E31 - The Power of Movement with Physiotherapist Anna Walsh

This week I sat down with physiotherapist Anna Walsh, who has spent the last 26 years helping people recover from injuries, move better, and stay active as they age.

Anna has seen the fitness and rehabilitation world evolve dramatically over the past two decades, from the early days of Pilates being viewed as an alternative therapy to its widespread use in rehabilitation and performance today.

One of the big themes of our conversation was simple: movement matters.

As we get older, many of the aches, pains, and injuries we experience aren’t necessarily caused by age itself. More often, they’re the result of reduced movement, poor loading strategies, long periods of sitting, or simply not maintaining strength and mobility over time.

Why Tendons Need Load, Not Rest

We spent a fair bit of time discussing tendon injuries, something many runners, gym-goers, and myself struggle with.

Anna explained that tendons generally don’t respond well to complete rest. Instead, they need carefully managed loading that gradually builds their capacity over time.

Too often people either push through pain and make things worse, or stop moving altogether and lose strength and function.

The key is finding the right amount of load at the right time.

The Hidden Cost of Sitting

Another topic that resonated was the impact of prolonged sitting.

Many people blame tight hip flexors, weak glutes, or poor posture on getting older, but Anna explained that much of this comes back to spending large portions of the day in the same position.