Physical Therapy: An Investment That Keeps Paying Off

Fifteen years ago, Kristin Koziak, PT, DPT, MBA, Director of Outpatient Offsite Operations at Burke Rehabilitation, worked with a patient in his 70s who had a seemingly modest goal: walk 500 yards up a low-grade hill.

The man was a dedicated birdwatcher, and that hill led to his favorite spot for photographing birds. A mild ankle sprain had left him unable to make the climb, so Kristin got to work with him—inclining the treadmill, prescribing targeted exercises, teaching him strategies to rebuild his strength and mobility.

He achieved his goal and returned to his beloved hobby, something Kristin is reminded of every week. “To this day, I get a weekly email from him,” she marvels. “My goodness—this man is now in his 80s, and he’s still walking up that hill and taking pictures of those birds.”

That’s the power of physical therapy as an investment in your future.

More Than Recovery

October marks American Physical Therapy Association’s National Physical Therapy Month, and this year’s theme established by the organization, "PT for Future Me," captures something essential about what physical therapists do. Yes, they help people recover from injuries and surgeries. But perhaps more importantly, they help people maintain strength, mobility, and independence for years to come.

Physical therapy, Kristin explains, is about “using movement to get the patient back to their prior level of function or as close as possible.” That might mean helping an athlete return to their sport or teaching a stroke survivor to walk again and manage daily tasks. The approach is the same: meet people where they are and help them get where they want to go.

At Burke, each patient’s individual goals direct the plan of care, with an entire team coming together to enact that plan throughout the rehabilitation journey.

The first thing Kristin does with a new patient is talk about goals—not just her goals for them, but their goals for themselves. “I might think they’re going to get back to walking around the house, while their goal might be to make sure they can get up from the floor after playing with their grandchildren,” she says. Alignment on goals from the start ensures that exercises and activities during and beyond PT address how a person wants to live today and into the future.

Physical therapists are especially plugged into their patients’ goals through a core competency they excel at: listening. Physical therapists spend significant time with patients learning about their lives and interests. “We’re learning about what they like to do, their hobbies,” Kristin notes. “By spending hours with a patient, I might hear a lot of stories about plants and flowers—and know they like to garden.”

In honor of PT month and inspired by all the patients she’s worked with over the years, Kristin highlighted a few ways to weave the benefits of movement and activity into your life:

Movement as Medicine

Not everyone needs formal physical therapy, but everyone benefits from movement. When patients say they don’t like to exercise, her response? “Don’t think of it as exercise, just think of it as movement. It doesn’t have to be jumping on the treadmill but doing something that you love whether it’s dancing or walking.”

Daily activities—cleaning, doing laundry, walking to a local coffee shop—all count as movement. “It doesn’t have to be that regimented exercise or sports activity,” Kristin emphasizes.

Making movement a habit requires finding what interests you and leaning into that. “For someone who has no desire to do yoga, that might not be beneficial for them, even though that’s what they might need for strength and flexibility,” she says. “So, we always try to find what you like. Hiking, dancing, woodworking—success is about making sure it’s not a chore but something you enjoy.”

Accountability Matters

Kristin notes that accountability helps people stay consistent. For herself, planning to meet someone for tennis or hiking makes the difference. “It’s not like going to the gym by myself,” she says. “I can’t just say I don’t really feel up to it today.”

Technology can help, too. Fitness trackers provide “that little bit of motivation to reach whatever that individual goal might be.” For the average person that might be 10,000 steps, but for some patients 1,000 steps a day might constitute a real triumph.

Setting the Right Goals

Physical therapists help patients set both short-term and long-term goals, then reassess regularly. “Sometimes we don’t know on day one,” Kristin admits. They estimate based on expertise, “but it’s a lot of reassessing and discussing along the way.”

That flexibility applies beyond formal therapy. If something isn’t working in your movement routine, reassess. “We might need to find some adaptations to get you where you need—and want—to be,” says Kristin.

The lesson from that birdwatcher, still climbing his hill at 88? Physical therapy isn’t just about fixing today’s problem. It’s about building the strength and habits that carry you into the future—for all the tomorrows that matter.

Learn more about Physical Therapy at Burke or explore the American Physical Therapy Association’s “PT for Future Me” information and resources.