Replay ep 89: Run Smarter, Stay Stronger – Injury Prevention & the Mind-Body Connection with Denise Smith

What if the key to running stronger, longer, and pain-free had less to do with mileage—and more to do with how you move?

In this replay episode, I sit down with physical therapist and movement expert Denise Smith to break down what most athletes are missing when it comes to performance and injury prevention.

With over 20 years of experience, Denise shares how analyzing movement patterns, improving balance, and training reaction time can completely change the way you run—and help you avoid the injuries that sideline so many athletes.

But we didn’t stop there…

This conversation goes deeper into the mind-body connection, the role of mental health in performance, and why athletes—especially endurance athletes—need more than just a training plan to truly thrive.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why most runners are undertraining balance (and why it matters more than you think)
• How learning to fall safely could actually prevent serious injuries
• The difference between overuse vs. misuse injuries
• Simple ways to improve reaction time and agility (no fancy equipment needed)
• What ultra runners can teach us about grit, identity, and mental toughness
• Why building a support team (PT, mental health, nutrition) is a game-changer
• How fear, pain, and mindset can keep you stuck—and how to break that cycle

Denise's Bio:

Denise Smith has been a physical therapist for over 20 years and has spent her years obtaining certifications that allow her to treat each patient as an individual with a focus on hands-on manual therapy techniques, functional movement patterns, and advanced treatment of athletes of all levels. She specializes in treating runners with a focus on running technique teaching with the use of video analysis and individualized drills to teach proper movement to help runners run faster, run longer, and run without pain. Denise believes our bodies were made to move and sitting is a disease that will cause long term damage to our bodies.

Denise's Links:

• ⁠Website⁠
• ⁠LinkedIn⁠
• ⁠Instagram⁠
• ⁠Facebook⁠

Dana’s Links:

⁠⁠https://www.painfreeathletepodcast.com⁠⁠

⁠⁠10 Day Journaling Journey⁠⁠

Podcast Disclaimer:

The Pain-Free Podcast is presented solely for general information, education, and entertainment purposes. Any information presented in this podcast is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional diagnosis. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. As always, users should not disregard or delay obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition that they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.