By: Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS If you’ve ever tried stretching or foam rolling only to still feel stiff, limited, or “stuck,” there’s a reason. While those tools can be helpful, they often miss a key piece of the puzzle: the joint capsule. That’s where banded joint mobilizations come in. Using a thick resistance band...
By: Rani Helvey-Byers, PT, DPT, OCS If you’ve been doing all the right glute focused exercises but still feel like your glutes just aren’t firing, you’re not alone. Many people struggle to feel their glutes working during common exercises such as squats, lunges, and deadlifts. But there’s good news: a recent study found that static...
By: Dr. Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS If you caught my Instagram Reel “Top 3 Things I’m NOT Falling For Anymore”, you already know it’s time to challenge outdated beliefs holding women back especially when it comes to strength training. But for young female athletes, pregnant women, postpartum warriors, and anyone dealing with pelvic floor...
Strength training is an essential part of any exercise program. In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics we commonly utilize strength training to rehabilitate injured tissues and restore lost function due to injury. Intensity, measured by weight lifted, is one of the most important parameters to dial in on a strength training prescription. ...
By: Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS The Ironic Reality of Injury As a physical therapist, I help people move better, recover from injuries, and return to doing what they love. But despite my knowledge and training, I’ve dealt with a long history of injuries myself. It’s a humbling reminder: no one is immune to the...
Flexibility or mobility work can be a large part of any injured patient’s recovery at our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics. In contrast, in a healthy population flexibility training should be one of the last things you spend time on each week because of its’ limited impact on injury prevention, health, or...
Exercise provides numerous positive effects to the participant. The majority of the mental, physical, and emotional benefits are provided to the consistent participant who meets national exercise guidelines each week. In addition, there are many short term benefits that are provided to even single bouts of exercise. For example, the mental health benefits of taking...
Cardiovascular disease remains the number 1 cause of mortality in both men and women. Current disease markers of blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, and lifestyle are helpful, but less effective at predicting future disease risk compared to our aerobic fitness. The gold standard for measuring an individual’s aerobic fitness is the VO2 max test. In research...
Getting a workout in at home and on the road can be a challenge due to lack of access to equipment, space, and/or outdoor weather conditions. When these barriers to exercise are present we encourage participants to find unconventional forms of resistance, such as a backpack or bag, or choose from effective body weight exercises. ...
High intensity interval training involves alternating between short duration bouts of vigorous and moderate intensities of exercise. The cumulative total of these interval minutes at a vigorous level is often more than an individual could sustain at a sustained vigorous intensity. Allowing the participant to obtain the health benefits of vigorous exercise without trying to...