Raise your hand if you’ve been told by a physical therapist/doctor/chiropractor that you should never do something again ✋

“You shouldn’t squat because your knees will blow apart”

“You shouldn’t deadlift because they are bad for your back and your back will blow into pieces”

“You have to have complete rest otherwise you’ll blow your body apart”

Okay, is that the exact language? Maybe not but also, eh I’ve heard it before.

Did you know that most doctors and PT’s don’t lift weights and it is not required for them to learn about exercise science? Fun little fact.

Here’s where my beef comes into play:

Telling someone that they shouldn’t do a movement because it is “bad for them” creates fear around that movement or bodypart. 

Fear around a movement or body part can send unnecessary pain signals from the brain (where pain originates) to that spot that you’re supposed to be worried about. 

Fear leads to avoidance of activities that may cause pain. Avoidance reduces physical activity and deconditioning, increasing pain sensitivity. Increased pain reinforces fear, perpetuating the cycle. (Learn more about the Fear-Avoidance Model here)

Telling someone they shouldn’t squat is ridiculous because you squat literally every single day to sit on the toilet. To sit in your chair. To get in and out of your car. 

Deadlifts aren’t bad for your back, telling someone that they shouldn’t do deadlifts is bad for their back.

Fully stopping activity because of injury or pain will make it so your recovery time is longer. 

So let’s say you do have knee pain when you squat? Or sometimes your low back hurts when you deadlift? What should you do?

Read about it next week because that’s a whole ass story of its own (CLIFFHANGER BABY)