Exploring Life & Business with Andrea Reed of Onward Cincinnati

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Reed. 

Hi Andrea, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I’m weird… I’ve known what I wanted to do with my life since I was 7 years old. I went with my dad to his physical therapy appointment, saw the colorful balls, weights, and trampoline, and I was sold. Fast forward 20 years, and I had graduated from physical therapy school and was in love with my chosen profession, where I was able to help people rebound from injuries and get back to their lives. My “game” as a physical therapist changed when I found CrossFit and functional fitness in my personal life which unleashed a desire not only for myself to get more fit and strong but to somehow marry this foundation with physical therapy. Shortly after, I got pregnant with my daughter and suddenly was trying to navigate staying fit while undergoing a huge change in my body, both pregnant and postpartum. This led me to do a deep dive into the pelvic health physical therapy space and I wanted nothing more than to help other women thrive during this crazy time in their lives, especially when there is so much misinformation about exercise and pregnancy! 

After proposing a program at my hospital-based clinic to serve this patient population with a fitness-forward approach and getting shot down, I knew I had to go out on my own. That brings me to today. I opened up Onward Cincinnati to treat clients with a fitness-forward approach in a performance-based model, completely one-on-one and 100% focused on my client’s goals. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of the biggest challenges is that at Onward Physical Therapy, we are trying to change the game and do something different in the PT space which will inevitably create some resistance. We believe that the age-old advice to “just rest” with new injuries should be put to bed, that physical therapy can be the first call for patients, that postpartum women can push fitness much earlier on, and that there should be more care for women in the pelvic health space. Sometimes these messages can run counter to the mainstream medical narrative which can be challenging waters to navigate. While we are different, we believe it is better and that clients will see the difference for themselves. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Onward Physical Therapy is a fitness-forward performance-based PT clinic. We believe that back to baseline should not be the goal. We are going to go beyond getting you out of pain and get you fitter and stronger than before your injury in order to make you a more resilient and healthy human. I have several specialties, some of which I have already mentioned including a board-certified specialty in Orthopedics, orthopedic manual therapy, dry needling, and pelvic health. What all this boils down to is that I can be a one-stop shop for clients seeking someone to care for their physical health and overall fitness. 

What makes you happy?
I’m going to stick with professional things here, but I’m sure I could regale you with some stories about things my toddler has said that made me cry-laugh. Nothing makes me happier than when my clients succeed. Some of the recent wins of my clients include; hitting a 210 lb. deadlift after a year of being afraid that his back was fragile and going to go out on him again – being able to perform kettlebell swings for the first time in 5 years without back pain – and a client that was able to perform squats at the gym without exercise-induced incontinence. This right here is what makes my job so rewarding and will always put a huge smile on my face. 

Pricing:

• $135 per session

Contact Info:

• Website: www.onwardcincinnati.com
• Instagram: @onwardcinci
• Facebook: Onward Cincinnati

Image Credits
Amy Smethurst
Space Cabin Studios