Young athletes and gym-goers are increasingly turning to physiotherapy for injury prevention, focusing on strength, mobility, recovery and movement quality rather than waiting for pain or injury.

Physiotherapy is no longer only about getting an injured body back on its feet. In an exclusive interview with , sports physiotherapist Vaibhavi Pathade says she is seeing a change among young gym-goers, runners and athletes, with more people thinking about injury prevention before pain forces them to stop.

The change, she says, has become more noticeable over the past one to two years. Earlier, young people looking to become stronger would usually head straight to a gym and approach a physiotherapist only after getting injured. Now, after experiencing or seeing training injuries, some are seeking professional guidance on strengthening their bodies safely.

When Fitness Goes Too Far

The growing enthusiasm around fitness has brought its own problems.

One trend Pathade finds particularly concerning is the urge among some young gym-goers to keep lifting heavier weights, sometimes while recording themselves.