Nicole Rennie, PT, founder and owner
Tandem Strength & Balance® exists because its founder kept watching patients receiving Medicare-funded physical therapy get discharged still short of the strength they needed to live the lives they wanted.
Nicole Rennie, PT
Founder, owner, physical therapist
- Licensed physical therapist
- Six years in hospitals and nursing homes before founding Tandem
- More than 25 years of practice
- Still treats clients personally
It Started With Her Grandmother
Nicole’s belief in what older adults can accomplish started long before Tandem Strength & Balance®.
It started with her grandmother.
After a tragic event left her grandmother paralyzed from the neck down, Nicole watched her make progress in therapy, until that progress stalled. Nicole encouraged her to keep going, challenged her when she needed it, and believed in her when she was discouraged.
It worked. Her grandmother began to improve again.
That experience shaped Nicole’s belief that people often need more than a therapy plan. They need someone beside them who believes in them, pushes them, supports them, and keeps them moving forward.
Why Tandem Was Created
After six years as a physical therapist in hospitals and nursing homes, Nicole became frustrated watching therapy end before people reached the strength and function they were capable of achieving.
Medicare physical therapy constraints stifled my passion and diminished the goals and expectations for my patients. Medicare physical therapy is an invaluable service, but it has limitations. I wanted to achieve a sustainable difference in someone's life; thus, Tandem Strength & Balance® was created.
Nicole Rennie, PT
Nicole knew that building leg strength and improving function takes time. So she created Tandem to help older adults keep building strength, improving function, and doing more of what matters to them.
Build Strength. Keep Doing What Matters.
Tandem’s StrengthBank® approach is built around a simple idea: the more strength you have in reserve, the more you have to draw from when life gets harder.
Illness, hospitalization, or changes in health can take strength away quickly. Building strength before those challenges happen gives people more to work with when they need it most.
We aren’t just trying to help someone get by today. We’re building strength for what tomorrow may bring.
It’s More Than Exercise
Tandem is about more than exercise. It’s about the relationship between the therapist and the person they work with.
Our therapists become part of the journey: learning what motivates someone, when to push, when to support, and celebrating the small victories along the way.
Because standing up a little easier, walking a little farther, or doing something they couldn’t do a few months ago may seem small, but those changes add up.
That’s Tandem: building strength, supporting confidence, and helping older adults keep doing what matters to them.
What she gets out of it
Tandem Strength & Balance® allows me the opportunity to be the physical therapist I have always dreamed of being. The unexpected reward is that I develop close relationships with clients and their families. I not only help people to age gracefully; I'm a part of their lives.
Nicole Rennie, PT
Tandem is based at 7401 Metro Boulevard in Edina and serves seniors in their own homes across Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties.
What families say about working with Nicole's team
Besides helping my mom to maintain strength, Nicole has been instrumental in catching medical changes in both mom and dad. She made sure the medical staff had the right information and that we asked the right questions. We highly recommend TSB.
TSB is a service second to none and provides: outstanding quality and talented physical therapists, the highest level of interest and concern for the patient, encouragement to increase strength and mobility, ongoing patient communication and RESULTS.
Mom has received therapy 2-3x/week for 2 years. Her therapists know her and understand what motivates her. Little “wins” are celebrated and TSB even handled our FL trip details. So impressed with their professionalism and dedication.
Tandem works on the client's thinking. Many folks have self-talk that has them doubt their abilities. The therapist guides the client into more honest and realiztic self-talk that allows them to accomplish much more than they ever thought they could.
My mom has been helped in so many ways by her Tandem Strength & Balance physical therapist. She is truly so much more than just a physical therapist; she is a friend, a psychologist and empathetic listener. Life is so much better with TSB.
Tandem Strength & Balance is geared to continually encourage and challenge their client to reach new strength goals, keeping the individual's quality of life and mobility the best it can be, for as long as it can be.
Questions families ask
My parent finished Medicare therapy. What happens now?
When Medicare therapy ends, your parent can still keep working on strength, balance, and everyday function.
Tandem Strength & Balance provides ongoing exercise with a physical therapist in your parent's home. There's no insurance timeline telling you when to stop. Your family decides how long your parent wants to continue.
If getting stronger can help your mom or dad keep doing more of what matters to them, Tandem is there to keep going.
Is it actually possible to get stronger at 80 or 90?
Yes. And we believe it's not just possible, it's essential.
Getting older doesn't mean your parent has to stop building strength. Older adults can continue to build muscle and improve leg strength well into their 80s and 90s.
Why does that matter? Because strong legs are the foundation for safe, independent mobility: getting out of a chair, climbing stairs, getting in and out of the car, and moving around the house.
Illness or a hospital stay can take strength away quickly. The more strength your parent has built, the more they have to draw from when life gets harder.
At Tandem, we don't believe in simply maintaining what someone can do today. We believe in continuing to build strength so they can keep doing what matters tomorrow.
What happens at the first visit?
The first visit is a free, in-home consultation with Nicole, Tandem's owner and a physical therapist.
Nicole comes to your parent's home, sees how they move in the place they live every day, and listens to what has become harder.
She'll tell you honestly whether she thinks Tandem can help. If it's a fit, she explains how the program works and what it costs.
You decide whether to continue. There's no insurance authorization, no set number of visits, and no long-term commitment.
Do you come to the house, or do we travel to a clinic?
Tandem comes to you. We exercise where your parent lives, whether that's a house, apartment, or assisted living community.
There's something different about exercising in a familiar environment. Your parent knows the space, feels more comfortable, and can build confidence as they get stronger and move more safely.
Tandem serves all seven Twin Cities metro counties: Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington.
My mother will exercise with a therapist but not with family. Is that normal?
Yes. We hear this from families all the time.
Exercise can be different when it comes from a physical therapist rather than a son or daughter. A therapist knows when to encourage, when to challenge, and when to give someone a little extra support. There's also a different dynamic when the person helping isn't part of the family.
It's not unusual for a parent who resists exercise with their family to work hard and stay engaged with their Tandem therapist.
Sometimes, having someone outside the family makes all the difference. Your role can stay what it should be: being their daughter or son, not their exercise coach.
Does using a walker mean my parent will always need one?
Not necessarily. Using a walker today doesn't mean your parent will always need one.
A walker can provide important support and safety while someone is weak or unsteady. At the same time, we want to understand why they need it and whether their strength and balance can improve.
With progressive leg-strength and balance exercise, older adults can become stronger, steadier, and more confident, and may eventually need less support.
A walker can be part of where someone is today. It doesn't have to define where they're going.
Let's talk about what your family is facing
A free in-home consultation with Nicole, Tandem's owner and a physical therapist. She'll see how your parent is doing, listen to what's become harder, and tell you honestly if Tandem can help.
No pressure. Just an honest conversation about what comes next.
Prefer to talk now? Call (952) 746-3222
Monday to Friday 7:30- 4pm