Inquisitive.me

You know what one of the most common questions in physiotherapy sounds like?

“My shoulder hurts. What exercise should I do?”

Or:

“My back feels tight. Do you have one exercise for that?”

My answer is almost always the same:

“What’s your goal?”

And surprisingly often, people can’t answer that question.

Some get frustrated.
Some stare at me like I just asked them to solve a math equation.
Some say: “I don’t know. You tell me.”

That’s usually the moment I ask the second question:

“What are you willing to invest?”

And honestly? A lot of conversations quietly die there.

Because people want a magical fix:
One exercise.
No context.
No testing.
No effort.
No long-term plan.

That’s not how physical therapy works.

A few years ago, I walked into a travel agency because I wanted to book a vacation.

The problem?

I had absolutely no clue where I wanted to go.
I didn’t know my budget.
I didn’t know how long I wanted to stay.

All I knew was: “I want to learn how to surf.”

That was basically the same amount of information many patients give me when they ask for exercises on the fly.

The travel agent tried to help. She suggested a few places, gave me catalogs, asked me questions.

I never booked the vacation.

And no, I wasn’t mad at her.

Because the problem wasn’t the travel agent.
The problem was that I had no destination.

How could she guide me somewhere if I didn’t even know where I wanted to go?

That’s exactly what happens in rehab.

People search for exercises before they even know what they actually want:

• less pain?
• more strength?
• returning to sport?
• surviving work without exhaustion?
• confidence in movement again?

Those are completely different goals.
Which means they require completely different approaches.

And that’s why physiotherapy should never be reduced to:
“Here, do these 3 exercises.”

Because exercises without context are just random movements.

🧪 Let’s Experiment

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You can’t outsource clarity.

Your physio, trainer or doctor can guide you. But they can’t choose your goals for you.

And honestly, that’s where many people get stuck. They search for answers before they’ve even figured out the question.

🎯 Try This:

Before asking:

“What exercise should I do?”

Ask yourself:

• What do I actually want back?
• What am I currently unable to do?
• What would “successful recovery” even look like for me?
• What am I realistically willing to invest?

Because “less pain” is not a plan.

It’s a wish.

🧠 Final Thought:

A good exercise program is not built around random symptoms. It’s built around a destination.

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Keep it simple, stay curious, and keep learning—you’ve got this.

Take care,

Carina 🦊