“  The biggest change that I've had to make in myself is, you don't always have to be progressing. I feel like there's this huge push to be able to run faster, run farther, lift heavier, just do more all the time. But it doesn't necessarily have to be that way to reap all the benefits of health and fitness that come along with cardio and with strength training.”

 

Physical therapist and strength coach Dr. Susie Spirlock has always been a healthy, active person. But after she got sick with COVID in the fall of 2020, everything changed; her resting heart rate soared, she lost fitness and muscle mass, and her missing sense of smell and taste made it difficult to eat.

 

Some—but not all—of those symptoms faded as she recovered, and she had to work her way through the complex medical system before getting a startling new set of diagnoses. At the same time, she was starting her own virtual physical therapy and rehab practice, Move Your Bones, and posting educational content on social media. 

 

All this made for a lot of cognitive dissonance and self-doubt. But step by step, with flexibility and grace, she rebuilt her fitness routine to meet her biggest goals: Training for life. Although the physical and psychological challenges aren’t over for her, she’s learned to adapt and thrive, and her practice teaches others with injuries and illnesses to do the same.

 

Resources/links:

• Dr. Susie’s Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube
• The website for her practice, Move Your Bones
• How to Safely Exercise With POTS, According to Experts: an article Cindy wrote, quoting Dr. Susie, for SELF
• Navigating the Medical System webinar

 

A huge thank you to LEVER Movement, the exclusive sponsor of season 8 of The Injured Athletes Club podcast! The LEVER system is an innovative way to reduce your body weight, and the impact on your joints, while exercising on a treadmill. Use the code “TIAC20” to get 20% off your purchase. 

 

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DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational & informational use only and & does not constitute medical advice. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have heard in an episode of this podcast. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified medical professional for proper evaluation & treatment. Guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experiences, and conclusions, and The Injured Athletes Club podcast hosts nor any company providing financial support endorses or opposes any particular treatment option discussed in the episodes of this podcast and are not responsible for any actions or inactions of listeners based on the information presented. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk.