Are You and Your Kids Getting Enough Exercise?

Part of a series of informative articles from Special Tree's Physical Therapists to get you moving in 2010!

By Kit Pohl, PT, CBIS
Physical Therapist
Troy Neuro Skills Center

How much physical activity do adults and kids need to stay healthy?

Guidelines for physical activity were updated by the US Department of Health and Human Services in December 2009. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans outline the health benefits of regular exercise and offer the following recommendations for children, adolescents, adults and older adults.

Children and adolescents should do one hour or more of physical activity each day. Activities for children should consist of aerobic activity of moderate intensity five days per week and vigorous-intensity activity three days per week, muscle strengthening at least three days per week and bone strengthening at least three days per week. Encourage kids and teens to participate in age-appropriate activities which are enjoyable and offer variety. Check out this website. It lists 100 activities for children and teens including Nintendo Wii and in-line skating. Aerobic activities can include running as part of game play or bike riding. Muscle strengthening, including core strengthening, should be part of the 60 minute session. Bone strengthening activities can include jumping rope.

Adults need 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity every week and muscle strengthening activities two or more days a week. Alternatively, one-hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity every week and muscle strengthening activities two or more days a week that works all major muscle groups.

People who are 65 years of age or older and have no limiting health condition can follow the same guidelines.

Any activity which increases your heart rate and breathing rate can be aerobic. Examples of a moderate intensity work-out include brisk walking of the dog or push-mowing the lawn. Running or swimming laps would require vigorous effort. Strength training can be done at home or in the gym. Try lifting weights, doing exercise that uses your body weight for resistance, or yoga.

To help meet exercise goals, spread activity throughout the week. On a daily basis, aerobic activity should be done for at least 10 minutes at a time. Going for a 10- minute brisk walk 3 times a day, 5 times a week will add up to 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity.

Special Tree is on a Roll...an Honor Roll!

Michigan Quality Council Recognizes Special Tree for Outstanding Quality

Special Tree is especially proud of the recent 2009 Leadership Honor Roll recognition from the Michigan Quality Council. The prestigious honor is reserved not only for a company that has made significant progress in improving quality, but for one that the MQC feels is poised to earn their top award – the Quality Leadership Award. CEO Joe Richert attended the awards ceremony on March 22, 2010 where he proudly received a certificate signed by Governor Granholm and also showed off a custom bumper sticker he had made for all Special Tree staff to declare their Honor Roll pride. "Thanks for everyone at Special Tree. This recognition demonstrates that we’re headed in the right direction," he said.

Special Tree began its "Quest for Excellence" in 2007, when it embraced the National Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. Congress established the program in 1987 to recognize U.S. organizations for their achievements in quality and performance and to raise awareness about the importance of quality and performance excellence as a competitive edge. "Aligning our practices with the criteria helps us identify strengths and improvement areas, employ best practices, and focus on professional development and exemplary performance," said Chief Quality Officer Lynn Slevin. As part of the process, Special Tree conducts ongoing quality audits as well as an intense yearly review of all of our services and practices.

Special Tree submits applications each year to a Board of Examiners at the Michigan Quality Council and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program in Washington D.C., to solicit feedback on our progress. This rigorous process helps ensure we are doing all we can to provide exemplary customer service and creates a successful rehabilitation environment for clients and staff

Special Tree Awards Scholarships to Eleven Outstanding College-Bound Seniors

Since 1995, Special Tree has awarded 150 scholarships totaling over $100,000 to outstanding local students to pursue careers in healthcare and rehabilitation

For the fifteenth consecutive year, Special Tree has awarded scholarships to college-bound seniors from high schools located near Special Tree’s inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation facilities located in Oakland, Wayne, Macomb, Midland and Saginaw counties. This year, 11 exceptional students received a cash scholarship of $1000 to use towards their college expenses. To help with the rising costs of higher education, Special Tree increased the scholarship award from $750 to $1000 in 2009.

Special Tree’s Healthcare and Rehabilitation Scholarship was created in 1995 to encourage college-bound students to pursue healthcare careers and to increase awareness of traumatic brain injury. The competitive scholarship is based on a student’s academic achievement, community involvement, school activities, references, and an interest in a healthcare or rehabilitation career. With this year’s awards, Special Tree has contributed over $100,000 in scholarships to 150 deserving students since the program’s inception.


This year’s winner are:

Jumoke Cadmus, Birmingham Groves HS
Kaitlyn Polonis, Chippewa Valley HS, Clinton Twp.
Angie Souva, Flat Rock HS
Autumn DeGroat, Freeland HS
Shelb y Otter, New Boston Huron HS
Jessica Surcek, Riverview HS, Riverview
Daijah Street, Romulus HS
Kristina Phelan, Royal Oak HS
Alyssa McCullough, Southgate HS
Shiv Annamalai, Troy Athens HS
Jessica Knoblauch, Warren Mott HS

"We strongly believe in encouraging young people to consider careers in healthcare," said Special Tree CEO Joseph Richert. "With the dire need for more healthcare professionals and the increasing costs of higher education, Special Tree is happy to assist our scholarship winners in achieving their educational goals."

In addition to providing financial support for students’ college educations, Special Tree hosts both high school and college students for clinical internships and job shadowing programs in a wide range of disciplines including OT, Speech, PT, Case Management, Nursing, Respiratory Therapy, Social Work, Psychology, and Recreational Therapy.