Health, Fitness & Nutrition Articles from EVOLVE Flagstaff
Evidence-based articles on strength training, physical therapy, nutrition, injury recovery, and long-term health — written to help you stay active, resilient, and moving well for life.
Habit 1: Eating Slowly and Balancing
Abby and I want to help you to feel your best, every day. It’s no secret that the majority of sickness and disease can be prevented with simple lifestyle changes. The problem? Simple isn’t always easy. It’s difficult to stay consistent. We might know what we should do, but have a hard time doing it in the real world.
Hydration 101: Are you meeting your water needs?
You’ve probably heard the old adage, “Drink 8 glasses of water a day.” You may have heard that water is important to either overall health, or weight loss, or both.
But what’s the real story behind this conventional wisdom? Can we look to real physiology and science to guide our thinking and behavior on hydration?
You bet.
The Zero to 60 Program: How to start running or return after an injury
Starting to run — or returning to running after an injury — is one of the trickiest transitions in training: too much volume too soon, and you’re back where you started. The Zero to 60 Program offers free, research-backed 8- and 16-week run/walk plans designed to build your volume safely, whether you’re brand new to running or coming back from time off.
Case Study: Multiple ankle sprains and functional instability in a professional runner
We treat ankle sprains and ankle pain seriously in our clinic. The main reason is that history of an ankle sprain (or “rolling your ankles”) is perhaps the greatest predictor for future ankle injuries. It also increases the likelihood of subsequent knee or hip injuries. The reasons why are complex, but are probably related to altered muscle activation, neuromuscular control, and gait patterns after an ankle injury.
The Two Reasons Runners Need Strength Training
Many of our patients come to us for help with for injuries, aches, and pains related to running. We place an initial focus on reducing pain and helping them get back to running as soon as possible. Towards the end-stages of injury rehabilitation, we gradually shift gears and begin to focus on long-term strategies to reduce the risk of future injuries.
The 3 Phases of Knee Injury Rehabiliation
Last week’s post discussed our approach to examining the knee pain. As a reminder, we have two parts to our examination: the joint-specific exam, and the functional exam.
We then make a two-part diagnosis: #1) Pain generator; and #2) Relevant functional impairments. This tells us what’s hurting and why.
From there, we develop a treatment plan. While this is always individualized, we typically guide our patients with knee injuries through three broad phases of recovery.