Researchers estimate 1 in 5 adults will drop out of an exercise program. Time remains the most common reason for drop outs, but many participants state lack of improvement. This frustration is understandable given the individual’s commitment of time, energy, and money toward their health and fitness goals. The reasons for lack of improvement are...
Strength training remains one of the most important components of your exercise program. Research supports its’ utilization for improving pain, function, flexibility, strength, injury rates, and overall health. While a single session of strength training can lead to significant gains in strength and muscle hypertrophy research supports training large muscle groups 2-3 days per week....
I can remember meeting with a physician in the past about the tremendous health effects of exercise for his patients. He responded that the effects of exercise don’t last if the patient stops their program. Despite the irony found in his treatment approach using medications with short term effects to manage chronic diseases, I responded...
One of the top reasons participants start an exercise program is weight loss. This goal is achievable with exercise but is much harder to accomplish compared to improved mobility, strength, or balance. The difficulty of losing weight with exercise is also one of the leading reasons people quit their exercise programs after an initial 4-6...
In personal training we often joke the heaviest weight in the gym for participants is the front door. Researchers have shown 1 in 3 adults world wide do not meet international standards for physical activity. In the United States, 3 out of 4 adults do not meet our national guidelines for physical activity. The reasons...
VO2 max is an individual’s maximum utilization of oxygen during exercise. It remains the gold standard for measuring an individual’s cardiovascular fitness, but this measurement is also strongly correlated to our health and lifespan. Authors have shown VO2 max is a better predictor of future health than commonly utilized tests such as blood work and...
Strength training is an essential component of every person’s weekly exercise program. Participants should aim for 2-3 days/week of strength training to complement their completion of aerobic training minutes (300 moderate minutes) each week. These numbers have been shown to significantly improve an individual’s health and reduce their disease risk. The number one barrier for...
At a fundamental level, all forms of exercise are designed to improve the current state of the participant. In our Boulder Physical Therapy practice, we aim to effectively and efficiently prescribe exercise to meet each patient or client’s goals. A key element of any exercise program has to include progressively, increasing demands over time. Flexibility...
Many exercisers report weight control or weight loss as one of their main goals for performing a weekly exercise program. While exercise can produce a caloric deficit, especially when combined with a nutritional caloric deficit, our bodies have significant physiological mechanisms to avoid weight loss. For example, many participants will create a caloric deficit through...
Exercise continues to be shown as one of most effective interventions at reducing pain from injury, surgery, and disease. This reduction in pain has been described by researchers as exercise induced hypoalgesia and its’ benefits have been studied consistently over the last ten years. Participants with pain from a variety of conditions experience a significant...
