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What is your favorite recipe you've gotten from your Mom or Grandma??
You know when you have a favorite food your Mom or Grandma used to cook and, not only, is it sooo good, but it also brings back some good memories? So you call your Mom and Grandma, if you're blessed enough to still have them in your life, to get the recipe thinking, "It can't be that hard to make. I'm a grown adult who runs a business, a family, a life, and it's just a pie?" Maybe that part is just me... They give it to you exactly, step by step, every detail, and you're so excited about this dish. This dish you'll now be able to make whenever you want and share it with your family. You get it together, put it in the oven, and as it bakes, it smells so good. The memories come flooding back from some piece of your childhood. You pull it out of the oven, impatiently wait for it to cool, and get a HUGE serving drooling with anticipation... Nope, it just doesn't taste the same! You check the recipe again, you call your Mom to make sure you wrote it down correctly, you've watched them make it a hundred times, but it still isn't right. That is exactly what it's like trying to watch people on Social Media teach you how to do an exercise, fix a pain, contract your pelvic floor to keep from leaking, do perineal massage to get ready for Labor and Delivery. It's just not the same as coming to the clinic to walk you through it, show you what to do/not to do, help you feel what it's supposed to feel like and look like before you continue on your own. Once you can see it, feel it, hear it, know it then you can dive deeper into what you see on Social Media. So if you're struggling with something right now and need a little guidance to get started and to do it correctly, let me help. I don't think it's necessary to have to rely on PT through the entire process, but a couple of visits can sure make the outcomes that much tastier! Just to help my memories live on, the recipe for me from my Mom that came from her Mom is a homebaked Peach Custard Pie...my favorite! Look forward to hearing from you! As always, Our Bodies Are Made To Move, so let’s keep moving, Tess Vaughn, PT, DPT, COMT, OCS, DN
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What is happening with me right now??
I have to be able to run 3 Half Marathons, through the sand, back to back in 55 days and I can't seem to get motivated to train! My training thus far as consisted of 3 miles one day as my "long" run, 2 miles the day after and 2.8 miles the day after that...that's it... And I've only done that twice. And then Lent started on 2/22/23 which means I've only been at it for 9 days and that's a long way from 40 days. One of my Lenten promises is to eat clean. I can only eat things that can be grown or killed. No processed foods, no sweets, no alcohol...and I'm not happy! As I was teaching Pilates class yesterday, do you know what I was thinking about as we were doing "inch worms"? Crumbl cookies!!! Here I am trying to motivate my class to be healthy, make healthy choices, do good things for our bodies and I want a cookie so bad I can't stand it... I am usually the one doing the motivating and holding people accountable, but the roles have reversed and now I have clients holding me accountable to my training runs. And, I have to admit, it's kinda nice to have people out there who want me to succeed and understand that at some point in everyone's life, we need other people to pull us through and motivate us! So if you're struggling with something right now and need a little push to get started or accountability to stay going, let me help. I promise I'm much better at being the motivator and pusher than I am doing my training and Lenten promises right now! Look forward to hearing from you! As always, Our Bodies Are Made To Move, so let’s keep moving, Tess Vaughn, PT, DPT, COMT, OCS, DN Is pain or fear preventing you from doing what you love?
Is there something you'd like to ask me as a PT, as a Coach, as a medical professional, as a runner, as a woman? What questions can I help answer? I'm going to put together a FAQ download on my website and would love to get your input and feedback. Here are a few I will address:
"I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, that you will be loved and you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly, that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind." Look forward to hearing from you! As always, Our Bodies Are Made To Move, so let’s keep moving, Tess Vaughn, PT, DPT, COMT, OCS, DN Are you finding you're holding yourself back because of pain or fear?
It was Halloween night and I was studying. I forgot it was Halloween, I had no candy, and had accidently left the front porch light on. The door bell rung and I froze! I felt so bad that I didn't have candy, so I crouched down and pretended like I wasn't at home. As soon as the kids left, I hurried along, turned off the front porch light and raced out the door before more kids came down the driveway. In my rush and with no lights on, I missed the bottom step...that was an expensive Halloween night spent in the ER for xrays and an ankle fracture! Fast forward through the years of trail running, ultimate frisbee, yard games, kick ball leagues and the ankle injuries continued on. After the last couple of more painful injuries, I became fearful on uneven ground when I would run or play. I changed the way my foot landed on the ground to protect it. I wouldn't run as fast and free. I didn't trust my ankle anymore and I was frustrated.... I get it, I understand and I've been there so many times. Something hurts so badly or is so weak that we start to not trust it. We change the way we move. We move cautiously and our body forgets how to move and gets weaker. Or, even worse, we stop doing the things we love to do because we're scared. That's the benefit of Physical Therapy! I can help ease the pain, so moving becomes easier. That's the easy part and the quickest part! That may only take a visit or so, but once the pain is gone, our body is still trained to move cautiously or to be afraid to trust it. It can also lead to a cascade of different pain areas and weakness. In PT, I help you:
I don't want you to have to need me for PT. I don't want you to have to be in PT for weeks and months, but I'm here to help you through those problems that are limiting you now and it's my goal to always give you ways to take control of the limitations on your own once you're ready! Don't let something that is keeping you from doing what you love linger on. Sometimes you can't do it all on your own and need a little help. Work through it now with some guidance and move on to finding your JOY! As always, Our Bodies Are Made To Move, so let’s keep moving, Tess Vaughn, PT, DPT, COMT, OCS, DN What thoughts and fears keep you up at night?
I really want to know what keeps you up at night. Based on studies, it usually falls into 1 of 3 categories: HEALTH, WEALTH, or RELATIONSHIPS. But here's a positive, if you can make a change in 1 category, it usually improves all 3 categories! Are you finding you're winded just from walking up the stairs and you're only 50 and that makes you think, "I'm way to young for that. When did that happen? I used to run 3 miles with no problem." Yeah, you may have gained a few pounds, but seriously, should it be that hard?? Do you dread the summer because you think your thighs look like cottage cheese and you know you're going to have to be in shorts and bathing suits soon; plus, it just doesn't make you feel good about yourself no matter what other people are thinking. Do you catch a glimpse of yourself in a reflection and think, "Who is that old lady with the hump at her back and why is she so hunched over?!" I look like that if I'm not conscious of how I'm sitting and my daughter has pointed it out to me...thanks, Abbey! Have you tried to pick up 5 bags of groceries to avoid making a second trip to the car and find it is ridiculously hard to make it to the house when you used to be able to pick up a 50 lb bag of dog food with no problems? One of my professors in PT school and mentor told us, "Once you turn 40, it's a slow march to death!" We just thought it was funny because we were all in our 20's, but physiologically, it really is true unless you're actively fighting it. Here are a few of the things that begin happening after age 40: increased risk of back pain we start to shrink our bones start to lose calcium and minerals increasing our risk of breaking a bone we lose muscle mass (sacropenia) decreased energy we don't recover from injuries as easily or as quickly our joints weaken decrease in sleep harder to lose weight BUT, the great thing is, we can fight every one of those negatives with just exercising regularly!! Try to start out with just having 1 small win a day. 1 small win turns into multiple wins and then you start seeing progress.
Don't let health be the thing that keeps you awake at night. I can help you make positive changes in your health, your well-being, your JOY. If you need help getting started or pain is keeping you from starting, call or email me. As always, Our Bodies Are Made To Move, so let’s keep moving, Tess Vaughn, PT, DPT, COMT, OCS, DN My Birthday Gift to You!
I just celebrated my birthday on Friday and I often get asked how I'm going to celebrate. I LOVE birthdays and I like to fill mine with things that bring me HAPPINESS and JOY! Here are a few of my favorite things:
In honor of everyone's SPECIAL day: $20 off your PT session when booked the week of your birthday OR $5 off a Pilates class the week of your birthday (Pilates classes are on Mondays at 5:30pm, Wednesdays at 1pm (starting Feb 1, 2023), and Thursdays at 11am) *Click the BIRTHDAY button below What do YOU like to do on your BIRTHDAY to celebrate YOU? As always, Our Bodies Are Made To Move, so let’s keep moving, Tess Vaughn, PT, DPT, COMT, OCS, DN Are you in the GAP or the GAIN??
I am listening to a book called, "The Gap and the Gain" by Dan Sullivan. The concept is that we each set goals or "ideals", but that goal or ideal is always moving and changing as we change; therefore, it's difficult to ever reach. So no matter how much progress we make, how much weight we lose, how many miles we put in, we aren't able to appreciate our progress because we are measuring to a moving target. That is called the GAP. However, if we measure ourselves by looking back at what we have done and how far we have moved toward our "ideal", we are then in the GAIN. When I ran the 55K a few years ago, if I just looked at my pace, my blisters, and my achy feet, I would only see the GAP and I wouldn't be happy or satisfied with what I had done. However, if I look back on it and think of how many miles I was actually able to run and the breathtaking views I saw along the route, the people I met along the way, I have now put myself in the GAIN. It wasn't my ideal pace or what my goal was and it definitely wasn't painfree, but I did it and that gave me one more opportunity to have confidence in what my body and willpower could achieve for my next adventure. Just since Jan 1, 2023, I have had 3 clients make HUGE "Gains" in their lives:
When you look at your goals or your "ideal" life, do you see the GAP or the GAIN?? Let me help you with the pain, the weakness, the mindset, the confidence in your body that is holding you back from your GAIN... As always, Our Bodies Are Made To Move, so let’s keep moving, Tess Vaughn, PT, DPT, COMT, OCS, DN HAPPY NEW YEAR!
What're your feelings about the New Year? Do you feel hopeful? Indifferent? Apprehensive? Excited? I love the start of a New Year! It's another chance to do better. Do something new. Another adventure to plan. Another chance to reach more clients and help them feel better in their bodies and feel excited to plan THEIR new adventures and health goals. It can be difficult, and frustrating, to feel excited about a New Year when our bodies don't feel good. When something hurts or feels weak. When we try to do the right thing in our diets and exercise routines, but we keep getting knocked down. I understand. I have to fight those feelings, too. I get aches and pains. I get lazy. I gain holiday weight and feel blah. But then I think about my plans, my adventures, what brings me JOY, and I get back to it. Sometimes it's a slow process. Sometimes those runs and workouts feel like I've never worked out a day in my life...But when I get a good run in, when I can still wrestle with my 6'3, 18 year old son, or take a Pilates and Yoga class with my daughter, it more than makes up for those not so good days. So let's let 2023 be the year we keep picking ourselves up, go again, push a little more even when we don't feel like it, make those travel plans we've been putting off, feel EXCITED about the process to reach our goals even when it gets hard and it feels like we can't. Reach out and ask for help, make that appointment, check in with that friend... A Couple of my 2023 Goals: Fitness Goal: Train and race at the Vacation Races Grand Circle Trailfest in Moab, UT in April. I will trail run 13+ miles each day for 3 consecutive days around Moab, Canyonlands, and the Arches National Park. Professional Goals: 1. Continue to fight the health care system in order to streamline the process of finding answers and treatments for your pain without the run around of unnecessery meds, tests, referrals, and appointments. No one has time, money, or patience for that! 2. Continue to reach new women to help them prepare for labor and delivery and decrease the risk of pelvic floor issues later and help those who have leaking with exercise and pain with sex. It's common, but not okay and not just to be expected because you had kids at some point in your life! Tell me about your GOALS and your PLANS for 2023! How can I help you? As always, Our Bodies Are Made To Move, so let’s keep moving, Tess Vaughn, PT, DPT, COMT, OCS, DN Do you know what health and PT advice I wish I would've had 20 years ago?
Our first child, Abbey, was born almost 20 years ago and I knew nothing about how I could've prepared my body for labor and delivery and for the changes that occurred in my body after having babies (and still do 20 years later!) Don't stop reading yet, we all have women in our lives whom we want the best for... Let's think about how pregnant and postpartum mamas are given help and compare it to an athlete who has an ACL tear. As an athlete with a tear, they are seen immediately by a physician or a PT, an exam is done, special tests are performed, and then they are overloaded with information about ACL tears, the best treatment, what to expect pre and post surgery, prognosis, and return to sport expectations and precautions. They are referred to PT for "pre-hab" to strengthen the muscles that attach to the knee joint, we work on their range of motion to get it to its optimum prior to surgery to get the best results, we decrease their swelling, we work on their gait to try to normalize it all before they even have surgery. Following surgery, they are immediately referred to PT and start within just a few days post surgery. The rehab for an ACL tear is slowed down to allow for tissues to heal correctly and strengthen without putting too much or too early of a demand on them. They are seen 2-3x wks for months, they have frequent follow ups with the surgeon to assess the integrity of the reconstruction, to make sure they are achieving certain milestones (range of motion, strength, balance) at certain phases. Once they go through all of that work and all the "numbers" are where they are supposed to be, they still aren't released to return to sport or activity until they "pass" certain sport specific tests and skills. They are followed by the surgeon and the PT for almost a year or more after the surgery to make sure they are doing well and thriving. All of that is great and necessary and allows the athlete to feel confident in his/her knee. It is a thorough and well researched process. Now let's look at what it looks like to give birth to a sweet little human... We, too, are seen by a doctor pretty soon after we know we are pregnant or go to the doctor to get that confirmation, but unfortunately, we aren't referred to a pelvic health PT. We aren't given "pre-hab" to get our bodies ready for labor or delivery and to have someone explain to us the process, what it will feel like, what to expect, and how to prepare. The midwives and doulas do a great job and they will also recommend PT to their patients/clients, but it doesn't happen automatically. The pains we can feel during pregnancy don't have to happen or it can be treated and controlled by exercise and education and allow our pregnancies to be more pleasant. PTs can help our mamas strengthen muscles to prepare for delivery, we can work on range of motion and stretches of the pelvic floor to allow the muscles and the tissues to be ready for the changes, we can teach you ways to move, to breathe, things to wear to help the symptoms, all the different positions you have to labor in, and just to be there for you for your questions and concerns. We can minimize the tearing that can occur during labor and delivery, we can minimize the leaking and the pain that can follow birth, we can minimize how long these symptoms last so it's not months, and years, and decades later that we still have issues. We can help make sex not painful and miserable. Where athletes with ACL reconstruction are given tests and skills to pass prior to sport and activity to make sure their knee is ready for the demands, mamas are given a release by their OBGYN at the 6 week mark to proceed normally with life. And, yes, the tissues may be healed and they are "safe" to return to activity and exercise, but their bodies and their tissues are not ready for the demands. Those pelvic floor muscles, just like the quads and the hamstrings for our ACL athlete, have to be retrained, they have to be strengthened, they have to build up tension for support, but also know how to relax for sex. They have the weight of the body pushing down on them, plus now they have to carry, lift, bounce, and care for a baby. They also need to be built back safely to avoid prolonged issues and pain. So the advice I wish someone would have told me is to spend the time and the money to get someone to help me through the process. To have someone explain to me, to teach me, to treat me, and to prepare my body for life after a baby...Yes, it is common to leak after having a baby, but it's not normal, it doesn't have to happen, and it can be treated even decades after giving birth!! Some feedback I have received from previous prenatal/postpartum clients:
Are you pregnant and want to know how to prepare or have you already had a baby and your body just doesn't feel like your body? Are you still having issues when you run, jump, sneeze, or cough? Do you have pain with sex? I can help! With the holidays quickly approaching, it's a great time to give yourself a treat or there's no better gift to give someone you love... ***For a limited time and for a limited number of people, purchase a 6 pack of sessions at 10% off and you'll receive 4 Pilates classes FREE! You will also have access directly to me via text or email for your questions or concerns and accountability with coaching. Email or call me for details or to sign up.*** Outline of Sessions:
Contact Me to Sign Up and Feel More in Control of Your Body or for a Discovery Call! As always, Our Bodies Are Made To Move, so let’s keep moving, Tess Vaughn, PT, DPT, COMT, OCS, DN Have you ever sat on the wide open beach at Jekyll Island?
My son was running in a Cross Country meet there last weekend with 40 other schools and I was sitting out on the beach the evening before the race. The kids from one of the schools came out on the beach after dinner to horse around and started playing ultimate frisbee (hands down my favorite sport to play!) These kids had to run at 7:15 am in the morning and they did not have a care in the world besides the game they were playing with their friends right then. They weren't thinking about spraining an ankle, they weren't thinking about being sore the next day, they weren't planning out their strategy, they weren't inside laying out their clothes and gear, they weren't in their heads. They were playing with their heart and with abandonment, they were laughing, and truly in the moment just having fun! It was a JOY to watch (and so hard not to ask if I could join in!) How long has it been since you were able to PLAY like that and feel confident in your body? When we're in our heads and trying to "protect" our bodies, we're at a higher risk of having an injury and feeling pain. Our bodies are amazingly smart and functional if we'd just get out of our own way! We think by tightening our abdominals, holding our breath, and bearing down, we are protecting our backs...WE'RE NOT. We think if we tense up a part of our body where we feel pain before we move, we will protect it and it won't hurt...NOPE. When we avoid doing exercises or moving in a certain direction, we think we're protecting that area...UH-UH. Each time we do those things out of fear of pain or injury, we send a message to our brain that there is danger. When the muscle gets that message, they go into protect mode and tighten up even more which keeps us having pain and trigger points. When we tighten our abs, our breath can't move in the body like a piston which means the pelvic floor muscles, the transverse abdominus muscle, and the multifidus (our core) can't fire normally. When we avoid a certain motion or direction, that muscle gets weaker which puts us at a higher risk of injury. It's important to listen to our bodies when we have an injury, but instead of trying to lock our body down to protect it, just find a different way to exercise (temporarily) and stay active! If you still have pain or fear that is keeping you from playing or exercising with heart and abandonment and living in the moment then Contact Me for a Discovery Call! As always, Our Bodies Are Made To Move, so let’s keep moving, Tess Vaughn, PT, DPT, COMT, OCS, DN |
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