Integrated physio and performance lab to bring services under one roof

Bengaluru: Viara Physiotherapy and Performance Lab marked a significant milestone with the inauguration of its new centre at MCECHS Layout, Bengaluru, bringing physiotherapy, rehabilitation, strength and conditioning and sports performance services together under one roof. Dr. Dilip Rangarajan, group medical director and senior consultant nephrologist at NU Hospitals, inaugurated the facility. “The centre has been established with a vision to create a structured pathway from injury assessment and rehabilitation to strength, sport-specific conditioning and performance readiness, while serving non-athletes,” he said.

Dr. Nivedha Dilip, founder of Viara, is a sports physiotherapist, strength and conditioning coach and competitive powerlifter. She has served as a physiotherapist with the senior women’s cricket teams of Karnataka, Assam and Indian Railways, and has been associated with camps and programmes conducted by the National Cricket Academy.

“Viara is designed to support both athletes and the wider community. The approach is to assess, understand, rehabilitate, strengthen and perform,” she said. The objective is not simply to help an individual recover from an injury, but to help them regain function, build strength and return safely to their chosen activity.

“Working professionals can use physiotherapy and exercise-based interventions for musculoskeletal concerns, including posture-related issues. Athletes can access prehabilitation, injury prevention, rehabilitation and return-to-sport programmes. Clinical guidance supports exercise-based rehabilitation, objective strength and functional testing, and criteria-based return to sport after ACL reconstruction,” she said.

“Return to sport should be guided by clinical and performance criteria, not time alone. Viara’s focus on movement assessment, progressive strengthening and sport-specific loading aligns with these principles,” she added.

The centre offers physiotherapy for sports and orthopaedic injuries, strength and conditioning, personal training, group fitness, yoga, HIIT, dance fitness and athletic conditioning. Facilities include strength-testing equipment, Game Ready technology for cold and compression therapy, balance and agility training equipment, and a comprehensive gym setup. The team includes physiotherapist Arun, strength and conditioning coach and yoga instructor Hima Rao, and Dr. Nivedha Dilip.

“Viara is for everyone, including elite athletes, recreational sportspersons, children, working adults and senior citizens,” she said. Future plans include advanced performance testing, sport-specific programmes for cricket, basketball, badminton and tennis, athlete development pathways, educational workshops and collaborations with teams and academies.

“The centre aims to build a performance ecosystem where individuals can recover, strengthen and continue to perform safely and effectively,” Dr. Nivedha Dilip said. Looking ahead, Viara aims to build a high-performance ecosystem integrating physiotherapy, rehabilitation, strength and conditioning, sports-specific training and performance testing.

It plans to partner with teams, academies and athletes on injury prevention, screening and performance, while using advanced tools to assess strength, power, movement, workload and return-to-sport readiness.

Viara will also develop sport-specific programmes, athlete development pathways and education initiatives, positioning itself as a knowledge-driven platform for athletes to recover, perform and evolve.

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The Hans India