Aerobic exercise should be the foundation of your weekly exercise program because of the mental, emotional, and physical health benefits associated with this type of exercise. Some individuals who complete daily aerobic exercise or training incorrectly believe this type of exercise is sufficient for muscle growth and strength development. Resistance training remains the gold standard...
Are you wondering when it will happen to you? Not what , but when will you feel pain or develop an injury? Can you determine your injury risk? The answer is YES! There are screening tools that allow athletes to assess their injury risk. The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is a valid indicator of injury...
By: Ian Nay, PT, DPT, OCS At Mend Physical Therapy, we spend a lot of time working with people who are already doing many of the right things. They train regularly, they prioritize recovery, and a lot of them are getting consistent massage work. That combination matters. Good soft tissue work can absolutely help reduce...
The majority of people with lower quarter pain or symptoms will demonstrate altered coordination and communication between the nervous system and muscles. This leads to altered movement patterns which may perpetuate symptoms and lead to more chronic pain and muscle imbalances. Primary movers for our movement patterns (example: gluts) may be substituted for weaker, less...
A common question we receive from young throwers and their parents is how to improve throwing velocity safely without undue stress on their arms. Our prior posts on throwing have focused on reducing arm stress through injury prevention and lower quarter strengthening. This post will focus on the research surrounding exercise programs designed to improve...
Money and time are two finite resources affecting us each day. We struggle to meet the demands of family, work, community, and our endurance training. Busy endurance athletes often forgo the recommended 8-10 hours of sleep required for optimal recovery to squeeze in another commitment compared to their team sport peers. The choice to cut...
As the triathlon off season carries forward into the Spring athletes should be focused on the evaluation, treatment, and/or prevention of last season’s nagging injuries. Specifically, athletes competing in Triathlon should see a reduction in their endurance training and a corresponding increase in weight training. The additional time placed on weight training in the off...
A common question we receive in clinic is how many repetitions should I perform of this strengthening exercise? Clearly, enough repetitions are needed under a given load to promote beneficial changes within the tissues for improvements in both healing and performance. Ranges of repetitions range from < 5, 8-12 reps, and >15 reps depending on...
In the last couple of weeks we have posted on the impact of strength training on endurance performance. Studies have shown resistance training improves both running and cycling economy leading to faster times. These studies add to our existing knowledge on the importance of endurance athletes balancing their endurance training with strength exercises. The pool...
In previous posts we have discussed the association between our intrinsic (core) foot strength and foot function during walking and running. The research has identified a link between weakness and atrophy of these muscles and the development of chronic conditions such as heel pain and plantar fasciitis (fasciosis). This atrophy is most pronounced in those...
