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...
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...
Performing traditional strength training movements with an added component of instability has long been know to change the recruitment of muscles. The unstable nature of the exercise enhances position sense (proprioception), balance, and joint stabilization during each repetition. Previous research recommends using stable surfaces and exercises when the goal is optimal strength and power development. ...
The current public health environment, including social distancing, has placed more barriers to exercise including public transportation, gym access, and equipment. In times like this it is helpful to leverage what we do have available including additional time each day and the resources around us and inside of our homes. Many of us are continuing...
Exercise remains one of the most powerful interventions available to improve mental, emotional, and physical health, as well as, increase our quality of life as we age. Participants who participate in a regular exercise program consisting of moderate aerobic exercise and strength training have significant health benefits over their less active peers. At our Boulder...
Technology’s impact on our lives continues to grow each year. In the exercise industry we have seen a significant impact ranging from wearable technologies tracking fitness data to numerous apps and online programs for any number of fitness and health goals. Two of the main limitations of these technologies include a lack of direct supervision...
Dumbbells have long been viewed as a tool for traditional body building style exercise for muscle growth and strength training. Most often they are used for isolated single joint upper body movements such as bicep curls and lateral raises. You will also see people using dumbbells to perform variations of an overhead press and a...
