Elizabeth Karr PT, DPT

If you’ve ever worked with me at Precision, I’ve probably talked to you about “stress is stress” and the imaginary “stress bucket” which holds all of our stress. This concept and how both biomechanical load and social and emotional load affect our body and injuries has come up a lot in the clinic recently, so I figured it was time to bring it to the blog. The stress bucket is not an idea that I came up with, and I want to give credit to the PTs whose ideas I have expanded on when describing...

Abdominal bracing is the basis of all core strengthening exercises. It is also something that many people struggle with! Core strength provides a stable base of support for all of our movements – from reaching up over our heads, walking and running, to sitting up and getting off of the floor. Therefore, having good core strength is imperative, and when the core is weak, it can affect not only your back, but shoulders, hips, knees and more. When performing core exercises, group fitness...

I frequently remind myself, and my patients that no one is watching you or judging you at the gym. Unless, of course, I am at the gym. Then I might be watching and mentally critiquing your form. But that’s because my job is to analyze movement and educate people on how to optimize form to reduce harm and improve outcomes! The exercise that I see performed incorrectly most often is the Romanian Deadlift. The Romanian Deadlift (RDL) is a great posterior chain strengthening exercise that can be...