126. How Physical Therapist Chris Johnson Prevents Running Injuries

Chris Johnson is a physical therapist, Ironman triathlete, coach, and a three-time All-American triathlete.

He started studying physical therapy as an undergraduate while he was captain of the tennis team at the University of Delaware. Chris then earned his PT degree while completing an orthopedic and sports graduate fellowship before working in New York City as a physical therapist and researcher.

Chris then moved to Seattle where he started Zeren Physical Therapy. He's also a certified triathlon coach, three-time All American triathlete, two time Kona Qualifier, and is currently ranked 16th in his age group in the country for long course racing.

I’m excited to bring you this conversation focused on injury prevention. We’re exploring a lot of fascinating topics:

• Stride smoothness
• Form drills and corrective exercises
• Injury assessments (like the Functional Movement Screen)
• Predicting injuries
• Rehabilitation exercises vs. prevention exercises

Chris possesses a wealth of information about movement fluency, injury prevention, and treatment. I was honored to speak with him and I hope that you get a lot of value from this conversation.

Show Links & Resources:

• Follow Chris on Instagram
• The RunCadence app
• Chris' Physical Therapy Practice in Seattle, WA
• Elite Athletes on Injury Prevention (free)
• Running Injuries resource page

More Prevention Advice From the Best

One of my favorite projects recently was asking nine elite athletes about their favorite injury prevention strategies.

The result is The Little Black Book of Prevention & Recovery. It features:

• Dathan Ritzenhein – 3x Olympian, 3x National Cross Country Champion
• Devon Yanko - 100k National Champion and 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier
• David Roche – 2x National Trail Running Champion
• Amelia Boone – 3x World’s Toughest Mudder Champion
• Andy Wacker – Trail Half Marathon National Champion
• Ian Sharman – 3x winner of the Leadville Trail 100
• Joseph Gray – Mount Washington American Record holder and World Mountain Running Champion
• Kelly O'Mara - Professional triathlete
• Max King – US National Ultra Running Champion and 2x winner World Warrior Dash Champion

Each of these athletes share their most effective recovery or injury prevention strategy – and you'll see a lot of options for staying healthy.

Strategies include post-race recovery, why eating is critical for prevention, how to come back to running after you get hurt (and what mistakes to avoid), and the power of eliminating busyness from your life.

Pick and choose the tactics that most resonate with you. Start using them and you’ll start feeling a lot more resilient.

Click the image below to download the free book. Enjoy!