Times have certainly changed, haven’t they? Just look at all that hair! And it seems like they couldn’t do much about the sun glare on picture day either…
“I really need to stretch more. Should I try Yoga?”
“Everyone’s talking about how Pilates strengthens your core. Maybe I should take a class?”
“I know strength training is crucial, but where do I even begin?”
If you’ve ever had thoughts like these when thinking about exercise, you’re not alone.
The world of health, fitness, sports physical therapy, and injury rehabilitation can feel massive and even a bit daunting. I remember a time when I was unsure about how to approach my own fitness journey.
After wrapping up my college football career, I no longer had coaches designing my training plans. No more structured practices, conditioning workouts, weightlifting sessions, or recovery routines that typically involved stretching, foam rolling, yoga, and light cardio.
With no clear direction, I stuck with what I knew best: lifting weights, following my old off-season routine, and adding a couple of conditioning sessions each week.
After a few weeks of this, I stopped and asked myself a simple but important question: “Why?”
Why was I training this way? What were my goals now? And what were the most effective ways to achieve them? After reflecting and writing down my thoughts, I realized that my training program no longer aligned with my new goals.
My football days were behind me, and it was time to focus on staying healthy long-term.
At the same time, I still enjoyed strength training and the feeling of being strong. Plus, I was working toward becoming a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), so I needed to practice what I preached (this was all before I entered sports physical therapy school).
I ultimately designed a new strength training program that focused on increasing strength and muscle mass while also enhancing my mobility. The goal was to feel strong and stay healthy.
This approach worked because I took a moment to slow down and ask myself a few basic questions.
When was the last time you did that? Ask yourself these questions:
– What are the outcomes I want from my training? Do I want to be stronger? Have less discomfort? Improve my mobility? Be honest with yourself.
– What are the best methods to achieve these outcomes?
– If I don’t know the answer to the above, who can help guide me?
As question three suggests, you don’t need to figure it all out on your own. There are experts available who can help you reach your goals, but only you can determine what those goals are.
Once you have that clarity, our team of sports physical therapists in Bethesda and McLean is here to help. Along with being Doctors of Physical Therapy, our Performance Physical Therapists are also Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists. We specialize in helping injured athletes recover and get back to doing what they love.
