Finding Your Motivation & How Physical Therapy Can Help

Written by
Dr. Scott Runyon, PT, DPT
Published on
January 13, 2026

There’s a lot of things that make Backcountry Physical Therapy different (and better) than any other physical therapy clinic you’ve been to here in Colorado Springs or elsewhere. The time we spend with you is greater than you’re used to. The depth and challenge of your exercise program’s progression are made to prepare you for the actual tasks you are hoping to complete (we don’t stick with boring, easy band pulls that will never get you back to powerlifting around here!).

You get to connect with your therapist about your next adventure, because we love to do the same things you love to do. The love for these things leads me into what I want to discuss. Unlike most physical therapists you will ever see, we greatly care about helping you find your motivation.

You have goals. Goals for physical therapy. Different goals for performance. Goals for health. Goals for your career. More goals for your family. Goals for life in general. All of this ties into your rehab plan. All of this will keep you going when things get tough. You may be coming in to see a physical therapist (the best ones in Colorado Springs and the rest of the Pikes Peak region!), but you aren’t here for the physical therapist in Colorado Springs. You are here for you and your long term goals. We need to figure all this out.

What It Will Look Like

We will ask you a ton of questions. Many of them center around what you want to do with your recovery after rehabilitation and WHY it’s important to you. Things are bound to get tough from time to time. You’ll have to do a lot of work to get back to where you were before and commit a bunch of time.

When you feel like quitting, we need to circle back to why you came to Backcountry Physical Therapy near Colorado Springs in the first place. You came because you love to ski, snowboard, run, rock climb, bike, powerlift, CrossFit…whatever it is you love to do. Maybe it’s a combination of all of them. After all, this is Colorado, and there’s tons of options on what to do.

It goes even deeper than this. There’s a reason you love to do what you do. You want to get to your activities, and we need to figure out the reason. Things like, you may say you love to lift weights in the gym, and the reason you want to do that is because it’s a social outlet for you. You love seeing buddies every morning in CrossFit gym. Maybe you’re wanting to make sure you’re strong enough to lift your kids and play with them the way that they deserve. It could be because you’re just really focused on improving your health in Colorado Springs.

Where is the Focus?

From there, we want to know the next step. Personally, you want to focus on your health, which is great, but let’s go further. You are focused on that because you saw your parents never took care of themselves and have aged poorly. You’ve absolutely hated seeing it. If you can’t imagine living your life this way and want better for yourself. You know you don’t have to do it the way that they did it. You can live and feel better than they have. You’re determined to do things differently. Now as your physical therapist near Colorado Springs, we’ve hit the real motivation!

We NEED you to focus on that motivating factor. Whatever we’ve uncovered, when you are starting to feel burnt out, bored, or discouraged about your path toward rehabilitation, bring your focus back to this. When you think about having the ability to ski black diamond runs every week and generally feel really great when you are old, that will keep you going.

What is Important to You?

The thing motivating you should be the most important thing in your life. Since sports rehabilitation is what is going to get you there, you have now made your physical therapy program the most important thing in your life. Physical therapy in Colorado Springs is the vehicle that is getting you there.

This is all part of how physical therapists in Colorado push you to get where you want to be. We are your accountability partner, and it all starts from day one. From the very first document you fill out when you commit to coming into our rehab clinic, we are asking you about what your vision and motivation will be. Let us keep you going on the right path. This is all part of what makes us the very best physical therapy clinic in the Colorado Springs area! It’s time to start making the best choice for you by investing in yourself and your future to make sure you can always do the things you love to do!

skiing in colorado springs at altitude

Working toward pain relief in active individuals in Colorado Springs.

Final Thoughts

The key takeaway is simple: find motivation. Create one that allows flexibility, prioritizes rest, includes small rewards, and keeps you mentally engaged with your goals. When your goals are realistic and attainable, success follows. But if you dwell only on the sacrifices and stress along the way, it becomes much harder to stay consistent and see things through.

Whether your goal is to build strength, lose weight, improve your mental health, or finally address that lingering injury, there’s no better time to start than now. Your future self will thank you for taking action today. And when you need support, the team at Backcountry Physical Therapy in Colorado Springs is here for you. We can help you find meaningful motivations, stay accountable, and get back on track if pain or life throws you a curveball. If you’d like to talk about your goals, we’re always happy to listen.

We proudly serve active individuals in Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, Briargate, Falcon, Rockrimmon, and surrounding areas.

📞 Call us today or 📧 book your evaluation to get started with Physical Therapy near Colorado Springs: (719) 285-9670

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Ready to Get Back to the Outdoor Lifestyle You Love?

Stop guessing and start recovering. Schedule a free discovery call with Backcountry PT today.