The morning begins with a protein shake, following a well-rested night of eight-plus hours of sleep. Next is the usual two-mile run, ten glasses of water, and six small meals a day.  Maybe today is even a “leg day” or an “arm day” while embracing intermittent fasting. Being fitness-focused, every part of the daily routine aims to achieve strength and weight loss goals. Yet there is one area that is often left behind: injury prevention.  

Nothing puts a bigger damper on progress when striving to meet fitness goals than having that timeline upended, yet injury prevention one of the most overlooked areas of any training program. Many prepare for a workout by stretching, and while stretching does have its perks, it may not be enough: “stretching immediately before exercise is deemed ineffective in preventing injuries and also reduces force and power by about 2% to 5%.” Shrier, I. (2005).

Scott Gander, of ProTouch Physical Therapy, specializes in both rehabilitation and injury prevention by incorporating Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Therapy, CBD topicals, and hands-on manual therapy to his patients. With ProTouch’s newest member sharing an interest in treating CrossFitters and weightlifters, Amy Gargin helps keep athletes off the bench by focusing on exercise-induced pelvic floor dysfunction.

Don’t wait until an injury hinders athletic and fitness goals; adding physical therapy to your current workout routine can be the secret to helping crush your goals this summer.

Location:  570 South Ave., Bldg. G, Ste. C, Cranford. For more information and to schedule a full evaluation, call 908-325-6556. ProTouchPT.com. See ad, page 9.