Need a Little Help Getting Active?

Try Physical Therapy

You know that regular exercise is crucial to living a healthy lifestyle. The CDC recommends adults aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity a week–about 22 minutes a day, so you don’t have to toil away in the gym for hours. But hitting those numbers can still be a challenge, especially if you struggle with persistent pain or limited mobility.

That’s where physical therapy at Alpine Physical Therapy and Sports Performance comes in. We’re movement experts who understand all the impairments in your musculoskeletal system that can keep you from living the active, healthy lifestyle you crave. From pain management to maximizing your athletic performance, we’ll help you meet your exercise goals.

Here are just a few of the ways we can help you get healthier. Ready to get started? Call our clinic today!

man running outside to try and get more active

We Can Reduce Pain and Restore Mobility

Many orthopedic conditions and injuries can make regular exercise feel difficult (if not impossible).  Osteoarthritis, herniated discs, tennis elbow–all can make you feel like it’s easier just to sit this one out. In reality, though, all these conditions (and others) benefit from regular exercise.

Dealing with persistent pain or limited mobility? Our physical therapists offer several options for pain relief, including several manual therapy techniques, such as soft tissue manipulation, joint mobilization, or myofascial release. We use these techniques as the first step in preparing your body for regular movement.

We’ll also show you targeted, tailored exercises to reduce pain in the affected area. Joint pain often stems from muscular imbalances or postural impairments that stress the impacted joint, leading to discomfort and setting you up for more serious injuries. Strength training will help reduce your pain and get you moving again.

We Can Let You Know If You’re At Risk for an Injury

Did you know you don’t have to wait until you’re in pain to visit the team at Alpine Physical Therapy and Sports Performance? We’re in the business of preventing injuries, not just treating them–and we can help you enter into a new workout plan without fear!

Our comprehensive physical evaluations test the following:

  • Muscle strength and endurance
  • Overall mobility
  • Biomechanics, which looks at how your body’s systems work together to get you moving
  • Balance and fall risk
  • Posture
  • Walking patterns
  • Functional movements that you might perform for work, hobbies, or recreation

During the screens, we’ll look for potential impairments that might cause injuries down the line and suggest corrections to address them–before they become a problem.

For example, let’s say that you want to take up running after some time away. During your assessment, we noticed that you tend to bend forward at the waist when jogging. This habit means that every time your foot hits the ground, you cause more impact in your feet than necessary, which could, eventually, lead to an injury. 

By catching the form mistake now–and working with our physical therapists to correct it–you lower your chances of suffering a knee injury (which could prevent you from exercising altogether).

person riding a dirt bike and holding out their foot to brake

We Can Help You Exercise with Confidence

Starting a new exercise program for the first time–or restarting one after some time away–can be deeply intimidating. You don’t know which exercises you should do. You have no idea if you’re performing movements correctly. You’re not even sure what types of exercise you would enjoy.

Our physical therapists can help with all these concerns and more. We can suggest an exercise program that suits your abilities, interests, and goals and work with you one-on-one to guide you through any unfamiliar movements or equipment. We can also suggest movement or activity modifications if something’s too difficult and offer reassurance that even small changes can have a big impact.

Our team doesn’t just help beginners, either. As you progress, you may find yourself plateauing or struggling with certain aspects of your performance. Our therapists can get to the bottom of things and develop a performance improvement plan so you can see the results you’re looking for.

Intimidated by the Gym?

Try These 3 Tips

While some people struggle to exercise regularly due to pain or busy schedules, many more find themselves holding back for one simple reason: going to the gym is intimidating.

At Alpine Physical Therapy and Sports Performance, we strive to create a welcoming, inclusive environment for all our patients. But we also understand that going to a physical therapy clinic is quite different from going to a gym, where you often have little to no guidance about etiquette, exercise equipment, and more.

Fortunately, our physical therapists can offer a few simple tips for overcoming gym intimidation:

  1. Take a few deep breaths. Deep breathing exercises can help calm your nerves before entering the building. Find a quiet space (your car, an empty corner in the locker room) and take five deep, steady breaths before you start your workout.
  2. Don’t leave your cell phone in your locker. We often see our cell phones as needless distractions–but in the gym, that distraction can help soothe anxiety. One study found that cell phone usage during a workout filters out environmental stressors (like that super-buff guy lifting weights beside you). So consider this permission to load up your favorite podcast and plug in your earbuds!
  3. Know before you go. When you walk into a gym, you’re met with a maze of cardio and weight machines, free weights, and lots of mirrors. Figuring out a workout program before you step through the doors will help take some of the pressure off. Our physical therapists can help, offering guidance on specific exercises, workout plans, and equipment and gym etiquette instruction.

Gym intimidation is a genuine phenomenon–and the team at Alpine Physical Therapy and Sports Performance is here to help combat it! Call us today to learn more.

Exercise Of The Month

Median Nerve Glide

  • Stand tall with your arm extended in front of you at shoulder height, palm facing up.
  • Use your opposite hand to gently grasp your thumb.
  • Slowly extend your wrist and fingers back.
  • Return to the starting position with control.
  • Perform the motion gently and smoothly.
  • 3 Sets, 10 Reps (each arm).
Brett-Barnes-DPT-Alpine-Physical-Therapy-and-Sports-Performance-Arvada-CO

Dr. Brett Barnes

DPT, OCS, CSCS

I am a Colorado native and former college football player who found a career I love in physical therapy.

As a former athlete I understand how much an injury can impact you, not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally. This is why I enjoy being in this field, because I get to help you return to doing what  you love.  I draw from my knowledge as a board certified specialist in Orthopedics to help me return you to your desired activities as quickly and safely as possible. 

I am also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, certified in Functional Dry Needling, and have completed the SFMA level I and II course. 

Make This Year Your Healthiest One Yet!

Did you make a health-related New Year’s resolution this year? Whether going to the gym twice a week or eating more fruits and vegetables, these resolutions always start with the best intentions–but often fizzle out by Valentine’s Day.

This year, why not have the Alpine Physical Therapy and Sports Performance physical therapists help you reach your health goals? Schedule an appointment today so we can help you get healthy in the new year. We’ll…

  • Conduct a comprehensive physical assessment to pinpoint areas of weakness and/or impairment.
  • Help you set realistic and attainable health goals.
  • Show you how to make the most of that new gym membership.
  • Provide tips for healthy, delicious meals.
  • Suggest strategies for integrating more movement into your day-to-day life.

Call today to kickstart your journey toward good health and wellness!

Recipe of the Month: Yogurt Covered Strawberries

Ingredients:

  • 12 strawberries
  • 10 ounces vanilla Greek yogurt
  • pink food coloring

Instructions:

  1. Wash the strawberries and pat them dry. No moisture should remain on the berries before dipping them in the yogurt. Place a piece of parchment paper on a large plate or cutting board.
  2. Place the yogurt in a small bowl and holding onto the green leaves, dip each strawberry into the yogurt. Swirl it around to cover the berry, leaving a little red at the top. Place each yogurt dipped strawberry on the parchment paper. When you have dipped all the strawberries, place them in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. 
  3. Dip the strawberries a second time in the yogurt. To get a gradient of pinks, dip 4 berries in the yogurt with no food coloring, then add a single drop of pink food coloring to the yogurt and stir it till combined. Dip four more berries in the yogurt. Then add another drop of food coloring to the yogurt and stir to combine. Dip the remaining four berries in the yogurt. 
  4. Place the strawberries back in the freezer for 40 minutes to 1 hour. The frozen yogurt will begin melting when you remove the berries from the freezer, so only pull them out when you are ready to serve them. 
Sources

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