Physical Challenge: When we say, "smooth" what do you think of?
Think of a basketball player weaving in and out of traffic, handling the ball, and scoring despite many distractions and obstacles...or picture a gymnast performing a flawless floor routine, jumping, hopping, skipping, dancing, and combining multiple sequences of movements without error.
Smooth is defined by Google as "having an even and regular surface or consistency; free from perceptible projections, lumps, or indentations". But we're physical therapists, we tend to think of terms in relation to human movement.
But first....Let's test your athletic "smooth"
Single Leg Triple Jump Test: Thing's you'll need for this test 1) Tape Measure 2) Tape 3) Space to jump and land.
WHAT DOES THIS MEASURE? Balance, stability, power, strength, & coordination.
HOW DO WE DO THE TEST?! Watch the video we've prepared below :) HOP as far as you can, crossing over the tape measure three times, off of one leg. you are not allowed to touch your arms or other leg down for balance, if this happens because you've lost your balance, simply restart. Record your best of 3 trials for each leg.
That means write down your score (distance in length of the 3 hops)
WHY write it down??? WE WILL BE HAVING YOU MEASURE THIS AGAIN? We are going to use your score today as your baseline. We will reassess your ability to complete this test again in a future challenge.
YOUR CHALLENGE TODAY.....
Practice the exercises below. They were crafted by your physical therapy team to improve your strength, balance, and coordination. Who knows, maybe these will also make you "Smooth"?
HOW THIS IS GRADED: Perform each exercise for 1 minute (use a finger on the wall/chair if this helps you NOT to fall over).
1 set will get you 1 point.
2 sets will get you 2 points.
3 sets will get you 3 points on the challenge.
A BONUS POINT FOR RECORDING YOUR TRIPLE JUMP SCORE
Nutrition Challenge: Smoooooothies
Smoothies area great way to blend together the things you like and the things our bodies need. They’re also a fantastic way to make use of all the random odds and ends in your fridge and pantry that might not be as appetizing all their own!
Today’s challenge is to take a look through your kitchen and make a smoothie. Points will be awarded based on the following criteria: inventiveness – how many “good for you ingredients” you can include, inclusiveness – fruit smoothies satisfy the sweet tooth, but can also help to disguise/soften the taste of veggies you might not like as much and share-ability – how many people in your family gave it a “thumbs up”?
How to get the ROCKSTAR points:
How many "good for you" ingredients did you include (i.e. fruits, veggies, proteins, "real food items")? You will be rewarded points for including healthy food options into your smoothie (1 point for 1-2, 2 points for 3-4, and all 3 points for 5 or more healthy food choices).
Spiritual Challenge: Create a gratitude journal entry.
A crucial piece spiritual and mental wellness is being able to reflect on past events in your life and come up with resolutions or reconciliations for your problems. However, for this post we'd like you to think about the things that are important to you in your life. Gratitude is being thankful and showing appreciation...which can be tough in this time of stress.
This challenge will be simple, I want you to use your journal to list 3 things that you are grateful for, and why you are grateful for them. Happy reflecting!