Progressive Fitness Center Philosophy
Our bodies are such marvels of engineering and design that we easily take them for granted. Pain from an injury, disease, overuse, or a sedentary lifestyle is usually the alert that something is wrong. If we ignore it, the pain may subside but the problem remains. Our job is to locate the problem source, assign movements that help heal and restore, then develop a program to prevent reoccurrence.
The desire to discover now the body heals and how to restore and enhance natural pain-free physical function is the creative force behind Progressive Fitness.
David Allen, the founder of Progressive Fitness, first experienced severe injury and chronic pain at the age of 16. A knee injury from high school football required three surgeries, and months in a cast and grueling physical therapy. As the injured knee healed, other physical problems developed. He responded with intensive training, body building, and more exercise. “Overuse” then resulted in more injuries and increased pain.
The frustration and anger of an athletic and competitive young man, who was limping in pain and could no longer experience joy in the ability to compete motivated him to begin searching for knowledge and treatments that would enable his body to heal and move naturally without pain.
David began to use his new found knowledge in his own personal training business. Using his own pain as a driving tool, he began to explore and utilize techniques and therapies that alleviate pain and improve the function of the muscle skeletal system. These included yoga, pilates, chi gong, the Alexander technique, and contemporary physical therapy.
However, simply moving pain-free wasn’t enough. He wanted to regain dynamic movement and the ability to compete athletically which therapy alone could not provide. He discovered the Egoscue system of training, where he learned how to help people in chronic pain as well as dynamic athletes who need to be in top condition without injury.
David was now able to function athletically and perform dynamic exercises pain free. He took a three month sabbatical to organize and develop the concepts he had learned and experienced so he could implement his knowledge in helping clients overcome dysfunctional movement and accompanying pain by restoring their ability to move correctly and naturally.
He knows it takes more than talent and drive to successfully compete in athletics. It requires a body conditioned to move dynamically without pain, by building up endurance and skill from a solid, strong muscular-skeletal base. It requires the commitment and focus to practice and train until form and function become natural, unconscious skills.
“If you would know the road ahead, ask someone who has traveled it”
Chinese proverb
