exercise of the month: Lat Pulldowns

The lat pulldown exercise works the back muscles and is traditionally performed at a workstation with adjustable resistance. This type of exercise is important to make everyday "pulling" movements easier. Activities such as opening a door, starting the lawnmower, swimming, or even a pull-up all require strength from your back muscles. Having strong lats can help with proper posture and may even help to relieve some kinds of back pain. 

Lat pulldowns mainly target the latissimus dorsi, more commonly referred to as the "lats", which is a muscle just under the armpits that spreads across and down the back. Lap pulldowns will also work the teres major, a muscle near the bottom of the shoulder blades. There are many different variations of lat pulldowns, as always you can see one of our MTS personal trainers for tips and help with lat pulldowns. 

Lat Pulldown

- Sit comfortable on the pulldown seat with your feet flat on the floor. Grasp the bar with a wide, overhand, knuckle-up grip. (Other positions and grips are possible but start with the standard)

- Pull the lat pulldown bar until it's approximately level with the chin. Exhale on the downward motion. While shifting slightly backward is OK, aim to keep your upper torso stationary. Keep your feet flat on the floor and engage your abs as you pull. The bottom of the motion should be where your elbows can't move downward anymore without moving backward. Be sure to stop at that point and do no go lower.

- Squeeze the shoulder blades together while maintaining square shoulders.

- From the bottom position with the bar close to your chin, slowly return the lat pulldown bar to the starting position while controlling its gradual ascent. Don't let it crash into the weight plates. 

- Continue until you complete 8 to 12 reps in a set.

Some of the other variations include using a band, especially for beginners to ensure they are using the correct form during a lat pulldown. You can also try it standing, with one leg forward as if walking. Straight Arm Pulldown is another variation, using the cable system, this exercise is typically done standing. Keep your elbows fully extended and pull straight down to your hips. A similar exercise that will work the same muscles is the pull-up. This exercise will work not only your latissimus dorsi but also your chest, upper back, and shoulder muscles. 

🙂 Friendly Reminders 🙂

- Please dry off before exiting the pool area and either entering the locker rooms or exiting the building!

- Please keep conversations during group exercise classes to a minimum!

- Please be kind and courteous to your fellow Wellness Members!

✨ Holiday Hours ✨

January Class Schedules 

Townhouse

- No changes at Townhouse for January!

Dulles

- Lainey will be starting a new class on Thursdays at 5pm! Come join her for Live Fit starting January 9th!

Youngsville

- Nanette will be starting Intro to Pilates on January 15th at 11:45am!

 Healthy Habits 

Navigating the temptation of Holiday Sweets!

Starting the new year off right can make all the difference for having a successful 2025! For many that means setting resolutions. Common resolutions to set are starting a new exercise routine, picking up a new hobby, or changing aspects of your diet.

A common struggle around the new year can be kicking those cravings of those wonderful holiday cookies and sweet treats. Unfortunately, as tasty as all those candies and cookies can be, indulging in them in large amounts and over long periods of time can start to have negative effects to your overall health. Effects can include increased risk of developing heart disease, type II diabetes, and hypertension, as well as weight gain. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar per day for women and 9 teaspoons of sugar per day for men when following a heart healthy diet.

Do not fear because you are not alone in the struggle! We are here to help you tackle those cravings and start the 2025 year off right!

• Tip #1: Start your day off with a savory breakfast instead of a sweet breakfast.

- Beginning your day with a more savory and protein-oriented breakfast will allow you to feel more full for a longer amount of time. Sugary options like French toast or pancakes are delicious but will spike your blood sugar very quickly. This will cause you to feel hungry again in a short period of time. Instead, try a more balanced breakfast with eggs, lean meat (ex: turkey sausage) and Greek yogurt.

• Tip #2: Avoid prepackaged foods.

- Prepackaged foods from the grocery store often contain high amounts of hidden sugar. These products line the shelves of the grocery store and contain significantly larger amounts of sugar than what homemade products contain. Common products such as yogurt, bread, instant oatmeal packets, snack bars, and sauces and condiments are just some examples of those foods with hidden high amounts of sugar.

- Whenever possible try to make foods at home that you enjoy. When you cook your food at home you have control over what is put into it.

• Tip #3: Eat consistently throughout the day.

- Having consistent meals and snacks throughout the day helps to prevent decreases in blood sugar. When your blood sugar gets low from not eating for prolonged periods of time your body will start to crave foods high in sugar to counteract the low blood sugar.

- It is best to eat 3 meals a day and then listening to your body’s hunger cues throughout the day for snacks.

- When snacking, try to prioritize more nutrient dense options such as fruits, nuts, yogurt, and lean proteins.

• Tip #4: Stay hydrated.

- Try to avoid sugary drinks such as soda, milkshakes, and sweetened teas. These drinks lead to decreased hydration levels due to their high level of sugar. And ironic enough, a symptom of dehydration is craving sugary foods or beverages. Unsweetened tea/lemonade are great alternatives.

- Mayo Clinic recommends around 15 cups of water per day for men and around 12 cups of water for women.

• Tip #5: Eat those sweet treats!

- Yes, that’s correct. You can still eat your leftover holidays cookies and candies. But while doing so it is important to be mindful about how much you are consuming. No one is perfect and if you have a sweet tooth, it is important to honor that craving from time to time. When you allow yourself to have a treat occasionally when your body craves it, you are less likely to want to binge eat those sweets. This creates a healthier relationship between you and your food!

We're hiring!

MTS Wellness is hiring for PRN instructors, if you know someone interested in joining our team please have them send their resume to wellness@mtspts.com. We are in need of aerobics instructors, cycling instructors, yoga instructors and more!

We are excited to bring on new members on our Wellness Team! Over the next few weeks you will start to see new faces shadowing current instructors in class and eventually teaching some classes. We thank you for your patience as we go through a new transition.  

Virtual Memberships and Virtual Add-on Service

MTS offers a virtual wellness membership for $22 + tax per month.

This includes access to all of our live scheduled virtual classes and our video library, which allows you to participate in your favorite MTS classes on your own time. All you need is a smart phone, tablet or computer to get set up and started today! 

We also offer a virtual add-on service for only $11.99 + tax per month added to your regular membership. With this add-on service you will have it all! It allows for you to come in house to use equipment AND have access to classes using our virtual platform. 

Our wellness team is eager to welcome you into your gym routine! We'd love to assist you with establishing an exercise regimen or guiding you to choose a class that best fits your needs! We are here to help answer any and all of your questions! 

Visit our website www.mtsphysicaltherapy.com for all your wellness needs!

As always, you can reach out to us by email at wellness@mtspts.com. You can reach Laurel @ Youngsville at 337-856-1717, Taylor @ Dulles at 337-703-3604, or Laura @ Townhouse at 337-571-1200.

About MTS Physcial Therapy & Wellness

MTS offers full physical therapy services, along with all inclusive wellness and gym memberships serving the Acadiana Area. Our approach is a concept that embraces all aspects of a person’s needs. We help you better understand the importance of body, mind and soul to your overall well-being.

With complete physical therapy services, relaxed settings, and supportive and encouraging staff at all locations, we will make it possible for you to get back to living LIFE again!