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...
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...
In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics cardio is king for many of our patients. Although gaining in popularity, weight training unfortunately falls behind cardiovascular training in training frequency, intensity, and duration. Patients not performing strength training can run the risk of reduced bone density, loss of muscle mass, reduced performance, and...
Strength training participation is increasing as more and more Americans realize the health benefits of this form of exercise. Current research continues to support the mental, emotional, and physical benefits of strength training. Strength training principles require participants to select a weight designed to fatigue a given muscle within the desired reps. For example, if...
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,...
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...
Knee arthritis is one of the most common knee pain conditions treated in our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy offices. Physical Therapy remains the gold standard of care for the conservative treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Multiple research studies support the utilization of manual therapy and exercise for patients with this condition. Including articles...
Whether you want to increase your back squat, shave some time off your Fran score, or take fewer breaks on your uphill skin, you will need to focus on glute strength. The gluteus maximus is the largest and most powerful muscle in the human body, and is responsible for hip extension, lateral rotation, and abduction...
At our Lafayette Physical Therapy and Boulder Physical Therapy clinics we are continuously working on getting runners back to the sport they love. There is great research available these days for examining the best ways to get athletes back to running. The article “External loading of common training drills: Ranking drills to design progressive return-to-run...
The squat is one of the most commonly prescribed exercises in our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy practice. With so many variations of this strength training exercise you may be wondering which exercise prescription is best for you. The squat in particular has two primary variations, the front squat and the back squat....