Hello Mercy Sports Medicine

Parkinson's Awareness Month

Do you or someone you know have Parkinson’s? Make sure they know about our FREE Parkinson’s Fitness class. 

Our classes include exercises specifically designed to target the impairments related to Parkinson’s disease. You can expect improved mobility function, balance and balance reactions. This class utilizes LSVT BIG and Parkinson’s Wellness Recovery (PWR!) treatment protocols emphasizing large, high intensity, repetitive movements in a group training environment.

Classes happen Mondays and Wednesdays @ 11 AM. The best part? It’s free to those diagnosed with Parkinson's. This class is sponsored by Parkinson of the Rockies and funded by the Davis Phinney Foundation.

Get exercise benefits in just 5 minutes

Most people agree that they need to be more active day to day, but what holds people back is finding the time to fit in the recommended 150 minutes of movement each week. This can feel intimidating and unrealistic at first. As a result, habits may not change because it feels like too big of a change from what we are doing now. Recent studies show an easier way to increase your activity when you’re short on time, increase the likelihood of keeping the habit.

A recent study done on 2330 adults shows that frequency of physical activity had a greater impact on the body’s inflammation than the volume of activity. What this is saying is that it was more beneficial to move throughout the day (think short 5-minute bouts) versus getting just one 30+ minute workout each day. In fact, you can experience mood-enhancing effects of exercise within just five minutes of moderate exercise. The bottom line is you will start reaping the benefits of movement almost immediately. 

So don’t be afraid to start small. Build in short 5-minute bouts throughout your day to get the ball rolling. The success of moving more will create momentum to keep going and before you know it you’ll be hitting that 150 minute mark.

Prepare for Spring!

Durango athletes are crawling out from their gyms and off their treadmills to enjoy some outdoor sports! Mercy Sports Medicine wants our spring athletes to be prepared for a great season. We proudly sponsor DEVO, DYSA, and Fort Lewis College Club Sports by providing event medical coverage. 

Gray Matters is one of our fantastic programs within Mercy Sports Medicine. This program allows our volunteers to come and teach Durango youth about brain safety, concussions, and the importance of helmets. Amy, lead of Gray Matters, shows kids and parents how to properly fit helmets for maximum protection. With the support of Alpine Bank, we are also able to donate bike helmets to kids who qualify. 

Spring sports have a high-risk of concussions, our team of Athletic Trainers are here to help you get a baseline concussion test! The importance of this test is you now have a plan incase a concussion happens! We can use data to make objective decisions on safe return to play, and get you in contact with our PTs specialized in helping concussion symptoms. 

Be safe this spring and if you have any concerns with injuries, concussions, or want Gray Matters to present to your organization, please reach out to Mercy Sports Medicine!