You are not broken. You are resilient!

"You Are Not Broken. You Are Resilient"

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending a talk from one of my mentors, Dr. Craig Liebenson. Craig is one of the leading experts in rehabilitation and functional movement, and a pioneer in taking a different approach than most practitioners in these areas.

There was so much value in his talk, but today I want to share a key takeaway about pain management and rehabilitation- something we deal with every single day in our personal training studio.

Our members are real people. The average age here is 55, and many deal with chronic pain, joint replacements, or those random aches that seem to come out of nowhere: knee pain, back pain, shoulder pain, hip pain. You name it, we’ve seen it.

And what usually happens when a 55-year-old with knee pain goes to the doctor? We hear the same things over and over:

• “It’s just wear and tear.”
  
  

• “No squatting or heavy lifting.”
  
  

• “You’re going to have to live with this.”
  
  

Of course, most people trust that advice. It’s coming from their doctor, after all. But over time, it becomes part of their identity:

• “That’s just what happens when you get older.”
  
  

• “Sucks getting old.”
  
  

• “I can’t do that anymore.”
  
  

The Problem With “Just Rest”

Dr. Liebenson and many others in the field have found that this way of thinking isn’t supported by the evidence. In fact, rest often delays healing—and can make things worse.

Yes, we’re living longer. But we’re also facing higher rates of disease, and earlier onset of issues that used to be rare. The result? More people spending their later years unable to enjoy the best parts of life traveling, hiking, playing with their grandkids, because they’ve been told to stop moving.

The truth is, in most cases, your ability to do these things is more in your control than you think.

Four Key Ideas to Consider

If you’ve been told by a doctor, chiropractor, or surgeon to stop moving, or to “accept” your pain, consider these four principles from Dr. Liebenson’s approach:

1. Pain is a signal, not a life sentence.
Pain doesn’t always mean damage. Sometimes it’s your body’s way of saying “I feel threatened” even if no harm is actually being done. Avoiding movement out of fear teaches your body to be more sensitive, not stronger.

2. The body adapts to what it does (or doesn’t do).
Stop squatting, bending, or lifting, and your body “forgets” how to do it safely. Muscles weaken, joints stiffen, and everyday life becomes harder. The key is finding the right version of the movement for where you are now, then progressing gradually.

3. Safe, guided movement builds resilience.
Don’t avoid a movement. Modify it.

• If a deep squat hurts, try a higher box squat.
  
  

• If overhead pressing is uncomfortable, try lighter loads or a different arm angle.
  Pain-free variations can build strength, improve mobility, and reduce the very pain you’re trying to avoid.
  
  

4. Movement is medicine.
As Dr. Liebenson says: “The best exercise is the one you can do, you enjoy, and the one you will keep doing.”

The goal is progress, not perfection. With the right coaching and modifications, you can almost always keep moving (and moving well), even with pain.

Avoiding movement out of fear often leads to more stiffness, weakness, and pain. The right approach can keep you active, rebuild your confidence, and improve the very areas you thought were “off-limits.”

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Liebenson this past weekend:

“You are not broken. You are resilient! You are not fragile. You are anti-fragile!”

-Steve