Request An Appointment
Because you are a star!

How To Create Sustainable Exercise Habits in 2025

Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health.

It helps you stay strong, keeps your heart healthy, and lifts your mood. Exercise can help you sleep better, think clearer, and feel more energized. Best of all, you don’t need fancy equipment or hours of workout time to get these benefits.

Starting an exercise plan is one thing – sticking to it is another. Here are some proven ways to make exercise a lasting part of your daily life:

Start Small, Win Big
● Even 5-10 minutes of exercise counts
● Build up slowly as things get easier
● Don’t forget to celebrate your small wins along the way


Link Exercise to Your Daily Routine
● Try 10 squats while brewing coffee
● Do counter push ups while your food is in the microwave
● Stretch during TV commercials


Make it Fun
● Pick activities you enjoy
● Try different types of exercise until you find what clicks
● Join a walking group, exercise class, or exercise with a friend


Make it Stick
● Research shows that exercising 4x / week for 6 weeks is the minimum to form a habit
● Put workout times in your calendar, and treat them like any other important meeting
● Pack your gym bag the night before


Get Support
● Work out with friends or family
● Join group fitness classes
● Find an exercise buddy

Need Help Getting Started?
As physical therapists, we’re experts in movement and exercise. We can help you:
● Create a safe exercise plan that fits your needs
● Work around any pain or physical limits
● Learn proper form to prevent injury
● Build strength and flexibility safely

Whether you’re completely new to exercise or getting back into it after a break, we’re here to help. Don’t let pain or uncertainty hold you back – schedule a visit to start your exercise journey the right way.

Remember, the best exercise plan is one you’ll actually stick to. Start small, build slowly, and focus on consistency over perfection. Your future self will thank you!

Healthy Holidays

Maintain Your Exercise Routine and Reduce Stress
The holiday season is a busy and exciting time of year, but it can also be quite stressful. Between shopping, parties, traveling, and visiting family, it’s easy for your regular exercise routine to fall by the wayside. Research has shown that physical activity levels tend to decrease the most after holidays.
That’s why it’s so important to make your health a priority this time of year. Regular exercise can actually help reduce holiday stress and keep you feeling your best.


Here are some of the key benefits of maintaining your fitness routine:


Stress Management
The holidays bring a lot of added demands on your time and energy. Exercise is a proven way to manage stress and improve your mood. When you work out, your body releases endorphins that can lift your spirits and help you better cope with the pressures of the season. Making time to be active, even just a little big each day, can go a long way in keeping you calm and centered.


Immune System Support
Cold and flu season tends to ramp up during the winter months. Staying active can help support your immune system and reduce your risk of getting sick. Keeping up with your workouts makes you less susceptible to holiday illnesses that could derail your plans.


Weight Management
The holidays are full of rich, indulgent foods that can pack on extra pounds if you’re not careful. Regular physical activity helps you maintain a healthy weight by burning calories and boosting your metabolism. It also gives you an outlet for all the extra energy you may have from eating richer foods.


If you’re having trouble sticking to your exercise routine, consider talking to your physical therapist. They can create a customized fitness plan to help you stay on track, even with a busy holiday schedule. Physical therapists can teach you exercises you can do at home and provide tips for fitting activity into your day.


Here are a few quick tips to help you stay active this holiday season:


● Schedule your workouts like any other important appointment and don’t cancel them.
● Find ways to be active with friends and family, like going for a walk after a meal.
● Keep home exercise equipment (like weights or a yoga mat) accessible and ready to use.
● Park further away from stores and buildings to get in extra steps.
Don’t let the hustle and bustle of the holidays derail your health and fitness goals. With a little planning and creativity, you can maintain your exercise routine and enjoy a happier, healthier holiday season.

What’s Physical Therapy Have to Do With Your Sleep?

Sleep is essential for our health and well-being.
It helps our bodies recover, boosts our mood, and improves our ability to think clearly. Unfortunately, many people struggle with getting enough good-quality sleep. 62% of all Americans experience a sleep problem several nights a week—and it’s likely those numbers are low, sleep problems often go under-reported.
Physical therapists often see how physical health can impact sleep. Here’s how your PT can help you sleep better, along with some tips for improving your sleep habits.


Why Sleep Matters


Good sleep is crucial for several reasons:

1. Physical Health: Sleep helps your body heal and repair itself. It supports your immune system, making you less likely to get sick.
2. Mental Clarity: Lack of sleep can lead to trouble concentrating and making decisions. A good night’s sleep helps your brain function at its best.
3. Emotional Well-Being: Sleep affects your mood. Poor sleep can lead to irritability and increased stress, while good sleep promotes a positive outlook.


How Physical Therapists Can Help

Physical therapists can play a key role in improving your sleep through various strategies:
1. Assessing Physical Pain
Many people have trouble sleeping because of pain or discomfort. A PT can help identify the source of your pain, whether it’s from an injury, chronic condition, or poor posture. By developing a plan to address these issues, we can help reduce pain, making it easier for you to sleep. This one also works both ways – not sleeping enough has been shown to make you more sensitive to pain.
2. Promoting Relaxation Techniques
Physical therapists can teach you relaxation techniques, like deep breathing, gentle stretching, or progressive muscle relaxation. These methods can help calm your mind and body, making it easier to fall asleep.
3. Creating a Personalized Exercise Plan
Regular physical activity can improve sleep quality. A PT can create a tailored exercise program that suits your needs and lifestyle. Gentle exercises, especially those done in the evening, can help you unwind and prepare for sleep.
4. Improving Sleep Environment
Your PT can also offer advice on creating a better sleep environment. This includes tips on your mattress, pillows, and bedroom setup to ensure you have a comfortable place to sleep.


Tips for Better Sleep

In addition to working with your PT, here are a few steps you can take to improve your sleep:
● Stick to a Schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
● Limit Screen Time: Reduce exposure to screens at least an hour before bed. The blue light from screens can interfere with your ability to fall asleep.
● Create a Bedtime Routine: Establish a calming routine before bed, such as reading or taking a warm bath.
● Watch Your Diet: Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol close to bedtime. These can disrupt your sleep.
● Keep Your Bedroom Dark and Cool: A dark, cool room can help signal to your body that it’s time to sleep.


Conclusion
Sleep is vital for our overall health, and physical therapists can help you achieve better sleep through pain management, relaxation techniques, and personalized exercise plans. By combining our expertise with your commitment to good sleep habits, you can enjoy the restful nights you deserve. Remember, a good day starts with a good night’s sleep!

 
References
Research:
1) Catherine F. Siengsukon, Mayis Al-dughmi, Suzanne Stevens, Sleep Health Promotion: Practical Information for Physical Therapists, Physical Therapy, Volume 97, Issue 8, August 2017, Pages 826–836
a) https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzx057
2) Jo Nijs, Olivier Mairesse, Daniel Neu, Laurence Leysen, Lieven Danneels, Barbara Cagnie, Mira Meeus, Maarten Moens, Kelly Ickmans, Dorien Goubert, Sleep Disturbances in Chronic Pain: Neurobiology, Assessment, and Treatment in Physical Therapist Practice, Physical Therapy, Volume 98, Issue 5, May 2018, Pages 325–335
a) https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzy020
3) A Survey of Physical Therapists’ Perception and Attitude About Sleep
a) https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/asahp/jah/2015/00000044/00000001/art00008
4) Catherine F Siengsukon, Lara A Boyd, Does Sleep Promote Motor Learning? Implications for Physical Rehabilitation, Physical Therapy, Volume 89, Issue 4, 1 April 2009, Pages 370–383
a) https://doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20080310
Articles/Content:
1) PT’s Role in Sleep Education
a) https://www.apta.org/news/2017/08/08/from-ptj-pts-should-wake-up-to-their-role-in-promoting-sleep-health
2) Can PT Help You Sleep Better
a) https://www.ptprogress.com/sleep-physical-therapy/
a)

Head Back To School With A Healthy Back

Fall is on the way. So are school buses and students carrying…backpacks. You might not think much about those bags full of books, pencils, crayons and computers, but physical therapists are.


Why Backpacks Matter


Students will always have things to carry between home and school. A backpack is a great way to do that, but if they’re too heavy, they can cause problems.
Research has shown that carrying a heavy backpack changes students’ posture, walking speed, step length and more. Unsurprisingly, we also know that as students walk greater distances and become more fatigued, all of these changes get worse.
These changes can lead to neck pain, back pain, or other musculoskeletal issues.


How Heavy Is Too Heavy?


How much weight a student can safely carry is directly affected by how much they weigh.
Studies have shown that changes in posture and performance start to occur when the weight of the backpack is 10% of the student’s body weight. The consensus among experts is that students should not carry more than 15% of their body weight in a backpack.
Unfortunately, most of the data show that more than half of students are carrying more than the recommended load.


5 Tips for Parents and Students
To reduce backpack weight and help your student avoid pain, here are a few tips:
1. Plan ahead – Each night, go through the backpack and remove items not needed the next day. Likewise, make sure your student isn’t bringing things home that they won’t need that night.
2. Use your locker – Planning ahead can help remove extra weight between home and school. The locker can lighten the load during the school day. By making a few stops at their locker, students can avoid carrying extra loads around during the school day.
3. Pack right – Heavier items should be placed close to the student’s back and lighter items further away.
4. Wear it right – Using both shoulder straps, and front or hip straps if you have them to help distribute the load evenly. The bottom of the pack should be even with the bottom of the low back. Packs worn too high or low exaggerate postural changes and can restrict movement.
5. Pick the right pack – If you’re shopping for a new backpack, look for one with two straps rather than one. A chest strap and hip belt can help distribute the load. The pack should also be sized appropriately – no longer than the student’s torso.
You can’t control what your student needs for school. However, you can use these tips to help reduce the load your student carries, and to make sure that they carry it right.
If your student is having pain in their back, neck, or anywhere else, give your physical therapist a call today. They’ll be able to help!
 
References
1) The Influence of the Weight of the Backpack on the Biomechanics of the Child and Adolescent: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis With a Meta-Regression
a. https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/wk/pep/2023/00000035/00000002/art00007
2) Backpack use in children. Pediatric Physical Therapy : the Official Publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy Association. 2002 ;14(3):122-131.
a. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001577-200214030-00002
3) Effects of Educational session on school backpack use among elementary school students
a. https://www.scielo.br/j/rbfis/a/Y8XW48pPRmSrZbYBrJKPtct/?lang=en&format=html#
4) Effect of Backpack Load Carriage on Cervical Posture in Primary Schoolchildren. 1 Jan. 2012 : 99 – 108.
a. https://content.iospress.com/articles/work/wor01289
Articles/Content:
1) 3 Tips for Backpack Safety
a. https://www.choosept.com/health-tips/3-tips-backpack-safety
2) Backpack Tips from a Pediatric Physical Therapist
a. https://www.highbarhealth.com/blog/backpack-tips-from-a-pediatric-physical-therapist
3) Is your child’s backpack making the grade?
a. https://www.alternatives4children.org/news/pdfs/PT%20RESOURCES%202020/Children%20and%20Backpacks.pdf

Getting Kids Moving: Pediatric Physical Therapy

Physical therapists don’t just help adults recover from injuries. Pediatric physical therapists are
specially trained to help children of all ages overcome challenges and reach their full potential.
Whether your child has a developmental delay, a sports injury, or a chronic condition, a PT can
create a fun and effective program to get them moving.


How PT for Kids Works
Unlike a typical doctor’s visit, pediatric PT sessions are all about play! Therapists use games,
activities, and exercises tailored to your child’s needs and interests. This might involve:


● Building Strength and Coordination: Using fun exercises and activities like animal walks,
obstacle courses, and games, PTs help children improve their balance, agility, and muscle
control. This can be essential for everything from playing on the playground to keeping up
with friends.


● Addressing Developmental Delays: Physical therapy can be a game-changer for children
who are experiencing delays in reaching milestones like rolling over, crawling, or walking.
Your PT will assess your child to identify the areas holding them back, and create a fun
program to help them develop the skills they need to progress.


● Recovering from Injuries: Did your little athlete take a tumble? PTs can help kids heal from
sports injuries and surgeries. A PT will help your child restore strength and flexibility so they
can safely get back to their favorite activities.


● Managing Chronic Conditions: Children with conditions like cerebral palsy or muscular
dystrophy can benefit from physical therapy to help manage their symptoms and improve
their overall function and well-being. A PT will assess your child to identify areas of strength
and areas that need improvement. They will then develop a program to help your child
maximize their strength, range of motion, coordination, and endurance. They’ll educate you
and your child on things you can work on at home. They can also help get your child any
needed equipment like wheelchairs, braces, or walkers.


Benefits Beyond Movement
Physical therapy isn’t just about physical health. While physical therapists play an important role
in promoting physical activity and health in kids, PTs can also help children with:


● Self-Confidence: As kids gain strength, coordination, and independence, their confidence
soars. This can have a positive impact on all areas of their lives.


● Pain Management: PTs can teach children techniques to manage pain and discomfort,
improving their overall quality of life.


● Socialization: Gross motor skills help children participate in play and games with peers,
which help children develop social skills and build friendships.
If you think your child might benefit from physical therapy, talk to your pediatrician or
give your PT a call. They can assess your child’s needs and create a personalized plan to
help them reach their goals!

Finding Balance: Dizziness and PT

Dizziness is common in people over 20 and it can be a big problem in your daily life. Feeling
unsteady, lightheaded, or like the room is spinning is alarming, and makes day to day tasks
difficult. The good news is that dizziness often has treatable causes, and your physical therapist can be the perfect person to help.

Understanding Dizziness

Dizziness isn’t a specific problem – it’s a symptom that can come from a lot of different issues. Feeling dizzy most commonly comes from issues with your inner ear, but it can also come from your vision, joint or muscle issues in your neck, migraines, changes in blood pressure, head injuries, or other neurological problems.

How Physical Therapists Help

To understand dizziness and how a PT can help, you have to know a little about how balance
works. Your brain uses information from your inner ears, your vision, and input from your joints about their position and movement to keep you balanced and stable. Typically all of this information paints the same picture for your brain. If your brain gets conflicting information – say your inner ear sends different information than vision and your joints – that often results in a feeling of dizziness, unsteadiness, or vertigo. Your physical therapist will ask questions about your history, then perform testing on all of the systems that help you stay balanced to figure out the cause of your dizziness.

Your treatment plan will vary depending on what your PT finds. Some typical examples include:

● Exercises: Your PT may prescribe specific exercises to improve your balance, strengthen or
stretch specific muscles, or to help retrain your brain to interpret sensory information. These can include gaze stabilization exercises which help your eyes and inner ears work better together, habituation exercises that help your brain get used to different types of input, and balance training on different surfaces.

● Canalith: repositioning maneuvers (CRM): If your dizziness is caused by benign
paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), a specific type of inner ear problem, your therapist
may perform maneuvers to reposition tiny crystals within your ear canal, alleviating your
vertigo. They can also teach you how to do these at home.

● Education: Your therapist will educate you about your condition, how to manage dizziness,
and exercises you can perform at home. They may also help you modify activities that cause
dizziness, or train you on ways to work through it. Dizziness doesn’t have to interfere with life. Physical therapists can help reduce your dizziness, improve your balance, lower your risk of falls, and improve your confidence in your daily activities.

Spring into Action: Changes in Weather Change Your Activity Level

Spring is in the air, and that means more than just blooming flowers and chirping birds. It’s a natural nudge to shake off the winter blues and be more active. Research that looked at the seasonality of physical activity proves this is true. Across a wide variety of countries and populations, people are most active in the summer and less active in the winter.

Since it’s likely that your physical activity levels are starting to trend up, we wanted to give you a few fun ideas to try, and some tips on how to navigate the change.


Embrace the Great Outdoors:


• Trade the treadmill for the trail: As the weather warms, escape the gym and head outside.
Explore nature with hikes, bike rides, or even a walk or jog around the park. Soaking up the
sunshine not only boosts your vitamin D levels but also enhances your mood and motivation.

• Turn your park into your playground: Public parks offer tons of fitness opportunities. Utilize the equipment for bodyweight exercises, join a pick-up game of basketball, play around of disc golf, or find an outdoor fitness class.

 

Incorporate Seasonal Activities:


• Get active with seasonal sports: Participating in spring sports leagues like volleyball, softball, pickleball or tennis is a fun and social way to get moving. You’ll meet new people while engaging in friendly competition and getting some exercise.
• Cultivate your green thumb: Gardening is a surprisingly active hobby. Digging, planting, and tending to your garden provides a full-body workout while connecting you with nature.


Navigating The Changes


• Spring clean your activity plan: Just like your home, your exercise routine might need a spring cleaning. Evaluate your current program, identify areas for improvement, and think about what new exercises or activities you’d like to add.
• Don’t spring forward too fast: Spring is an exciting time with longer days, better weather and new opportunities. Don’t take on too much too fast. Injuries from overuse and overtraining start to get more common in our clinics when people ramp activity up too fast.
• Celebrate your progress: Track your progress and acknowledge your achievements, no matter how small. This will keep you motivated and focused on your goals.


Spring is a season of growth. Let it be the catalyst for your own personal transformation. By embracing the outdoors, incorporating seasonal activities, and refreshing your routine, you can spring into action and experience the joy of a healthier and happier you.


If you’d like someone to evaluate your current plan or develop a new one for you, we’d be happy to help! And of course, we’re always here for aches and pains from too much too soon, or weekend warrior injuries from those spring sports.

 

References:
1. Sex- and age-specific seasonal variations in physical activity among adults. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health 2010;64:1010-1016.
https://jech.bmj.com/content/64/11/1010.short
2. Impact of Seasonality on Physical Activity: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(1):2. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/1/2
3. The Effect of Season and Weather on Physical Activity: Systemic Review
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0033350607001400
4. Seasonal Rhythms and Exercise https://www.sportsmed.theclinics.com/article/S0278-5919(04)00120-6/fulltext
5. Exercise Assessment and Prescription in Older Adults Webinar
https://learningcenter.apta.org/products/exercise-assessment-and-prescription-in-older-adultsand-individuals-at-risk-for-functionaldecline?_gl=1*2t7olk*_ga*MTEwNjIzMzg2MS4xNjgxODQyODcw*_ga_ZZJK74HXNR*MTY5NzIwMjg2OC4xMi4xLjE2OTcyMDI4ODEuNDcuMC4w&_ga=2.227565085.1495021570.1697197738-1106233861.1681842870
6. Exercise Attitudes https://www.apta.org/article/2023/03/31/exercise-attitudes

What is Post-Intensive Care Syndrome and What Does PT Have To Do With It?

When you think about a person going into intensive care, you probably picture someone who’s very ill and likely fighting for their life. They may be on a ventilator or other equipment that’s keeping them alive. When you’re in that situation, surviving would be a win. But what happens after these people survive? Do they recover and go back to life as it was? What’s the road to recovery look like?

Fortunately, medical advances have led to higher survival rates for people who end up in intensive care units – it’s now between 71% and 90%, which is great. But, survival is not the end goal, and getting out of the ICU is not the end of the battle. Many patients show significant losses of physical, mental and cognitive abilities after discharge. It makes sense – if you don’t use it, you lose it! This cluster of problems is called Post-Intensive Care Syndrome or PICS.

PICS is now recognized as a public health burden. Interventions against PICS need to start in the ICU. Then they need to continue after discharge.

Physical declines often include significant losses of strength, endurance, and mobility. These can lead to serious difficulty completing basic daily tasks like getting to the bathroom, preparing a meal, or walking to the mailbox. This may keep some people from returning home. For others, it means they need a caregiver to safely return to their previous setting. 50% of ICU survivors have limitations in daily activities 1 year later, so this is a serious and long-lasting problem.

Mental health is also a very real concern for ICU survivors. They show significant rates of depression – the mean is 28%. 24% of survivors have anxiety and 21% report PTSD. Again, these conditions have a real impact on the quality of life after leaving the ICU.

Last, declines in cognitive abilities are very common in ICU survivors. 77% have cognitive impairments at 3 months post-discharge and 71% have impairments 1 year out. Cognitive issues after discharge can include poor memory, slower thinking, problems making decisions, or difficulty concentrating.

Physical therapists play a significant role in the fight against PICS. PT typically begins while the patient is in ICU, focusing on getting the patient up and walking early. Patients begin a progressive exercise program as soon as it’s safe for them. We expect a rise in PICS due to the number of people who COVID-19 has put into critical care and/or on a ventilator.

While we can’t prevent every problem that critical illness causes, recognizing the losses that remain after discharge from the ICU is an important step. Physical therapists play an important role in combating the effects of PICS and helping people return to higher-quality lives.

Physical Therapy is a Tree With Many Branches

Starting a career in physical therapy is like climbing a tree. Everyone starts with the same trunk, but pretty quickly, you have to make some decisions about which way you’re going to go. What kind of people do you want to work with? Where do you want to practice? And how far up the tree do you want to climb? You’ll get to grow professionally – learning more, getting better clinically, and maybe even improving your sales and business skills, but that’s not all. Physical therapy gives you a chance to grow personally too.

Pick your people

You can pick the type of people you want to work with – sports physical therapists work with athletes, helping them recover from injuries and improve performance through exercise and hands-on techniques. Geriatric physical therapists work with elderly patients on mobility problems, pain or managing chronic conditions. Pediatric physical therapists work with infants and children providing developmental assessments and helping them improve their gross motor skills.

Pick your place

You can also pick where you work – there are physical therapy jobs in nursing homes, hospitals, outpatient clinics and schools. Physical therapists provide care wherever people need it. So far, we’ve only mentioned the more common places you’ll find PTs – if you want to specialize further, you may find yourself working only in the ICU with critical care patients, in a factory doing industrial rehabilitation and ergonomics, in a women’s health clinic, or even working in a preventative, public health role.

Grow professionally

Most physical therapy careers start in a general role, working with all types of different patients. If you work in a large health system, you may even rotate between settings. But as you find the type of people you like to work with and the setting you prefer, you have the option to improve your skills and focus on a specialty area of practice. Again, you have lots of options on how to do this. You could:
● Take an internship position or join a fellowship program
● Attend workshops or conferences
● Read journals and textbooks
● Collaborate with your colleagues and mentors
● Take courses in other areas of medicine
● Study abroad or take courses online


Grow personally

Your clinical skills aren’t the only thing a career in physical therapy can grow though – you’ll grow personally as well. You have to learn to have compassion and empathy when you work with ill or injured people. You have to work as a part of a team. You need sales skills – most people aren’t going to want to make changes in their routines, or do the exercises you prescribe at home. You’ll learn to work with people who have different opinions and different viewpoints from all kinds of cultures and backgrounds.

You may also have a chance to improve your business skills. You could advance out of the clinical setting and into a management role. Some PTs start their own practices, or a company in a field related to physical therapy like wellness, performance, injury prevention or population health for large corporations.

Wherever you start in physical therapy, you’ll have a lot of options on where you end up. Chances are you’ll explore more than one branch of the physical therapy tree. That’s OK, having the chance to grow and change is part of what makes PT so exciting!

Returning to Activity After a Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, activity levels dropped for a lot of people. Between stay at home orders, gym closures and working from home, people became more sedentary. On top of that, there were shortages of equipment like dumbbells and bicycles, making staying active at home difficult even if you wanted to.

But this summer, things look different; vaccines are widely available, restrictions are loosening and people are looking to get active and enjoy the warm weather. That’s all good news, but if you had a long break from activity, your body might not be ready to jump right back in. Here are a few tips to help you get more active without getting hurt:

Start slow
● If you’re a runner, think about a walk to run program
● If you’re a weight lifter, start with lighter weights and less reps.
● Whatever your activity of choice is, start with short periods of activity and gradually work your way back up.
Warm up and cool down
Warming up gets your heart and lungs ramped up and prepares your muscles and tendons for the increase in activity about to come. Include some light cardio like jogging, calisthenics, or cycling, followed by active stretching like butt kicks, high knees, or yoga.

Cooling down transitions your body back to a lower state of stress – it brings your heart rate and breathing down, decreases blood flow to your muscles and back to places like your digestive system, and helps you relax. It’s also a great place for static stretches if you need some work on your flexibility.

Take a day off
Rest days let your body recover and keep you from getting burned out. Not enough exercise isn’t good for you, but too much of a good thing can cause problems too.

Watch for early signs of injury
Some soreness for a few days after activity is normal, especially if you’ve had a long break. But there are a few common issues to watch out for as you return to activity:
● Swelling or bruising
● Joint pain, especially in the knees or shoulders
● Foot pain, which could be a sign of plantar fasciitis
● Muscle strains – particularly common in the hamstrings
● Sprains – most common in the ankle

Any of these issues justifies a call to your physical therapist. Getting checked out early can prevent an injury that derails your attempt to return to activity. PTs see all of the issues just mentioned on a regular basis and can help safely guide you back into a more active lifestyle.