The Winter Olympics are currently taking place in Beijing, and every two years the Olympics allow us to watch the world’s best athletes perform on the biggest stage. Odds are you aren’t competing in the Winter Games, but that doesn’t mean you can’t train like an Olympic athlete. That’s because behind every Olympian is a skilled physical therapist helping them optimize their form, recover from injuries and perfect their craft.
So if you want to train like an Olympian, sync up with a physical therapist like the ones you’ll find at OrthoRehab Specialists. Below, we talk about how we can help you train like an Olympian with the help of a PT, regardless of whether you plan on competing in Paris in 2024 or you just want to be a little more competitive in your rec league this summer.
How A PT Can Help You Train Like An Olympian
A physical therapist can help you improve your athletic performance and have you hitting new personal records in a number of ways. Here’s how we do it for our clients, whether they are an Olympic or recreational athlete:
- Strength Training – Olympians need to be incredibly strong in order to pull off the amazing physical feats they accomplish, and they do this with the help of a carefully cultivated strength training program. They aren’t just lifting weights and running a couple miles; every exercise is carefully crafted to help them develop specific muscles that they’ll use in competition. A physical therapist’s knowledge of the body and the interconnectedness of muscle groups helps them develop the perfect strength training program for their athletes.
- Injury Recovery – If you’ve watched some of the high speed events like downhill skiing or some of the big air jumping competitions, you’ve likely heard the announcers talk about some of the injuries these athletes have had to overcome in order to get where they are today. Every Olympian has suffered injuries during training or competition, and when it happens, they head to a physical therapist to improve function and slowly work back towards full physical fitness.
- Form Improvements – In a number of Olympic sports, a few split seconds can be the difference between taking home gold or missing the podium, and a lot of times it comes down to an athlete’s form. Physical therapists and an athlete’s training team oftentimes use advanced technology to capture biometric data to look for deficiencies in an athlete’s form. Making these subtle changes to an athlete’s form and posture can make all the difference.
- Flexibility And Range Of Motion – Gymnastics, figure skaters and a number of other Olympic athletes rely on their incredible flexibility during their performance, and oftentimes these range of motion and flexibility improvements are made with the help of a physical therapist. Athletes need to know how to safely work to improve their flexibility without putting themselves at risk for injury, and a physical therapist has the knowledge to do just that.
- Habits Outside The Clinic – And finally, a physical therapist doesn’t just ensure an athlete is on the right path when they are in the clinic, they also set them up with healthy habits that will help them continue to make strides when they are outside the clinic. This can come in many forms, from posture improvements and daily stretching routines, to the importance of understanding how our diet and hydration practices can help or hinder our athletic performance. A great PT will ensure their client knows how to keep building on the skills they developed at the clinic so they can continue to progress between sessions.
To start training like an Olympian, or to get the same type of treatment we’d provide to a world class athlete, pick up the phone and set up a session with the team at OrthoRehab Specialist today by calling (612) 339-2041.