5 Reasons You Need a Physical Therapist to Coordinate Your Fitness Regimen
You Want a Baseline
When you see a physical therapist to improve your fitness, you will get an assessment of your strength, range of motion, posture, and movement patterns, just to name a few. This not only helps your physical therapist design a customized program just for you, but also gives them a baseline to compare things to, in the future, should you start having pain or suffer an injury.
You Want Expert Guidance
Other professionals can also help with your fitness routine, but the fitness industry is not well regulated. Some certifications just require an online course and paying a fee. There are no licenses or other requirements to many titles. Currently, becoming a physical therapist requires a doctorate. In the doctorate program, physical therapists gain knowledge in orthopedic assessment/treatment in addition to pathophysiology, pharmacology, immunology and much more. Every physical therapist has passed a national board exam and maintains a state license. That guarantees you that every physical therapist is a verified expert in human movement and can provide whole health management.
You Want to Prevent Injury
Physical therapists don't just work to heal injuries, they are also experts in preventing them. After a thorough assessment, a physical therapist can help you design a program that will not only help you reach your fitness goals, but that can address any issues that increase your risk for injury.
You Want Unbiased Advice
Yoga instructors will want you to do yoga. Personal trainers will want you to come to their gym. Pilates instructors will want you to do Pilates. Strength coaches will want you to strength train. A physical therapist doesn't have a bias or vested interest as to what type of fitness regimen you choose. They are only interested in helping you reach your overall wellness goals.
You Have a History
If you have some kind of history that affects your ability to exercise, a physical therapist is the best person to help you design a fitness regimen. It doesn't matter if it's an old injury from athletics or work, back pain that comes up from time to time, COPD, arthritis, or heart disease, a physical therapist can help you safely work around it and meet your fitness goals.