Exercise has tremendous effects on our physical, mental, and emotional health. It also remains one of our most powerful strategies to reduce pain. We can all attest to the overall great feelings that occur after a challenging workout or activity. This reduction in mental, emotional, or physical pain after a single bout of exercise is...
By: Ian Nay, PT, DPT, OCS CrossFit, Olympic weightlifting, and powerlifting are highly effective for developing strength, power output, and work capacity, but from a biomechanical perspective, these three training styles are heavily biased toward the sagittal plane of motion. The sagittal plane involves forward-and-backward or vertical movement patterns, which dominate foundational lifts such as...
By: Megan Davis, PT, DPT, OCS A common question I get asked when I am working out at CrossFit or working with my patients who also participate in Crossfit is how to keep our shoulders more stable to withstand the demands of CrossFit? It is recommended to have at least 1-3 strict pull ups before...
Low back pain is a frequent challenge for athletes who place high demands on their bodies, especially gymnasts, CrossFit athletes, golfers, climbers, and those involved in team sports. These athletes often combine heavy loading, explosive power, rotation, and end-range positions — all of which require the spine to transfer force efficiently. When mobility, strength, or...
Aerobic exercise continues to be our best intervention to improve cardiovascular fitness/VO2 max, metabolic health, and disease risk. Over 20 diseases have been shown to benefit from properly prescribed aerobic exercise. Despite the health benefits only 25% of Americans reach the recommended amount of exercise each week. The number one barrier for exercise participation in...
By: Rani Helvey-Byers, PT, DPT, OCS If you’ve been told you have osteopenia or osteoporosis, it’s natural to feel cautious about movement—especially anything involving weights. Many women are advised to “be careful,” “avoid heavy lifting,” or stick to walking and light exercise. In reality, this advice is not only outdated, but may be doing you...
By: Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS Background For most of my life, osteoporosis felt like something I would deal with later. Something for my future self. Something that showed up in your 60s after a doctor ordered a DEXA scan and told you your bones were fragile. But bone loss does not suddenly appear at...
By: Hope Whitman, PT, DPT, OCS Here in Boulder, CO the offseason is the best time for golfers to build the strength, mobility, and power that directly improve swing performance. Research shows that targeted strength and conditioning programs can increase club head speed, ball speed, and driving distance by 4–6%—a meaningful jump for golfers at...
Adults continue to shift their mindsets from the absolute length of their lives in years to the quality of life in those years. The lifespan to health span shift is critical because most aging adults do not want to live a longer life if it requires losing the parts, especially independence, of their life most...
By: Ian Nay, PT, DPT, OCS Mobility work is often emphasized for pain relief, injury prevention, and performance, but how much is truly necessary? Recent research suggests that strength training performed through full ranges of motion may provide many of the mobility benefits people seek, with targeted mobility work serving as a valuable supplement rather...