Matt Silver Is Helping Athletes Get Back To Doing What They Love
Today’s guest is a physical therapist that works primarily with runners.
As a runner himself, he is passionate about helping others stay healthy so they can keep training and working towards their running goals.
I am looking forward to going a few easy miles with Matt Silver today!
Matt Silver
Nothing Else To Do But Run
Matt Silver first began running when he was in middle school.
He first took notice of the sport, because each year his mom would run a local 15k.
Upon entering high school, some of his friends joined the cross-country team and encouraged him to do the same.
Matt wasn’t exactly a natural at the sport at first, but it didn’t take long for his times to begin to drop.
He continued to improve over the years.
Matt lived in a small town and there wasn’t much else to do besides run.
He fell in love with the competitive aspect of the sport.
Unfortunately, he had to miss his senior year of cross-country due to injuries.
The Science Of Exercise
Matt spent a lot of time with physical therapists following his bout with injuries.
The time he spent in rehab sparked an interest in exercise science.
Along with going to school to be a PT, he also ran cross country collegiately for his first two years.
Worsening knee and back pain forced him to quit the team.
On-again, an off-again injuries had Matt convinced that he may never to able to run pain-free again.
During PT school, Matt met his wife who was also a PT.
After graduation, they moved to Alabama for their first jobs but eventually relocated to Maryland.
The time Matt spent working with athletes was some of his favorites, which led him down the path of specializing in runners.
An Underserved Population
Matt realized upon working at his first few jobs, just how little PT school taught pertaining to runners.
He took it upon himself to learn all that he could about how to treat athletes and runners in particular.
Matt treated himself and in doing so was able to return to running pain-free.
His success in treating his own injuries was evidence that the athlete population was greatly underserved when it came to treatment.
While doing research, Matt realized just how important running form was in the prevention and treatment of injuries.
The majority of people are encouraged to just go out and start running.
Proper running form is rarely taught.
There is a standard form when it comes to running which can deviate a bit, but too much deviation can cause injury.
Matt Silver
Running Doesn’t Equal Strength
Running is great in a lot of ways, but it doesn’t make you stronger.
The body adapts to the stress that is put on it over time.
Not strength training is putting yourself at a higher risk of injury.
Along with doing some core movements, Matt also encourages strengthing the upper body.
While running, the arms have a huge impact on what the legs are doing.
A stronger overall body will lead to better running form.
Some exercises that Matt routinely recommends for runners are:
- Bulgarian split squat
- Heavy squats
- Kettlebell swings
- Calf raises
Shorter reps with heavier weights are more beneficial to runners.
One Resource For Everything
Matt is in the process of writing his first book.
The idea first formed when he was unable to find a resource that existed that included everything needed to be a successful injury-free runner.
The book is meant for the everyday runner and will include proper form, strength, and mobility sections.
When he is not busy writing his book, he is treating athletes at his offices in Maryland.
Matt works both in person with clients as well as virtually.
He is passionate about working with the active population and getting them to run and work out pain-free.
Mentioned In This Episode:
Stay connected to Matt Silver by following him on Instagram.
Matt Silver is working to ensure that physical therapists are knowledgeable about runners and their specific needs. Pain-free running is the goal. Click To Tweet
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