FITNESS AND PHYSICAL THERAPY
Nearly everyone has some sort of past injury such as a tendonitis
or a past medical condition like arthritis. These previous problems
can negatively impact your ability to exercise.
For instance,
we know from recent research that:
•
Exercisers over the age of 40 can expect an average of 2.3 to
2.4 injuries per year from exercise (1,2)
• Nearly 1 million injuries per year occur from weightlifting
(3)
• About 50% of aerobics participants experience an injury
within the first 3 months of starting (4, 5)
• People who lift weights are 4 times as likely as non-weightlifters
to develop osteoarthritis (6) |
Exercise poses
risks. The science of physical therapy, through decades of research
and clinical experience, offers unique insights and solutions into
injury prevention and safe exercise that are sorely needed in the
arena of fitness.
Consider the
Center for Human Performance to be a resource for your fitness questions.
Physical therapy
focuses on performance and the stability of your joints, and not
just strength and flexibility. With regard to fitness, this approach
to exercise creates a healthier, more functional person.
REFERENCES:
1.
Watson AWS: Incidence and nature of sports injuries in Ireland: analysis
of four types of sport. Am J Sports Med 1993; 21:137-43.
2. Zemper, ED: Exercise and Injury Patterns in a Sample of Active
Middle-Aged Adults. Presented at the International Congress on Sports
Medicine and Human Performance, in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, April
1991
3. Powell K, et al: Injury rates from walking, gardening, weightlifting,
outdoor bicycling and aerobics. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1998; 1246-9.
4. Janis LR: Aerobic dance survey. A study of high-impact versus
low-impact injuries. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 1990 Aug;80(8):419-23
5. Garrick JG, Gillien DM, Whiteside P: The epidemiology of aerobic
dance injuries. Am J Sports Med 1993; 21:461-7.
6. Raty HP, et al: Lifetime musculoskeletal symptoms and injuries
among former elite male athletes. Int J Sports Med 1997;18:625-32.
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