Now I know what you’re thinking – “a running playlist on a physical therapy website?!” Here at Fit Stop we like to promote wellness, not just rehabilitation. Running is a great way to increase your strength and cardiovascular endurance. We encourage you to get out and give it a try!
Now if you’re anything like me, you just can’t run without music! I love zoning out with nothing but some headphones in my ears and shoes on my feet carrying me wherever I want to go. There’s nothing like a good song to help you pick up your tempo or finish out that last half mile or so. I typically enjoy a wide variety of music while I’m running and wanted to share my go-to running mix with you. Here is my playlist – 50 songs to keep pounding it out all the way to the finish line.
The scenario is all too common. You’re pushing for one last repetition in the gym on a bench press (or maybe an overhead shoulder press) and you’re stopped by a sudden, immediate pain in the front of your shoulder as that last effort is made to push the weight up. Of course immediately after this pain comes the subsequent frustration from the inability to continue to lift because of that dang shoulder pain. I see it all the time as a physical therapist and have even experienced it myself. It is frustrating. Today on the Fit Stop Blog, Toby Bluth, PT, DPT is sharing a shoulder warm up with us to hopefully avoid this pain, increase your workout tolerance, and help take your fitness to new levels. Keep reading for more…
Twelve years ago, our son, Tyler, was just beginning the Masters of Physical Therapy program at the University of Utah. He complained of neck pain, so an MRI was performed. To our surprise, he didn’t have a disc injury, he had Multiple Sclerosis. Further testing revealed that he not only had lesions in his spinal column but also in his brain. This was a difficult time for Tyler and our family.
We’ve all been there before. It may have been after a long run or a heavy workout. Maybe you helped your friend move into a new home or had a long day of work in the yard. You may have even just slept wrong and now it’s there. Back pain. This is, without a doubt, the most common problem we encounter in outpatient physical therapy. In fact, 9 out of 10 people will experience back pain at some point in their lives. From weekend warriors to years of chronic, nagging pain, if you’re a living, breathing, human being, you will one day experience back pain (if you haven’t experienced it you know someone who has and, I’m sorry to say, chances are that you will in the future!). So why do we get back pain? And more importantly, what are some things we can do about it? Jared Beckstrand, PT, DPT, shares some tips, advice, and even a free home exercise program to help you feel better.
The biggest question on most people’s mind when it comes to fitness is: “How do I lose fat?” It is a fairly difficult question to get a straight answer to. Every infomercial seems to have the solution in just “minutes a day.” There are also so many trends floating around FB and Pinterest it is hard to keep up with it all. So how do we really find out what is the most effective thing for losing fat? More importantly, how do I know that it will really work for me and my body? The answer to this question is metabolic testing.
In my opinion, one of the best parts about working where we do is our amazing facilities! All of our Fit Stop PT clinics sit adjacent to world-class gym facilities with literally millions of dollars of machines and gym equipment at our disposal. That being said, we get quite a few questions from quite a few gym patrons regarding various injuries. One of the most common is the shoulder. If you’ve spent any time lifting weights you know that the shoulder is one of the most-susceptible joints to injury. Today one of our shoulder specialists, Toby Bluth, PT, DPT, is sharing 5 tips to avoid shoulder pain while exercising regularly. Try some of them out and see if you can help eliminate your shoulder pain in the gym!
Have you ever tried Pilates? I don’t care if you’re a guy or gal, 25 or 65, all of us could stand to improve our bodies and our health! As physical therapists we often get asked, “What can I do after physical therapy to stay healthy and keep from getting reinjured?” It’s a great question that we love to hear and can have a variety of answers depending on the individual. For many patients, Pilates can be an awesome way to continue the progress made in physical therapy. Today we’re sharing our top 5 reasons we believe Pilates is an excellent choice following completion of physical therapy.
As discussed in this previous post, tennis elbow can put a damper on even the most routine of activities. It happens to everyone – from weightlifters and tennis players to receptionists and at-home mothers, I have had many patients seeking treatment from us at the Fit Stop because that nagging elbow pain just won’t get better. I have even had patients that need treatment following surgical procedures to try try and fix their elbow pain. Most of the time the surgeries performed are successful, but there is always increased risk with surgery. Why not give the conservative approach a try before considering going under the knife?
One of the more important aspects of physical therapy treatment for tennis elbow is the home exercise program. You’re simply not going to see improvement unless you do your homework. Today, I wanted to share with you 4 of my favorite home exercises for tennis elbow:
As physical therapists we deal with joint pain on a daily basis. A common question we get from our patients is “Is their something I can take, a supplement of some sort, that can help my joint pain? I’ve heard glucosamine and chondroitin is helpful. What do you think?” Today on the Fit Stop Blog Toby Bluth, PT, DPT, shares the best answer to hopefully help you clear up some facts about these supplements and joint pain. Keep reading for more!
As a doctor of physical therapy, I see a lot of different patients for a lot of different reasons. Sure there are some with sprains, strains, bumps, and bruises, but would it surprise you to hear that the vast majority of people that I see in the clinic have pain/discomfort simply because they’re weak?! No kidding! I honestly believe that many people wouldn’t have the aches and pains that the do if they would just spend 10 minutes of their day focusing on strength training. Today I wanted to share with you 5 exercises that you could literally do everyday to strengthen key muscle groups in you body to avoid pain and maximize function. Here we go!
