Sweet summertime – a time for beautiful sunsets across new horizons. It’s the perfect opportunity to discover a new beach town or hop on a plane to the Grand Canyon. While you’re relaxing on vacation, it’s important to make sure you come back feeling in better shape than when you left. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Sitting for long hours in a car or on a plane can take a toll on your body. But there are a few ways you can make sure that your summer travels don’t leave you with pain.

Protect Your Neck

Sitting idly in a vehicle can encourage bad posture and put a strain on your neck and shoulders. Especially when on a long flight or car ride, it’s important to protect your neck. Prolonged strain on your neck could cause you to lose sleep and make you quite uncomfortable during your vacation. We can’t have that now, can we? There are a few key ways to keep your neck happy and healthy.
When in the car, it’s easy to hunch forward. Make sure you sit back in your seat and take advantage of your head rest. Your headrest should be placed so that it supports the entire back of your head and neck. Also, when you’re driving, be sure to keep your hands at 4 and 6 to keep your arms and shoulders from straining. If you’re relaxing as a passenger in a car or on a plane, try to always use a neck pillow to support you if you plan to nap. Letting your neck hang or even laying up against the door can damage your neck.

Protect Your Back

It’s easy to twist and turn your body when you’re locked into sitting for long periods of time. While you think you’re getting comfortable, you’re really just putting a strain on your back! We often see patients before and after long trips because of the toll it takes on the back. That being said, if you are mindful during your trip and protect your back properly, you can avoid pain.
Once again, the best advice we can give you is to sit up straight! It’s easy to slouch or want to change positions during your ride. Sitting up straight with your feet flat on the ground is the best way to protect your back. Car seats don’t always have the best lumbar support, so bringing a lumbar pillow to relieve the pressure on your lower back is a helpful technique as well.
Finally, it’s important to stop frequently to stretch. We get it, you want to get to the beach as fast as you can. But is it really worth it for your back to be in pain by the time you get there? When possible, take frequent pit stops. Get up and move your legs to get the blood flowing and even do some stretches. Your back will thank you later.

Beware of Weekend Warrior Syndrome

It’s easy to get carried away with trying to cram as much activities as you can on vacation or even during a long weekend. If your job typically requires very little activity, you might put your body into shock by bursts of activities on the weekend or on your vacation. This is known as weekend warrior syndrome and is one of the most common sources of sudden acute back pain. Remember that it’s important to pace yourself. Maybe if you’re a little out of shape, you should skip risking your back only to wipe out after 30 seconds on a wakeboard. You can have plenty of fun relaxing and taking in the sights, and you won’t have to go back to work in pain!
If you do find yourself having difficulties getting through long trips, we’re here to help! Our doctors can provide spinal adjustments to your neck and back to get you back to feeling good and looking forward to your next adventure!

There is an endless supply of articles across the internet, and even on the Tuck Clinic Wellness Tips Blog, that recommend more time spent standing to combat lower back pain. While it can provide a great amount of relief from the pressure your lower back experiences from sitting, it certainly isn’t the end-all-be-all for back pain. Just ask Kristi Alvacorn, a teacher, who spends even more time standing at her occupation than sitting.

Kristi has been visiting Dr. Foster at Tuck Chiropractic Clinic in Bedford, VA for about a month and a half. As a teacher who stands a large percentage of the day, Kristi has had trouble standing up straight during class because of an extremely tight lower back. While she ultimately alternates between sitting and standing throughout the day, there was some sort of missing link that was preventing her from finding relief from her pain and tightness. It would seem that the missing link was chiropractic care!
This isn’t Kristi’s first round of seeking chiropractic care. She had visited a doctor in New York before she relocated to Southwest Virginia. When her pain returned, she didn’t think twice about finding a chiropractor that could see her quickly and would accept her insurance.
“It’s always very welcoming when you come in, so that’s nice. They almost know our name automatically when you walk through the door for your first visit,” said Kristi about her first appointment. “Dr. Foster talked me through the paperwork, provided a prognosis, and my first treatment on the spot.”

The Tuck Clinic Difference

Though Kristi had been to a chiropractor before. There was one element of her first visit that really set Tuck Clinic apart from the experience she had had before. Because Kristi had acute lower back pain, Dr. Foster bypassed any X-Ray imaging of her spine. In alignment with the American Chiropractic Care’s Five Pillars of Choosing Wisely, Tuck Clinic does not request X-Ray imaging on patients unless the pain experienced by the patient triggers a pre-determined list of red flags.
“At the other chiropractor, I went through a whole series of x-rays every time I went so it was nicer not to have to worry about that,” says Kristi.
Within the first three visits in the first week that Kristi had with Dr. Foster, she could feel a major difference. With the help of electrical stimulation and spinal manipulation, Kristi got over her first hurdle to find relief. Now, Kristi is down to one visit a week with therapeutic exercises on her own time. She also notes sleeping better after learning the positions she should sleep in for relief.
“I skipped last week and now I can feel the difference,” says Kristi. “I’m looking forward to enjoying my summer now!”
When asked if she had advice for anyone considering chiropractic care, she shared that it’s important to be persistent and consistent. Healing is a process and if you skip an appointment when your body isn’t ready, you’ll notice the difference.

At the end of April, after serving as interim-President of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), Dr. Ray Tuck was officially elected President of the organization. Having already served in multiple leadership areas, it only seemed fitting for him to rise in the ranks to become the leader of the national organization.
Part of the ACA’s new direction is to position the association to respond to challenges and opportunities and to leverage the talents and expertise of its members. In this way, the ACA will be able to improve the way they work together, as well as the way they work with other professionals to collaboratively solve problems in the healthcare industry.
One function of this initiative is to utilize Dr. Tuck’s great knowledge and passion for this new direction as a voice. With a series of blog posts, the ACA and Dr. Tuck will be able to help members of the organization as well as the public better understand the refocused efforts of the chiropractic industry at large. In his first piece, Dr. Tuck sat down with ACA Blogs editor Annette Bernat for a quick question and answer session about how these recent changes have made an impact on the ACA’s operations.
“ACA Blogs: There have been many transitions within ACA recently. Can you explain what some of them are and the “why” behind them?
Dr. Tuck: The last decade brought significant change to the healthcare world. A few years ago, ACA leadership decided that our organization should do a “look within” to ensure we were staying relevant and able to meet the needs of our members. This led to the development of a new strategic plan, which we have used as a compass for the past couple of years. As part of the plan, we conducted a branding assessment to ensure that we are representing our members as they would want. We also did a review of all our operations with our paid team members as well as a review of our governance model. I would say our main goal was to ensure we remain relevant in today’s world.”
Read the entire interview on the ACA Blogs here:

There are few instances in life that bring about as many changes as pregnancy. Expecting mothers will experience extreme changes to their bodies and emotions. While developing a baby is extremely beautiful and exciting, your body goes through many, sometimes painful, changes. In this post, we will show you how and why chiropractic care can be a source of relief for the uncomfortable changes that many expecting mothers endure.

Changes

When a body adapts to accommodate the development of a baby, it’s often an uncomfortable process for the mother. Not surprisingly, as their bodies changes, many expecting mothers feel various degrees of back and neck pain.
Pain associated with pregnancy varies from mother to mother. The discomfort is due to drastic body shape changes, leaving expecting mothers more prone to joint pain caused by altered positioning of the vertebra. Some mothers find the pain is mostly in their lower back, while others experience neck and leg pain. No matter where the pain is felt, it can almost always be associated with the changes occurring in the spine due to added weight, hormone changes, or changing balance.
Thankfully, many mothers-to-be have found relief with chiropractic care. Chiropractors know spines and can offer relief without invasive prescriptions that are dangerous to mother and child.

Why Chiropractic

There are many benefits to seeking chiropractic care while pregnant. Most importantly, a chiropractor can assure that your spine is properly aligned and able to support the development of a baby.
There are many misconceptions about the safety of the mother and child when using chiropractic care during pregnancy. However, chiropractors are trained to work with women who are pregnant and are fully capable of treating them safely. Often times, mothers have found relief and even an easier birth after consulting with a chiropractor.
For expectant mothers who wish to avoid taking pain-relieving drugs, chiropractic care is a safe, natural alternative. Chiropractic treatment can significantly reduce pain and discomfort during pregnancy by realigning the body and relieving pressure that causes lower back pain.
If you or someone you know is considering seeking out chiropractic care during pregnancy, rest assured that you will be in good hands. At Tuck Chiropractic Clinic, we are committed to providing high-quality treatment for you and your growing family.
Interested in more information? Read more about our services for expecting mothers.

In Bedford County, it’s easy to know just about everybody. Growing up in a small town with a tight-knit community such as Bedford often inspires unexpected roots to sprout. At least this was the case for Tuck’s Bedford Clinic, Dr. Matthew Foster, who completed his preceptorship and began practicing as a licensed chiropractor at Tuck Chiropractic Clinic in Bedford in the Fall of 2017.

When Career and Community Come Full Circle

As a Sophomore football player at Jefferson Forest High School, Dr. Foster sustained injuries in the weight room. Most young, spry athletes are always eager to get back on the field after an injury and Dr. Foster was no different. Unfortunately, he had trouble finding true relief. After going through specialty stretches, physical therapy, and pain medication, the pain was merely masked rather than relieved. Finally, he paid a visit to a well known, now-retired Chiropractor in Bedford for an adjustment. After seeing the miracle-like effect a simple adjustment can have on a healing body, Matthew discovered his future career.
“The chiropractic profession, where you can heal people with your hands, is almost biblical,” says Dr. Foster. “My uncle Paul Foster is a physician’s assistant and was a big role model for me growing up. I remember him always talking about how many people come through the office for pain medications.”
Knowing the toll that the “medical loop” takes on your body in search of pain relief, Dr. Foster set out on his mission to heal people with his hands. He attended Liberty University for his undergraduate degree and continued his chiropractic education at the renowned Palmer College of Chiropractic in Florida. When it came time to complete his preceptorship and find a job, his hometown in Southwest Virginia came calling to him.
“I actually had the opportunity to move out to Hawaii to practice, but I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to come back home and work in the community I grew up in,” says Dr. Foster. “It’s an awesome feeling that money can’t buy when you help the hometown that helped raise you to be who you are.”

Refined Treatments for Special Cases

As a new graduate, Dr. Foster has had the opportunity to explore some of the alternative methods to administering chiropractic care beyond spinal manipulation. He is certified to administer dry needling, activator methods, instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization, and Epley’s Technique for vertigo.
How do these techniques vary from the classic chiropractic adjustment? Essentially, they are just more direct ways to get to the root of the pain while remaining in the natural remedy arena. Dry needling, similar to acupuncture, operates on pressure points in the body that can cause pain. Dr. Foster can also perform the activator method and soft tissue mobilization with special instruments that focus on a specific area of the body that is experiencing pain.
“It’s so rewarding to hear people say that they feel better and the gratitude and satisfaction that you get from healing pain is immeasurable,” says Dr. Foster. “My only goal is to help people with acute pain or injury find relief, educate them well enough to help them take care of themselves, and hopefully they’ll choose elective care to help their lifestyle. I didn’t choose the profession for the money, I just want to help people that want to help themselves by implementing our mission statement of, ‘To make a positive impact on every life we touch.'”

Rooted in the Community

Of course, working at Tuck Chiropractic Clinic wasn’t the only reason Dr. Foster returned to Bedford County after college. It was his connection to the community that really called him back home and he demonstrates that as much as possible through his activities outside the clinic walls. As a member of the Bedford County Rotary Club, Bedford Chamber of Commerce, and soon to be Free Masons, Matthew spends this free time giving back in any way he can.

As active leaders in both the chiropractic and wider medical industries, we take pride in being first in line to educate patients, the public, and anyone who will listen about the importance of providing supportive, conservative care to patients in need. While we do our best to go above and beyond for all of our patients, that doesn’t always mean providing more care than we need. To us, conservative care means finding the right treatment for an individual’s specific needs and nothing more.

Choosing Wisely

This concept is closely aligned with the American Board of Internal Medicine‘s (ABIM) Choosing Wisely initiative. Their most well known initiative, Choosing Wisely was built to address “waste” in healthcare. While no moment spent with a patient is wasted, it is often found that patients may receive more care or treatment than they actually need. Their official mission is “to promote conversations between clinicians and patients by helping patients choose care that is:

• Supported by evidence
• Not duplicative of other tests or procedures already received
• Free from harm
• Truly necessary”

While it is your choice to choose what type of practitioner to seek, it’s our duty as leader in the chiropractic industry to discuss the fives ways you can be assured that you are “Choosing Wisely” when choosing your chiropractor based on the ABIM’s recommendations for chiropractic care:

1. Do not obtain spinal imaging for patients with acute low-back pain during the six (6) weeks after onset in the absence of red flags.

Chiropractors who closely follow best practices will look for red flags before recommending spinal imaging. Because imaging tests often incur additional cost of care, it is in the best interest of the patient to refrain from imaging unless there are extenuating circumstances that lead the doctor to believe it is absolutely necessary. Red flags can include history of cancer, a possible fracture, progressive neurologic symptoms and infection, as well as conditions that potentially preclude a dynamic thrust to the spine.
If your chiropractor requests x-rays when you are not experiencing chronic low-back pain or suspect a possible fracture, you may want to ask additional questions or seek another practitioner.

2. Do not perform repeat imaging to monitor patients’ progress.

Again, unnecessary imaging incurs unnecessary cost. Unless you are being seen for a severe, ongoing problem such as scoliosis, there is no need to leverage additional x-rays to track outcomes. At Tuck Clinic, we choose to track our outcomes by reviewing a combination of the custom care plan we provide to the patient as well as their perception of their treatments and the relief resulting from such treatments.

3. Avoid protracted use of passive or palliative physical therapeutic modalities for low-back pain disorders unless they support the goal(s) of an active treatment plan.

That sounds like a lot of chiropractor jargon, don’t you think? We’ll break this one down for you. Often times, chiropractors administer passive techniques such as heating and cooling, electrical stimulation, or ultrasound therapy to supplement chiropractic adjustments. These, alone, are not the solution to fixing the overall wellness of your body after an injury or even during maintenance visits. It is highly suggested that these treatments are paired with a therapeutic exercise program that empowers the patient to continue their wellness efforts outside of the office walls. After all, the ultimate goal is to get our patients feeling better and living better overall.

4. Do not provide long-term pain management without a psychosocial screening or assessment.

There are many common causes to long-term pain. Sometimes, it’s a severe injury that has been ignored for years. But sometimes, it could be the unexpected side effects of depression or anxiety. It is the duty of a chiropractor to do their due diligence to get to the root cause of pain, even if it includes a psychological issue.

5. Do not prescribe lumbar supports or braces for the long-term treatment or prevention of low-back pain.

As noted in our recent examination of low back pain and lumbar support devices, these are great tools for temporary support but should never be considered a long term fix for an issue. Providing passive support for the lower back with these devices have been shown to reduce strength in the back, leaving it even more vulnerable to pain and injury. If your doctor has prescribed one of these devices as a quick fix, you may want to seek an alternative opinion.

There is a reason that NFL teams keep a chiropractor on staff to treat their athletes. Chiropractic care is one of the only ways to treat an injury and reduce pain from the inside out, while keeping the minds of their athletes clear headed and free of the fog that medications often cause. But football players aren’t the only athletes that benefit from chiropractic treatment of injuries. We’ve heard and shared stories from runners, gymnasts, and even soccer players about how they have regained mobility or improved performance after chiropractic care. If the sport includes the use of your musculoskeletal system (aka of them), the athlete can benefit from chiropractic care.

Supporting Growing Athletes

For growing young athletes, it is especially important to treat a sports injury from the source to avoid medication or surgery. According to John Hopkins Medicine, approximately 30 million children and teens participate in sports annual. Of those, 3.5 million sports injuries occur each year. Being active in youth sports is a way for children and teens to get involved in the community, stay active, make friends, and learn focus and dedication. While it’s important for them to learn what a setback looks like, no parent ever wants to see their child suffering from a severe injury.
With growing bodies and growing minds, the reactions of young athletes are often slightly slower than that of their adult idols, resulting in more injuries for the group overall. Tuck Clinic sees patients as the result of a single incident, as well as injuries that are a result of repeated wear and tear. Treating these young athletes in this vital time of development is not something that should be taken lightly. The choice of treatment could quite literally make or break their future in sports.
Studies have shown that chiropractic care can not only treat an injury incited by over activity, but even work to improve performance. This is because the proper alignment of the body’s musculoskeletal system can improve balance, strength, flexibility, and coordination.
 

Sports Injury Treatments At Tuck

At Tuck Chiropractic Clinic, we like to view sports injury treatments with three pillars of focus: injury prevention, joint manipulation, improving function and enhancing performance . When given the opportunity, we work with athletes to proactively take care of their alignment, hydration, and nutrition to assure that the body is fully supported on all fronts. We can help make sure they’re doing the proper conditioning and taking care of their bodies in between strenuous practices and games.
When facing a sports injury, we provide joint or spinal manipulation therapy to restore function and improve mobility . This may be able to get kids off the bench and confidently scoring goals in a shorter time than would be required by surgery or a more severe injury that could have been avoided through an active chiropractic care plan. We can help these athletes condition themselves to get back on the field faster.
We also work with athletes to provide maintenance or wellness  on their bodies to increase range of motion and therefore improve athletic performance. Our clinics across Southwest Virginia partner with local high school and college teams. We’ve contributed to the overall athleticism of athletes from Ferrum College baseball players to Radford Track and Field, and even Lord Botetourt High School Lacrosse players! It’s incredibly rewarding for us to have the opportunity to help these young athletes reach their personal fitness goals.

Good, better, best. This tends to be the typical path for the patients treated at Tuck Clinic.
Most patients come in just wanting to feel good. They are sick of being in pain and they want to feel normal again. After starting a treatment plan, they start to feel better. They begin returning to their normal daily routines, gaining more independence, and just feeling “better” over all. Eventually, they come to the conclusion that this is the best they’ve felt in a long time.
This is the path that Judy embarked on with Dr. Flynn at the Tuck Clinic in Botetourt.

Seeking Help

Judy has always been active and does a lot of traveling, so keeping her body healthy is very important to her. Unfortunately, she was not finding the relief she had hoped for after following her doctor’s advice.
“I had been working with my doctor to eat healthier, lose weight, try exercises,” says Judy. “I had to take leave from work due to my hip pain. As you get older, things just happen to your body and it hurts.”
Ten years prior to visiting Tuck Clinic, Judy had her first encounter with a chiropractor for general back pain. Since she found success her first go-round with a chiropractor, she decided to take matters into her own hands and seek out help again.

Feeling at Home With Tuck

Judy did her fair share of research for chiropractors in the area. She was pleasantly surprised to come across the positive reviews of the chiropractic clinic right across the street from her gym in Botetourt.
“I went to a bunch of different websites – this one had great reviews. It so happened that I had a friend who had been here,” says Judy.
She goes on to highlight how quickly she was able to be in contact with Dr. Flynn.
“I go to the Botetourt Athletic Center so it was really convenient. I was at the gym and I just swung by and told them what I needed. They took me in that day,” says Judy.
Even though Judy had previous experience with a chiropractor, she was relived with the ease of her first visit with Dr.Flynn.
“It was very welcoming. The staff is awesome. Jerry (Dr. Flynn’s administrative assistant) is great. I did my initial interview, blood pressure, the whole intake process. According to those results, it was recommended that I got the stimulation treatment first to relax muscles. At that time, it was my hip pain and knee pain and hands were numb,” Judy recalls.
Judy could feel that she really cared about her and improving her health, adding: “She takes interest in her patients, takes notes about my travels. She adjusted me right before I left for Hawaii and as soon as I came back. If something goes awry, you can just call her and she can fix you right up.”

Feeling Her Best

After visiting with Dr. Flynn for only 3 months, Judy has seen a significant change in her body and overall health. She is truly feeling the benefits of the care.
“My mobility has changed. it’s only been 3 months – paired with exercise and eating well. I can go up and down the steps without using a hand rail. Previous to all of this, I was having issues with balance. I now have more improved mobility, like a spry old lady” says Judy.
Judy has also been able to reduce the frequency of her clinic visits because of the improvement. She is happy being able to return to traveling.
“I was going three times a week for a few weeks until it started to level out. Now we’ve reduced to twice a week and that works around my schedule because I travel a lot. Dr.Flynn is very accommodating,” says Judy.
Judy also advocates for anyone considering making a visit to the chiropractor or a Tuck Clinic. With her results, she has been more than pleased with her experience.
“My results have been awesome,”Judy says. “I talk to my friends about it all the time. You need to go for it!”

At Tuck Chiropractic Clinic, we often find ourselves building relationships with our patients beyond the day to day treatments and transactions. We get the opportunity to get to know our patients outside the Clinic walls and hear their stories beyond just how they ended up in our office.
Skip Hebert is no exception! Skip is a retired veteran and avid adventurer. Sometimes, his adventures lead him to bike across the Western Coast of the United States and other times, his adventures lead him to pay a visit to the Tuck Chiropractic Clinic in Botetourt.

From the Open Road to the Operation Room

In 2001, Skip took on the challenge of a cross-country bike trip from the mid-West to Oregon’s coast. Before he could reach his final destination, his back decided that it had other plans for him. He had blown a disk in his lower back and received surgery to help correct it. He ended up sedentary and managing the pain with painkillers for about a month of recovery. As he continued to recover, he worked at a low-activity job, gained a lot of weight, and continued to visit the VA Clinic to receive medication for his lower back pain.
At some point, he said, “enough is enough”. His lifestyle wasn’t helping him feel better and neither was the medication.
“They kept giving me painkillers to treat the symptom but never got to the root cause of the pain,” he recalls.

Finding New Ways to Feel Better, Live Better

Skip decided to make a change in his life. He started doing yoga and even became a certified instructor. With his return to an active lifestyle, he lost fifty pounds and made plans to finish the bike trek he had to abandon after his injury.
Unfortunately, no amount of yoga can totally relieve you from the pain of a severe back injury. It may come and go, but it will never go away. In February, Skip spent a lot of time at his house chopping up wood to warm his home. Shortly after a long day of hard labor, he hopped on a plane to Florida for vacation but found himself glued to the couch due to severe neck and back pain. Luckily, his brother, a rheumatologist recommended a chiropractor to see him immediately while he was in Florida. After a manipulation and massage, he was convinced this was the last piece of the puzzle to help him live a pain-free lifestyle.
Once Skip was able to return home, he immediately sought out recommendations for a local chiropractor. As he was leaving the Carilion Wellness Center in Botetourt, he noticed that Tuck Clinic was right across the street! He called up his doctor for a referral through his Medicare program and set his first appointment.
Dr. Anna Flynn sat down with Skip to talk about his history of back pain and any other issues he was experiencing. After 5 spinal manipulation treatments in the first week and a half, coupled with electrical stimulus treatment, and therapeutic exercises, Skip not only regained mobility in the painful areas of his back, neck, and shoulders, but the pain itself began to subside too. Skip now sees Dr. Flynn once a week and plans to digress to monthly maintenance care or as needed.
“By the middle of the second week, I was feeling pretty good,” says Skip. “Now, I can’t really detect it unless I look for it.”

Getting to the Root of The Pain

Now, Skip is able to get back to his active lifestyle of adventuring and traveling. He plans to continue his journey of exploring yoga and it’s benefits to the body. With the improved mobility in his neck and shoulders, he’s also able to partake in his favorite therapeutic pastime, painting!
When we asked Skip what advice he would give to anyone considering choosing chiropractic care to help with their pain, he said “If your symptoms have anything to do with a neurological issue or pain, don’t just treat the symptom. Try to get rid of the cause. Chiropractic care is the natural way to go.”
“The folks at Tuck Chiropractic are very friendly and understanding. Dr. Anna truly listens to what the problems are and is willing and able to help resolve them,” he added.
We’re definitely looking forward to hearing about what adventures this life loving veteran gets himself into next!

Summertime is on the horizon and the kids will be let out of school soon. Do you have plans in mind to make sure both their brains and their bodies stay active over break?
Summer is a great opportunity to loosen the reigns at work and find more ways to bond with your kids, all while staying happy and healthy! Living around Southwest Virginia’s abundance of natural resources and small businesses that facilitate an active, healthy lifestyle makes it even easier. As people who embrace these amenities as often as we can, we’ve rounded up a few of the best ways we keep everyone in the family happy with summer activities.

Create Your Own Adventure

The Roanoke Outside Foundation, a subsidiary of the Roanoke Regional Partnership, was built to make outdoor activity in Southwest Virginia a core component of our community’s lifestyle. They work hard with local Parks & Recreation Departments, State Parks, local outdoors outfitters, and more to provide a comprehensive website of resources for anyone looking to get out and get active in the region.
One of the special features on their site is the “Create Your Own Adventure” feature, an interactive way to plan a full day in the outdoors where everyone can have a say in the adventure! Sit down with your kids at the computer and take a few minutes to talk about what they’d like to do that day. You can choose from land or water and then explore a variety of options. You find anything from your favorite hiking trail, to a special river tubing spot, to a place you can go horseback riding! Where will your next adventure take you?

Take Advantage of the Greenways

Municipalities across the Roanoke Valley have banded together to build up the Greenway Trails we know and love. For more than a decade, local efforts have been able to build up 26 miles of greenway trails across the valley, reaching from Vinton, to Salem, and now out towards Botetourt!
The best part about the greenway is getting lost in the lush flora and fauna of our region while knowing your favorite ice cream shop or tap room is just a few short steps off of the greenway! The greenway is never too far from family favorites like Blue Cow Ice Cream, River Rock Climbing, or Launchpad Salem! Pack a lunch for the family and rent some bikes or just start strolling down the green way.

Join a Community Gym

While we hope you’re a gym member year round, they especially come in handy with the summer! Sometimes we just need to let the kids blow of some energy while we hang out by the pools, or vice versa. Luckily, Southwest Virginia has no shortage of gyms and recreation centers of every variety. While corporate places like Planet Fitness are great for your health needs, there aren’t a whole lot of options for kids. That’s why we recommend looking into one of the locally run recreation centers.
Green Ridge Recreation Center in North Roanoke works in partnership with Roanoke County Parks & Recreation to provide an opportunity for families of all shapes and sizes to have a happy, healthy, active lifestyle. From their outdoor water park, Splash Valley, to the summer education programs like gymnastics, your kids will stay active while you can get those extra miles on the treadmill in.

Carilion Wellness Centers are now located in South Roanoke, Botetourt, Downtown Roanoke, and Smith Mountain Lake. No matter where you are in the Valley, you’re never too far away from an opportunity to get active. In fact, the Botetourt location is right across the road from our Clinic!
Local branches of the YMCA are a great way to stay active while giving back to your community. The fee you pay for your membership goes to supporting active and stable lifestyles for underprivileged children in your area. They also have reciprocity for their different locations. If you’re a member of one, you can visit any of them in the area! They also have a great summer program for kids if you’re unable to take some time off.
Whether you prefer to use indoor amenities or natural outdoor adventures to stay active this summer, just make sure everyone in your family gets a chance to have a day where they get to choose their own! Exploring the interests of everyone in the family will bring you closer together and keep everyone engaged in keeping up with a positive lifestyle.