NOVEMBER 2025: THANKSGIVING AND TINY TOTS
Happy Thanksgiving from Aretas Physical Therapy!
We are so grateful to be able to work with you. Wishing you and your family and friends a delicious and relaxing Thanksgiving! We’ll see you next week.
Fun things you’ll find in this month’s updates:
Exercise of the month
Staff updates
Spicy baked dumpling recipe
Performance updates
Keith’s joke of the month
Exercise of the month: Side Plank with Abduction
This exercise is a classic for hip and core strengthening and stabilization. It requires little equipment, if any. It can be adapted to virtually any ability and progressed for more challenge!
Version 1:
Start in a side plank from your knee and elbow. Shift your hips forward so there is a straight line from shoulders to knees.
Lift your top leg straight toward the ceiling, keeping it in line with your bottom leg or slightly behind (kicking your leg slightly backward).
Return top leg to start and repeat.
Version 2 (slightly more challenging):
Start in a side plank from your foot and elbow. Shift your hips forward so there is a straight line from shoulders to knees.
Lift your top leg straight toward the ceiling, keeping it in line with your bottom leg or slightly behind (kicking your leg slightly backward).
Return top leg to start and repeat.
Version 3 (with resistance):
Start in a side plank from your knee and elbow with a band around both legs, slightly above your knees. Shift your hips forward so there is a straight line from shoulders to knees.
Lift your top leg straight toward the ceiling, keeping it in line with your bottom leg or slightly behind (kicking your leg slightly backward).
Return top leg to start and repeat.
Complete 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions a few times a week to build strength in your glutes, core, and shoulders.
As usual, if the movement is painful in any way, use this link to book an appointment with one of our PT’s!
Staff Updates
Our Aretas family continues to grow!
Congratulations to Megan Pierson, PT at Aretas PT Hales Corners, and her husband, Anthony, on the birth of their first son, Myles! It seems the Aretas baby boom is just a constant. Stop by the clinic in the new year to see Megan and hear stories of parenthood!
Continuing the baby announcements, congrats to Katelyn Maydaniuk, PT at Aretas PT Wauwatosa, and her husband, Quinton, on their first son, Emmett’s birth! Katelyn will be back at the clinic in a few weeks for patient care and to share pictures and stories!
Baby Miles
Baby Quinton
Recipe of the Month: Spicy Baked Dumplings
If you’ve been on Instagram recently, you may have seen this recipe floating around. This is an easy meal to make on a weeknight – it takes only 30 minutes (20 of which is waiting for the dumplings to cook in the oven). Serve with a side of sauteed green beans or a salad and enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 can coconut milk
1/2 tablespoon Thai red curry paste (or more if you’d like more kick)
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 bag of frozen dumplings (about 10)
Cilantro, chopped
Sesame seeds
Green onions, chopped
Garlic chili crisp
Instructions:
Add coconut milk, curry paste, garlic, and soy sauce to a 9×13 baking dish and whisk until combined.
Place dumplings into sauce and space evenly. Use a spoon to top the dumplings with some of the sauce.
Bake at 400 deg F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and use a spoon to cover the dumplings with sauce. Return to oven and continue to bake for additional 10 minutes.
Serve with cilantro, green onions, sesame seeds, and chili crisp to taste.
Enjoy!
Aretas Performance Updates:
Aretas Performance is using a new scheduling and payment platform! Use the following links to schedule with our coaches at Aretas Performance Hales Corners (Drake’s link) or Wauwatosa (Mitch’s link, Laura’s link).
Aretas Performance produces a weekly newsletter, with the most recent topic: “Your Ultimate Health Insurance Policy”. Some other updates mentioned in this week’s post include:
Building Muscle
Improving VO2 Max
Boosting Functional Grip Strength
You can read this post and subscribe to Aretas Performance’s blog posts through this link.
Keith’s Joke of the Month
Every Monday, one of our patients at Aretas PT Hales Corners brings in a few jokes to share with patients and staff. They have become famous enough that they will now be a staple of the monthly email blast. This joke is from a previous Monday’s selection.
My flexibility was no good, so I started doing lunges every day.
It was a big step forward for me.
Stop in at one of our clinics for any of your physical needs: health, wellness, rehabilitation, or to hear more information and stay tuned for next month’s updates!
Helping you achieve excellence,
Aretas Physical Therapy
Aretas Physical Therapy Hales Corners: 5764 S 108th St, Hales Corners, WI 53130. 414-400-7110
Aretas Physical Therapy Wauwatosa: 10930 W Potter Rd, Ste C, Wauwatosa, WI 53226. 414-400-6556