March 5, 2025 • 8 mins
Dr. Larry Benz, founder of Confluent Health, discusses the body's adaptability from sedentary winter activities to a more intense springtime exercise regimen. There are specific steps everyone should take to avoid inducing injury as exercise gets more aggressive.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Really wild. The last couple of games, obviously everything's pretty
amped up. I think this fellow is a member of
the board of trustees, Larry Benz, founder of Confluent Health. Larry,
welcome back.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Well thanks, Terry, it's great to be here today.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
You're still on the board of trustees at u of L.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Absolutely okay, chairman for a.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
While, Vice chairman.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
The energy in the building is just nuts.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Now.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
I'm just loving to feel this all over again.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
That's incredible.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
You know, the economic impact the city comes alive not
just after game, but before and after, as you well know,
and you know that's what living in a community where
you've got a college town is all about. That's why
we need a thriving, you know, athletic program. It's really
the university could be the economic engine that makes the
city prosper in many ways. And so it's fun and
(00:51):
it's terrific to get that old feeling back again.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Josh Hurd was on a little while ago reminding people
at Saturday's game those senior festivities come after after the game.
So you know a lot of people used to think, oh,
we're going to get there early because this is matter
or whatever. But he said, they're just going to drill
in and play the game, play as hard as they
can in the game, and keep the emotions of Senior
Day out of it, and then handle that business later.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
You know, this is the first time I think we've
done that, and I wish we did it with football too.
You know, there's a obviously a larger number they go
through on a football team for Senior Day, but it
can be very emotional, and I think this team, more
so than winning a lot of games, has captured the
hearts and spirit of the Louisville community.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
So I love that idea.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Well, doctor Benn's it's that time of year when everybody
starts thinking they're going to be the athlete of the year,
whether it be on the golf course, pickle ball court,
bowling alley, whatever it happens to be. Because I know,
not today, but it's cold today, But in a few
days we'll be out of this one and then we're
all going to start feeling it again. First off, your
folks were great with me at Pro Rehab. I had
(02:00):
to get some help with a little backstrain, and they
were so good about just kind of getting my body
back in order. And then they gave me some like
daily exercises to do that are they're just restorative because
they kind of keep you in the right shape before
I go and you know, hit the spin bike or
something really hard.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
No, that's right.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
I think you know one of the things about back pain,
and you certainly are a great testimonial for not only
a good home program of what you've done terry, but
also for the value of the interventions of physical therapy.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
But you have to be intentional about it.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
It's kind of like how to tell people if you're
going to go on a diet or get in good shape.
There are certain routines and disciplines and riggers you need
to follow.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Low back pain.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
If you've ever had it once, the odds of getting
it again are virtually one hundred percent. And the way
you avoid it is by staying you know, staying steady
with not only exercise, but good posture, getting in and
out of a car correctly. List something small like a
pencil that's fall off yours correctly.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
It's a combination of what we sort of call.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Hygiene as it relates to your low back boyd is
really important because, as you all know, it could be
pretty incapacitating.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
What do people need to be mindful of. They've been
more sedentary obviously for the last several months, and then
they think they're going to go out and swing a
driver and get clubheadspeed one hundred and eighty miles an hour.
So how do people get reintroduced to the more physical
part of the year without hurting themselves.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
That's a great question, I think.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
You know, this is the type of season we have
right now, where you know, we would go through two
or three or four different you know, signs of spring
before we actually have spring.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
You know, get some nice weather.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
That get cold again, and you know, people get frustrated
with that, understandably. So so the biggest thing I recommend
is that they always stay prepared. You know, there's no
such thing as badweather, just unprepared folks. So make sure
you have proper clothing, and proper clothing promotes warmth and
comfort and stretching, and so the biggest types of injuries
(04:03):
we see or lack of preparedness, lack of a warm
up is probably a better way of saying it. And
so the best way to warm up is to stay warm.
We see it all the time when the weather goes
from cold to you know, mild again, then they go
back outside. What happens muscles over contract get a strain,
and so that's the biggest preparation piece other than go slowly,
(04:25):
you know, stay within your heart rates so that you
can talk to somebody what they call zone one type.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Of training and gear up, you know.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
The beauty, especially a city like Louisville, we have so
many opportunities for fitness inside, whether it be at the
local YMCAs or very inexpensive gym memberships throughout town. And
so just forcing yourself to go in and do something,
you know, keep it simple.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Sweat every day, move every day. You know, lotion is motion,
keep moving and and.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
I think people figured it out for themselves over time.
And the best best formula is one that works for
you based on you know, biology and physiology.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
People always talk about swimming and they always say that's
the best and least invasive means of exercise. Is that right?
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:12):
I would say I actually put swimming in bicycling in
the same category only because it's easier to access a bike,
especially a stationary bike, than it is a swimming pool.
But those are both very very good on your body.
You've seldom here of especially a community like we have
where we have so many terrific swimmers that have come
(05:33):
from there. You very seldom see those folks break down
in midlife. They they're in great shape and swimming has
been very kind to them. I would say the same
things for people who are on a bike with a
noted exception of trauma that you get from you know,
if you're on the street and get hit. We don't
have necessarily the best gravel courses in America. We're not
in Colorado, right, but we have some good park systems
(05:55):
to ride in and then's certainly stationary bike and you're
starting to see, you know, it's just reading some data.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
You're starting to see it back on the kind.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Of prescribed exercises on bikes like Peloton and others where
you have some coaching. The technology and the apps is unbelievable.
You feel like the personal trainers right in there with you.
There's an app called Ladder that I hear good things about,
another one called Chalk.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
These are very accessible.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Fitness Blender on YouTube is free, really one of the
best crowdsourced workout things you can get. Apple has their
own version. It's just the ability to get good instruction
on exercise is ubiquitous at this point in time.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
And let's don't discount massages. I mean a pro rehab.
They were helping me because they actually put a little
electricity right into my hamstring multiple times, and it was
like it was interesting, but really I think it accelerated
my healing process.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Absolutely soft tissue work, and there's a lot of science
behind this. Call it the beating of your muscles, if
you will, really causes an increased and enhanced circulation, which
you know, tend to bring the good things in the
blood system to you and get rid of the bad.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
And so there's very, very.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Sound science behind massage for sure, and I strongly recommend
it as an adjunct. I think where people get in troubles,
that's the only you know, says I've got a bad back,
so I'm just going to get a massage. Well, you know,
that's a very passive procedure. So you have to have bolt.
You have to have active and passive to work effectively,
you know, in the total treatment regimen.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
And Doctor Ben's last thing for you here when you're
shifting out of your winter mindset and your winter habits,
your hydration situation changes. You always say hydration should be
there all the time, but people don't think that way
on a cold winter's night watching basketball games.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
No, that's exactly right.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
I find hydration a bigger problem in the winter than
the summer, because it's obvious because you're sweating, and it's
sort of the hidden sweat that concerns me the most.
I always tell folks the biggest sign of hydration and
the winner's chapped lips. If you think your lips are
a little bit chapped, you're probably dehydrated.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
So get the chap stick. But I also get you
a can of too of water to drink.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Yeah, you gotta go down that road before you start
letting it all pull out of your pores. Hey, great,
talking to you again, Larry, and we'll see again down
the road sometime soon. All right, Thanks so much, doctor
Larry Benz from Pro Rehab Confluent Health, and yeah, go cards.
That's tonight nine o'clock KFC. Youm center back in a
few
Really wild. The last couple of games, obviously everything's pretty
amped up. I think this fellow is a member of
the board of trustees, Larry Benz, founder of Confluent Health. Larry,
welcome back.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Well thanks, Terry, it's great to be here today.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
You're still on the board of trustees at u of L.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Absolutely okay, chairman for a.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
While, Vice chairman.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
The energy in the building is just nuts.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Now.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
I'm just loving to feel this all over again.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
That's incredible.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
You know, the economic impact the city comes alive not
just after game, but before and after, as you well know,
and you know that's what living in a community where
you've got a college town is all about. That's why
we need a thriving, you know, athletic program. It's really
the university could be the economic engine that makes the
city prosper in many ways. And so it's fun and
(00:51):
it's terrific to get that old feeling back again.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Josh Hurd was on a little while ago reminding people
at Saturday's game those senior festivities come after after the game.
So you know a lot of people used to think, oh,
we're going to get there early because this is matter
or whatever. But he said, they're just going to drill
in and play the game, play as hard as they
can in the game, and keep the emotions of Senior
Day out of it, and then handle that business later.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
You know, this is the first time I think we've
done that, and I wish we did it with football too.
You know, there's a obviously a larger number they go
through on a football team for Senior Day, but it
can be very emotional, and I think this team, more
so than winning a lot of games, has captured the
hearts and spirit of the Louisville community.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
So I love that idea.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Well, doctor Benn's it's that time of year when everybody
starts thinking they're going to be the athlete of the year,
whether it be on the golf course, pickle ball court,
bowling alley, whatever it happens to be. Because I know,
not today, but it's cold today, But in a few
days we'll be out of this one and then we're
all going to start feeling it again. First off, your
folks were great with me at Pro Rehab. I had
(02:00):
to get some help with a little backstrain, and they
were so good about just kind of getting my body
back in order. And then they gave me some like
daily exercises to do that are they're just restorative because
they kind of keep you in the right shape before
I go and you know, hit the spin bike or
something really hard.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
No, that's right.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
I think you know one of the things about back pain,
and you certainly are a great testimonial for not only
a good home program of what you've done terry, but
also for the value of the interventions of physical therapy.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
But you have to be intentional about it.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
It's kind of like how to tell people if you're
going to go on a diet or get in good shape.
There are certain routines and disciplines and riggers you need
to follow.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Low back pain.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
If you've ever had it once, the odds of getting
it again are virtually one hundred percent. And the way
you avoid it is by staying you know, staying steady
with not only exercise, but good posture, getting in and
out of a car correctly. List something small like a
pencil that's fall off yours correctly.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
It's a combination of what we sort of call.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Hygiene as it relates to your low back boyd is
really important because, as you all know, it could be
pretty incapacitating.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
What do people need to be mindful of. They've been
more sedentary obviously for the last several months, and then
they think they're going to go out and swing a
driver and get clubheadspeed one hundred and eighty miles an hour.
So how do people get reintroduced to the more physical
part of the year without hurting themselves.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
That's a great question, I think.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
You know, this is the type of season we have
right now, where you know, we would go through two
or three or four different you know, signs of spring
before we actually have spring.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
You know, get some nice weather.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
That get cold again, and you know, people get frustrated
with that, understandably. So so the biggest thing I recommend
is that they always stay prepared. You know, there's no
such thing as badweather, just unprepared folks. So make sure
you have proper clothing, and proper clothing promotes warmth and
comfort and stretching, and so the biggest types of injuries
(04:03):
we see or lack of preparedness, lack of a warm
up is probably a better way of saying it. And
so the best way to warm up is to stay warm.
We see it all the time when the weather goes
from cold to you know, mild again, then they go
back outside. What happens muscles over contract get a strain,
and so that's the biggest preparation piece other than go slowly,
(04:25):
you know, stay within your heart rates so that you
can talk to somebody what they call zone one type.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Of training and gear up, you know.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
The beauty, especially a city like Louisville, we have so
many opportunities for fitness inside, whether it be at the
local YMCAs or very inexpensive gym memberships throughout town. And
so just forcing yourself to go in and do something,
you know, keep it simple.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Sweat every day, move every day. You know, lotion is motion,
keep moving and and.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
I think people figured it out for themselves over time.
And the best best formula is one that works for
you based on you know, biology and physiology.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
People always talk about swimming and they always say that's
the best and least invasive means of exercise. Is that right?
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:12):
I would say I actually put swimming in bicycling in
the same category only because it's easier to access a bike,
especially a stationary bike, than it is a swimming pool.
But those are both very very good on your body.
You've seldom here of especially a community like we have
where we have so many terrific swimmers that have come
(05:33):
from there. You very seldom see those folks break down
in midlife. They they're in great shape and swimming has
been very kind to them. I would say the same
things for people who are on a bike with a
noted exception of trauma that you get from you know,
if you're on the street and get hit. We don't
have necessarily the best gravel courses in America. We're not
in Colorado, right, but we have some good park systems
(05:55):
to ride in and then's certainly stationary bike and you're
starting to see, you know, it's just reading some data.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
You're starting to see it back on the kind.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Of prescribed exercises on bikes like Peloton and others where
you have some coaching. The technology and the apps is unbelievable.
You feel like the personal trainers right in there with you.
There's an app called Ladder that I hear good things about,
another one called Chalk.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
These are very accessible.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Fitness Blender on YouTube is free, really one of the
best crowdsourced workout things you can get. Apple has their
own version. It's just the ability to get good instruction
on exercise is ubiquitous at this point in time.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
And let's don't discount massages. I mean a pro rehab.
They were helping me because they actually put a little
electricity right into my hamstring multiple times, and it was
like it was interesting, but really I think it accelerated
my healing process.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Absolutely soft tissue work, and there's a lot of science
behind this. Call it the beating of your muscles, if
you will, really causes an increased and enhanced circulation, which
you know, tend to bring the good things in the
blood system to you and get rid of the bad.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
And so there's very, very.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Sound science behind massage for sure, and I strongly recommend
it as an adjunct. I think where people get in troubles,
that's the only you know, says I've got a bad back,
so I'm just going to get a massage. Well, you know,
that's a very passive procedure. So you have to have bolt.
You have to have active and passive to work effectively,
you know, in the total treatment regimen.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
And Doctor Ben's last thing for you here when you're
shifting out of your winter mindset and your winter habits,
your hydration situation changes. You always say hydration should be
there all the time, but people don't think that way
on a cold winter's night watching basketball games.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
No, that's exactly right.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
I find hydration a bigger problem in the winter than
the summer, because it's obvious because you're sweating, and it's
sort of the hidden sweat that concerns me the most.
I always tell folks the biggest sign of hydration and
the winner's chapped lips. If you think your lips are
a little bit chapped, you're probably dehydrated.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
So get the chap stick. But I also get you
a can of too of water to drink.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Yeah, you gotta go down that road before you start
letting it all pull out of your pores. Hey, great,
talking to you again, Larry, and we'll see again down
the road sometime soon. All right, Thanks so much, doctor
Larry Benz from Pro Rehab Confluent Health, and yeah, go cards.
That's tonight nine o'clock KFC. Youm center back in a
few
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