How do top athletes maintain physical fitness, avoid injuries, and at the same time improve their performance? What modern methods do physiotherapists use to restore strength, mobility, and balance to an individual?
Answers to these and many other questions were received at an exclusive masterclass with Roman Jahoda, a renowned physiotherapist, sports therapist, and coach who has successfully applied his knowledge for many years in collaboration with top athletes, UEFA referees, the Alinghi team, and Formula 1 drivers, primarily as the personal therapist of Ralf Schumacher.
At the seminar titled "From basics to specifics – injury prevention, rehabilitation, and sports performance", held at the Alma Mater Europaea University in Maribor and Ljubljana, Jahoda presented his philosophy of movement and approach to physical performance that goes beyond the traditional frameworks of sports training and rehabilitation.
"Effective training, whether in the context of elite sports, recreational activity, or rehabilitation, cannot be based solely on repeating sport-specific movements or focusing on individual muscle groups. The key to lasting progress, injury prevention, and improving overall well-being lies in understanding the human body as a functional whole," Jahoda emphasized.
He shared practical approaches to mobilization, stabilization, functional training, active exercise therapy, and individualized rehabilitation processes with numerous enthusiastic participants. He particularly highlighted the importance of basic movement components: mobility, flexibility, stability, strength, proprioception and coordination, which are often neglected in unilateral training, leading to compensatory patterns and overload of certain structures.
"Physiotherapy and the training process must not be based solely on symptomatic treatment. Posture, thoracic spine mobility, hip joint functionality, and muscle coordination play a key role in understanding the cause of problems," he added.
His approach is structured yet flexible – focused on the individual, their goals, abilities, and limitations. In his opinion, the task of the therapist or coach is to be able to listen carefully to the body and appropriately select exercises, their difficulty, and the timing in the progress process.
"My goal is not only to eliminate pain or improve performance. My goal is for everyone to feel the power and freedom of their own movement," Jahoda says.
Participants learned firsthand how important it is to understand the body as a connected whole and how, with appropriate knowledge and focused work, every individual, athlete, or patient can achieve their greatest capabilities.
