Winter wellness: Caring for ourselves and the community

A Mille Lacs Band physical therapist reflects on healing, balance, and the importance of staying connected through the winter season.

By Mashkodebizhikigahbaw, Benjamin Sam, PT, DPT, Doctor of Physical Therapy

In my professional career as a physical therapist, it is often my job to explore, discover, address, and adjust a plan of care to help guide patients through their experience in their journey back from an injury, pain, or limitation that creates a wall in the way of their life. Most people who work in recovery, healthcare, and the sort, know that the journey of healing is not always linear and people often have ridden a roller coaster towards healing from the difficulties that stand in their way. The few moments we get to spend with our patients or clients just a few times per week can seem like such a small moment in time to us but can often be the difference maker in someone's life.

I was recently given a healthy reminder while working with a patient with chronic pain that sometimes my job as a physical therapist has very literally nothing to do with the "physical" realm at all. Sometimes the best thing I can offer my patients and even my own friends and family) above moving and tolerating lifting/stretching better, is to simply be an ear to listen and to help guide people to find ways to take care of themselves. I often joke around with patients that my job is roughly 50% releasing tight muscles and exercising better, and the other 50% just being a friend who specializes in giving advice.

Sometimes that advice means actively staying connected in community support groups or seeking mental health counseling to find ways to care for ourselves. Sometimes that means seeking self-care time developing a new hobby, crafting, hiking, fishing, reading, or anything else that helps to manage stress and improve quality of life. As caretakers, we often task ourselves everyday with giving a piece of ourselves to our loved ones and everyone we come across. This often leads to leaving very little energy left for ourselves and can lead to burnout — even while caring for people we love. When we struggle mentally, we also tend to struggle physically — aches, pains, overuse injury, and accidents happen when we are run down physically, mentally, and emotionally.

While the holidays seem to be so special to many, wintertime where the days are short and the nights seem endless pose as a huge threat to the mental and physical well-being across many people in the Midwest. Seasonal depression, loneliness, and significant decrease in physical activity for so many can lead to many challenges for people across our communities. This can be the most important time to reach out to your loved ones, your neighbors, your friends who we sometimes take for granted on their well-being. A simple text, a Facebook message, a phone call, a coffee meetup, or a drop-in by their house to check in could all be the smallest deed that could become the biggest impact.

As important as taking care of our communities, it's just as important to take care of ourselves — that means both mentally and physically as well. With heart disease, diabetes, and other preventable diseases at an all-time high, our habit-building and dietary impact combined with physical activity can build a healthy future for all of us. As of 2025, the most current CDC and Americal College of Sports Medicine recommendation for exercise guidelines looks very familiar to years past. For healthy adults, a total of at least 150 minutes of moderate level physical activity per week, including at least two days of supplemental strength training has continued being the recommendation to help support heart health, improve bone density, build and maintain muscle mass, and improve mental status.

In 2026, many insurance companies help cover the cost (or part of) of a full-time gym membership that can improve access to recreational fitness equipment. For those on Medicare or other federally funded insurance plans, through the Silver Sneakers program, many gym membership fees are often completely covered and significantly improves access to gyms across the country. At Mille Lacs, the Fitness and Aquatic Center features some of the best equipment in a state-of-the-art facility for fitness and wellness training offered anywhere in Minnesota. This is such a blessing to have right in the Tribe's back yard and could be a resource for generations forward to live healthy, long, well prepared lives.

For information on the Iskwaanakwadookwe Aquatic and Fitness Center contact Miskwaanakwadookwe.FrontDesk@millelacsband.com or call 320-532-7733

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