Alex Carrod Physio

Alex Carrod Physio Striving to get people pain free and moving better since 2009. Fitness today for a healthier tomorrow Fitness today for a healthier tomorrow!

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⛰️🔥 THE GROUSE GRIND: Vancouver’s Vertical Challenge 🔥⛰️Nicknamed “Mother Nature’s Stairmaster” 🌲🪜 — the Grouse Grind is...
06/06/2026

⛰️🔥 THE GROUSE GRIND: Vancouver’s Vertical Challenge 🔥⛰️

Nicknamed “Mother Nature’s Stairmaster” 🌲🪜 — the Grouse Grind is one of Vancouver’s most iconic hikes… and for good reason 👇

📍 2.5 km uphill
📈 ~800 m elevation gain
🥵 Average grade: VERY steep
⏱️ Most people finish in 1–2 hours

But this isn’t just a hike — it’s a serious cardiovascular and muscular workout 💥

💪 WHAT MAKES IT SO CHALLENGING?

🫀 Massive cardiovascular demand
Your heart rate climbs quickly due to the steep incline and continuous effort.

🦵 Quad + glute endurance
Thousands of step-ups challenge your legs, especially on the descent-free climb.

🫁 VO₂ max & aerobic fitness
Steep uphill hiking can significantly improve aerobic conditioning and endurance.

⚖️ Balance + stability
Uneven terrain demands ankle, hip, and core control throughout.

🌡️ Heat + fatigue management
Many people underestimate hydration, pacing, and energy needs.

⚠️ COMMON MISTAKES

❌ Starting too fast
❌ Not bringing water
❌ Poor footwear
❌ Treating it like an “easy hike”
❌ Ignoring knee or calf symptoms on the climb

👟 PRO TIPS

✅ Pace yourself early
✅ Shorter steps > giant strides
✅ Use the rest markers strategically
✅ Hydrate before AND during
✅ Strength training helps more than you think 🏋️

🏃‍♂️ Training for the Grind?
Focus on:
• Step-ups
• Split squats
• Calf strength
• Incline walking
• Aerobic conditioning

And remember — speed isn’t everything. Consistency and pacing win this climb 🌲⛰️

📷❤️ Back to the time we ripped it from London 💂‍♂️ to Paris 🥖 on 2 wheels! 🚴‍♂️
06/04/2026

📷❤️

Back to the time we ripped it from London 💂‍♂️ to Paris 🥖 on 2 wheels! 🚴‍♂️

🏃 RUNNING MYTH BUSTED 🏃Think switching to a forefoot strike will keep you injury-free and make you faster? Think again. ...
06/01/2026

🏃 RUNNING MYTH BUSTED 🏃
Think switching to a forefoot strike will keep you injury-free and make you faster? Think again. ❌

The science says:
✅ No prospective evidence links foot strike pattern to future injury risk

✅ No difference in running economy between heel and forefoot strikers

⚠️ Switching actually increases load on
your foot, ankle & calf — raising short-term injury risk

So what actually works?
💪 Heavy strength training 2-3x/week improves performance

🩺 See a running-specialist health professional for injury advice

Already thinking of switching?
👉 Gradually increase distance, duration & intensity
👉 Strengthen your lower leg & foot first
👉 Work with an expert
Bottom line: If you’re uninjured, don’t change what isn’t broken. 🙌

📖 Source: Alexander et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine (2020)

🚶‍♂️💥 DO YOU REALLY NEED 10,000 STEPS A DAY?You’ve probably heard the magic number:🎯 10,000 steps per day.But here’s the...
06/01/2026

🚶‍♂️💥 DO YOU REALLY NEED 10,000 STEPS A DAY?

You’ve probably heard the magic number:
🎯 10,000 steps per day.

But here’s the surprising truth👇

❌ There is NO strong scientific evidence that 10,000 steps is the minimum number needed for good health.

📖 The 10,000-step target actually originated from a Japanese marketing campaign in the 1960s—not from medical research.

What does the science show?

✅ Health benefits begin well below 10,000 steps.
✅ Around 6,000–8,000 steps/day is associated with substantial reductions in mortality risk for many adults.
✅ More steps generally provide additional benefits, but the gains start to level off as step counts increase.

🚶 Even small increases matter:
Adding just 1,000–2,000 extra steps per day can improve health outcomes.

⚠️ OTHER IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS

Not all steps are created equal.

🚶‍♀️ A slow stroll around the grocery store and a brisk uphill walk may produce very different cardiovascular benefits.

💪 Step count also tells us nothing about:
• Strength training
• Balance and mobility
• Bone health
• Exercise intensity
• Cardiorespiratory fitness

In fact, someone taking 7,000 purposeful, brisk steps may gain greater health benefits than someone accumulating 12,000 low-intensity steps throughout the day.

💡 The best step goal is one that gets YOU moving more than you are today.

📌 Focus less on chasing an arbitrary number and more on:
✔️ Consistency
✔️ Exercise intensity
✔️ Strength training 2–3x/week
✔️ Reducing prolonged sitting
✔️ Enjoyable movement

Remember:
A day with 7,000 steps is not a failure. It’s a win for your health.

🏃‍♂️ Move more. Sit less. Don’t let an arbitrary number define your success.

🏃‍♂️ Running ruins your knees? Think again….Recent research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine is busti...
05/27/2026

🏃‍♂️ Running ruins your knees? Think again….

Recent research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine is busting one of the biggest myths in fitness.

Only 3.5% of recreational runners develop knee or hip osteoarthritis — compared to 10.2% of sedentary people. That’s right, not running may actually be worse for your joints.

Here’s what the science says:
✅ Recreational running does NOT damage knee cartilage
✅ Running may actually protect against osteoarthritis
✅ Already have knee OA? Running doesn’t appear to accelerate it
⚠️ Elite-level training loads are the exception — moderation matters

The takeaway: lace up without fear. Your knees will thank you. 🦵

Source: Alexander et al., BJSM 2021

05/24/2026

⚡️The Secret Weapon Elite Runners Don’t Talk About⚡️

While everyone’s debating shoes and splits, the smartest runners are quietly picking up a jump rope — and their tendons are thanking them for it.

Here’s what consistent rope work actually does for your running:

⚡ Builds tendon stiffness & elasticity — stiffer tendons act like springs, storing and returning energy with each stride. Less energy wasted = better running economy and faster times with the same effort

🦶 Strengthens the Achilles & plantar fascia — the two most critical tendons for runners. Stronger tendons absorb load better, drastically reducing injury risk

💨 Trains your stretch-shortening cycle — skipping mimics the rapid ground contact of running, teaching your tendons to load and recoil explosively. This is where elite runners gain their edge

❤️ Spikes cardiovascular conditioning — 10 minutes matches a mile run for heart rate intensity, with lower joint impact

🧠 Sharpens neuromuscular coordination — better timing between muscles and tendons means smoother, more efficient movement on the road or trail

🔄 Activates the full kinetic chain — ankles, calves, Achilles, hips, and core firing in sync, exactly how they need to perform when you run

The best runners in the world aren’t just fit — they’re springy. Stiff, elastic tendons are a trainable superpower, and a jump rope is one of the simplest ways to develop them.💪🏃💨

Here’s an Instagram caption for this paper:🏃 Runners, it’s time to ditch the pre-run stretch! 🙅That static stretching ro...
05/20/2026

Here’s an Instagram caption for this paper:

🏃 Runners, it’s time to ditch the pre-run stretch! 🙅

That static stretching routine before your run? Science says it’s NOT protecting you from injury — and never has. 😮

Here’s what the research actually shows:

❌ Static stretching does NOT reduce overuse injury risk
❌ It does NOT speed up recovery or reduce muscle soreness (DOMS)
✅ It WILL improve flexibility — but that alone won’t make you faster or safer

So what SHOULD you do instead?

🔥 Warm up actively for 5–10 mins with easy walking or light jogging
🦵 Add 6–8 dynamic drills like walking lunges & leg swings
💨 Finish with 3×100m strides at goal race pace
Your body will thank you. Save this for your next run day! 🙌

📖 Source: Alexander et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine (2019)

05/18/2026

🩸💪 BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION (BFR): BIG RESULTS WITH LIGHT WEIGHTS

Think heavy weights are the only way to build strength? Think again. 👀

BFR training uses a specialized cuff around the arm or leg to partially restrict blood flow while exercising with only 20–30% of your normal load.

👉 The result: significant muscle and strength gains with much less stress on your joints and healing tissues.

🔬 Evidence-Based Benefits

✅ Increases muscle size and strength
✅ Reduces muscle loss after surgery or injury
✅ Allows earlier strengthening in rehab
✅ Decreases joint pain during exercise
✅ Helps speed up return to sport and function

🏃‍♂️ Who Can Benefit?

* ACL and knee surgery rehab
* Tendinopathy
* Knee osteoarthritis
* Stress fractures
* Older adults with muscle loss
* Athletes recovering from injury

⚠️ Is It Safe?

When performed under the guidance of a trained physiotherapist and after proper screening, BFR is considered safe and highly effective.

🏆 Clinical Takeaway

Lift lighter. Recover faster. Get stronger.

BFR is one of the most powerful rehabilitation tools available when heavy resistance training isn’t possible.



StrengthTraining ACLRehab EvidenceBasedPractice ReturnToSport InjuryRehab

05/16/2026

🚴‍♂️ Stop Guessing Your Bike Fit… Start Riding Pain-Free 🔥

Think a bike fit is just for pros? Think again.

A proper physiotherapy bike fit isn’t about looking fast — it’s about staying pain-free, efficient, and riding longer 💪

Here’s why it matters 👇

🦵 Injury prevention
Poor positioning can overload your knees, hips, and lower back. A physio-led fit helps reduce stress on your body before pain even starts.

⚙️ Optimized performance
Small adjustments = big gains. Saddle height, cleat position, and reach all impact how much power you can produce 🚀

🧠 Individualized to YOU
Not just “textbook angles.” A physiotherapist considers your mobility, strength, injury history, and goals 🧩

🔄 Fix current pain
Already dealing with discomfort on the bike? A bike fit can identify the root cause and correct it — not just mask symptoms ❌

⏱️ Efficiency = endurance
Better mechanics mean less wasted energy → ride further, faster, and with less fatigue ⚡

Your bike should fit YOU — not the other way around 🙌

If you ride regularly, a proper physio bike fit isn’t a luxury… it’s essential.

RideSmart EnduranceTrai

05/15/2026

‼️KNEE EXTENSION HACK‼️

✅ WHY KNEE EXTENSIONS ARE SO EFFECTIVE 🦵💪

💪 1. Build Stronger Quads
The Knee extension isolates all four quadriceps muscles, which are essential for walking, running, squatting, and climbing stairs.

🦵 2. Reduce Knee Pain
Stronger quads can decrease pain and improve function in Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome and Knee Osteoarthritis by improving knee control and shock absorption.

🛡️ 3. Improve Knee Stability
The quadriceps help stabilize the kneecap, increasing load tolerance and confidence with movement.

🏃 4. Boost Performance
Greater quadriceps strength is linked to faster sprinting, better jumping, improved running economy, and stronger cycling power.

🩹 5. Key for Rehabilitation
Knee extensions are widely used after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury reconstruction, meniscus surgery, and Total Knee Arthroplasty.

🔥 6. Safe When Progressed Properly
Knee extensions are not harmful when load and range are tailored to the individual.

⚠️ Myth: “Knee extensions damage your knees.”
✅ Reality: Progressive loading helps the knee adapt and become stronger.

🏥 Bottom Line
Strong quads = stronger knees.
Knee extensions are one of the most effective exercises for reducing pain, restoring function, and improving performance. 💥

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Vancouver, BC

Opening Hours

Monday 6:30am - 1pm
Tuesday 1pm - 7pm
Wednesday 1pm - 7pm
Thursday 7:30am - 7pm
Friday 3pm - 7pm

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+16047043309

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