Lessons from the Gym: How Personal Experience Shapes My Practice

As a clinician, there are countless ways to expand our forte—reading, listening to podcasts, taking continuing education courses, and so on. I like to dabble in all these areas to shape my practice due to the unique value of each. However, I've discovered that some of my biggest breakthroughs and most significant moments happen in the gym.

Staying active is a big part of my life. Whether it's playing sports, spending time outdoors, or working out at the gym, I encounter my fair share of hurdles, bumps, and injuries. Within the last year, I've rolled my ankle, pulled my hamstring, dealt with lower back issues, and much more. On top of the setbacks I have encountered, I have found a love for the gym and dedication to addressing the deficits in my health. Addressing these issues myself has taught me a lot about my body and what it needs for longevity and optimal performance. In turn, it has fine-tuned my clinical practice in different areas - directly benefiting my athletes.??

There are countless times when I have found myself working out and came to a realization that what I have been prescribing for my athletes should be adjusted for the best outcomes. For example, after spraining my ankle, I jumped into my typical rehab protocol. I quickly realized that my usual process wasn't quite challenging enough and needed some tweaks. This led me to increase the volume and load appropriately, based on the severity of my injury. Additionally, while training for my benefit, I have learned how to better target specific areas of the body and how I can choose specific exercises to get the best outcome for maintenance or rehab.? Adjusting what I do daily in the gym has made me relate more to the professional athletes I support. Exploring my own body and new exercises helps keep my mind fresh and adds to a bank of exercises I can pull from to get the best outcomes for any athlete I encounter.???

As my personal health journey continues, I believe it's crucial to understand and feel the exercises we prescribe to our athletes. This hands-on approach ensures we're not just following routines but genuinely engaging with our treatment plans. If you're working with baseball players, try the exercises you're giving them. If your setting is in a predominantly lower extremity sport, make sure you're familiar with how your exercises feel and know how to monitor load and intensity based off of each individual.

My fitness journey has been both enlightening and enjoyable. It’s reshaping how I approach maintenance and rehabilitation daily. I plan to keep exploring and learning, aiming to evolve my practice and become a better athletic trainer and a more well rounded athlete myself.??

How has your practice evolved within your daily habits? What type of impact has exercise had on your own personal life as well as your outcomes for your athletes??