Why pelvic floor health is about more than just strengthening.

When you hear the words “pelvic floor,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

For many people, the answer is Kegels.

Whether you’re experiencing urinary leakage, pelvic discomfort, or changes after pregnancy, you’ve probably heard the advice to “just do your Kegels.”

But what if Kegels aren’t what your pelvic floor actually needs?

Your pelvic floor is much more complex than a group of muscles that simply need to be stronger. Just like any other muscle group in your body, it needs the ability to contract, relax, coordinate, and respond to the demands of everyday life.

And sometimes, doing more Kegels isn’t the answer.

What Exactly Is Your Pelvic Floor?

Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles located at the bottom of your pelvis. Think of these muscles as a hammock that helps support your pelvic organs, including your bladder, bowel, and reproductive organs.

But these muscles do much more than provide support. They also play important roles in:

• Bladder and bowel control
• Sexual function
• Core stability and pressure management
• Supporting your pelvic organs
• Responding to physical activities such as lifting, running, and jumping

Just like your quadriceps, hamstrings, or glutes, your pelvic floor muscles need to function appropriately for the activities you’re asking them to perform.

Stronger Isn’t Always Better

One of the biggest misconceptions about pelvic floor health is that symptoms automatically mean your pelvic floor is weak.

While weakness can contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction, it isn’t the only possible cause.

Sometimes, pelvic floor muscles may be holding too much tension or have difficulty fully relaxing. This is often referred to as an overactive or high-tone pelvic floor.

Imagine holding your biceps in a flexed position all day. Eventually, those muscles would become fatigued and uncomfortable, and you might have difficulty using them efficiently.

Your pelvic floor can experience a similar problem.

When pelvic floor muscles have difficulty relaxing, some individuals may experience:

• Pelvic pain or pressure
• Pain during intercourse
• Difficulty initiating urination or fully emptying the bladder
• Constipation or difficulty with bowel movements
• Urinary urgency or frequency

In these situations, repeatedly performing Kegels without addressing muscle tension or coordination may not help and could potentially worsen symptoms.

The goal is a pelvic floor that can contract, relax, and coordinate well—not strength alone.

Your Pelvic Floor Needs to Relax, Too

Think of your pelvic floor like any other muscle group you train at the gym. Your muscles need to produce tension and then release it. Both abilities are important.

Your pelvic floor needs to contract when appropriate, such as when you cough, sneeze, or lift something heavy. But it also needs to relax when you’re urinating, having a bowel movement, or simply resting.

How Breathing Fits In

Your diaphragm and pelvic floor work together as part of your body’s pressure-management system.

During a relaxed inhale, your diaphragm descends, and your pelvic floor typically lengthens slightly. As you exhale, both structures move back toward their resting positions.

Learning how to coordinate your breathing and pelvic floor can be an important part of treatment, particularly for individuals who struggle with excessive tension or muscle coordination.

What About Squats, Deadlifts, and Running?

Pelvic floor physical therapy doesn’t have to be limited to exercises performed while lying on your back.

Your pelvic floor is active throughout your day, including when you’re walking, lifting weights, running, and jumping. These activities create different demands on your pelvic floor and require your muscles to respond appropriately.

Pelvic Floor Symptoms During Lifting

Someone who experiences urinary leakage during heavy squats might benefit from more than simply performing Kegels.

Depending on the individual, treatment may involve evaluating:

• Pelvic floor strength and coordination
• Breathing strategies and pressure management
• Exercise technique
• Ability to tolerate progressively heavier loads

Pelvic Floor Symptoms During Running

Similarly, a runner experiencing urinary leakage may benefit from an assessment of pelvic floor function alongside running mechanics, strength, and training demands.

The goal isn’t necessarily to avoid these activities. It’s to identify what may be contributing to symptoms and develop a plan that helps you participate in the activities you enjoy.

What Does Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Look Like?

Pelvic floor physical therapy is not a one-size-fits-all approach.

A pelvic health physical therapist evaluates your symptoms, movement, strength, coordination, and individual goals to determine what your body needs.

Depending on your presentation, treatment may include:

• Pelvic floor strengthening: Improving muscle strength and endurance when weakness is contributing to symptoms.
• Relaxation and breathing exercises: Helping muscles release excessive tension and coordinate with your diaphragm.
• Hip and core strengthening: Addressing strength and movement limitations that may influence your overall function.
• Movement and exercise modifications: Helping you return to activities such as running, lifting, or jumping with greater confidence.
• Bladder and bowel education: Addressing habits and behaviors that may contribute to symptoms.

Is an Internal Examination Required?

A pelvic floor assessment may include an internal examination, but this is optional and performed only with your informed consent. There are many ways to begin evaluating and addressing pelvic floor symptoms.

Ultimately, treatment should be individualized to you, your symptoms, and your goals.

Healthy Pelvic Floor Function Goes Beyond Kegels

Kegels can be a valuable tool, but they are only one piece of the puzzle.

A healthy pelvic floor can contract, relax, and coordinate appropriately when you need it to. Squeezing harder or holding a contraction longer doesn’t tell the whole story.

Whether you’re navigating changes after pregnancy, experiencing urinary leakage during workouts, or dealing with pelvic discomfort, you don’t have to simply accept these symptoms as your new normal.

Your pelvic floor deserves an individualized approach that helps you move, feel, and perform your best.

Get Support for Your Pelvic Floor Health

If you’re experiencing pelvic floor symptoms or have questions about how pelvic floor physical therapy can help, our team at Physio Room would love to help you take the next step.

Written by Dr. Ana Whisenant PT, DPT, Cert. DN | Physio Room

The post Are Kegels Enough? What You Need to Know About Pelvic Floor Health appeared first on Physio Room.

When young athletes start measuring their worth by wins, rankings, and recruiting opportunities, the sport they once loved can become a source of pressure.

For young athletes, constant comparison, recruiting expectations, and the pressure to succeed can take the joy out of sports. Staying competitive without tying self-worth to performance takes more than physical training. Parents and coaches also play an important role in shaping how athletes respond to success, setbacks, and pressure.

Dr. Andrew Fix talks with Sydney Nolan, founder of Snap Mental Performance, about the psychology of athletic performance, the risks of early sports specialization, and why so many young athletes experience burnout. They discuss how comparison and negative self-talk affect confidence, how to handle setbacks, and why developing an identity beyond sports matters for long-term well-being.

The conversation extends beyond sports to the way adults define themselves through their careers and achievements. Whether you’re an athlete, parent, or working professional, Sydney shares practical ways to manage pressure, reconnect with your priorities, and build an identity that extends beyond performance.

Quotes

• “Comparison ends up being just a measuring stick. It’s about everything that I’m not. And it’s about how other people’s successes means that I’m a failure.” (08:53 | Sydney Nolan)
• “The challenge with that is we put our focus so externally with comparison that we forget to focus on ourselves in our process.” (13:39 | Sydney Nolan)
• “I think burnout also just comes from the comparison piece, the pressure, the fear, it’s when we have all these psychological challenges as well, beyond just the physical time.” (42:49 | Sydney Nolan)
• “There’s a difference between saying I’m angry and I’m feeling angry. When we say I’m angry, we’re attaching to it and letting it take over. When I’m feeling angry, we’re labeling an emotion and realizing that that’s an experience we’re having, but that’s not us.” (53:43 | Sydney Nolan)
• “Taking the things that I loved about lacrosse, like I loved the challenge of it. I loved the community aspect of it. I loved the learning aspect of it. And like you can take those things and apply it to something else.” (59:04 | Sydney Nolan)

Connect with Sydney Nolan:

SnapMentalPerformance

 Sydney grew up in Colorado and earned her B.A. in Neuroscience & Behavior while playing collegiate lacrosse. Many people find their way into sport psychology through their own experiences in sport, and Sydney is no exception — a career-ending knee injury and her fair share of ups and downs. But what truly led her to the field was a passion to break the stigma around seeking mental support. Rather than treating mental performance work as something you turn to when things go wrong, she wanted to build a culture where it’s something to be proud of and excited about, creating FOMO around strengthening their mental game. 

That mission led to Snap Mental Performance, where Sydney and her team of three work with athletes from youth through professional levels, as well as competitive and recreational adults. Snap approaches performance optimization by strengthening focus, awareness (internal and external), and psychological flexibility — the same skills that drive success on the physical side of sport.

Mito Red Light

(5% off)

SideKick Tool

Movemate: Award-Winning Active Standing Board

15% off Promo Code: DRA15

RAD Roller

Revogreen

HYDRAGUN 

Athletic Brewing

20% off: ANDREWF20

Connect with Physio Room:

Visit the Physio Room Website

Follow Physio Room on Instagram

Follow Physio Room on Facebook

Andrew’s Personal Instagram

Andrew’s Personal Facebook

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The post 249. The Comparison Trap: Mental Performance, Identity & Youth Sports | Sydney Nolan appeared first on Physio Room.

Returning to lifts like the squat or deadlift after pain and injury is challenging! Often, the goal is to wait until symptoms calm down, then gradually return to the way you were lifting before… 

But there’s an important step that can get overlooked: rebuilding your ability to produce force, not just your ability to tolerate a load.

Many lifters focus on refining technique, choosing a manageable weight, and limiting range of motion or volume to avoid aggravating the area. These are all useful tools! But simply keeping the weight “light” for an arbitrary period of time doesn’t necessarily prepare you for the demands of heavier or faster lifting.

Two variables worth considering: intent and rate of force development.

What is intent?

Movement intent refers to the effort and drive you put into performing a movement. In strength training, this often means consciously trying to move the load as quickly and explosively as you can during the concentric phase, even when the weight itself moves slowly.

For example, when performing a squat with a light, manageable load, you might focus on driving out of the bottom with speed and intent rather than simply standing up at a comfortable pace.

The bar may not move particularly fast, but your effort to accelerate it can still be high.

What is Rate of Force Development?

Rate of force development (RFD) describes how quickly your muscles can generate force.

Outside of how much force you can produce, it’s how quickly you can access and produce that force!!

This matters in training because your body needs to generate force at different speeds and under different demands. Returning to training isn’t going to be the load you’re returning to… it’s also about preparing your muscles and nervous system to produce force efficiently.

Why bar speed and intent matter during a return to lifting

When pain has been present, it’s common to feel guarded around the injured area. You may unconsciously move more slowly, limit how much effort you put into the lift, or avoid certain positions.

That response can be understandable, especially early in recovery. But as symptoms improve, continuing to lift with low effort may leave an important training variable underdeveloped: your ability to produce force.

Using a lighter load with a deliberate, fast concentric intent can help you begin practicing force production without immediately returning to heavy loading.

This gives you a way to challenge the system while still adjusting the variables that matter most: load, range of motion, volume, and movement complexity.

The goal is to choose a variation that feels manageable and then perform it with purposeful intent! 

How to incorporate speed into your lifts

You don’t need to jump straight into dynamic or explosive training to benefit from this concept. Start with a lift and range of motion you can tolerate, choose a manageable load, and focus on moving with intent.

For example:

• Squat: Use a box squat or reduced depth if needed. Control the descent, then focus on driving up with speed.
• Band or Chain Squat: put bands or chains on the sides of the bar. When you are at the bottom of the squat, the bar will be the LIGHTEST. As you stand up, the bar has increased resistance to it, so it forces you to accelerate and keep producing force throughout the lift.
• Deadlift: Start from blocks or an elevated position if pulling from the floor is uncomfortable. Set up deliberately, then push through the floor with intent.
• Banded Deadlift: Same concept as the banded squat! This forces power and speed through the lift. 
• Bench press: Choose a comfortable range and load, then focus on pressing the bar up quickly while maintaining control.
• Split squat or step-up: Use a variation that feels tolerable and emphasize a purposeful, strong drive through the working leg.

The key is that the exercise should still feel appropriate for your current capacity. If you need to shorten the range of motion, reduce the load, or choose a different variation to make the movement tolerable, do that first.

A simple way to progress

Think of returning to lifting as rebuilding several qualities, not just adding weight.

1. Refine the movement. Establish positions and technique that feel controlled and repeatable.
2. Add intent. With a manageable load, focus on accelerating through the lifting phase.
3. Build volume and load. Gradually increase the training demand as your response and recovery allow.
4. Reintroduce higher-demand work. As capacity improves, progress toward heavier loads, faster movements, and the specific demands of your training.

You don’t have to wait until you’re lifting heavy to practice producing force. In fact, using lighter loads to reintroduce intent can be a useful bridge between modified training and your previous program.

What should you pay attention to?

Bar speed is a training variable, not a test you need to pass every session.

Consider how the movement feels during the workout, how your technique holds up, and how symptoms respond afterward. Some discomfort may be acceptable depending on the injury and your clinician’s guidance, but sharp, escalating, or unfamiliar pain is a reason to modify the exercise.

If adding intent causes symptoms to increase beyond what you can comfortably manage, reduce the effort, load, range, or volume—or choose a different variation. Progress should be based on your response, not a rigid timeline.

The takeaway

When returning to lifting after pain, it’s easy to focus entirely on how much weight you’re lifting. But load is only one part of the equation.

Movement intent and rate of force development help address another important question: Can you produce force confidently and efficiently?

Starting with a manageable load and emphasizing purposeful acceleration can be a valuable way to rebuild that ability before returning to heavier training. Rather than simply waiting for pain to settle and then picking up where you left off, you can use the return-to-lifting process to progressively rebuild the qualities your training requires.

Don’t just work back toward lifting more weight. Work toward producing force with confidence.

Written by Dr. Jessie Czarnecki, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, Cert. DN | Physio Room

The post The Missing Piece in Your Return to Pain-Free Lifting: SPEED appeared first on Physio Room.

How do you keep showing up when every setback gives you another reason to quit?

After nearly walking away from baseball, Jake Bauers became the NLCS MVP, helping lead the Milwaukee Brewers to their first World Series appearance in 44 years. His comeback offers a lesson in patience, resilience, and knowing when to keep going.

In this solo episode of The Code, Dr. Andrew Fix shares what Jake Bauers’ baseball story can teach us about perseverance and the importance of focusing on the process rather than the outcome. How often does self-doubt hold us back more than our circumstances? And how can we turn past failures into opportunities for growth?

Drawing from his own experiences with multiple surgeries, injury recovery, and career changes, Andrew explains why progress rarely follows a straight line and how small, consistent efforts can lead to meaningful breakthroughs. Whether you’re recovering from an injury, facing a career setback, or working toward a difficult goal, Andrew explains why staying consistent matters, even when progress feels slow.

Quotes

• “Many of us have a story that we keep telling ourselves. I’m not ready. I’m not good enough. It’s not my time yet. And that story is the actual thing standing in our way.” (09:02 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
• “You don’t have to hit every pitch. You just have to survive the bad ones until a good one comes your way.” (17:40 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
• “You just need to show up and put in your best effort. Go to bed, wake up the next day and show up and put in your best effort. Do that over and over and over again and start falling in love with the process because the process is what leads to the results.” (21:21 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
• “Setbacks can be fuel instead of just a verdict of who you are and what you’re capable of.” (25:38 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
• “You do not have to hit it out of the park today. Just stay in the box. Keep showing up. Foul it off and keep showing up.” (28”20 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

Links

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/milwaukee-brewers-star-talks-nearly-170429137.html 

Mito Red Light

(5% off)

SideKick Tool

Movemate: Award-Winning Active Standing Board

15% off Promo Code: DRA15

RAD Roller

Revogreen

HYDRAGUN 

Athletic Brewing

20% off: ANDREWF20

Connect with Physio Room:

Visit the Physio Room Website

Follow Physio Room on Instagram

Follow Physio Room on Facebook

Andrew’s Personal Instagram

Andrew’s Personal Facebook

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The post 248. Stay in the Box: What Jake Bauers Teaches Us About Resilience appeared first on Physio Room.

Fall brings cooler weather, seasonal flavors, and calendars that seem to fill up overnight. Between holiday gatherings, family commitments, and changes to your routine, taking care of your nutrition can start to feel like one more thing on your list.

November is a good time to simplify.

You don’t need a restrictive plan or a promise to “start fresh” in January. Instead, focus on a few repeatable habits that support your strength, recovery, and everyday energy while leaving room for the foods and traditions you enjoy.

The goal this season is consistency, with enough flexibility to enjoy your life.

Build Meals Around Protein

When life gets busy, it’s easy to grab whatever is convenient without thinking about what will make a satisfying meal. Starting with a protein source gives you a practical foundation.

That might look like eggs or Greek yogurt at breakfast, chicken or tofu at lunch, and fish, turkey, beans, or lentils at dinner.

From there, round out your meal with vegetables or fruit, a carbohydrate source, and some fat. Think roasted chicken with potatoes and broccoli, or a lentil bowl with roasted squash, greens, and a flavorful dressing.

You don’t need to make every meal complicated. Choose a protein, add some produce, and build from there.

Make Room for Fiber-Rich Fall Foods

Fall offers plenty of ways to bring variety to your meals. Seasonal fruits and vegetables can fit into familiar recipes without requiring a complete change to how you eat.

Some options to include this season are:

• Pumpkin
• Butternut squash
• Apples
• Pears
• Cranberries
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Pomegranates

Try adding pumpkin to oatmeal, roasting squash alongside dinner, or pairing an apple or pear with your lunch. Broccoli and cauliflower work well in sheet-pan meals, while pomegranate seeds can add color and crunch to a salad or yogurt bowl.

You don’t have to use every seasonal ingredient. Start with a few you enjoy and find easy ways to include them regularly.

Put Breakfast and Lunch on Repeat

There’s nothing wrong with eating the same breakfast or lunch several times a week, especially when it makes your day easier.

Having a few dependable meals means fewer decisions, simpler grocery shopping, and less preparation when your schedule gets crowded.

Your rotation might include:

• Greek yogurt with oats, fruit, and nuts
• Eggs with whole-grain toast and fruit
• Overnight oats with yogurt and pumpkin
• A chicken, tofu, or bean bowl with rice and roasted vegetables
• Leftover soup or chili with a side salad

Choose meals you like, can prepare without much effort, and can adjust based on what you have available.

A meal doesn’t have to be new or exciting every day to be useful.

Give Yourself Flexibility Around Holiday Gatherings

Holiday meals are part of the season. They’re also opportunities to connect with people, celebrate traditions, and enjoy foods you may only have a few times a year.

Rather than expecting your routine to look exactly the same every day, make room for those occasions within it.

On a busy day, you might rely on your usual breakfast and a simple lunch before enjoying dinner with friends. Another day, your meal may come together from leftovers or something convenient on the way home.

You can stay connected to your goals while allowing your choices to reflect the day you’re actually having.

Focus on Your Next Choice

One meal doesn’t need to determine what happens for the rest of the week.

If your routine gets interrupted, return to a familiar habit at your next opportunity. Make your usual breakfast. Add produce to lunch. Put together an easy dinner.

There’s no need to wait for Monday or the new year to take care of yourself.

It can help to choose just one or two habits to focus on this month:

• Include a protein source in your meals.
• Keep ingredients for a few easy breakfasts and lunches available.
• Add a seasonal fruit or vegetable to your grocery list.
• Plan a simple meal for your busiest evening.

Small, repeatable choices give you something steady to return to as the season gets busier.

Keep Nutrition Simple This Fall

Your nutrition routine should support your life, including the celebrations and commitments that matter to you.

This November, build around balanced meals, make use of seasonal produce, and give yourself permission to repeat what works.

You don’t need a perfect holiday season. You need habits you can keep coming back to.

Written by Dr. Jessica Hockensmith, PT, DPT, Cert. DN, LMT, WAG | Physio Room

The post Fall Nutrition: Simple Habits to Feel Strong Through the Holidays appeared first on Physio Room.

The fastest way to lose your love for running might be to turn every workout into a test of your worth.

How do you push yourself to improve without turning something you love into another source of stress? And what happens when injuries or setbacks make you question what you’re capable of?

In this episode of The Code, Dr. Andrew Fix sits down with running coach Jen Hickman, founder of Perseverance Endurance, to discuss the psychology of behavior change and the role of coaching in building confidence and resilience. With more than two decades of experience in the zoo industry, Jen brings an unexpected perspective on behavior change.

Jen shares how running went from being a source of stress relief to another source of pressure, and how this experience shaped her approach to coaching. She and Dr. Fix explore the mental challenges of pursuing performance goals, handling setbacks, and adapting training to life’s demands. They also discuss how trust, communication, and small changes in behavior help runners build confidence and make lasting progress.

Their conversation offers a fresh perspective on handling disappointment, rebuilding trust in your body after injury, and recognizing when adjusting your goals is a sign of good judgment rather than failure. Whether you’re training for a marathon or working toward a personal goal, the ability to adapt and keep showing up may be your greatest measure of progress.

Quotes

• “I just need to do the next small thing that gets me a win and helps me build some confidence. And then that snowballs until I finally get some training momentum.” (06:19 | Jen Hickman)
• “Running should be fun. It should not be a chore.” (16:56 | Jen Hickman)
• “You don’t train in a vacuum. You train with all of these other outside influences.” (25:25 | Jen Hickman)
• “You didn’t lose all of that work that you’ve put in before. Like that work is valuable. That work does something.” (50:56 | Jen Hickman)
• “We have to experience things that are scary and uncomfortable first before we can build up that resilience and be able to take on the bigger, scarier things.” (57:42 | Jen Hickman)

Connect with Jen Hickman:

Perseverance Endurance

Follow Jen on Instagram

I started running back in middle school in the Colorado mountains—mostly because my friends were doing it. Over time, running became more than just a social activity. As an adult, it turned into my way to de-stress and connect with nature. I mostly stuck to 5Ks and 10Ks, enjoying the rhythm and routine.

But in 2018, something changed. Running started to feel harder than it used to. I wasn’t seeing progress, and my motivation was slipping. I knew how good running could make me feel, so I decided to get help.

That’s when I hired a personal trainer who specialized in running. With the right strength training, improved nutrition, and a personalized training plan, everything shifted. My performance improved dramatically. Since then, I’ve finished the Boston Marathon twice and achieved stronger results in races across the board.

Seeing firsthand the power of coaching, I felt inspired to help others experience the same transformation. I went on to earn run coaching certifications through 80/20 Endurance and the United Endurance Sports Coaching Academy (UESCA).

I began my career in the animal profession in the mid-1990s. As a zookeeper, one of the most rewarding parts of my job was helping animals thrive by shaping behavior in a way that supported their well-being. To do that effectively, I had to build trust, understand what motivated each animal, create an environment for success, and adapt continually to their needs.These same principles guide my approach to coaching. The first step is building a strong, trusting relationship with you. I want to understand what motivates you—Why do you run? What brings you joy? What challenges are you facing?

As we work together, I’ll break down your training into small, achievable steps that build confidence and momentum. My goal is to set you up for long-term success, not just quick wins. And just like in the animal world, I’ll continually assess, adjust, and refine your training based on your progress and feedback—because your needs aren’t static, and your plan shouldn’t be either.

Mito Red Light

(5% off)

SideKick Tool

Movemate: Award-Winning Active Standing Board

15% off Promo Code: DRA15

RAD Roller

Revogreen

HYDRAGUN 

Athletic Brewing

20% off: ANDREWF20

Connect with Physio Room:

Visit the Physio Room Website

Follow Physio Room on Instagram

Follow Physio Room on Facebook

Andrew’s Personal Instagram

Andrew’s Personal Facebook

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The post 247. Small Steps, Big Changes: The Science of Behavior Change in Running & Life with Jen Hickman appeared first on Physio Room.

Getting injured during a workout or while playing your favorite sport is frustrating. Having the same injury happen again and again can leave you wondering whether you’ll ever be able to trust your ankle.

Maybe it happens when you land from a jump, change direction on the court, or step onto an uneven trail. You rest, the pain settles down, and you return to activity, only to roll your ankle again.

Repeated ankle sprains deserve more attention than simply waiting for the pain to go away. Understanding what contributes to the problem can help you build a plan to move with greater confidence.

Here are three factors that may be contributing to recurring ankle sprains, along with ways to address them.

1. You May Have More Joint Mobility Than You Can Control

Some people naturally have more movement in their joints, a characteristic known as hypermobility.

Having extra mobility doesn’t automatically mean you’ll have ankle problems. However, if the ligaments around your ankle provide less restraint, your muscles and movement control may need to do more work to help keep the joint stable.

At Physio Room, a physical therapist can assess your joint mobility through a series of movements and look at whether that mobility is contributing to your symptoms.

The goal is to understand how well you control the movement you have and what support you need during exercise and sports.

What can help: An individualized plan that builds strength, balance, and control around the ankle.

2. Your Foot and Lower-Leg Muscles May Need More Strength

Your ankle relies on more than its ligaments for support.

The small muscles within your foot, along with muscles in your lower leg that connect into the foot, help support and control movement. If those muscles aren’t strong enough for the demands of your activity, your ankle may struggle when you run, jump, land, or change direction.

Strengthening the muscles that support the foot and lower leg is an important part of ankle rehabilitation.

What can help: Progressive strengthening that addresses your foot, calf, and ankle muscles and prepares them for the activities you want to return to.

The key word is progressive. Your exercises should become more challenging as your capacity improves, rather than staying at the same level indefinitely.

3. Your Balance and Movement Control May Need Work

Strength matters, but so does your ability to respond when your position changes unexpectedly.

That’s where proprioception comes in. Proprioception is your body’s ability to sense where its joints are and how they’re moving without needing to look at them.

Think about landing from a jump or stepping onto an uneven surface. Your body needs to recognize that change and respond quickly.

An ankle sprain can affect this system. Even after pain improves, balance and control may still need rehabilitation. choosept.com

It’s also worth looking beyond the ankle. Your hip, knee, and ankle work together during running, cutting, and landing. Assessing strength and control throughout the leg can help identify areas that need attention.

What can help: Balance training and movement practice that gradually progresses toward the demands of your sport or workout.

How to Start Addressing Repeated Ankle Sprains

Get an Assessment That Looks at the Whole Picture

If your ankle keeps rolling or giving way, an assessment can help you understand why.

At Physio Room, we look at how your ankle moves, how strong you are, how you balance, and how you perform the movements that matter to you. We also consider your injury history and the demands of your activity.

That information helps us build a plan around your needs rather than giving you the same exercises as everyone else.

Build Strength and Control Together

A rehabilitation plan should address both your ability to produce force and your ability to control movement.

Depending on your assessment, that may include foot and calf strengthening, exercises for the muscles around your ankle, hip strengthening, and progressively challenging balance work.

As you improve, rehabilitation can move toward running, jumping, landing, and changing direction. Physical therapy can help restore strength, motion, and balance while preparing you to return to activity. choosept.com

Use Ankle Support When Appropriate

An ankle brace or supportive taping can be helpful, particularly during sports or activities where you’ve previously been injured. Research supports bracing as one way to reduce ankle sprain risk. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Support and rehabilitation can work together. Wearing a brace doesn’t mean you’ve failed to recover, and it shouldn’t replace the strength and balance work your ankle needs.

A physical therapist can help you decide what support is appropriate and when to use it based on your symptoms, injury history, and activity.

Build an Ankle You Can Trust

You don’t have to keep repeating the cycle of rolling your ankle, resting, and hoping it won’t happen again.

Identifying the contributing factors gives you a clearer path toward building strength, improving control, and returning to the activities you love.

Keep rolling your ankle? Schedule an assessment at Physio Room so we can help you understand what’s happening and build a plan to move forward with confidence.

Written by Dr. Dr. Chris Hildenbrand, PT, DPT, Cert. DN | Physio Room

The post Why You Keep Rolling Your Ankle: 3 Reasons & How to Fix It appeared first on Physio Room.

Dr. Andrew Fix planned to work out in the afternoon. By 7:40 p.m., he was still in his garage, squeezing in whatever exercise he had time for. His point is, a short workout beats skipping one because the day didn’t go as planned.

Perfectionism can make simple goals harder than they need to be. When the plan changes or the timing falls apart, it becomes easy to do nothing. Dr. Andrew Fix shares why done is better than perfect and how a more flexible mindset can help you stay consistent.

If you’re wondering how to stop procrastinating, start by lowering the bar enough to take action. A short workout still counts. A small step still moves you forward.

Andrew also shares one easy health habit: walking after meals. It can support blood sugar regulation and digestion while giving you a chance to step away from screens and connect with the people around you.

Your workout doesn’t need to happen at the perfect time or last as long as you planned. Do what you have time for, and move on with your day.

Quotes

• “But this is what we’ve got. It’s better for me to get this in than to get nothing in.” (07:41 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
• “If I let just needing and wanting the perfect scenario to happen today, then I’m gonna wind up with nothing because that’s just not gonna be what happens today.” (07:47 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
• “I’m gonna pick these things up and just get something in and get it done and get it accomplished and not stress out over the fact that it’s not perfect.” (07:58 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
• “Just start doing something. You don’t have to have all the details figured out. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect.” (08:20 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
• “Get it done. Don’t worry about it being perfect.” (09:22 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

Links

Mito Red Light

(5% off)

SideKick Tool

Movemate: Award-Winning Active Standing Board

15% off Promo Code: DRA15

RAD Roller

Revogreen

HYDRAGUN 

Athletic Brewing

20% off: ANDREWF20

Connect with Physio Room:

Visit the Physio Room Website

Follow Physio Room on Instagram

Follow Physio Room on Facebook

Andrew’s Personal Instagram

Andrew’s Personal Facebook

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The post 246. Perfect is the Enemy of Done appeared first on Physio Room.

The workout that changes your life is the one you’ll actually come back to.

So what makes someone stick with fitness while someone else keeps starting over? For coach and personal trainer Jeremy Crawford, the answer often comes down to connection, environment, and whether the approach actually fits your life.

Jeremy joins Dr. Andrew Fix to explore why the right coach, gym, or community can make such a difference. They talk about the energy and community that come from group training, the individualized support of personal training, and why it helps to understand what you want from exercise before deciding how you want to train. Are you looking for structure? More connection? Expert guidance? A place where you can turn your brain off and simply follow the workout?

They also look at the relationship between coaches and clients. Trust and genuine care matter, but so do healthy boundaries and honest conversations when a relationship no longer feels productive.

Ultimately, fitness becomes a long-term investment in how you want to live. You do not need an upcoming race or competition to have something worth training for. As Andrew puts it, we are all training for life.

Quotes

• “What separates success and failure with coaching and training or even in the therapy world is it comes down to the relationship at the end of the day.” (07:41 | Jeremy Crawford)
• “You already know that you’re not where you want to be. What are you waiting a few weeks or waiting for this quote unquote right time? What is that going to do for you? There is no right time. The time is when you want to do it.” (21:44 | Jeremy Crawford)
• “Don’t just do something because it’s the fitness craze. Do it because it’s actually something that you see yourself realistically doing.” (22:27 | Jeremy Crawford)
• “Knowing how to have that healthy boundary, I think is super, super important because that will allow you, I think, to have those hard conversations easier.” (34:18 | Jeremy Crawford)
• “Your worst workout is sometimes more beneficial than the one that you crushed because you mentally beat the battle.” (45:33 | Jeremy Crawford)

Connect with Jeremy Crawford:

The EPOC Experience 

Carbon Strength & Conditioning

Jeremy Crawford started training in 2008. He got his break in 2009 as a coach for a high school baseball player for the pros. Jeremy started group fitness in 2010. In 2015 he ran multiple gyms, coached and trained individuals and group fitness building communities in the Denver area.

Mito Red Light

(5% off)

SideKick Tool

Movemate: Award-Winning Active Standing Board

15% off Promo Code: DRA15

RAD Roller

Revogreen

HYDRAGUN 

Athletic Brewing

20% off: ANDREWF20

Connect with Physio Room:

Visit the Physio Room Website

Follow Physio Room on Instagram

Follow Physio Room on Facebook

Andrew’s Personal Instagram

Andrew’s Personal Facebook

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The post 245. Why Group Training Works | Jeremy Crawford appeared first on Physio Room.

Postpartum and perimenopause might seem like completely different seasons of life.

One comes with a baby, sleepless nights, feeding, and a body recovering from pregnancy and birth. The other comes years later, often bringing changes in your menstrual cycle, sleep, mood, body composition, and energy.

But there is actually more overlap between these two seasons than you might think.

Both postpartum and perimenopause are periods of significant hormonal change. And both are times when your body may need a different approach to movement, recovery, strength, and pelvic health.

Your body is changing. That doesn’t mean something is wrong.

During pregnancy and postpartum, changing hormones affect everything from connective tissue and muscle function to your pelvic floor and abdominal wall.

During perimenopause, fluctuating and eventually declining estrogen can also affect muscle, bone, connective tissue, sleep, energy, and the genitourinary system.

The symptoms can look different, but the experience can feel surprisingly similar:

• Changes in sleep and energy
  • Changes in body composition
  • Feeling like your body doesn’t respond to exercise the way it used to
  • Achiness or new areas of discomfort
  • Changes in pelvic floor function
  • Urinary leakage or urgency
  • Changes in sexual function
  • A feeling that your strength or confidence has changed
  • Needing more recovery than you used to

And in both seasons, it can be tempting to think, “I guess this is just what my body does now.”

It doesn’t have to be.

This is not the time to stop strength training

If there is one thing we want women to know during both postpartum and perimenopause, it’s this:

Your body still needs strength.

In fact, these can be especially important seasons to maintain and build it.

For postpartum women, returning to resistance training can help rebuild strength and confidence after pregnancy and birth. Current guidelines support a gradual, individualized return to physical activity, including resistance training, as the body heals.

For women in perimenopause and beyond, strength training becomes an important tool for maintaining muscle mass and strength while also supporting bone health. The International Menopause Society specifically recommends regular physical activity, including resistance exercise, as part of midlife and menopause care.

That doesn’t mean you need to go from zero to heavy barbell squats.

It means you don’t need to be afraid of getting stronger.

Strength training should be progressed to meet your body where it is right now.

That might mean rebuilding your core and pelvic floor connection postpartum. It might mean modifying impact because of symptoms. It might mean learning how to lift without leaking. Or it might mean finally progressing beyond the light weights you’ve been using because someone told you they were “safer.”

The goal isn’t simply to exercise.

The goal is to build a body that can support the life you want to live.

And don’t forget your pelvic floor

Your pelvic floor is part of your strength system.

It works with your diaphragm, abdominal wall, back, and hips to help manage pressure and provide support during everything from walking and running to lifting your kids or a heavy weight.

Pregnancy and childbirth can challenge this system. So can the hormonal and tissue changes that occur during the menopausal transition.

Pelvic floor physical therapy isn’t just for women who are leaking urine.

It can be helpful for women experiencing:

• Urinary leakage or urgency
  • Pelvic pressure or heaviness
  • Prolapse symptoms
  • Pelvic or abdominal pain
  • Pain with intercourse
  • Difficulty returning to running, lifting, or higher-impact exercise
  • Core or abdominal wall concerns
  • Changes after pregnancy or childbirth
  • New pelvic symptoms during perimenopause or menopause

And perhaps most importantly, pelvic floor therapy doesn’t have to mean taking a break from the activities you love.

A good pelvic floor physical therapist can help you understand what is happening in your body and figure out how to move forward.

You shouldn’t have to choose between pelvic floor health and getting stronger

This is one of the reasons we believe so strongly in combining pelvic health with exercise and strength training.

At Physio Room, our pelvic floor providers don’t just look at your pelvic floor in isolation. We look at the whole person and how your pelvic floor functions within the activities you actually care about.

That might be lifting weights.

Running.

Playing with your kids.

Returning to sports.

Hiking.

Having sex without pain.

Getting through a workout without leaking.

Or simply feeling strong and confident in your body again.

Postpartum and perimenopause are not seasons where you need to shrink your life to accommodate your body. They’re seasons where your body may need a little more individualized attention.

You don’t have to accept pain, leaking, pelvic pressure, weakness, or feeling disconnected from your body as “just part of being a woman.”

And you don’t have to figure it out alone.

Ready to understand your body and get stronger?

Schedule an appointment with one of our pelvic floor physical therapists at Physio Room. Our pelvic floor providers are also experts in exercise and resistance training, so we can help you connect pelvic health with the strength, movement, and activities that matter most to you.

Your body is changing. Let’s help you make it stronger, not smaller.

Written by Dr. Katie Sasser PT, DPT, M.Ed., Cert. DN | Physio Room

The post Postpartum and Perimenopause: What These Two Seasons Have in Common appeared first on Physio Room.

The person you want to become isn’t waiting somewhere in the future. Your choices today decide who shows up.

Dr. Andrew Fix shares a simple mindset shift that can change how you approach your health, work, relationships, and everyday habits: stop treating personal growth like a constant effort to fix yourself. Instead, consider the person you want to be and start making choices from that identity today.

Who are you telling yourself you are? And are those beliefs making your goals harder to reach? Being someone who takes care of their health, follows through on commitments, or shows genuine interest in the people they love starts with acting in ways that support those qualities now.

Andrew also looks at the role your environment plays in reinforcing that identity. The people around you can make consistent choices easier or much harder. This is a reminder to pay attention to both the story you tell yourself and the company you keep.

You don’t have to wait until you’ve changed to act like the person you want to become. Start with the next choice.

Andrew also shares details about the upcoming Health and Performance Summit in Lone Tree, Colorado, where experts and local health and wellness businesses will come together for a day centered on better health and performance.

Quotes

• “Stop trying to change who you are and start being who you want to be.” (01:31 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
• “Who are you and who do you believe that you are?” (02:43 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
• “If you believe that you’re a person that takes good care of yourself, then it’s easier to wake up when that alarm goes off.” (02:56 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
• “We need to put ourselves around other people that are supporting that same mentality, that are supporting that same type of lifestyle that you’re thriving for. It is so hard to be the one that’s trying to live a certain way, that’s trying to do a certain thing. If you’re surrounded by a bunch of people that are doing the exact opposite of that.” (03:25 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
• “Just start doing what you’re hoping happens. Just start being who you want to be.” (05:41 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

Links

Health and Performance Summit

Mito Red Light

(5% off)

SideKick Tool

Movemate: Award-Winning Active Standing Board

15% off Promo Code: DRA15

RAD Roller

Revogreen

HYDRAGUN 

Athletic Brewing

20% off: ANDREWF20

Connect with Physio Room:

Visit the Physio Room Website

Follow Physio Room on Instagram

Follow Physio Room on Facebook

Andrew’s Personal Instagram

Andrew’s Personal Facebook

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The post 244. Stop Trying to Change You and Start Being Them appeared first on Physio Room.

Running can be wonderfully simple: lace up your shoes, step outside, and go.

Becoming a stronger, faster, and more resilient runner, however, is anything but simple.

Whether you’re training for your first 5K, chasing a PR, or preparing for your next ultra, a performance-focused physical therapist can play an important role in helping you stay healthy, train consistently, and perform at your best.

But physical therapy for runners doesn’t have to start when something hurts. A running assessment can give you a better understanding of how your body moves, how it responds as training demands increase, and where there may be opportunities to improve.

How Can a Running Assessment Help?

A running assessment goes beyond simply watching you run. It combines an outside perspective with objective data and an understanding of your training history, goals, strength, mobility, and previous injuries.

Here’s what that can look like.

1. Get an Outside Perspective on Your Running

Runners spend countless hours thinking about their training, but surprisingly few spend time objectively evaluating how they actually run.

And that’s understandable. It’s incredibly difficult to accurately assess your own stride while you’re moving at speed.

You may think you’re overstriding when you’re not. You might believe you’re a heel or forefoot striker when the reality is the opposite—you’d be surprised how often this happens. Or you may not realize how significantly your mechanics change as you fatigue.

That’s where an outside perspective becomes valuable.

A physical therapist can observe your running mechanics and identify movement patterns that may be difficult to recognize on your own. More importantly, those observations can be considered alongside your training history, goals, strength, mobility, and injury history to create a more complete picture.

2. Use Objective Data to Understand Your Stride

A running assessment doesn’t have to rely solely on what the eye can see.

Using specialized technology, a physical therapist can collect objective data on factors such as:

• Hip, knee, and ankle joint angles
• Cadence
• Dynamic stability
• Impact magnitude
• Symmetry

These measurements can provide a more detailed look at what’s happening during your stride.

Assessments can also incorporate a progressive speed test. By gradually increasing your pace, we can see how your mechanics and running metrics change from an easy-run pace all the way through threshold effort.

And importantly, the goal isn’t to find a “perfect” running form.

The goal is to understand your running mechanics and determine whether there are opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce unnecessary stress, or build greater capacity for the demands you’re placing on your body.

3. Think Proactively—Not Just Reactively

One of the biggest misconceptions about running injuries is that they happen in a single moment.

Sometimes they do.

But many running injuries develop gradually as stress accumulates over time. Factors can include:

• Weeks or months of increasing mileage
• A sudden change in intensity
• Insufficient recovery
• Changes in fueling
• Strength deficits
• Repetitive movement patterns
• Simply asking your body to do more than it currently has the capacity to handle

The day you finally feel pain may be the day you notice the problem—not necessarily the day the problem started.

This is where physical therapy can shift from being purely reactive to being proactive.

Instead of waiting until something hurts enough to stop you from running, a physical therapist can help identify areas that may need attention and develop a plan to address them.

That could mean improving strength, modifying training load, addressing mobility limitations, refining mechanics, improving recovery strategies, or simply helping you better understand how your body is responding to training.

The Importance of Having a Physical Therapist in Your Corner

Running is inherently uncomfortable.

When you’re in the final 400 meters of a 5K, your quads are going to be screaming. When you’re 60 miles into an ultra, your legs are probably going to feel like bricks.

But there’s a difference between the discomfort of hard effort and the pain of an injury.

Knowing where that line is can be difficult.

You can try to figure it out on your own, or you can work with a performance-based physical therapist who understands runners and running-related injuries and can help you make more informed decisions about when to push, when to modify, and when something deserves a closer look.

That confidence matters because the goal isn’t simply to get through today’s workout.

The goal is to string together weeks and months of consistent training.

Train Consistently. Push Hard. Recover Smarter.

Running longevity isn’t about avoiding every uncomfortable feeling or eliminating every imperfection in your stride.

It’s about building a body that can handle the demands of running—and understanding how to respond when those demands change.

A physical therapist can be an important part of that process.

Through running assessments, objective data, strength and movement evaluations, injury prevention strategies, and individualized guidance, a PT can help you better understand your body and make smarter decisions throughout your training.

The result?

More confidence in your training. More consistency. Smarter recovery. And a better ability to push your limits when it matters most.

Because ultimately, running performance isn’t just about how fast you can run today.

It’s about how long you can keep running—and how much you can accomplish along the way.

Written by Dr. Drew Short PT, DPT, CMFA, Cert. DN | Physio Room

The post The Role of a Physical Therapist in Running Longevity and Performance appeared first on Physio Room.