Stride to Health Optimum Health and Running Center, will soon open it’s doors in downtown Simsbury, CT. Offering physical therapy, running coaching, foot orthotics, and pH balancing nutrition, Stride to Health plans to help people in the community take control of their health in a safe, natural way, without drugs or surgery.
Stride to Health is owned by Dean Teitelbaum PT, DPT. Dean is a physical therapist and runner who lives in Simsbury. His passion for health and running is what fueled his desire to open up a not-so-typical physical therapy practice.
“There are a lot of people out there who struggle to enjoy exercise and have a hard time getting healthy. There are runners who struggle with pain, and those who want to run, but are scared off because they anticipate pain,” said Teitelbaum, who has run several marathons.
“Most of the time, a simple shift in running style and addressing any abnormal bio-mechanical issues can help to eliminate or prevent pain and injuries. At Stride to Health, we also stress the importance of proper nutrition and hydration.”
Stride to Health offers physical therapy services to runners and non-runners. “When it comes to physical therapy, we really want to get the patient to feel at least 80% better within 6 visits,” Teitelbaum said. “Our success as physical therapists really depends upon how well the patient does their homework. We help to normalize motion in the patient’s body and it is up to the patient to maintain this new state of health. So, we like to empower the patient and let them know that they can control their health.”
The running coaching programs at Stride to Health take a non-conventional approach to running. “We are more focused on ‘health’ than ‘fitness’. Fitness and health are different. Many runners may be able to run a marathon or run very fast, but that does not mean the inside of their bodies are healthy. In fact, I’d be willing to argue that the vast majority of them are quite unhealthy,” said Teitelbaum.
The physical therapist points to running too fast and consuming too much sugar as major flaws with many runners training programs. “Most runners are so focused on ‘winning’ and how fast their times are. The problem with running fast is that the faster you run, the more acid your body produces. The acid is what causes havoc to the insides of your body, leading to pain, injuries, and even disease.”
“We teach runners to slow down and run in their optimal fat burning zone, which produces less acid and leads to a much more enjoyable running experience. We also teach people that ‘carbo-loading’ and eating ‘energy gels’ and other sugary foods is unhealthy. Again, it comes down to too much acid in the body as sugar and starchy carbohydrates are very acidic.”
“If you’re looking to run for health, run a 5K race, or even a marathon, we can help you do that,” said Teitelbaum. “If your goal is to run real fast and win a 5K race or marathon, we won’t help you do that, but we’ll be happy to help you with injuries or health issues you may come across in the process of training or after the race.”
Stride to Health offers foot orthotics to runners and non-runners. These are inserts placed into your shoes which help to control motion in the foot. By controlling the abnormal motions in the foot, Teitelbaum claims that one can reduce pain and prevent future injuries.
“Many pain symptoms in the feet, knees, hips and back can be traced back to your feet. It’s all connected. If your feet are moving abnormally, then your knees move abnormally, and then your hips move abnormally…and so on. So with every step you take, you’re putting abnormal strain on your body which can lead to injury. Foot orthotics help to correct that,” said Teitelbaum.
In addition to the services mentioned, Stride to Health also offers nutritional counseling and supplements and weight-loss programs.
Stride to Health is located at 730 Hopmeadow Street in Simsbury, CT in the rear of the building, just steps away from the ”rails to trails” running and biking trail. They can be reached at (860) 325-0RUN (325-0786) and online at www.StrideToHealth.com.
