Why you should never skip leg days—and how to use them to train for life-long vitality — What are the most important physical markers of health as we age? Researchers and doctors often ask this question. I have to consider it daily in the clinic as a physical therapist. The marker most often cited and supported is gait speed. How fast we walk is one of the…

I met another person who was caused unnecessary harm — “I saw your story on LinkedIn about posture…are you serious?! Poor posture isn't the reason I have pain?” As I was leaving a graduation party for our 2020 and 2021 orthopedic residency classes (COVID delayed the former), I met one of my colleague's wife and this was the opening to…

How much longer are we going to ignore decades of research? — The posture nonsense is getting out of control. While preparing for a residency lecture this week, I came across an article on posture written by a physician. It was hard to contain my frustration. “Sitting badly or standing in a slouched position stresses your lower back, weakening and damaging an…

A physical therapist addresses misconceptions around intensity, soreness, and pain — “No pain, no gain” might be the worst phrase ever uttered in the gym. Asking the question, “Is it soreness or pain?” is a close second. At the end of the day, both pain and soreness are unpleasant. Attempting to delineate between the two is meaningless for most of us…

It is low cost and has few barriers — Pop quiz: what form of exercise requires no equipment? There are many answers ranging from anything in the world of calisthenics, yoga, or running. Let’s narrow it down further. Of those exercises, which requires no coaching, training, or practice? Sure, theoretically you could jump into any of those, but without…

Laziness is not the answer—and looking deeper into the question can yield real solutions — Ok, perhaps laziness is the reason people don’t exercise in some cases, but that should not be the overarching assumption. Ironically, chalking the answer up to laziness and calling it a day is, well, lazy. …

But there is a way to combat it, even in this pandemic world — We are nearing the two-year mark of a global pandemic and while there is a light at the end of the tunnel, it is faint. Countries are still contemplating lockdowns, vaccine rates remain below desired levels, and masks are still the norm. All of this leads to increased levels of…

Building strength doesn’t take as long as you may think — “You can’t go wrong with getting strong” This is a popular phrase in the rehab and fitness spaces and it rings true in regards to health and wellness. Strength is one of the most important markers of health. Research suggests quad strength and grip strength are primary predictors of mortality…

Here are some ways to build up your grip — If you had to guess, what do you think would be amongst the most important physical assessments any healthcare provider could perform? As a physical therapist, one of my primary jobs is to determine the health and wellbeing of individuals. I assess their functional capacity — strength, endurance, cardiovascular fitness…