At Rehab United Physical Therapy and Sports Performance Center, we utilize a functional training philosophy based on the science of human movement. In short, that means whether you visit our facility for injury rehabilitation, injury prevention, or sports performance training we train the body the way it was intended to move. The therapists and coaches at RU train movement patterns, not just individual muscles.
When it comes to core training, traditional exercises often come to mind: crunches, bicycles, planks, among a few others. Jene Shaw, Senior Editor at Triathlete Magazine, summarizes how RU tweaks traditional exercises to make them more functional and effective for rehab, training, or conditioning.
Whether you are blowing off a few workouts here and there, hitting up some
cycle-cross races, or tweaking your fantasy football lineup . . . the
OFF-SEASON has arrived. This time of year most endurance athletes have
completed their goal races and are left wondering . . . what’s next? For some
San Diegans, a true “off-season” is a distant thought since our beautiful
weather allows for an offering of multiple events each month. Abandoning your off-season for intense
workouts (or conversely complete relaxation), though, can lead to an abundance
of overtraining injuries for us “mere mortals” who workout for pure enjoyment,
to keep weight off, or to escape the stresses of work.
Rehab United (RU) believes
athletes are made in the off-season – to enter next race season, or your next
training program, healthy and strong - begin with the “The Four R’s”: Restoration, Recovery, Reflection, and
Readiness.
Restoration. “REST” can be one of the hardest things for an athlete to do,
but this is the time of the year you must force the issue. It is difficult to
let another biker or runner on the trail pass you, when you are thinking “I
could take ‘em” – however, it is essential to keep your heart rate relatively
low, take it easy, and enjoy exercise for a change. Implement functional
strength training into your off-season routine to rebuild the muscle mass you
may have lost throughout the year and restore joint and tissue strength to
allow for pre-season training intensity. RU offers complete off-season training programs for
these specific purposes.
Recovery. Every athlete experiences some discomforts or physical issues,
but just because you can make it through a season does not mean you should
ignore the issues that may keep you from taking your racing to the next level.
I recommend scheduling a full-body injury screen with one of RU’s physical
therapists (after all, it’s FREE). This allows you to address your ailments and
allow time to treat the cause of your injuries rather than just symptoms. This
is the foundation of health you need for your 2011.
Reflection. This is a solid time to review your 2011. Did you meet your
goals? Stay healthy? Stay happy? What would you like to change? We review these
critical questions with every one of our athletes to determine a benchmark for
the future. We learn from each and every experience that we encounter, so you
must look over your training log to find out what worked and what did not. This
may also be a convenient time to find a coach – Catalyst Endurance Coaching (CEC) has
multiple coaches who are ready to help you achieve your fitness goals for the
2012 season.
Readiness. Preparation precedes success. Now is the opportune time to look
ahead to determine what is next and establish a plan to encourage that reality.
RehabUnitedSportsPerformanceCenter offers camps and
training programs for athletes of all ability levels; these “semi-relaxed”
early-season events help athletes prepare for their upcoming multiple-sport
season.
Best of luck!
Bryan Hill, PT, FAFS Cycling/Running/Triathlon Coach
Many of the RU faithful have heard by now, but just in case you have not - Rehab United Physical Therapy and Sports Performance Center has a feature article in Triathlete magazine this month.
We have been interviewed for other publications (Competitor Magazine, Stack.com, Askmen.com, MaxPreps, and a few others), but this is the first multi-page spread in a national publication since I have been a part of RU.
We greatly appreciate this opportunity - if you have met anyone who works at RU, you know we are all passionate about our work and firmly believe in our functional training philosophy. The Triathlete editors did a great job of conveying that philosophy and after reading the article hopefully you too will "drink the kool-aid," as our mentor Gary Gray would say, and "train the way you play (tm)," as we always say.
We have posted the article online - but it would be great if you could support Triathlete and go pick up the June issue.
