Tim Nguyen,
PT, DPT, GCS

I did not enter physical therapy planning to specialize in aging.

As an undergraduate, I was introduced to physical therapy through an internship at a chronic pain clinic. The experience sparked a curiosity about how people adapt, recover, and keep moving forward despite injury, illness, and life’s challenges.

Early in my career, I set a personal goal to experience as many corners of physical therapy as possible. I worked in sports performance settings, trauma hospitals, memory care communities, home health, outpatient orthopedics, and geriatric rehabilitation. I wanted to understand what changed from setting to setting — but I became more interested in what stayed the same.

That path took me through four states. I trained in Texas, then completed a geriatric residency at Brooks Rehabilitation in Florida — the training that prepared me for board certification as a Geriatric Clinical Specialist — before practicing in Arkansas and eventually settling in Colorado. Along the way, I co-authored research on the Geriatric Functional Milestones and presented it at CSM, the largest annual gathering of physical therapists in the country.

Whether I was working with a retired executive trying to stay active on the golf course, someone recovering from a hip fracture, a person living with Parkinson’s disease, or someone navigating the challenges of aging at home, the same three things mattered every time.

Strength mattered. Confidence mattered. The ability to keep doing what you love mattered.

I noticed something else, too. The people who struggled most were not always the ones with the most serious diagnosis. Often, it was fear — fear of falling, fear of getting hurt again, fear of not knowing what their body could still handle — that held people back as much as anything physical did.

That observation became the foundation for Reframe Aging.

Reframe Aging is built on the belief that aging is not defined solely by disease or decline. It is shaped by the capacity we build, maintain, and protect throughout life. Physical therapy can play an important role in that — not simply by treating symptoms, but by helping people build the strength, confidence, and resilience to keep doing the things they value most.

The goal of aging well is not simply to live longer. It is to continue living fully.

Today, my work combines orthopedic physical therapy, geriatrics, exercise, and health promotion to help people move well, stay active, and approach aging with more confidence and more possibility.

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I am a lifelong foodie, enthusiastic home cook, and perpetual collector of new experiences. My wife and I moved to Denver in 2023 and continue to explore Colorado one recommendation at a time — whether it is a neighborhood restaurant, a weekend trip, a ski day, or a trail that does not require summiting a 14er.

One of the unexpected gifts of working with aging adults is the opportunity to learn from a lifetime of experiences, stories, and wisdom. Every person has a unique perspective shaped by where they have been, what they have overcome, and what they value most. Those conversations are a constant reminder that aging well is about far more than physical health. It is about continuing to grow, contribute, connect, and find meaning throughout life.

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Clinical care — recovery, strength development, balance and vestibular rehabilitation, fall prevention, and the Annual Capacity Assessment — is currently provided at Mile High Physical Therapy & Balance Centers in Lowry, Colorado.

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What I write about and think through most — movement science, healthy aging research, and what makes a life go well across the full arc of time — lives in the Insights section.