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Dr. Allison Esposito, PT, DPT

@allisonesposito

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🏆 Sports Rehab + Performance @healthy_baller
🏋️‍♀️ Barbell Athlete
🥊 Strength Coach @gorunstronger
📱 Online Training + Rehab ⤵️

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Low back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions - and one of the most misunderstood.

A lot of cases of low back pain are considered non-specific, meaning we cannot reliably attribute someone’s symptoms to one specific tissue or structural abnormality.

This means low back pain is complex and can be influenced by a combination of biological, psychological, social, lifestyle, and physical factors.

So what does the evidence support?

MOVEMENT + EXERCISE.

Clinical practice guidelines consistently recommend exercise as part of the management of persistent low back pain. Strength training, trunk strengthening and endurance, aerobic exercise, general exercise, movement-control exercises, and mobility work can all have a role.

These are some of my favorite exercises I use with patients because they expose the trunk and surrounding musculature to different demands - including strength, endurance, rotation/anti-rotation, movement, and progressively increasing loads.

The goal isn’t to create a perfectly rigid “core” or teach someone to avoid bending, twisting, or loading their spine. Instead, rehab should help someone gradually build the strength, capacity, confidence, and movement options they need for the activities that matter to them.

And the appropriate exercise, dosage, and progression will look different for everyone.

Let’s work together!

If you’re interested in virtual options, @gorunstronger offers personalized run and strength coaching, virtual consultations, training plans, injury programs, and our app’s monthly strength subscription!

For in-person physical therapy and movement assessments, you can book an appointment with me at Healthy Baller in Washington, DC.

All the details for services offered and contact information are linked in my bio.

#lowbackpain #sijointpain #backpain #hippain #hipexercises

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One year post-op ACL reconstruction!

It’s crazy to think that exactly one year ago, I was going into surgery, knowing I had a long road ahead of me but not fully understanding what that recovery would look like.

This past year has been filled with so many milestones. From learning to walk normally again, to rebuilding strength, getting back to running, and eventually returning to the things I love doing and trying new things.

And now, one year later, I’ve completed TWO HYROX races. Something I had been looking forward to long before my injury, and something that once felt so far out of reach.

Looking back, I’m proud of so much more than just the physical progress. I’m proud of all the work that happened behind the scenes, the days I showed up when I didn’t feel like it, and the confidence I’ve slowly rebuilt along the way.

A year ago, I was just hoping to get back to doing the things I love. Today, I’m doing them again and setting even bigger goals for myself.

Here’s to one year of recovery and everything that’s still ahead. 🤍

#ACLRecovery #ACLReconstruction #ReturnToSport #HYROX

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Research on endurance athletes consistently supports reducing training volume in the final weeks before competition while maintaining some training intensity and frequency. A well-designed taper can improve performance by reducing accumulated fatigue while preserving the physiological adaptations you’ve spent months building. Research suggests that reducing training volume by roughly 40–60% over approximately 2 weeks, while keeping some intensity in the program, can be an effective strategy for endurance performance.

And despite what your taper brain might tell you, you are NOT losing all of your fitness when your mileage drops. Maintaining some intensity helps preserve aerobic adaptations and neuromuscular readiness, while the reduction in overall workload gives your muscles and connective tissues more opportunity to recover. This is why completely shutting down training before a race generally isn’t the goal.

The taper can also feel surprisingly uncomfortable mentally. Runners may feel sluggish, restless, or start noticing every tiny ache and pain. That doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong. You’re making a significant change to a routine your body has adapted to over months of training.

You cannot cram more fitness into the final 1–2 weeks before a marathon, but you CAN carry unnecessary fatigue to the starting line. The work is done. The goal now is to maintain the adaptations you’ve built, reduce fatigue, recover, fuel well, and arrive at race day ready to use that fitness.

Interested in working with our team for individualized run and/or strength coaching? All of our contact and service information is linked in our bio!

#gorunstronger

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A running-specific strength program should look like training designed to support the actual demands of running: building strength, power, single-leg control, tissue capacity, and resilience so your body is better prepared to handle the miles you’re asking of it.

That means your strength training isn’t just a collection of random exercises. We want intention behind what you’re doing - strengthening the muscles and movement patterns runners rely on, progressing load appropriately, incorporating plyometrics and power, and making sure your lifting complements your running instead of competing with it.

Want to work with us? All of our strength coaches are physical therapists, and we offer both monthly programming and individualized 1:1 coaching depending on how much support you need.

More info at the link in our bio!

#gorunstronger

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Some of the best hamstring strengthening exercises from your favorite PTs!

The hamstrings cross both the hip and knee, meaning their function and loading change depending on the position of both joints.

During running, they’re exposed to particularly high demands during late swing, when they work eccentrically to decelerate the forward-moving leg, and then contribute to force production around ground contact and early stance.

As running speed increases, hamstring forces and loading demands increase substantially - which is one reason hamstring capacity is especially important for runners and field/court athletes.

And what if your hamstrings always feel “tight”? Tightness doesn’t automatically mean you need more stretching. The sensation of tightness can have multiple contributors and doesn’t necessarily tell us that the muscle is physically “short.” In some cases, progressively strengthening the hamstrings, especially through tolerable, lengthened positions, can improve their capacity and tolerance to load.

We want to develop strength across different:

→ Muscle lengths: including loading the hamstrings in lengthened positions
→ Joint positions: hip-dominant AND knee-dominant exercises
→ Contraction types: concentric, eccentric + isometric
→ Velocities: slower heavy strength AND eventually faster loading
→ Tasks: bilateral, unilateral and running/sport-specific demands

The goal is to build enough capacity across positions, loads and speeds that they’re prepared for what you’re actually asking them to do - whether that’s running, sprinting, lifting or returning to sport after an injury.

Let’s work together!

If you’re interested in virtual options, @gorunstronger offers personalized run and strength coaching, virtual consultations, training plans, injury programs, and our app’s monthly strength subscription.

For in-person physical therapy and movement assessments, you can book an appointment with me at Healthy Baller in Washington, DC.

All the details for services offered linked in my bio.

#hamstringstrain #hamstringtightness #hamstringstrength #runner #run

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sayonara summer <3

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RED-S is more complex than “not eating enough” and it’s definitely more than losing your period.

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) is a syndrome of impaired physiological and/or psychological functioning caused by exposure to problematic low energy availability (LEA).

Energy availability is the energy remaining to support normal physiological function after accounting for the energy cost of exercise.

When training demands chronically exceed the energy available to support BOTH exercise and normal biological function, health and performance can be affected.

Importantly, LEA exists on a continuum. A short-term reduction in energy availability is not automatically RED-S. Concern increases when LEA becomes prolonged, severe, or recurrent.

RED-S can impact:
• Reproductive function
• Bone health
• Energy metabolism
• Immune function
• Cardiovascular & hematological health
• Musculoskeletal health
• Psychological well-being

Performance consequences can include impaired training response, decreased endurance/strength, poor recovery, and increased injury risk.

You do NOT need to have an eating disorder, be underweight, or lose your menstrual cycle to experience RED-S. It can also occur in both female and male athletes.

So what do you do if you’re concerned?

RED-S is not something you should try to diagnose from one symptom or lab value. Assessment should consider your symptoms, fueling, training load, injury history, menstrual/reproductive function, and other clinical findings.

Treatment centers around restoring adequate energy availability - often by increasing energy intake, modifying training demands, or both.

Ideally, work with a multidisciplinary team familiar with RED-S, which may include a sports medicine physician, sports dietitian, and other appropriate healthcare professionals.

#gorunstronger

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What does a running coach really do?

We get this question all the time, and with so many training resources, generic plans, apps, and AI-generated programs available, it can be hard to understand what individualized coaching actually adds.

A good running coach does so much more than write workouts. They adjust training based on how you’re responding, balance stress and recovery, account for your injury history and life outside of running, help navigate setbacks, and make decisions alongside you as training evolves.

And coaching isn’t just for “fast” or competitive runners. No matter your age, pace, experience level, or goal, having individualized guidance can help you train smarter, stay consistent, and get the most out of your running.

Have questions or interested in working with us? All contact information and coaching details are linked in our bio!

#gorunstronger

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Lateral hip pain is often called “hip bursitis,” but isolated inflammation of the bursa usually isn’t the whole story.

A more accurate term is greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS), which describes pain around the outside of the hip and commonly involves the gluteus medius and/or minimus tendons, sometimes with involvement of the surrounding bursae.

Common symptoms include pain or tenderness over the outside of the hip, discomfort lying on that side, and pain with activities that load the hip such as walking, running, stairs, prolonged standing, and single-leg tasks.

GTPS is multifactorial. Changes in activity or training load, reduced capacity of the gluteal tendons and surrounding musculature, and increased compressive or tensile demands on the lateral hip can all contribute. Hip adduction can increase compression of the gluteal tendons against the greater trochanter, which may be relevant when symptoms are sensitive - but hip adduction itself is not inherently “bad” and does not need to be avoided forever.

This is why rehab generally involves more than stretching, rolling, or other passive treatments.

Exercise-based management can focus on:
• Progressive gluteal and hip abductor strengthening
• Building hip strength and endurance
• Single-leg strength and control
• Gradually increasing tendon loading
• Progressing toward the specific demands of running, sport, or daily activity

Temporarily modifying highly provocative activities or positions can help manage symptoms, but the long-term goal is not to avoid loading the hip.

The goal is to progressively build the strength and capacity needed to tolerate it.

Let’s work together 🤝🏽

If you’re interested in virtual options, @gorunstronger offers personalized run and strength coaching, virtual consultations, injury specific programs, running plans, and our app’s monthly strength subscription!

For in-person assessments and physical therapy you can book an appointment with me at Healthy Baller in Washington, DC!

All the details for services offered and contact info linked in my bio.

#hippain #hipstrength #hipmobility #running #lateralhippain

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Different types of runs & and WHY we do them!

Not every run should look or feel the same! Incorporating different types of runs into your training allows you to develop different components of running fitness while balancing training stress and recovery.

Easy running, longer efforts, faster workouts, hills, strides, and race-specific work all provide different stimuli. When programmed intentionally, they can help build aerobic fitness, endurance, speed, running economy, fatigue resistance, and ultimately prepare your body for the specific demands of your goal.

But more variety doesn’t automatically mean better training. The key is being intentional about what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and when it belongs in your training cycle. Your experience, goals, race distance, training history, current fitness, and ability to recover should all influence how your running is structured.

Swipe through to learn about some of the different types of runs we use and the purpose behind them!

Interested in taking the guesswork out of your training? We offer individualized run coaching, strength coaching, and combined run + strength coaching designed around YOU, your goals, and your training.

All details on working with us are linked in our bio!

#gorunstronger

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