March 2026

FLX PT NEWSLETTER #21

The Training Tool You’re Probably Ignoring

Good morning!

I wrote this newsletter two weeks ago, with the intention to go out on the 25th! But life is just full right now. Kids, schedules, early mornings, late evenings, it all adds up. And lately, my sleep hasn’t been where I know it needs to be.

And I can feel it.

My runs feel harder.
My patience is shorter.
My body feels… a step behind.

Two things happened recently that made me stop and actively make a change (clearly it is still a work in progress).

First, I completely missed my kid’s summer camp registration opening, and it sold out within 30 minutes.

Second, I missed an appointment I had scheduled with my son’s school principal. I had even told my younger son, as we were driving, that’s where we were going. Instead, I got to the school early… and somehow ended up in the pickup line, grabbed his older brother, and drove home.

I didn’t realize I missed the appointment until two days later.

I kept thinking to myself, how could I miss either of these things?

Have you ever had that happen?
Where your brain feels so full that it starts blocking out important things?

In today’s culture, we’re constantly thinking about what we can do more of to make our days better.

When in reality… we often need to do less.

And just get sleep.

Quality sleep is not optional. It’s fundamental.

This lesson holds true not just in my own life, but in how I treat my patients.

Runners often come to me asking:
What exercises should I be doing?
What should I add to my training?

And the answer isn’t always more.

Because you can have the perfect training plan and be doing all of the things…

But sleeping allows your body to heal, to rebuild, and absorb the training. If your sleep is consistently off, your body never fully adapts to the work you’re doing and the mental and physical stress can build.

So often, I don’t immediately prescribe more exercises.

Because adding more to an already drained system just pulls from a tank that’s already empty.

Instead, we focus on restoring the foundation, so your body actually has the capacity to heal, adapt, and perform.

If you’ve been feeling:
More tired than usual
More sore than expected
Or like your runs just aren’t clicking…

Before you change your training

Check your sleep.

A Few Small Shifts That Can Help

These aren’t groundbreaking, but they work when you actually do them (speaking to myself here too):

• Set a “go to bed” time, not just a wake-up time

• Dim lights + limit screens 30–60 minutes before bed

• Keep your room cool and dark

• Avoid late caffeine (this one gets me…)

• Get outside early in the day for natural light

You don’t need a perfect routine, just a more intentional one.

This season of life might not allow for perfect sleep, and that’s okay.

Adjust your training if your tank is on low, you cannot expect it to perform at a high level.

But even small improvements can make a big difference in how you feel, recover, and show up.

I’m working on this right alongside you.

If you’re dealing with injury, fatigue, or training that just isn’t coming together, this is exactly the kind of thing I look at as a whole. Feel free to reach out!

— Amanda Robertson
FLX Physical Therapy

As always, please keep in touch via:

Instagram at @flx_physical_therapy

Book a Physical Therapy Appointment here

Website: www.flxphysicaltherapy.com

Our weekends this winter were spent traveling for Chase’s 3rd/4th Grade Basketball team! It’s amazing how much they learned this year, now onto baseball weekends!