Dentist - Check, Physical - Check, Annual Physical Therapy Check up? Call your PT!

We’re all familiar with the yearly routine: the dental cleaning, the eye exam, the standard physical with your primary care doctor, the rush to get your taxes to the accountant.

We check our teeth, our vision, and our bloodwork, but we often ignore the very thing that carries us through the world: how we move.

You might not notice the small loss of hip mobility or the slight decline in balance until it shows up as a mysterious back ache or a stumble on the pickleball court.

An annual Physical Therapy  Check-up is designed to catch these small issues before they become major injuries.

What Does a PT Check-up Look Like?

Your PT will look at your health history and basic mobility. But they'll also listen to any concerns you might have, and make sure that your current levels match your lifestyle goals. A visit might include:

• A Wearable Data Review: Do you track your steps, readiness scores, or VO2 max on an Apple Watch, Oura, or Whoop? We can help translate that data into a physical plan.
• The Longevity Trifecta: An assessment of your grip strength, balance, and power, three of the most significant predictors of how well you will age.
• Movement Goals: Whether you’re training for a Hyrox event, trying to keep up with your grandkids, or just want to sit at your desk without neck pain, we'll make sure your plan matches your goals.
• Customized Pre-hab: An efficient home exercise program designed to work on any trouble spots and move you towards you goal.

Moving Well is the Ultimate Biohack

The latest research continues to confirm that movement isn't just about fitness, it’s a vital sign for your entire internal system. Here are three key benchmarks we look at:

1. The Sitting-Rising Test (SRT)

Can you sit down on the floor and get back up without using your hands or knees for support? This simple test is a viral sensation for a reason: studies show it is a remarkably accurate predictor of all-cause mortality. It requires flexibility, core stability, and leg strength that come together as a quick measure of your functional mobility.

2. Gait Speed: Your "Sixth Vital Sign"

How fast you walk (gait velocity) is a window into your central nervous system. If you can maintain a walking speed of over 1.0 meter per second, you are significantly more likely to maintain independence as you age and stay out of the hospital. We'll get a precise measurement to make sure you aren't slowing down without realizing it.

3. Grip Strength

Newer evidence has shown that grip strength is a great proxy for overall muscle mass and biological age. A decline in grip can be an early warning sign of strength or muscle loss.

Prevention is the New Performance

In a world obsessed with longevity and "optimization," the most effective tool we have is proactive maintenance.

You wouldn't wait for your car's engine to smoke before changing the oil, don't wait for a in injury before you check  in with your PT.

Ready to audit your movement? Let’s make 2026 your strongest year yet! Call us in Falls Church or Reston to schedule your check up and keep moving in the right direction for 2026.

References & Further Reading

• APTA: The Annual Physical Therapy Checkup https://www.apta.org/patient-care/interventions/annual-checkup
• The Role of PT in Prevention and Health Promotion https://www.apta.org/apta-and-you/leadership-and-governance/policies/pt-role-advocacy
• Ability to sit and rise from the floor is closely correlated with all-cause mortality risk https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121213085053.htm
• Gait Velocity as a Predictor of Adverse Events in Healthy Seniors https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25824103/
• Grip Strength as an Indicator of All-Cause Mortality (The PURE Study) https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)62000-6/fulltext

Author

Alana Hamilton Alana Hamilton is a physical therapist at Advantage Physical Therapy in Falls Church, Virginia. She is a proud Hokie from Virginia Tech with a major in Biology and a minor in psychology and sociology. Following graduation, she immediately got her doctorate in Physical Therapy from Radford University. She is an avid fan of Pilates, running, and hiking. On the weekends, she can be found hanging out with her family and babies as well as doing Spartan races with her old physical therapy classmates and friends. She is a big believer that during rehabilitation, "Motion is the Lotion" and that staying active is key to remaining healthy.