Women’s Health – May 2024

It’s no secret that women play a variety of roles in their day to day life. With so much on their plates, it’s no wonder that women often overlook their health and well-being in favor of tending to their work, family, and daily responsibilities. However, prioritizing health is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. Self-care is health care, girls!

We spoke to a number of local businesses about women’s health to find out what they offer to help women with their goals. Here’s what they have to say!

Healing as Unique as You Are

Women face unique challenges in life. Things like childbirth and menopause have a huge impact on overall health. Clients come to Husker Rehab to get healthier overall or to meet specific physical demands, such as before and after having a baby or major surgery. Other clients come with more chronic concerns, seeking a way to stop relentless pain or dysfunction of their body. Whatever the case, Husker Rehab (huskerrehab.com) is there for the women of the community, to support them in every way.

Outside of the office, there are things women can do to maintain their health and compliment their healthcare plans. According to Michelle Spicka, DPT, “One simple thing that women can do daily is to just to move their body.  Taking a 20 minute walk at least 5 times a week has many health benefits both physically and mentally.  Movement does not need to be complicated; simply walking around the neighborhood is a good daily activity.”

Simply going for a walk after dinner can change how you feel. Try it for a week and see! However, when you do need help from the professionals, remember that Husker Rehab implements the newest techniques in order to lead to the quickest possible recovery and most effective treatments. Continuous reevaluations and ongoing adjustments are made to the program as the client progresses or regresses requiring such. As a result, there is improved healing times and ability to return to activity safer and with less risk of return of issues promoting pain.

Prevent Health Concerns Before They Happen

Living a healthy vibrant life requires you to be proactive. Preventive measures like living an active life go a long way in keeping a woman’s body fit and healthy. Hitting the gym might be something to consider adding to your daily routine to keep your body feeling good. Madonna ProActive (proactive.madonna.org) offers a one-week free trial so you can try something new and see how it fits in your life.

“Spring is a perfect time to reenergize yourself and your health and wellness goals,” said Samantha Kelly, General Manager at Madonna ProActive. “Madonna ProActive offers short-term and on-going memberships to meet your needs, whatever they may be. Every month choose from a variety of different classes, workshops and series to customize your experience and stay motivated!”

In addition to personalized workout routines, nutritional guidance and various fitness classes, Madonna ProActive aims to empower women in reaching their fitness milestones. They offer more than 100 pieces of equipment and tools around their cutting-edge facility as well as a team of seasoned professionals. Madonna takes a holistic wellness approach to help women prioritize their health.

Keep Active and Do More of What You Love

Is there anything more luxurious than a massage? Women looking to add self-care to their routine should consider massages. According to The Body Connection (facebook.com/thebodyconnection) and anyone who has ever gotten a good massage, integrating massages into your routine can offer a valuable and targeted approach to achieving overall well-being and improved recovery post-workout.

“We have over 40 years of experience between all our therapists here, and I alone have 25 years, which is how long The Body Connection has been in Lincoln,” shared Tammy Helzer, Owner, LMT. “Massage helps prevent plateauing from exercise, it helps to speed healing time from injuries, it can even prevent injury.”

Massages offer a host of benefits such as: increasing blood flow, stimulating circulation, facilitating efficient transport of oxygen and essential nutrients to the muscles and reducing muscle tension. Through the application of pressure and various massage techniques, areas of tightness and knots in the muscles are addressed, promoting a sense of relaxation and alleviating discomfort. By targeting muscle imbalances and promoting joint mobility, massages enhance overall flexibility. This will help you keep active to keep up with your family or life’s other demands, allowing you to do more of what you love.

Beyond the physical benefits, massages offer a unique avenue for stress reduction. The calming effects of massage therapy extend beyond the muscles to positively impact mental well-being. This holistic approach to recovery acknowledges the interconnectedness of physical and mental health, providing a comprehensive strategy for individuals seeking an extra nudge towards feeling better.

Pick an Active Hobby

Prioritizing health can also be an opportunity to try a fun new activity and maybe pick up a new hobby! Taking a class is a great way to explore a new activity. Club Pilates (clubpilates.com) in Lincoln focuses on helping people both lose weight and get into shape. Club Pilates is currently located at 84th St. and Holdrege, but they’re opening a new studio at 56th St. and Union Hill. They anticipate the new studio to be open in mid-June, so there will be even more convenient options for women to choose from.

“We offer reformer based Pilates with 12 stations for classes as well as private training. Pilates focuses on the core, so it helps with balance, flexibility and strength. All of these things help to make you healthier and happier,” shared Christine Krueger, Owner.

By adding pilates to their weekly routine, women can gain strength and flexibility while getting in shape. Pilates is an inclusive exercise option accessible to individuals on diverse fitness paths. Its attraction stems from being a low-impact workout, reducing strain on joints and accommodating varying fitness levels. Club Pilates, a notable provider, caters to this expanded audience by offering classes designed for both novices and experienced pilates enthusiasts. Their comprehensive class spectrum ensures suitability for everyone, allowing individuals to engage comfortably and progressively in this exercise regimen, regardless of prior experience.

Perhaps prioritizing your health includes a new active career! Club Pilates will have openings at their new studio for instructors and they will even be offering a Comprehensive Teacher Training program at their existing studio for anyone who wants to explore this new exciting career.  People interested should call (531) 500-1456 for more details.

When prioritizing working out and attending sessions regularly, it is important to set realistic goals for how often you can fit it into your schedule. Maintaining a consistent routine while acknowledging that life’s demands may occasionally disrupt it is just as important as setting a goal that will produce results. Flexibility and self-compassion play crucial roles; missing a session or two shouldn’t be seen as failure, but instead as a natural part of the process.

Outsource Prescription Management and Free Up Time

For busy women, managing prescriptions and medications just adds more stress. Nebraska LTC Pharmacy (neltcpharmacy.com) is a concierge-style pharmacy that takes the stress off! Women need to take things off their plates, not add more. Founded by Shannon Hammerschmidt ten years ago, she wanted to offer more than the average retail pharmacy and to create something that made a difference for everyone, from patients to doctors to caregivers.

Nebraska LTC Pharmacy eliminates the need to travel to a pharmacy to pick up prescriptions by offering delivery services, and they help you to keep better track of medications by increasing the adherence of the packaging with easy-to-use blister packs. This frees up your time to focus on all the other demands.

Nebraska LTC’s goal is to provide unmatched care, customer service, and attention to detail that far exceed that of retail pharmacies. When giving care to an individual taking medications, contact Nebraska LTC to confirm that prescriptions are safe to take together. The pharmacist will do a medication review and contact any doctors involved with a patient’s care to ensure there is understanding all around. When utilizing this service, caregivers do not need to worry that medications are negatively interacting with each other and harming one’s health.

Nebraska LTC Pharmacy provides free delivery in both Lincoln and Omaha, and if you are not in a delivery area, then they will ship the medication to your door. The pharmacy also has a physical location in Lincoln but still serves Omaha patients and delivers!

Find the Right Shoes

Lincoln Running Company (lincrunningcompany.com) has been locally owned and operated by the same family since 1976, the Rogers family. Their mission has been the same since day one… to help people in Lincoln find the right shoes and gear to be fit, and to keep them active ….whether that be running, walking, or moving basically!

When asked for their advice on what women can do to prioritize their health, they shared this advice, “You need to make this simple – because we all know it isn’t easy so let’s keep it simple! In Beginner’s Luck we have a saying – You don’t need to run as far as you think you need to. You don’t need to run as fast as you think you need to. You need to run more often than you think you need to,” said Ann Ringlein of Lincoln Running Co. “Take any “last minute” decision making out of the scenario, meaning always have your plan made the day before: what your exercise is going to be (run, gym, walk whatever), who you are going to exercise with, what time you are going to do it, where you are going to do it. Have your clothing laid out, have your bottle of water ready, have your snack for the way home ready. Having all these decisions made, ahead of time, helps your exercise plan happen!

 

Planning ahead in your routine helps keep you consistent, it takes the pressure off so you aren’t making decisions in the moment, making the decision to exercise effortless.

Environmentally Conscious Health

For the environmentally conscious woman, Revival Pharms (revivalpharms.com) is a sustainable and ethical choice. Revival believes in helping people live healthy lives while being good stewards to the world in which they live. Revival Pharms is the dream of Ward and Jeanne who both grew up on family farms in Northeast Nebraska. After attending college and starting their careers, they returned to their roots and now live on a small acreage in eastern Nebraska where they grow hemp as a specialty crop and make products that are not only good for overall health but good for the environment.

When asked how women can incorporate wellness into their routine, Dr. Jeanne Greisen, RPh, PharmD had this to say, “Embrace Simple Wellness: Achieving optimum health doesn’t have to cost a fortune. In our fast-paced world, prioritizing stress reduction, soaking up sunshine for vitamin D, and eliminating environmental toxins is key for health. Plus, indulge in the simple pleasure of walking barefoot in the grass – a small act with enormous benefits for both mind and body.”

As we celebrate Women’s Health, let’s recommit ourselves to prioritizing self-care and embracing habits that promote lifelong vitality and well-being. Remember, investing in your health today lays the foundation for a vibrant and fulfilling tomorrow.

Go Beyond Standard Care

At Aletheia Integrative Medical (aletheia.md), experienced family medicine and direct primary care provider Jaime Dodge, MD, and the team provide personalized functional medicine to individuals and families in Lincoln and throughout Lancaster County.

Aletheia Integrative Medical is a full-service, direct primary care practice founded by Jaime Dodge, MD. Paying a small monthly or annual fee gives patients 24/7 access to the team, including functional medicine, cutting-edge restorative treatments and primary care.

The team at Aletheia shared some things that their female patients, and women in general, can add to their routine to greatly improve their health outside of the Dr’s office. “Get your vitamin D level checked, as this all-important vitamin plays a role in your energy, bone health, immune system function and cancer prevention,” shared Dr. Jaime Dodge, MD. “Also, take 15 minutes once daily and walk outside. Use this time to express gratitude for three positive things in your life.”

When women do need to see a provider, they should look no further than Aletheia. The team offers various services, including health coaching, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, infusion therapy and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy. Patients can also access medically supervised weight loss, and red light therapy. Their state-of-the-art offices include lab testing facilities, a supplement store and same-day access to their innovative therapies. The team can even make vitamin and nutritional supplement recommendations and ship them directly to patients’ homes.

The Aletheia Integrative team is caring and compassionate. They set aside plenty of time for appointments and make an effort to understand each individual’s symptoms, concerns, and goals. They then use this information to develop care plans that promote healing and general well-being. Call Aletheia Integrative today to schedule a new patient appointment or book your visit online.

There are so many local options offering resources and services so that women can make their health a priority this year. From nutrition and fitness to mental and emotional wellness, the advice from these outstanding businesses underscores the importance of self-care and proactive health management. For women, incorporating these practices into their daily routines empowers them to thrive, both personally and professionally. Women should embrace the wealth of knowledge shared here to cultivate a holistic approach to health that enriches their lives and strengthens their communities.