Boy have times changed. Look at all that hair! Apparently they couldn’t do anything about the sun on picture day…
“I need to stretch more. Maybe I should try Yoga.”
“I’ve heard Pilates is really good for my core. Maybe I need to check out a class?”
“Strength training is important so perhaps I need to start lifting weights but where do I start?”
Most of us have had thoughts like this when considering different types of exercise.
The world of health, fitness, sports physical therapy and injury rehabilitation is huge and may seem overwhelming. I recall when I felt confused about how to proceed with my fitness journey.
After finishing my college football career, I no longer had coaches to guide my training. No longer did I have prescheduled practice, conditioning workouts, weight training, and recovery workouts (usually a mixture of foam rolling, stretching, yoga and light cardio).
I was unsure of what to do so I simply continued training as I always had. I lifted weights as per my usual off-season program and performed a couple conditioning workouts per week.
After a few weeks of doing this, I decided to ask myself a simple question. “Why?”
What was my training goal now? What were the best ways to achieve these goals? Upon some reflection and jotting down a few notes I quickly realized that my training program was not in line with my goals at that time.
My football career was over. I finally had the opportunity to get healthy and stay that way.
However, I really enjoyed feeling strong and the process of lifting weights. Also, I was studying to become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) so had to practice what I preach (this was prior to physical therapy school).
I decided to create a strength training program that consisted of exercises to promote strength, while also improving my mobility. The goals were to improve my strength and muscle mass, while feeling great overall.
This was the optimal training approach for me at the time and I was only able to realize that by slowing down and asking a few simple questions.
When was the last time you did that? Try asking yourself the following questions.
- What are the outcomes that I am looking for from my training? Do I want to become stronger? Do I want to live with less discomfort? Become more mobile? The key is being honest here!
- What are the best ways to achieve the outcomes I am looking for?
- If I am not sure of #2 above, who can help me figure that out?
As you can see with question 3 above, you do not need to have all the answers yourself. There are many people out there available to help you reach your goals but no one can determine what those goals are.
Once you gain clarity about your goals, our team of Performance Physical Therapists in Chevy Chase would love to help you achieve them. In addition to being Doctors of Physical Therapy, our team of Performance Physical Therapists are Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists that specialize in helping injured athletes get back in the game.
