Movement is Medicine: But Are You Taking the Right Dose?

Why “I’ve always done this” might be the most dangerous phrase in physical therapy

Every spring, the clinic fills up with the same story: “I don’t understand it—I’ve always gardened. I’ve never had back pain like this before.” Or in the fall: “I’ve played tennis for twenty years. Why is my shoulder suddenly giving me problems?” Here’s what I’ve learned after treating hundreds of patients: most people are overdoing it without even realizing it. And the reason they don’t realize it comes down to a simple but powerful concept that changes everything once you understand it.

The Capacity vs. Strain Equation

Movement truly is medicine, but like any medicine, dosage matters. Here’s how I explain it to patients: When strain exceeds your capacity, you’re in pain and overdoing it. When capacity is above strain, you’re in a good position. Sounds simple, right? But here’s where it gets tricky.

The “I’ve Always Done This” Problem

Most people don’t have a lot of self-recognition about their activity patterns because they think, “This is something I’ve always done.” They don’t realize there’s a problem until they’re already in pain or can’t do what they want to do. But here’s what’s really happening: your body adapts to the loads you place on it regularly. During winter or off-seasons, we become more relaxed, more sedentary. Our tissues adapt to these lower demands. Then comes gardening season, tennis season, or whatever your seasonal activity is, and suddenly you’re placing strain far beyond your current capacity. Whether it’s your age, increased training, involvement in year-round sports, or just the natural ebb and flow of seasonal activities—all of these factors influence how we can overtrain without realizing it.

It’s Not Just Athletes

I work with two main groups: athletes who need performance capacity, and people who just need functional capacity for daily life. Both groups struggle with the same thing—understanding that even activities that seem harmless are still creating strain on our bodies.

If your body is under-prepared, under-loaded, and not tolerating what you’re doing on a daily basis, you’re going to have general aches and pains and increased sensitivity. But overtraining creates the exact same problem. You’re overreaching beyond your tissue capacity without giving your body the tools it needs to build up tolerance.

The Real Solution Isn’t What You Think

When this happens, the answer isn’t to stop gardening or quit your sport. The solution is to deload and then appropriately reload. We need to recalibrate the amount of load going through the tissue to actively build it up to the capacity where it needs to be, rather than letting it become overly sensitive.

But here’s where it gets individual: What is this person being exposed to on a daily basis? What’s their general health like? Hydration, nutrition, sleep, stress—all of these things affect how our bodies tolerate strain. As much as it involves weights and numbers, a lot of it is more holistic, looking at what’s going on with you as an individual.

Building Your Movement Awareness

The key is developing recognition before you hit that pain point. Start paying attention to:

∙ How your activity levels change with seasons

∙ Whether you’re maintaining some base level of capacity year-round

∙ Early warning signs like increased stiffness or minor aches

∙ How other life factors (stress, sleep, nutrition) might be affecting your tolerance

Your Movement Medicine Prescription

Remember: the goal isn’t to avoid movement—it’s to dose it appropriately for where your body is right now, then progressively build capacity so you can do everything you love without consequences. If you’re stuck in that cycle of seasonal pain, or if you’re not sure whether you’re under-doing it or overdoing it, that’s exactly what physical therapists are here for. Every situation is unique, and figuring​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​