Physical Therapy Expert in Boulder

Dr. Nicole Haas is a strong advocate of community outreach & education, and lends her voice and expertise across the sports and medical community in Boulder, CO and beyond. She is an active resource for the outdoor and running community, and is featured as a topic expert in publications such as Outside Magazine, Huff Post, New York Magazine, Runners World, along with medical research journals as well. See what she has to say…

How to Get the Most Out of Physical Therapy

Expert advice to help you recover fast, stay injury-free, and have fun in the mountains

Prevent Overuse Climbing Injuries with These Exercises

Keep your fingers, shoulders, and back happy with these nine strength and mobility moves.

Starting Over: Sage Canaday’s Return to Racing

Presented by HOKA
Watch Dr. Haas in action (1:53 to 2:13)

The Best Stretches to Do After Skiing

After a long day on the slopes, these 7 moves (which can be done at the bar) will help you recover and stay injury-free.

Is Blood-Flow Restriction the Future of Performance?

Athletes like Mikaela Shiffrin have started adopting the training technique to increase endurance, muscle mass, and more.

How to Bulletproof Your Legs Against the Most Common Running Overuse Injuries

As a runner, there’s nothing worse than being sidelined with an injury. Learn how to avoid the most common run injuries with the help of two expert running-focused physical therapists.

Knee Pain? Hip Pain? These Common Muscle Weaknesses in Runners Are Often the Culprit

One of the most challenging parts of running is dealing with aches, pains, and injuries–especially if they thwart your training. Unfortunately, it happens.

What the Hell Is a ‘Butt Wink’—And Is It Really All That Bad?

It seems like there’s a form adage for everything in fitness, especially for common exercises like the squat. Keep your chest up. Put your weight in your heels. And stop the butt wink.

Stress Reaction vs Stress Fracture: What’s the Difference?

From endorphins to PRs to carbo loading, there’s a lot to love about running. One aspect of the sport that doesn’t make the cut? Injuries, especially when they put you out for weeks, as bone stress injuries, in particular, commonly do.

Why Do My Knees Crack, Creak, and Pop When I Squat?

There are certain sounds you expect to hear during a workout: heavy breathing, weights clinking on the rack, and the catchy melodies of a pump-up playlist. One that may very understandably catch you off guard? The cracking or popping in your knees as you lower down or stand up from a squat.

How to Shovel Snow the Correct Way, According to a Physical Therapist

Even the fittest Coloradans can injure themselves clearing snowy driveways and sidewalks. Reduce your risk of getting hurt with these expert tips.

A Guide to Regaining Core Strength Postpartum

What you should know about safely returning to sports after pregnancy

7 Exercises for Stronger Hamstrings

Flexible, strong hamstrings are happy hamstrings.

Mobility, Recovery, & Stretching Practices That Keep Athletes In Top Shape

We live in a time of doing more, going bigger, lifting heavier. Gains feel great and reflect our progress, but much of the magic happens when we’re not doing the actual work. This is the realm of recovery.

Does Walking Backwards on a Treadmill Actually Do Anything?

I’m typically one to mind my own business at the gym. It’s my me time, so I don’t really concern myself with what others are doing. (Plus, staring at strangers is rude!). But recently, I noticed something that made my head instinctively turn: People walking backwards on the treadmill.

The Best QL Stretches and Exercises for Addressing Low Back or Hip Pain

Most runners are familiar with the big muscles involved in running, like quads, hamstrings, and glutes. But there are lesser-known, yet still important players that can influence run performance. One example: the quadratus lumborum, or QL for short.

The Superman Exercise Is the Core Move Your Workout Might Be Missing

Any workout move that has you lying on your stomach may sound way too easy. But the Superman exercise is anything but—providing a muscle-trembling challenge and full-body benefits that are truly no joke

Why Balance Is So Important as You Age—Plus 10 Ways to Boost It

From preventing falls to boosting athleticism, having strong balance is key for a host of reasons. If you could benefit from knowing how to improve balance, you’re in good company: A 2016 survey reported that nearly 37 million American adults—about 15.5 percent of the population—faced balance challenges in the previous year.

Does the Newest Olympian Training Fad Actually Work?

Just as Michael Phelps’s cupping bruises enthralled curious minds in 2016, much like kinesio tape was named “the latest Olympic accessory” in 2012, a set of tourniquet-style contraptions strapped to buff arms and bulging legs are this year’s curiosity.

Common Running Injuries (and How to Fix Them)

You love to run. You hate to get hurt. Even if injuries are inevitable, there’s plenty you can do about them. Here’s your guide to fixing the most frequent problems.

Selective Atrophy of the Vastus Medialis: Does It Exist in Women with Nontraumatic Patellofemoral Pain?

Atrophy of the vastus medialis seems not to be the causing factor for patellofemoral pain in women. No difference comparing women with pain to healthy controls was found by the recent study published by the team.

Knee Pain, Explained—and 7 Exercises for Relief

Knee pain plagues athletes of all stripes. Here’s how the experts handle it.

14 Small Self-Care Tips That Will Make A Big Difference

These healthy habits and activities will help you cope with pandemic stress.

7 Exercises to Stretch and Strengthen your Calf Muscles

Your calf muscles are most likely a little weak and really tight. Here are our favorite stretches and exercises to take care of them.

How to Increase Your Flexibility When You Can’t Even Touch Your Toes

There’s more to mobility work than just stretching.

Here's What Causes Charley Horses (And How To Get Rid Of Them)

If you’ve ever woken up in the middle of the night with a charley horse, then you know what a pain these leg cramps can be. Don’t let painful calf cramps disrupt a good night’s sleep.

Flimsy Bands That Will Change Your Workouts

The Flimsy Bands That Will Totally Change Your Workout. Yes, Resistance Bands Really Do Work.

Resistance bands, to their credit, are a lot tougher than they look. They’re the pip-squeak of fitness tools, but they’re vicious. And their slightness is one of their greatest assets.

How to Bounce Back from an Injury

Whatever the cause, getting hurt takes a mental and physical toll. Here are some tips to help you cope and bounce back as quickly as possible.

Yoga & Knee Pain - What To Do About It!

Do you ever wonder why your knee “talks” to you during or after yoga practice, even though you may pay particular attention to alignment and the cues your teacher gives while holding a pose?

Getting In & Out of Shape. What Does Your Body Think?

Posing this question to experts — physiologists, doctors, trainers, and physical therapists — I learn the obvious: Maintaining a consistent, stable homeostasis of fitness would be ideal. But also, no experts expect anyone to do this.

The Best Foam Rollers and Massagers for People Who Sit All Day

A physical therapist recommends four products she swears by to undo the damage of sitting all day.