Strength training is an essential part of any weekly workout program. Priority should be given to aerobic exercise first, followed by strength training, before participants pursue other forms of exercise such as stretching. At our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics strength training is an essential part of each patient’s recovery from disease,...
As Physical Therapists, we frequently work with patients on restoring lost function from pain, injury, surgery, or disease. Our brains have evolved over time to find and focus on the areas of our life that are missing, often at the expense of what is present. For example, the painful back or swollen knee prevents us...
One of our best measures of an individual’s fitness and overall physical health is the VO2 max. This measurement allows us to determine the body’s ability to bring in and utilize oxygen during activity. In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics we often use heart rate or ratings of perceived exertion to...
Time continues to be the most common barrier to participants beginning or continuing an exercise program. As adults look to balance work, family, and outside commitments exercise is often cut out of a weekly schedule. If their weeks are limited some participants, the weekend warriors, try to achieve their fitness goals through two longer or...
Nearly half of all Americans do not reach the recommended levels of strength training or aerobic exercise each week. These sedentary habits lead to a higher health risk for many chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Previous research has shown time is one of the major barriers to completing an exercise program...
In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics we are often working with patients to restore and/or improve their muscle strength. Strength is a measurement of force production from a muscle based primarily on the ability to coordinate the nervous system and a given muscle, as well as, a muscle’s size. Strength can...
In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy offices all of our patients are seeking care at Mend to get back to the activities they enjoy. All of us would like to get more high quality life out the years we have left. The research in this area can be summed up easily. Consistently...
The vast majority of our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy patients participate in some form of exercise. Based on the research, we expect these patients to have a longer life in years and, most importantly, a better quality of life. Exercise can take many modes, but aerobic exercise and strength training remain the...
In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics we commonly prescribe mobility or stretching exercises to reduce pain and restore lost function. Accelerating a patient’s return to the activities they enjoy. When combined with other forms of exercise, in particular strength training, stretching is an effective method of restoring lost motion in joints...
I can remember reading the exercise literature over 20 years ago and learning the impact of mental imagery on strength gains. Participants who solely thought about their strength training workouts over a study period demonstrated strength gains compared to a control group. In addition, these mental workouts could also limit the amount of atrophy observed...