138: The Physical Therapist’s Secret to Avoid Fitness Injuries & Genetic Bad Luck (Member Highlight: Andy T., DPT, MOTR/L)

Aug 22, 2025

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Today’s guest, Man Flow Yoga Member Andy, is also a physical therapist who was cursed with genetic bad luck:

His family has a history of high cholesterol. Despite eating right and exercising consistently, Andy’s cholesterol levels have been over 200 for the past decade. And since Andy’s only in his 30s, getting on a statin which is often a lifelong medication, wasn’t an option for him.

But you know what?

Andy proved that even though genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger. For example, about 3 months after joining Man Flow Yoga (and adding yoga to his fitness regimen of Pilates, physical therapy exercises, and something called Animal Flow), his cholesterol dropped by over 100 points!

Andy’s also chock-full of tips and tricks to help you avoid injuries (and what you can do after injuring yourself to speed up recovery).

Here’s what Andy shares in this episode:

How some of his PT clients injured themselves with traditional yoga
He explains the difference between Pilates and yoga (and why they complement each other more than you’d think)
Why diversifying your movement is the best way to free yourself of pain as you age

And more!

Other highlights from the show include:

How to pick up exercise later in life (especially if you never considered yourself an athlete growing up) (4:19)
Why you don’t have to compete in sports to think of yourself as a “fitness guy” (and how this identity shift inspires consistency) (5:00)
The physical therapist’s secret for forever eliminating your lower back pain (7:34)
Why holistic fitness modalities like Pilates and Man Flow Yoga are often more effective than physical therapy alone (8:06)
Injured during yoga: Physical therapist shares how traditional yoga has led to injuries for his clients (12:28)
The 5 biomotor skills you must protect as you age (or else they’ll deteriorate) (14:31)
Physical therapist explains the stark, yet sometimes unrecognizable difference between Pilates and yoga (16:36)
How Andy lowered his cholesterol, which had been above 200 for over a decade due to genetic bad luck, by 100 points in only 3 months (without using statins) (33:01)
The single most effective way to exercise without causing an injury - straight from a physical therapist’s mouth (41:27)

Listen now!

Resources mentioned on this episode:

1. Need a physical therapist in Austin, TX? Andy would love to see you! You can learn more about Andy’s unique approach to physical therapy and Pilates on his website here: https://therapyandpilates.com/

2. Group Coaching with MFY Coach Patrick: Or, if you prefer a group setting where you’re surrounded by other like-minded men who are struggling through similar problems as you, Coach Patrick also does group coaching. You can learn more about group coaching and sign up for group coaching with Coach Patrick here: https://manflowyoga.com/mfy-12-week/