PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANNE MENKE
For the past several months, I have been going to Moment Physical Therapy & Performance (Moment PT). There have been periods of clear progress, followed by days when movements that had started to feel easy have become painful again — not so much exercise, but the physical demands of a normal day. The hardest part has been understanding why my capacity seems to change from one day to the next.
“The gym is controlled stress,” explains Andy Fata-Chan, founder of Moment PT. “If all you did was train, you could gradually progress. But walking around the city, taking the stairs, carrying a heavy bag — they all contribute to your overall load. Add work, relationships, finances, and everything else life throws at you. Your body doesn’t distinguish between physical stress and emotional stress. It simply experiences stress.”
Pain can often be the nervous system trying to protect us. Physical therapy, Andy explains, isn’t about avoiding stress. It’s about gradually increasing your capacity to absorb it. Strength training, mobility work, and carefully dosed movement expand the body’s ability to tolerate more load over time. Improve mobility and the body gains more movement options. Build strength within those new ranges and stress is distributed instead of concentrated in one vulnerable area. Expose the system to manageable challenges until it learns that it is safe to move again. Read More
