Corey Rovzar
Instructor, Medicine - Stanford Prevention Research Center
Bio
Corey Rovzar, PhD, PT, DPT is an Instructor of Medicine and Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance Clinician-Scientist at the Stanford Prevention Research Center in the School of Medicine. She holds a PhD in Geography/Environmental Studies from UCLA and a doctorate in physical therapy from the University of Colorado. Her broad research interests include physical activity promotion, movement optimization, and biomechanical assessment to support healthy aging. Her current research involves designing and implementing a novel, education and exercise-based remote intervention to enhance balance and movement quality and reduce the risk of falls in older women.
Clinically, she has worked in an outpatient setting with individuals across the lifespan recovering from orthopedic injuries and has witnessed the potency of exercise as medicine. She has also consulted with health tech start-up companies to measure the effectiveness of digital health programs in reducing musculoskeletal pain and improving function when compared to outcomes following traditional rehabilitation or surgery. She is passionate about improving access to health and believes that lifestyle medicine is the foundation for empowering individuals to confidently manage their own health and well-being.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/corey-rovzar/
Professional Education
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DPT, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Physical Therapy (2018)
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PhD, University of California, Los Angeles, Geography (2016)
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BA, University of California, Los Angeles, Geography/Environmental Studies (2011)
Current Research and Scholarly Interests
Enhancing human movement through scalable, remotely delivered physical activity interventions, remote assessment and monitoring of human movement, health technology development, fall prevention, aging, digital balance assessment, improving access to health and healthcare, increasing healthspan, lifestyle medicine
All Publications
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Sex Differences in Resistance Training Participation and Beliefs Among Adolescent Athletes: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study.
Sports (Basel, Switzerland)
2026; 14 (1)
Abstract
Resistance training (RT) is widely recommended for adolescent athletes to enhance performance and reduce injury risk. However, sex differences in RT participation and beliefs during adolescence remain underexplored.This exploratory cross-sectional survey included 108 adolescent athletes (62 females, 46 males; ages 13-18 years) recruited from sports medicine and physical therapy clinics. Participants completed a 29-item questionnaire assessing demographics, sport involvement, and RT participation and beliefs. Items included RT frequency, duration, equipment use, age of initiation, and enjoyment. Statistical comparisons between sexes were conducted using chi-square tests for categorical variables and independent-samples t-tests for continuous variables, with significance set at p < 0.05.Overall, 71% reported regular RT participation. Participation was higher in males than females but did not reach statistical significance t) (80% vs. 65%, p = 0.07). Females reported beginning RT at a younger age than males (12.1 vs. 13.4 years, p = 0.01). No significant sex differences were found in RT frequency (3.1 vs. 3.5 sessions/week, p = 0.33) or session duration (56.3 vs. 68.8 min, p = 0.17). Males reported greater use of barbells (70% vs. 43%; p = 0.02) and weight machines (87% vs. 57.5%; p < 0.01). Females reported significantly lower enjoyment of RT compared to males (48% vs. 70%, p = 0.02).This study describes sex-based differences in RT participation and beliefs among a convenience sample of adolescent athletes recruited from sports medicine and physical therapy clinics. Future research should prioritize developing and validating questionnaires to more accurately assess RT participation and beliefs and to guide efforts aimed at fostering positive, equitable training opportunities. Recruiting from a population outside of a clinic environment will enhance the generalizability of these findings.
View details for DOI 10.3390/sports14010004
View details for PubMedID 41590946
View details for PubMedCentralID PMC12845955
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Lifestyle Interventions and Supplements for Joint and Arthritis Pain: A Narrative Review.
American journal of lifestyle medicine
2025: 15598276251395980
Abstract
Arthritis is a chronic condition worsened by systemic inflammation, inactivity, poor nutrition, and disrupted sleep, yet it is often managed reactively with symptom focused pharmacologic care. Emerging evidence suggests lifestyle interventions may target root causes of disease, offering a proactive approach to reduce pain and preserve joint function. This narrative review examined the impact of lifestyle interventions on arthritis-related pain and joint health, focusing on osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. A search of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar (2000 to 2025) identified randomized trials, meta-analyses, and cohort studies on nutrition, supplementation, physical activity, and sleep. Outcomes included pain and function scores, inflammatory biomarkers, and imaging markers of joint integrity. Lifestyle interventions reduced pain, improved function, and supported joint health. Anti-inflammatory diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, were linked to lower inflammation and symptom severity. Supplements like curcumin, glucosamine, and Boswellia showed modest benefits with favorable safety. Resistance training and Tai Chi improved strength, mobility, and pain, with added benefits for balance. Poor sleep was associated with greater pain and inflammation, while behavioral sleep interventions improved outcomes. Lifestyle medicine is safe, effective, and feasible to integrate into arthritis care, with strong support for diet and movement therapies.
View details for DOI 10.1177/15598276251395980
View details for PubMedID 41246047
View details for PubMedCentralID PMC12618219
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Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about balance among adults in the United States.
SAGE open medicine
2025; 13: 20503121251374966
Abstract
We conducted a cross-sectional survey among young, middle-aged, and older adults to assess knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about balance in the United States.A community-based online cross-sectional survey was administered to a nationally representative sample of United States adults. Respondents were categorized into three age groups (young, middle-aged, older adults). Chi-square tests were used to assess differences in categorical variables, and analysis of variance was applied for continuous variables to examine differences in responses between age groups.All age groups demonstrated knowledge of balance, had a positive attitude toward improving their balance, and agreed with beliefs about the balance importance with age. While most respondents reported their balance was good, 25%-51% could not stand on one leg for more than 30 s, and one-third were not sure if they could. Regardless of age group, 34%-38% of respondents reported falling in the past year.Balance is important across all age groups, yet most respondents do not report visiting a medical provider due to concerns about balance. A history of falls in the past year among younger and middle-aged adults may be higher than previously reported. Thus, balance education and balance practice should ideally begin well before the age of 65.
View details for DOI 10.1177/20503121251374966
View details for PubMedID 40955278
View details for PubMedCentralID PMC12433554
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Fall risk in relation to strength training, walking, and sitting among women aged 75-105 years: a cross-sectional study within the Women's Health Initiative Strong and Healthy (WHISH) Intervention Cohort.
Research square
2025
Abstract
Falls are the leading cause of injury and injury death among older women in the United States. The Women's Health Initiative Strong and Healthy (WHISH) trial intervention cohort provided the opportunity to assess how fall risk classification (FR-ABC), as measured by balance confidence, relates to strength training, walking, sitting, and physical function (PF) in women aged 75 and over, a growing population at particularly high fall risk.We analyzed data from 8,915 women aged 75-105 years (mean age 84.9 ± 5.1 years; 49.6% ≥85 years) randomly assigned to a PA intervention in the WHISH pragmatic trial. Participants self-reported their weekly participation in strength training, walking, daily sitting time, and current PF. Balance confidence was measured using the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale, with an ABC score of < 67% used to classify FR-ABC. We assessed FR-ABC prevalence in the total cohort and for the women aged 75-84 and 85 years and older and cross-sectional associations with strength training, walking, sitting, and PF categories using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi-squared tests.Mean age was 84.9 years, with 49.6% of participants aged ≥ 85 years. FR-ABC classification was 35.1% overall, 22.7% for women aged 75-84 and 47.4% for women aged ≥ 85 years. Overall, strength training ≥ 2 hours per week was associated with a 34% FR-ABC risk reduction (RR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.61-0.71); walking ≥ 4.25 hours/week with a 70% FR-ABC risk reduction (RR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.27-0.33); while, sitting ≥ 8 hours/day was associated with a 41% increased FR-ABC risk (RR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.33-1.49). High PF (score ≥ 90) was associated with a 91% FR-ABC risk reduction (p < 0.001).More strength training and walking, lower sitting time, and higher PF were strongly associated with reduced fall risk classification among women aged 75 years and older. Although these associations were more pronounced among women aged 75-84 year, it was also true for women aged 85 and over. Fall risk prevention should emphasize each of these PA factors.
View details for DOI 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7246621/v1
View details for PubMedID 40831512
View details for PubMedCentralID PMC12363929