your digestive health doesn’t have to be complicated. One of the simplest and most enjoyable methods is incorporating herbal teas into your daily routine. Chamomile tea and ginger mint tea are two powerful options that not only calm the mind but also soothe the gastrointestinal (GI) system. Here’s how they can help you feel better, both physically and mentally.

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Candace Harding Candace Harding

How to Integrate Physical Activity into Your 9-to-5 Workday

The typical 9-to-5 workday can be a challenge for anyone trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Sitting at a desk for hours on end can lead to stiffness, fatigue, and long-term health problems like back pain, poor circulation, and even an increased risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease. But staying active doesn’t have to be a daunting task, even in the midst of a busy workday.

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Candace Harding Candace Harding

Tips for Creating a Sleep-Friendly Bedroom

A good night's sleep is vital for your health and recovery, especially during physical therapy. Transforming your bedroom into a sleep-friendly sanctuary can make a significant difference in your sleep quality and overall well-being. Here are some simple tips to help you achieve this:

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Candace Harding Candace Harding

Post-Exercise Nutrition: Fuel Your Recovery

Proper nutrition after a workout or physical therapy (PT) session is crucial for muscle repair, energy replenishment, and overall recovery. Understanding the importance of post-exercise nutrition can help you maximize your efforts and achieve your fitness and rehabilitation goals.

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Candace Harding Candace Harding

Play and Bone Density: Enhancing Health Through Enjoyable Physical Activity

Bone health is crucial for overall well-being, yet it often takes a back seat in our daily health routines. Strong bones support our bodies and protect against fractures, making them essential for mobility and independence, especially as we age. One effective and enjoyable way to maintain and enhance bone density is through playful physical activities.

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Candace Harding Candace Harding

The Impact of Sleep on Your Recovery

When we think about recovery, we often focus on nutrition, hydration, or perhaps stretching and massages. Yet, one of the most crucial components of recovery is often overlooked: sleep. While we rest, our bodies engage in an intricate and vital process of repair and regeneration that is fundamental to healing and overall well-being.

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Candace Harding Candace Harding

Nutrition Tips for a Healthy Summer

Summer eating can disrupt nutrition due to irregular meal patterns, increased consumption of sugary drinks and treats, and the tendency to overeat at social gatherings. Staying mindful of healthy choices and maintaining balanced meals can help mitigate these disruptions.

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Candace Harding Candace Harding

Managing Stress-Related Pain

Stress doesn't just take a toll on our minds—it can also manifest physically, leading to aches, tension, and discomfort in the body. Whether it's tension headaches, tight muscles, or chronic pain conditions exacerbated by stress, finding relief is essential for restoring balance and vitality.

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Candace Harding Candace Harding

Move Your Body, Elevate Your Mood

From boosting mood to reducing stress, the benefits of staying active extend far beyond just physical health. Let’s explore how incorporating movement into your routine can elevate your emotional well-being:

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Candace Harding Candace Harding

Heat Stroke & How to Avoid It!

This summer, many places throughout our country are experiencing extreme heat conditions. For many of us, extreme temperatures of this kind may be atypical leaving us unprepared to make the best decisions regarding activity levels.

Heat stroke is a serious condition that occurs when the body overheats due to prolonged exposure to high temperatures (>= 90 degrees Fahrenheit) or physical exertion in hot environments. It is crucial to take necessary precautions to prevent heat stroke, especially during the hot summer months.

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Candace Harding Candace Harding

Environmental Determinants of Health

If a flower doesn’t bloom, do you blame the seed or the environment it was planted in?

In many ways, we’re not that different from plants.

Environmental factors play a significant role in determining an individual's health and well-being.

Remember, your body is a beautiful work of machinery that will respond differently to various stressors based on how well it’s operating at baseline.

Read More To Learn 5 Ways to Support Your Environmental Health!

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Candace Harding Candace Harding

Protect Your Sleep Quality from Allergies

You’re wondering what allergies have to do with your sleep quality right?

You’re also wondering why a physical therapist cares about your allergies and sleep quality, aren’t you?

Poor sleep quality can cause a myriad of health problems over prolonged periods of time, e.g. increased pain, increased stress, reduced processing, poor mood, digestive issues, etc. all of which can negatively impact your body’s ability to heal or recover from an injury or prolonged stress associated with training for endurance events- allergy season overlaps with marathon and triathlon season.

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