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Free Resources from Francis Fitness

Guides, tools, and practical information to help you move better, recover smarter, and stay active for the long term.


Whether you are recovering from an injury, managing chronic pain, getting back to fitness after physical therapy, or simply trying to stay strong and active as you get older, you will find something here to help.

Everything on this page is free. It is built on the same principles I use with my clients every day at Francis Fitness: evidence-based, practical, and focused on training smart rather than just training hard.

New resources are added regularly, so check back often.

Free Guides

CLEARED TO EXERCISE: WHAT TO DO AFTER PHYSICAL THERAPY ENDS

Physical therapy got you functional. This guide helps you get fit. If you have recently been discharged from PT and are not sure what to do next, you are not alone. Most people leave physical therapy feeling better than they did but with no clear plan for what comes after. This guide fills that gap. This guide gives you a clear, practical roadmap for returning to exercise safely and building on the work your PT started.  

What you will learn:

• Why discharge is not the finish line and what comes next

• How injury changes your body even after the pain is gone 

• The four pillars of post-rehab fitness and why the order matters

• How to structure your first 30 days back without overdoing it

• The most common mistakes that send people back to square one

• When to seek help and what kind of professional to look for 


This guide is for you if you have been cleared for exercise by your doctor or discharged from physical therapy and want to move forward with confidence.

The Smart Person’s Guide to Exercising With Back Pain

Back pain does not mean stop moving. It means move smarter. This guide explains what is actually driving your back pain and gives you a practical, science-backed approach to exercising safely and effectively.

Inside this guide:

• The real causes of back pain and why the back is rarely the only problem

• What makes back pain worse without you realizing it

• Core stability, hip mobility, and glute strength: the foundation that protects your spine

• Safe exercises, exercises to avoid, and how to modify the ones you love

• How to build back to full fitness over time

Sciatica Survival Guide: Exercise Strategies That Help

Sciatica is one of the most disruptive conditions I see in my practice. It is also one of the most responsive to the right exercise approach. This guide cuts through the confusion and gives you a clear, practical framework for managing sciatic pain through movement.

Inside this guide:

• What sciatica actually is and how it differs from other leg pain

• Centralization vs. peripheralization: how to read your own symptoms

• Extension vs. flexion protocols based on your specific cause

• Nerve gliding, piriformis stretching, and core stability for nerve protection

• Long-term management and how to prevent recurrence

Knee Strong: A Post-Injury Guide to Rebuilding Strength

Whether you are recovering from an ACL tear, meniscus repair, knee replacement, or patellofemoral pain, this guide walks you through the process of rebuilding the knee the right way. Because the knee you have after injury can be stronger than the one you had before.

Inside this guide:

• Why the hip and ankle matter just as much as the knee itself

• Quad inhibition and why you have to address it before loading the knee

• A three-phase progressive strengthening program with specific exercises

• Return to running, stairs, squatting, and sport: when and how

• Long-term knee health and what actually keeps it pain-free

Train Smarter After 50: The Older Adult’s Guide

Fifty is not the beginning of decline. For many people, with the right approach, it is the beginning of the strongest decade of their lives. This guide makes the case for strength training after 50 and gives you a practical, safe framework for getting started or getting back on track.

Inside this guide:

• What actually happens to the body after 50 and how much of it is reversible

• Why strength training is non-negotiable for healthy aging

• How to train smarter with more recovery, better warm-up​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​


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