Author: Zachary Cohen

Dr. Zac began his career working in professional sports. He noticed a large discrepancy between the quality of care that elite athletes receive when compared to the normal active public. This inspired him to create Cohen Health and Performance, a place that treats everyone as if they are a professional athlete! He graduated summa cum laude from Northeastern University in 2011 with his Doctorate in Physical Therapy, and also became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). While at Northeastern he worked as a Physical Therapy Graduate Assistant for the New England Patriots, and served as a strength and conditioning coach for Northeastern University athletics. Prior to moving to Maryland, Zac was a Performance Physical Therapist with EXOS (formerly known as Athletes' Performance) in Dallas, TX where he treated and trained the world's most gifted athletes from throughout the NFL, MLB, NBA, MLS, and various Olympic teams.

Home exercises to kickstart your training routine

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, I found myself feeling stressed and anxious. To make matters worse, old aches and pains started to resurface.

I had stopped prioritizing my fitness routine, which led to a more sedentary lifestyle than usual. The combination of stress and reduced physical activity caused my old college back injury to flare up slightly.

This experience was a powerful reminder of the importance of self-care.

Now, I make sure to prioritize my morning routine, which includes meditation, journaling, and—most importantly, for me—exercise.

While I do enjoy an intense workout, many days I simply opt for a long walk followed by 10-15 minutes of light, continuous movement using just my body weight.

My back feels great, and most importantly, I’m experiencing the physical and mental health benefits that come from regular exercise.

However, I recognize that what works for me might not work for everyone. Your self-care routine should be tailored to you. What activities help you feel and function at your best?

Even though our routines may differ, a variation of physical activity is often beneficial. I won’t dive into the science here, but if you’re interested, I’d be happy to share more!

Here are three exercises you can try at home. They’re great for anyone dealing with a cranky lower back, looking to feel better, or wanting to improve their fitness:

– Heels Elevated Goblet Squat (no weights at home? No problem! Just use a backpack filled with books or a jug of water): start with 3 sets of 8-10 reps

– Bear Position Hold: 3 sets of 5 breathing cycles

– Goblet Split Squat (use a weight or the same tool from exercise #1): start with 3 sets of 8-10 reps per side

I wasted a lot of time stretching

My passion for the field of sports medicine and strength and conditioning began when I was 15 years old.

I was a solid athlete and football was my passion. At the time my dream was to play Division I college football. Although I was successful relative to my immediate peers, I knew that I would have to work my hardest to have any chance of getting to that level.

I trained hard and searched for every advantage I could find. I read books written by famous coaches, trainers, and athletes. One of the most common pieces of advice was to constantly be stretching.

Every morning upon waking, I would perform a 15-20-minute stretching routine. I would repeat a similar routine prior to and after training, as well as before bed.

I would feel more flexible for a short period of time after performing this routine, however, did not notice any improvement in my performance.

When looking back at this now I realize that I never asked myself one simple question. What am I trying to achieve by stretching?

I was simply stretching because people told me I should!

So, what are you trying to achieve when you stretch? Will stretching be helpful for you?

As with most things, the answer is that it depends.

A muscle will become stiff when it is consistently resting in a shortened position. This may be due to posture or a person’s daily activities. For example, someone that sits for an extended period of time is likely to have stiff muscles in the front of the hips.

Stiff muscles may also occur as a result of movement compensations or a lack of movement altogether.

Simply stretching a muscle without correcting the reasons it occurred in the first place, may result in a lot of wasted time. The first step may be to simply move around throughout the day. A simple walk to the water cooler can be enough to break up extended bouts of immobility.

Also, a muscle may become stiff in an attempt to protect against an injury. For example, those with chronic lower back pain often have stiff hamstrings as the hamstrings tighten to protect the lower back.

In this case, it is important to learn to protect the lower back with exercise. One of the first steps is to learn to properly “stack” the pelvis underneath the rib cage. You will feel your abs when you are “stacked” properly. Attempt to maintain this feeling during weight lifting drills.

Below is a great exercise to learn do just that! Have fun and let us know if you have any questions!

Heels Elevated Squat

-Dr. Zachary Cohen

What most runners are missing in their training

At CHP, we often see distance runners for a variety of injuries including knee pain, plantarfascitis, and hip and lower back pain.

In addition to seeing runners as physical therapy patients, we help many runners improve their performance.

There are many things that can be done to help a runner both recover from an injury and positively improve their performance. However, one of the most overlooked pieces is a well-designed strength training program.

Many runners understand the importance of strength training, yet, may be performing strength training programs that are not designed for runners.

These programs commonly contain variations of double leg squats and deadlifts. These exercises are great in the right context, however, provide little carryover to what is required to be an effective runner.

When running, there is never a time when both feet are touching the ground simultaneously. The arms and legs are constantly moving in opposite and alternating directions as the body transitions from one foot to the other.

Therefore, double leg movements have little carryover to running itself.

For these reasons we advise that runners perform exercises that promote single leg control and strength. These exercises include, but are not limited to: lunges, single leg squats, split squats, and single leg RDLs (Romanian deadlifts). Simply adding one of these activities into each of your strength training sessions can have a large impact. Take a look at the videos below for examples of these activities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aazACzyUR-Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK05iugeIDE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjDtPek261c

A thoughtful and scientific approach to strength training, specifically designed for runners may be all that is needed to help you drastically improve your running performance. It may not even require you to train any harder, just smarter!

CHP Spotlight Interview: Steve Ballance, Co-Owner Digin Baseball

In this edition of the CHP Spotlight Interview series, Steve shared the wisdom and insight he has gained from being a baseball coach for nearly 20 years. Steve was kind enough to share the biggest mistakes he sees high school players make, in addition to how he approaches arm care for pitchers. Furthermore, he provides valuable insights to help parents differentiate a great coach from the rest. Check out this interview to find out this information and much more!

The Most Overlooked Part Of Health

Exercise and nutrition are often the first things that people think of when creating their health and fitness goals. And when it comes to injuries, it is common to blame things related to exercise or posture.

However, in my experience as a physical therapist, I rarely hear people attribute injuries to sleep.

Research tells us that sleep is just as important to your health as nutrition and exercise. In fact, insufficient sleep has been linked to chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and can have an impact on the immune system.

Thus, it is no surprise that injury risk increases when you are sleep deprived. In fact, the majority of injuries in professional basketball occur when players are sleep deprived on road trips.

So, what can you do about it?

The CDC recommends getting 7 or more quality hours of sleep per night. There are several things you can do to ensure you get good quality sleep to avoid injury and stay healthy.

To start, you can practice good sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene is a set of behaviors that can affect sleep quantity and quality. These behaviors can include going to bed and waking at the same time daily and avoiding alcohol or caffeine prior to bedtime.

Another large influence on sleep quality is light. Specifically, blue light suppresses production of one of our sleep hormones, melatonin. Blue light is emitted from the electronic devices we use daily such as computers and phones, and also from LED light bulbs. If you want to get fancy, purchase some blue light blocking glasses to wear a few hours before bed. However, if you want to keep it simple, simply place an electronic device curfew a few hours before bedtime.

There are a multitude of things that you can start doing right now to improve your sleep quality. For any further questions regarding sleep and how it affects your injury risk, please contact us at (240) 686-5609.

CHP Spotlight Interview with Dr. Michael Matthews

In the ever-evolving world of healthcare, the pursuit of non-invasive treatments has driven many toward podiatry, physical therapy, and regenerative medicine as preferred solutions for foot and ankle issues.

I recently had the chance to sit down with Dr. Michael Matthews, a podiatrist at the Podiatry Center, who shares an interesting perspective on foot and ankle health. Dr. Matthews doesn’t just treat foot problems; he sees everyone—no matter their age or activity level.

For podiatry patients, physical therapy isn’t just a reactive treatment for injuries like plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, or ankle sprains; it’s a proactive tool for long-term foot health. It’s about ensuring that the feet, ankles, and entire lower body are conditioned and prepared to handle the physical demands we place on them—whether that’s running, hiking, or simply staying active with your family. The strength of physical therapy lies in its ability to provide customized rehabilitation and conditioning programs, tailored to the specific needs of the individual.

In today’s digital age, where information on foot care and podiatry is seemingly endless, it can feel overwhelming to sort through it all and find credible, actionable advice. That’s why, as podiatrists, we aim to provide you with clear, evidence-based recommendations for keeping your feet healthy and avoiding unnecessary procedures.

Through interviews and expert insights, we aim to bring you the best information on podiatry, foot and ankle rehabilitation, and sports medicine from top specialists in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, DC, McLean, and Northern Virginia. When it comes to your feet, you deserve trusted advice and care from professionals who understand the unique demands placed on them.