Arnold Schwarzenegger and physical therapist Heather Milligan recently demonstrated knee-strengthening routines to combat the actor’s lifelong joint issues. Schwarzenegger has been the fittest man with one of the most iconic physiques for decades now.
Now, at 78, he feels that maintaining such a physique for so long and all that lifting, squats, running, and relentless training have taken a toll on his body, especially his knees.
But, Schwarzenegger now has someone who is not only his girlfriend but also his physiotherapist. And, according to Schwarzenegger, Heather Milligan is the best in the business. In a video for his Pump Club YouTube channel, Schwarzenegger introduced her and said:
“Heather Milligan is not only my girlfriend, but she’s also a great, if not the best, physical therapist in the world. That’s actually how we met. She fixed my shoulder — but we’re not here to talk about our relationship, we’re talking about physical therapy.”
In the video, Schwarzenegger addressed the most talked-about topic and something he gets asked about constantly — what he does about his knees. He then asked Milligan to demonstrate some movements to strengthen his knees and joints. “I’ve been having knee problems my whole life,” he admitted. “
Milligan then demonstrated some fundamental movements, such as wall squats, which are essential for maintaining good knee health.
He further illustrated the role of different angles and isometric holds in sculpting the body while ensuring joint health, stressing the importance of pain-free biomechanics and muscle activation from the feet to the g*****.
Schwarzenegger did not fail to show his humorous side; even here, he pulled up his shorts to show off muscular thighs during a wall sit demo.
Milligan deadpanned: “Oh, showing us your legs — that’s impressive.” Schwarzenegger wrapped the video with his arm around her, noting: “Now you know why I come here regularly to Elite OrthoSport to get my knees straightened out and my shoulders and my back — because there’s a pain here and a pain there, but Heather always fixes it.”
How Heather Milligan and Arnold Schwarzenegger met is far from any romantic movie scene. During the making of the film Escape Plan in 2013, where he was starring alongside Sylvester Stallone, his first shoulder injury appeared, and that’s what led him to Milligan.
“I said, ‘I got to go do this movie, and I bring a lot of punches, and I have fights with Sly, and I want to have my act together,'” he recalled. And, after she fixed his shoulder, he called her to say thank you, and that was the start of their decade-long camaraderie.
Milligan is the founder and president of Elite OrthoSport Physical Therapy & Performance. She has over 25 years of experience as a physio.
The couple has been together since 2013, sharing a bond that goes beyond the gym. “We have so many things in common,” Schwarzenegger has said. “I think the world of her. I love that she’s into working. She’s clearly independent. She just is driven as h***.”
Milligan spent 20 years as a competitive gymnast before pivoting to physical therapy, a background that gives her a unique understanding of athletic wear and tear.
The relevance of Schwarzenegger in the realm of fitness at the age of 78 speaks volumes about something else, rather than mere nostalgia. Considering how Milligan always has Schwarzenegger’s back in everything he does, one can only conclude that the Austrian Oak is not finished yet.
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