Blog

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...

Aerobic exercise should be the foundation of your weekly exercise program performed most days of the week.  Significant mental, emotional, and physical health benefits are found with consistent aerobic exercise each week.  In recent years more academic research has focused on high intensity interval training.  Essentially alternating between high and moderate intensity bouts of aerobic...

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...

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...

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...

A new study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine in October 2023 shows aerobic activity can be just as effective as medication for erectile dysfunction. The systematic review evaluated the effects of aerobic activity on erectile function and found men who participated in aerobic activity, such as cycling, running or walking, had better erectile...

Interval training has been well-researched over the years and there is considerable evidence to show that interval training can provide similar if not better health benefits compared to continuous moderate-intensity exercise. One type of aerobic interval training, HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training), may be effective for improving VO2 max, endurance capacity, resting metabolic rate, blood pressure,...

Large Effect Sizes Supporting Exercise As A Treatment For Depression

Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions affecting Americans. Multiple treatment interventions can be utilized in the treatment of this diagnosis including medications and counseling/talk therapy. Exercise remains an underutilized intervention despite significant research supporting its use as part of a multi modal treatment approach for depression. Previous researchers have shown benefits...

If you’ve been to physical therapy you may have asked yourself the question, what exercises do I do when to be the most productive with my time and effort? I often find myself having this conversation with patients in our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics and I wanted to share a framework...