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Mend Physical Therapy Blog and Injury Information
How Much Shoulder Strength Should I Have To Swim?

Swimming is one of the more popular forms of exercise in Boulder County.  In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy practices we treat swimmers of all ability levels to help them return to pool as quickly as possible.  These participants require a significant amount of mid back mobility, as well as, upper, core,...

Bone density loss is most commonly associated with diagnoses including osteopenia and osteoporosis where affected individuals fall below the mean bone density levels of their peers. In our previous blog we described recent research indicating these individuals can improve their bone density through progressive weight training and jump training. This study challenged previously held incorrect...

In our Boulder Physical Therapy practice we often see athletes who are dealing with a swimming related injury.  Some of these injuries can occur from training errors and poor stroke mechanics, but many are secondary to correctable changes in mobility and strength.  Many injured swimmers complain of shoulder pain including rotator cuff muscle or tendon...

Our prior posts on swimming have focused on the benefits of strength training and race pacing during a swim event.  Conversely, fatigue is one of the factors shown to reduce swim performance and stroke mechanics.  This change in mechanics places a swimmer at a greater risk of shoulder overuse injuries including impingement and tendonitis.  A...

Swimming is the opening leg of the triathlon race and many athletes utilize this leg to establish position for the upcoming bike and run events of the competition.  Swimming remains the hardest and often most dreaded of the 3 triathlon components for many competitors.  For this group of competitors, a race strategy for the swim...

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...