Why my week was #BETTER 7.28.17

Happy weekend everyone!  I spent last weekend at Chautauqua Lake with family and one (very happy) dog named Buddy. Looking forward to this weekend’s long run with Fleet Feet Cleveland and this amazing Filipino feast at The Plum Cafe.  Hope you all have an amazing weekend too! Here’s what made this workweek #BETTER: Want to master toes-to-bar?  I do!  I’ve been … Read More

Research Roundup: Reactive Agility, Soccer Kicking Performance

Research Roundup-  Week of June 13, 2016 What CLE Sports PT is reading to give athletes #BETTER care Relationship Between Reactive Agility and Change of Direction Speed in Amateur Soccer Players.  No significant relationship found between reactive agility and change of direction speed, suggesting that reaction training for sports like soccer is more effective.   ACL reconstruction in youth athletes results … Read More

Research Roundup: Fatigue, Arthritis, In-Season Strength Training Week of May 30

May 30, 2016:  What CLE Sports PT is reading to give athletes #BETTER care   Should player fatigue be the focus of injury prevention strategies for international rugby sevens tournaments?  During the Rugby Sevens World Series, much more injuries seen in the second half of matches.  The proportion of injuries also increased as the tournament went on-  probably due to fatigue.   The Relationship of Foot Strike Pattern, Shoe Type, … Read More

Research Roundup: Hamstring Injuries; Neck Strength in Football

Research Roundup-  Week of May 16, 2016: What CLE Sports PT is reading to give athletes #BETTER care Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy: Clinical Aspects of Assessment and Management:  New ahead of print in JOSPT–  a great read and management outline of an injury affecting many athletes.   Strengthening the Gluteus Medius Using Various Bodyweight and Resistance Exercises.  Explains why glute medius strengthening is important, and compares exercises based on … Read More

Research Roundup: Don’t “Tighten Your Core”

Research Roundup: What CLE Sports PT is reading to give athletes #BETTER care   Abdominal Bracing Increases Ground Reaction Forces and Reduces Knee and Hip Flexion During Landing.  Many coaches and PT’s teach athletes to “hold the core tight” during certain exercises.  But in this study, when athletes pulled their core tight during plyometrics (drop landings), researchers saw increased forces through the athletes’ joints … Read More

Hurt or Burnt Out From Your New Fitness Regimen? How to Fix it

Getting better mentally and physically means challenging your body through your fitness routine.  However, there’s a delicate balance between how far to push and when to take a break.  At this time of year, it seems we spend lots of time beating ourselves up over poor health choices during the holidays (Skipping workouts for holiday parties?  The endless trays of Christmas … Read More

The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Early Sport Specialization- Part 2

In part one of this series, I discussed the myth that single-sport athletes are more successful than multi-sport athletes.  I also examined the risks of specializing in one sport too early.   See this link if you missed it. So now the question… If specializing in a sport early is not good, then how DO we set our kids up for long-term athletic … Read More

The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Early Sport Specialization- Part 1

The number of multi-sport athletes in the US is dwindling. The young athletes in our country are in a race to specialize in a sport earlier than their peers. This fits right into the American culture of “bigger, better, faster.” We want our kids to excel and we want a success quickly.  Some parents dream of their kids getting college … Read More

Form Running or Interval Training- Which is More Effective?

Most runners utilize interval training, or alternating short and intense running intervals with recovery periods, to improve speed, endurance, motivation, and even to burn more fat in workouts. Running form drills are another method long utilized by track coaches to improve performance.  These drills are increasingly popular among recreational runners to help decrease injuries from technique.  But do they really help? This … Read More

What is Running Economy and Does Stretching Improve it?

Running economy has been called the “secret” to running faster and farther in a race.  It’s basically how efficiently your body uses oxygen.  Think of two runners in a race, neck-and-neck during the last mile.  One runner is breathing normally and the other is gasping for air.  The runner who isn’t sucking wind has the greater running economy and will likely win. … Read More