Are Short Workouts Worth it?

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Transcript

Chrissy Billau:

Welcome to Prescribe listening from the University of Toledo medical Center. On this podcast, we interview our experts to get the answers you need and can trust I'm your host, Chrissy Billau. And today we are diving into some of the top Googled health questions from 2020 and 2021 with physical therapists, Joe Dietrich, and Tyler Schinharl. Joe and Tyler, thank you for joining us.

Tyler Schinharl:

Thank you for having us.

Joseph Dietrich:

Thanks so much for having us. Yeah.

Chrissy Billau:

Exercise is a huge part of a health journey. But if all you can fit in is a few minutes a day, is it worth the time? Let's ask the experts. Joe and Tyler, here's one of the top Googled health questions, are short workouts worth it?

Tyler Schinharl:

So every 10 years, the World Health Organization updates their current guidelines on exercise. Currently, they say that all adults should roughly have about 150 to 300 minutes per week. But research has come out recently showing that people who exercise regularly, regardless of the duration, lost weight and still increase their endurance. So I would absolutely say short workouts are worth it.

Chrissy Billau:

If you can get it in, get it in.

Tyler Schinharl:

Absolutely.

Chrissy Billau:

There is a benefit. How short is too short of a workout?

Joseph Dietrich:

Yeah, so really any movement is better than no movement. So there's not really a bottom end to getting some benefit. But you do have to keep in mind, your intensity will have to be a little bit higher if you want to get benefit from a shorter workout, say under 10 minutes. You have to put in a little bit more effort. So generally the research supports expending anywhere from like 60 to 80% of maximum heart rate to get some benefit from that.

Chrissy Billau:

Is that where you talk about the high intensity interval training workouts? The HIIT workouts?

Joseph Dietrich:

Correct. Yeah. That's where you'll see those intervals where maybe you're doing 30 second maximum effort and then resting anywhere from 10 to, sometimes, 30 seconds or even less.

Chrissy Billau:

Okay. So maybe I run for an hour every day. But are you telling me I can get that benefit in 10 minutes if I switch it around and do it differently?

Joseph Dietrich:

In theory, you could expend the same amount of calories in the shorter time doing HIIT. Some of that also you have to account for what we call like EPOC or like exercise post oxygen consumption. Basically meaning if you put in a really, really high effort with HIIT, you tend to burn or consume a little bit more oxygen after the completion of that exercise. So that's where some of the theory comes in that may be more beneficial. In the long run, though, they tend to average out. So if you enjoy running more and you like being out for an hour duration, if that's something you could be more consistent with, you might get more benefit from that. As opposed to really grinding for 10 to 15 minutes with a HIIT workout and hating it and you fall out of your routine altogether.

Chrissy Billau:

Do something you'll stick with.

Joseph Dietrich:

It really depends. You just want to choose something that's enjoyable to you. That's one of the most important considerations.

Chrissy Billau:

Okay. I know we talk about like how short is too short of a workout. On the other end, how do you know if you're overdoing it? What's too much?

Joseph Dietrich:

Yeah. Also a good question. That depends significantly on your training level. So for example, individuals who are highly trained, those that run an Ironman or compete in an Ironman, the average completion time for that event is 12 hours and 35 minutes. So in theory, you can exercise for a significant duration of time. Same goes for some ultra running marathons. Now that are a hundred miles, 70 to a hundred miles. Those sometimes people are competing for 28 to 40 hours of just continuous running. So really your body can cope with a lot of stress provided that you are well trained for that stress, you've adequately fueled for it, both pre and during the race. But for most of us coming off the couch, generally, if you want to go for a longer duration exercise, we can look towards what we call low intensity steady state training.

Joseph Dietrich:

Basically, that just means you're picking an intensity that's more comfortable for you. Typically it's less than 70% of your maximum heart rate. So about 50 to 65%. And then that exercise is usually just encouraged to be longer than 20 minutes. Most programs look at about 30 to 45 minutes. I would say, if that's your goal, you're trying to get more active and just do some low intensity steady state. If you're spending more than 45 minutes, then you might be cutting into your other daily activities, things that you need to get done. So I would say try to hit that 30 to 45 minute window initially, and then build it up from there.

Chrissy Billau:

Okay. Focus on short workouts though. If all I have is 10 minutes to work out, what can I do?

Tyler Schinharl:

So if your duration's going to be shorter, that's where we fall in the category of that higher heart rate threshold. So more that 70 to 80%. And that's where you want to keep it up throughout most of that entire 10 minutes that you're doing it. So the best workouts for that are more circuit trainings with full body movements in order to utilize as many muscle groups as you can to improve your efficiency of the workout. An example of this might be alternating ladders or squats with jumps and then pushups afterwards. So you're alternating upper body, lower body. But still getting that full body effect

Chrissy Billau:

Or the things I hated in high school, the burpees.

Tyler Schinharl:

The burpees, absolutely. Everyone's favorite.

Chrissy Billau:

What is important to any exercise you do, even if you only have a few minutes?

Joseph Dietrich:

Yeah. So I would just circle back to what we said earlier that, that exercise should be something you enjoy. If you're taking time out of your day, even if it's just five to 10 minutes to do something, it shouldn't be something that you hate. So pick something you enjoy or that you're at least think you might be interested in. Try it. Try to be consistent with it for like four to six weeks. And then go from there. You can always pivot and do something else

Chrissy Billau:

For those who don't know what to do for exercise or where to start, what would you recommend or any resources they can go look toward? I don't know if there's a website that you guys like, "Oh, this is a really good one to guide you along."

Tyler Schinharl:

Well, we're a little biased. But you could always go ask your local physical therapist or personal trainer.

Chrissy Billau:

Absolutely.

Tyler Schinharl:

But some good things to look for would be like any government website. I mean, they usually have the most current information. Like I talked about before the World Health Organization's 2020 Exercise Guidelines. There's a ton of information out there. Always go to someone else. If you have trouble maybe understanding or interpreting some of the medical jargon that might be thrown in there. But the biggest thing I will say is caution where you get it from such as your local YouTube channels, social media, TikTok trends that are going on right now. Because they may have some great exercises. But may not be right for where you are at currently.

Chrissy Billau:

Okay. And for folks who are trying to get some physical activity in, but they sit a lot during the day. I spend most of my day at a desk. I'm a writer. Is there anything I can do from my desk or someone who's working from home and they're on their couch? Is there something quick, easy?

Joseph Dietrich:

Yeah, definitely. I mean, generally it's good to try to break up that sitting period every 20 to 30 minutes, if possible. Usually I just recommend to people, even if you can't step away from your desk or from your laptop stand up, maybe bring your shoulders back behind you just sit upright for a little bit to change position. And some really basic good ones would be some like body weight squats at your desk for support. If you want to do some overhead reaches, I mean, at a certain point, if you get used to it, you can even have maybe some hand weights on your desk and use those again. Anything to just get a little bit of regular movement in there will still help.

Chrissy Billau:

Is a standing desk something that would be helpful as opposed to sitting in a chair all day?

Joseph Dietrich:

So standing desk definitely can be beneficial. A lot of the literature really just supports that we have some variation in our postures. So I've seen people who sit all day, so they get a standing desk and then they start to maybe get some aches and pains from standing all day. So it's more about having that variation so you can change positions regularly. So maybe you do 20 to 30 minutes sitting at your desk. Then you bring the standing desk up, do another 20 to 30 minutes of work like that. And just having that variation can go a lot in breaking up those static postures.

Chrissy Billau:

Okay. Now for some people it's not work time convenience, they simply hate to exercise. They don't enjoy it. They don't want to do it. But they probably like, "Okay, it's probably good for me." Is there something different or something to get them in the door to get them hooked?

Tyler Schinharl:

Well, that, again, goes back to exercise is more than what you would think. So find something you can do that you enjoy, whether it's walking your dog. I mean, just going to the park. Find something you enjoy to get yourself in there. And then I always found that when breaking my own rut, getting back into exercise is, once I can start doing it takes about six weeks to build a habit. So if I can just open that door with something I enjoy, make it a part of my life for six weeks. Then I'm a lot more open to alternative exercises that maybe I wouldn't have been into before. I'm not a runner. I don't personally enjoy it after years of high school sports. But after about six weeks of resistance training, I'm like, "Okay, I need something different. And it's time to start running." So maybe something like that. Find something to stick with. And then transition later on.

Chrissy Billau:

I've heard the stories about people who are like, okay, I'll try in this dance class or something. And then you move forward just like you were saying. You feel your body's like, it's telling me I need more. So I need a little bit more than this dance class. But something like that, it's fun to move and shake. I'm like, "Okay, I can fit this into my life."

Tyler Schinharl:

Absolutely.

Chrissy Billau:

So let's say someone listening to this says, "Yes. Yes, I can do 10 minutes." What are they going to notice in themselves after doing a short 10 minute workout consistently for a few weeks or a few months? What are some changes you'll feel or see? I don't know if you'll see any.

Joseph Dietrich:

Yeah, so I mean, our bodies do adapt to the stimulus of exercise pretty quickly. Especially for just coming off the couch having not done much, you will notice within a few weeks that maybe that if you're doing the same 10 minute routine, it's a little bit easier each time. But I mean more specifically, I don't know Tyler, did you want to address like some of the more specific adaptations with that type of exercise?

Tyler Schinharl:

Yeah. So, like Joe said, you'll find it gets easier the more you do it. You'll find that you have increased energy, improved mood, potentially reduced anxiety and depression. All these things that you find weigh you down, get a little bit easier, easier and easier.

Chrissy Billau:

Yeah. Once it becomes part of your routine. I'm going through the journey. And I went through that part where I was like, "Oh my gosh, I can add all this stuff on. I can't believe I can do this." But is exercise the key to losing weight? Can you expect to lose those inches alone on exercise alone? Or does it have to be combined with a diet?

Tyler Schinharl:

So that depends in order to lose weight or to lose body fat, you have to expend more energy or more calories than you are currently consuming. Some people just by increasing activity or increasing activity initially, can start to lose some weight just from that. But if you do find yourself getting stuck, then that's when, definitely, it's a lot more advantageous to go on a diet or to find some form of reducing your caloric intake in order to lose that stubborn weight.

Chrissy Billau:

Okay. Is there a best time to work out? Mornings before breakfast or in the evenings before dinner? Is there something that's going to be possibly, this is the best thing to put into your routine?

Joseph Dietrich:

So as far as I know, there's nothing specifically saying time of day is better for everyone across the board. Again, it's going to depend a lot on your schedule, your habits. If you consider yourself a morning person versus a night owl. Me personally, I know I tend to be a lot more effective with my exercise later in the day. So either after work or maybe later at night. Whereas I know like Tyler's always at the gym earlier in the morning. So as long as you're getting some activity in a time that suits your schedule, then it will benefit you. If you're trying to really force the issue with your activity and fit it in a window where it causes you more stress with either work or family or whatever else you have going on, you're less likely to keep that routine.

Chrissy Billau:

Yeah. You're not going to do it because the kids need to eat and you need to get the laundry done. You have to go to work. So yeah, wherever it fits and wherever it works for your family's lifestyle. What kinds of exercises in general would you recommend? Are there basic or preferred routines that we should be incorporating?

Joseph Dietrich:

Yeah, definitely a good question. So in general, full body movements are supported, especially if you don't have a ton of time. So things like squats lifting from the floor, like we call a deadlift or hip hinge.

Tyler Schinharl:

Burpees.

Chrissy Billau:

God.

Joseph Dietrich:

Burpees. Any compound movement where you're working multiple joints at one time. And then generally you want to try to work as much of a range of a motion as you can too. So obviously if you're having a lot of issues with a deep squat, that doesn't mean you should be down on the floor, trying to squat up from there. Talk with your physical therapist. Talk with your physician about ways to modify that activity so that you can gradually increase your tolerance to it. But in general, you want to try to catch as many muscle groups or as many joints as you can to get more benefit.

Chrissy Billau:

Okay. When is it not worth it to exercise?

Tyler Schinharl:

So there are actually some instances where your risks can outweigh the potential benefits. There's probably fewer those than you would expect. And those are a great situation to, again, talk to your physician, talk to your physical therapist and find out maybe why what you're doing wouldn't be advantageous at this moment. And if there's any ways to modify to exercise in the future. But even people in acute care in the hospitals are up and walking, up and moving. There's a lot of literature supporting early mobility in just movement as a good form of medicine. So like I said, it's probably fewer those instances than you would think. You just maybe need to modify the dose, the amount, and the type that you're doing at that time until you're ready for in the future.

Chrissy Billau:

Okay.

Joseph Dietrich:

Yeah. And just to tag onto that. A lot of new literature now is showing for like degenerative conditions, such as Parkinson's disease or MS, or things like that where we talk about managing intensity accordingly. So for example, in Parkinson's, there's a lot more evidence to support higher intensity walking programs. So those are being implemented by physical therapists and other outpatient clinicians. Whereas with MS sometimes you have to monitor your intensity a little more carefully. But you can still exercise. You can work with that condition.

Chrissy Billau:

Let's talk about the importance of resting a bit though, and letting your body heal. Because some people get a little bit gung-ho into it and it's not only burnout, you hurt yourself. You do better when you take a break. How often do you need to take a day off? Do you guys take a day off?

Tyler Schinharl:

So it varies person to person and based on your level of training. Generally, the rule of thumb is your body should have 48 hours in between specific muscle group working out, given a certain intensity. So say I did a leg workout this morning, I may not do another leg workout the next day. I may do it the day following about 48 hours after just to give your body time to adapt and to repair itself from the stressors from that previous workout. Now that doesn't mean you don't need to work out the next day or that you shouldn't work out the next day. Just maybe find another exercise or another workout to perform that isn't stressing those same joints and muscles in the same way as you did that previous day.

Chrissy Billau:

Okay. So if it's like leg day and you're doing all your squats and lunges and things like that. Maybe the next day, stretch it out with some yoga or something-

Tyler Schinharl:

Absolutely.

Chrissy Billau:

-different.

Tyler Schinharl:

Absolutely. Pilates, yoga, any of that. I mean, shoot, I should probably do more yoga myself.

Chrissy Billau:

Injuries happen. What are the most common injuries you guys deal with as physical therapists?

Joseph Dietrich:

Though, I would say in our population right now, probably far and away, low back pain is one of the most common ones. And again, we know that if you're human at some point in your life, you're very, very likely to experience low back pain. Whether it's from an exercise related injury or some other related cause. A lot of times it can be driven by sedentary behavior. So that's one of the things we try to talk about, how do we grade your activity again, get you back into the things that you want to do. Exposing you to those things in a more measured fashion. That's where we come in as physical therapists. If you have a specific goal, our job is to help tailor that to you. Maybe put some constraints on the movements you have right now as we gradually add those stressors back in.

Chrissy Billau:

But for lower back pain, you could avoid that by strengthening your lower back. To avoid those every day, like I lifted up too heavy of a box.

Tyler Schinharl:

Absolutely, absolutely. So very few people in this world have ever been hurt by being too strong. So a lot of the times we find people with overuse injuries or repetitive overuse injuries, their body just over time was not strong enough to deal with these stressors of what their daily activity was. And so by increasing your back extensor strength, some of your other core stability strength, just your whole body in general, you can be more...

Joseph Dietrich:

Resilient.

Tyler Schinharl:

Thank you, Joe. You can become more resilient to your repetitive stressors for your daily job and new stressors that always show up daily in our lives.

Chrissy Billau:

So if you're doing a lot of lifting every day, is it the deadlifts that will help you?

Joseph Dietrich:

It certainly can be again, maybe let's say you're doing like really repetitive movement lifting from knee height to waist height over and over again. And maybe it's lightweight. But you're doing that hundreds of repetitions a day, you can benefit from increasing that intensity a little bit. But maybe doing slightly lower volume when you're in the gym. So let's say you train your full range of motion. You lift from the floor to your waist instead of just the need to the waist and gradually progress that resistance, it'll help account for some of the higher volume that you're doing elsewhere.

Chrissy Billau:

Okay. Do you have any tips to avoid getting injured while working out? Like things to do and not to do? And we always hear it's important to stretch out. Maybe don't jump over hurdles on your first time out. How can you protect yourself while also trying to make yourself stronger and healthier?

Tyler Schinharl:

So one of the best things you can do is giving yourself a solid 5 to 10 minutes before you exercise and 5 to 10 minutes after you exercise for a proper warm up and cool down. And that can be riding the bicycle that can be elliptical, walking on the treadmill, or just taking your body through even 5 to 10 minutes of some yoga flow can really help to prepare your body before. And then at the end, cool it down. Let those tissues ease back into your daily life. The other big thing I will say is, "Don't jump into things too quickly." Graded exposure to movement is the best thing you can do to let your body adapt to the new stressors and the new rigors of the exercise that you're putting it through.

Chrissy Billau:

Yeah. So let let's feel this one out. Let your body learn it and then go with it more intensity. Is that what you're saying?

Tyler Schinharl:

Yes. That is exactly what I'm saying.

Chrissy Billau:

Okay. What's the best way to come back from an injury?

Joseph Dietrich:

Yeah. So again, obviously there's a period where maybe it would benefit to rest that tissue a little bit, depending on the severity of the injury. Overall though, we do recommend getting as active as possible as soon as you can. That tends to limit the amount of disability long term. And then from there, just what Tyler just mentioned about, graded exposure to activity. You want to simulate the movement that is provocative without necessarily increasing the pain. So you want to find an acceptable threshold for your own symptoms to work within. Sometimes you might think of it as like a traffic light. So if you have a 2 out of 10 discomfort or less, generally, that's our green light where you're able to exercise in that range of motion relatively comfortably and safely. If you're in that like 3 or 4 out of 10 area, 3 to 5, even maybe that's your yellow light where you're not, you're not stopping that exercise entirely. But maybe you're a little bit more measured with how you implement it.

Joseph Dietrich:

And then again, sometimes if it's like a 6 or higher, that's where we may try to find a different mode of exercise. That doesn't mean we're going to avoid exercise entirely. But for example, if a biceps curl is very painful for me and it's 8 or 9 out of 10 pain, then I might go for something more of like an isometric contraction where I'm just creating a little tension in the muscle, holding it, and then letting off that tension gradually. As opposed to trying to move a weight through the whole range of motion.

Chrissy Billau:

Okay. When should someone seek any kind of medical help versus working through it yourself at home?

Tyler Schinharl:

Generally I tell people, one of the biggest things that we see as physical therapists is people wait until they're in that red light consistently for a long period of time. And then they come to see us. And that does make things a little more difficult than if maybe in that yellow light area where it's not improving, it's not getting better with your general exercise that you're doing. And starting to get a little bit worse over time. That would be a good time to seek help. Talk to your physician, talk to your physical therapist. A lot of people don't know that in the State of Ohio physical therapy has direct access. Meaning you don't necessarily need a physician referral to go see your physical therapist.

Chrissy Billau:

I did not know that. So someone could just call you guys and say, "I-

Tyler Schinharl:

Yep. You can I call UTMC at (419) 383-5040 or stop by one of our offices across Toledo. And you can set up an appointment, get seen hopefully that week, and start that graded exercise that Joe and I have been talking about throughout this podcast.

Chrissy Billau:

For folks who take Tylenol or pain relief medication for maybe some chronic issue, does that help or mask a problem that needs to be addressed by you guys?

Joseph Dietrich:

That's a good question. I mean, so again, as physical therapists, we don't really manage medications or make specific recommendations to patients. But Tylenol or acetaminophen is something that does block the perception of pain. It itself is not an anti-inflammatory agent. So it does cover those symptoms somewhat. It can be used well as an adjunct to activity. So for example, if you're having a lot of pain with activity, not able to tolerate any exercise well sometimes using that, in addition to, then coming to physical therapy. We're sometimes able to do a little bit more in that session with less discomfort. So it really just depends on the situation. If you have a specific question about medication, I always recommend talking to your physician directly so that they can help you work out timing or dosage a little bit further.

Chrissy Billau:

As physical therapists, and in my office, we call them desk injuries, like carpal tunnel syndrome, things like that, do you see that often?

Joseph Dietrich:

So at our current clinic in UTMC, we have hand therapy specifically. So a occupational therapy team there is certified hand therapists. They do tend to see a little bit more of the carpal tunnel injuries in our population here. But that is something that physical therapists regularly treat as well across the board. So really there's not one blanket treatment that an individual would receive. It depends on looking at their individual impairments, their setup for at work. How long are they sitting? Do they have an ergonomic set up? Things like that? And so there are PTs out there that specialize in that as well.

Chrissy Billau:

And for whatever issue someone might be coming in for, how long should you go to physical therapy for an issue?

Tyler Schinharl:

That is a great question. It varies from person to person. So sometimes the people who have had pain disability for a long, long time. They may be there a little bit longer due to the chronicity of the illness. Whereas someone who maybe it's more of an acute flare up may heal a little bit faster. So the actual time in therapy can vary depending upon the condition that chronicity of the condition. And then also, how well it is adapting to the given program that we're taking you through.

Chrissy Billau:

Okay. And what does a typical physical therapy session look like? I've never been through one.

Joseph Dietrich:

Yeah. So in general, like we mentioned before, we do take people through some warm up again. We want to tailor that as much to their desired activity as possible. So typically let's say we're looking more at an initial session. You come in, we'll meet, we'll talk through what's been going on, we'll identify any sort of impairments we see. Whether that's limited range of motion or flexibility, strength issues, just general functional issues, such as balance deficits or issues with squatting. And then we make a plan together with our patients to implement some exercise at home outside of their therapy sessions.

Joseph Dietrich:

As well as, what else they can be doing to get back to whatever it is they want to do. And then after that when we do a follow up session. Then typically it's going through that, warm up, starting with some of those more compound movements that we mentioned trying to do some of your bigger, more global movements first, if it's appropriate for that individual. And then working our way down to maybe more isolated strengthening activities. And again, we generally do try to finish with some type of cool down. So that way people have time to let their heart rate return to normal levels and go on from there, the rest of their day.

Chrissy Billau:

As physical therapists. I mean, you get a lot of people after an injury to try and get them back to their normal or as best can be. Why did you choose this profession?

Tyler Schinharl:

So we all have different back stories. Personally, I've went to the physical therapist from about the time I could walk through high school with different injuries, different musculoskeletal problems that personally my anatomy has. And so I just thought it was the coolest thing. I mean, I went to this place and they were taking me through exercise. I was your normal hyperactive little kid who wouldn't stop moving. So this was a nice outlet. And then I liked that I came in with pain and then I would leave without the pain. And so that got me hooked early on and I don't think I really ever considered a different occupation.

Chrissy Billau:

What about you?

Joseph Dietrich:

Yeah, I mean, for me, I have a pretty similar story to Tyler too. I was active in high school in sports and had some injuries that introduced me to the idea of it. Prior to that, I had a family member who was involved in a pretty severe accident. And I saw how they came home from the hospital, what they were able to do. And then after weeks, months of physical therapy, about where they were at after that process. I mean, initially they came home with very limited mobility in the time and in a wheelchair. And then at the end now able to run 5k. So seeing that transition really opened my eyes to the power that we have as physical therapists and what we bring to patient care.

Chrissy Billau:

Well, yeah. And even whether or not you've been in an accident, even if you have no medical issues or any health issues, even if you like to watch Netflix all day, just moving a little bit every time can change your life. And in a specific way to help your muscles, it can change your life. So I think what you guys do is incredible. Piggybacking on Google searches, I want to ask you both, what is the most common question you get from your patients and what is your answer? I don't know who wants to go first.

Tyler Schinharl:

So one of the most common questions we get is, "Can this issue we're seeing you for come back?" And the short answer is yes. So a lot of the literature and anecdotal evidence will show that people who have had pain or injury are likely to experience our current episode at some point. It's just pain is part of being human injury is part of being human. But our goals as clinicians is to educate you and manage strategies. So you can prevent this as much as possible. We want to give you the tools to be able to hopefully fix yourself in the future if this ever does come back.

Chrissy Billau:

Well, it's probably also a little bit psychological too, for you guys. Because you're with somebody at a very hard time and they're seeing a mountain. So is that also an aspect to your daily?

Joseph Dietrich:

Yeah, absolutely. I mean one of the other common questions we get is how long is this going to take or is it normal to have these setbacks? And it depends. Depending on how where you started, what your end goal is. But yes, it's common to have setbacks throughout the rehab process. I mean, we would love to have you go from a nice straight line from point A to point B. Point B being your optimal function. But there are usually some plateaus in there that we have to push through. And that's why we do really emphasize, it's good to have somebody guiding that process. We're not the ones with all the answers. But we're here to facilitate your progress. And so always bounce ideas off your physical therapist. Let them know if your goals have changed. Like if there's something else you want to try, let us know that. We tailor everything based upon that. Does that answer your question?

Chrissy Billau:

Yes. That definitely answers my question. Now I'd like to talk about some of the elements of your practices. What have you guys been working on lately?

Tyler Schinharl:

So pretty soon here in the fall, I can't give you all the details right now. But we are doing some collaborations with some local high schools with movement and exercise and hopefully getting people stronger throughout sports seasons and such. We're in the development stage of it right now. But we're hoping to implement that this fall.

Chrissy Billau:

So starting working with young athletes to set them on a safe, healthy path.

Tyler Schinharl:

Yeah. Young athletes. But young individuals in general, as well.

Chrissy Billau:

Oh, you don't have to be an athlete. Just...

Tyler Schinharl:

Don't have to be, no. Just as long as you move.

Chrissy Billau:

I like it. I look forward to finding out more about it. What is the one thing you would both like to tell your patients relevant to your specialty or just in general, in your experience in your career?

Joseph Dietrich:

So Tyler already touched on a little bit. But again, the direct access that we have here in Ohio for patients to be able to call and schedule with us directly is such a huge advantage to people. I mean, it saves you a lot of time. It's been shown to cut down on unnecessary imaging in the medical system. So patients can call us schedule. Typically our plans we can treat for up to 30 days without needing a referral in that window. So we can, a lot of times, address that issue or at least get it started right away.

Tyler Schinharl:

And something else I want everyone to know is that exercise is the only nonpharmacological intervention known to consistently improve the human condition, therefore offsetting age related illnesses. If you exercise consistently, hopefully meeting that 75 minutes per week or 150 minutes per week, it can reduce all cause and cancer related mortality, reduce the amount of heart disease, high blood pressure, and symptoms of your anxiety and depression. So it's really the only pill that can potentially mitigate all of these other chronic healthcare conditions that we see throughout our aging process.

Chrissy Billau:

So for everyone looking for the magic pill, this is it. Exercise.

Tyler Schinharl:

Absolutely. Yes.

Joseph Dietrich:

Movement is medicine for sure.

Chrissy Billau:

Okay. And where are your locations?

Joseph Dietrich:

So we are based out of the Health Science campus here at UTMC. So over by the main hospital. So it's at 3000 Arlington Ave. And we're in Dowling Hall, which is down in the basement in Room 20. And then we also have a Regency Clinic here, as well, with UTMC.

Chrissy Billau:

Okay. And what is the phone number for somebody to call if they want to talk with you guys?

Tyler Schinharl:

Our phone number is (419) 383-5040.

Chrissy Billau:

Are men and women different in the kinds of exercise recommendations you have for them?

Joseph Dietrich:

So, yes, the general dosage will vary a little bit. But overall I would say just anecdotally, we tend to see a lot of under-dosing in resistance training when it comes to the female population. Where maybe they just didn't have as much exposure to that in high school, whether it was through athletics or just general gym class education. So really emphasizing that resistance training is important for women, especially during the aging process. You can help combat bone mineral density changes.

Tyler Schinharl:

One thing Joe's trying to say is your body will grow as you stress it. So early on, the more weight you load it up with your muscles will adapt. Your bones will adapt. And then prior to the age of 26, when our bones become as firm and as strong as they are. So we have up until that window to increase that bone mineral density to increase the strength of the bones. To hopefully offset the future issue of osteopenia, osteoporosis, that a lot of aging women deal with specifically after the age of 40.

Chrissy Billau:

What's interesting is I remember myself and a lot of my friends right now. I mean, I'm going to be 40 next year. And I remember growing up, I was like, "Well, I don't want to lift all the weights because I don't want to look like a bodybuilder." I thought that's what was going to happen. And essentially you're hurting yourself by not having that muscle and that's not going to happen. You can do exercises to avoid that.

Joseph Dietrich:

Yeah. You, you hear that a lot. And it undersells how much work people have to put in to look like a bodybuilder. Like it's not something that just happens by accident. There's a lot of training and dietary considerations that go into creating that much hypertrophy, what we call, increase in muscle size. So really that's a flawed line of thinking at this point. We have so much evidence to support strength training for females that, really, we need to be encouraging it at at pretty much every stage.

Chrissy Billau:

Okay. If you've been through an injury and you've come back and you healed and you're back, can keeping up with maybe some 10 minute workouts, just something short and sweet and intense in those 10 minutes. Can that help prevent you from backtracking to what was wrong before?

Joseph Dietrich:

Yeah. So one of the best preventative measures is strength training or having that higher capacity. So absolutely, if your intensity is high enough in that 10 minute period, and it's an intensity that's tolerable to you. Then it can certainly help stave that off and reduce the risk of it coming back.

Chrissy Billau:

And I don't know if I'm hearing this right and please stop me if I'm wrong. Is strength training more important or more beneficial than cardio?

Joseph Dietrich:

We might just be a little more biased towards it, given our history. So, no, not necessarily. There are huge benefits to be achieved from both. You the American college of sports medicine recommends doing some form of each, every single week. So no, I wouldn't say one is necessarily more vital than the other. Again, tailoring that each type to something that you enjoy doing. So for your cardio, if you like biking a lot more than running, don't force yourself to run, just go bike. If you like doing body weight, exercise more than lifting a barbell, that's a great entry point to resistance training. So make it challenging. But you don't need to force yourself under the barbell until you feel ready for it.

Chrissy Billau:

Okay. Find your balance.

Joseph Dietrich:

Absolutely.

Chrissy Billau:

Thank you, Joe Dietrich and Tyler Schinharl. That's all for this episode of Prescribed Listening from the University of Toledo Medical Center. Subscribe to hear more on your favorite podcast platform. And join us next week for another episode where we tackle more of the top Googled health questions.