Moving Well Podcast

In this two-part interview, Janet and Nikki talk with Joe Hook, CSCS and Director of Human Performance, about how to start and sustain a lifting program that will get you results, but also minimizes the risk of injury.

In this episode, they cover:

• What to look for in a resistance training coach
• The importance of good movement patterning, mobility, posture and breath for heavy lifting
• Using different forms of exercise for a well rounded fitness program
• Why different body types (stiff vs hypermobile) will have different form considerations and programming needs
• When to use a bony lock vs neutral alignment
• Ideal foot and hip mechanics during squatting (and the common cause of butt winking)
• How bodyweight training can help you lift heavy while reducing your risk of injury

About Joe Hook, CSCS, USAW

Joe is the Director of Human Performance for Real Human Performance (Cincinnati, Ohio). His background is in sports performance training, and he works with clients ranging from professional athletes to the average person. His training philosophy is rooted in improving movement patterns and stress resiliency.

For more information, visit his website at realhumanperformance.com or connect with him on Facebook or Instagram.

In this episode, Janet and Nikki chat with Trina Altman, creator of Pilates Deconstructed™, Yoga Tune Up® Teacher Trainer and movement educator, about how to increase longevity and reduce your risk of injury in your yoga practice.

They cover:

• Trina's journey from the corporate and fashion world to teaching movement today
• How deconstructing yoga poses can give you a better workout and help support a more traditional yoga practice
• The importance of stability and mobility for reducing the risk of  pain or injury + why it's especially important for yogis
• Why Pilates and yoga are fantastic compliments to one another
• How to use self-care tools like the Yoga Tune Up® Therapy balls to reduce stress and increase body awareness

Links mentioned:

Trina's class and workshop schedule

Trina Altman, E-RYT 500, YACEP, PMA®-CPT, STOTT PILATES® certified instructor

Trina leads teacher trainings in Yoga Tune Up®, the Roll Model® Method and Rx Series for Equinox locally and internationally. She is the creator of Pilates Deconstructed™ an innovative interdisciplinary approach that fosters an embodied understanding of Pilates and its relationship to modern movement science.

While at Brown University, Trina took a Kripalu yoga class which ignited her passion for the practice. Emphasizing the importance of inner focus, she teaches anatomy for yoga teacher trainings across the country. She has presented at Kripalu, PURE YOGA® NYC, Cal-a-Vie Spa, SYTAR, the Yoga Alliance Leadership Conference, ECA, UCLA and multiple yoga conferences.

Her teaching fosters body cognition and self-discovery, firmly grounded in anatomical awareness. Trina builds bridges between the mystical and the pragmatic, and specializes in helping others to access their body’s tissues and their heart’s purpose. Trina works out of Los Angeles at Equinox and The Moving Joint. Find her at www.trinaaltman.com or say hello on Facebook or Instagram.

In this episode, Janet and Nikki talk with Taylor Lamanna, Balanced Body Pilates Educator about her experience working with clients with spinal cord injuries through the CR Johnson Healing Center / High Fives Foundation.

They discuss:

• What it means to be a movement optimist
• How Pilates can compliment the rehab process to help people recover function after a spinal cord injury
• What a Pilates session for someone with a spinal cord injury might look like
• Continuing education options (and challenges) when seeking more information to work with spinal cord injuries

Correction: Client referenced with transverse myelitis is a psychiatrist, not a physiatrist.

About Taylor Lamanna

As an adventurer at heart, Taylor brings her life experiences and caring personality into her almost 15 years of teaching Pilates. She began her passionate career at a young age, after years of extensive ballet training and received her comprehensive Pilates training through Core Dynamics.

Soon after, Taylor opened her Pilates studio, InnerPeace Pilates in the suburbs of Chicago. During it's successful 8 years of operation Taylor became a Certified Pilates Teacher through the Pilates Method Alliance, a Master Trainer with Balanced Body Education, and opened her second business, InnerPeace Retreats. 

Looking to spread her wings she relocated to beautiful, Lake Tahoe, NV. This move has helped Taylor start her transition into specializing in working with clients who have suffered spinal cord injuries or who have neurological conditions at Purely Pilates in Reno, NV and at the CR Johnson Healing Center/ High Fives Foundation in Truckee, CA. She has seen the healing capabilities of Pilates transform so many lives and looks forward to sharing this gift with as many people as she can.

To connect with Taylor say hello on Facebook or send her an email at [email protected].

In this episode, Janet and Nikki chat with Molly Courtney, a Certified Health Coach, Personal Trainer, Weight Management Specialist and diet rebel about why diets don't work and what does when it comes to improving health or losing weight - should that happen to be your goal.

• The difference between health coaching and getting a meal plan
• Weight bias and how it can be counterproductive in helping clients achieve health goals
• Why outcome based goals can delay progress
• How to successfully implement changes in your lifestyle without feeling deprived, frustrated or miserable
• Strategies to start loving yourself today and not 10 pounds from now

Weight bias quizzes

• Fat-phobia Scale
• Anti-fat attitudes scale
• Increasing Self-Awareness of Weight Bias Tool Kit
• Dr.  Linda Bacon’s Book Health at Every Size (quize on pg 178)

Studies supporting weight bias

• Study containing statistics on weight bias in health professions
• Weight Science: Evaluating the Evidence for a Paradigm Shift
• Size Acceptance and Intuitive Eating Improve Health for Obese, Female Chronic Dieters
• Evaluating a "non-diet' wellness intervention for improvement of metabolic fitness, psychological well-being and eating and activity behaviors

Studies supporting why diets don't work

• UCLA study: One Third to Two Thirds of Dieters Regain More Weight Than They Lose

Links mentioned

• Molly's website
• Molly's Facebook
• Molly's Instagram
• Molly's Private Facebook Group Diet Rebels

About Molly Courtney

Molly is a weight-neutral Certified Health Coach, Personal Trainer, Weight Management Specialist, and Diet Rebel. She has a degree in Exercise Science with extensive training and education around behavior change, nutrition, and human performance.

She is the creator of the L-O-V-E Method, a self-discovery approach that empowers people to find and live by their own definition of health and reach their goals with LOVE (Yes, this is absolutely possible!).

To work with Molly and find out more about how to become a diet rebel, visit her site at www.lovehealthcoaching.com.

In this episode, Janet and Nikki talk with Jenna Etzel, National Instructor Trainer for Les Mills US.

They discuss the pros and cons of teaching free style group fitness classes vs pre choreographed ones and the difference between taking a training that gives you a base level of knowledge and one that teaches you how to run a class.

They also chat about how mindset can influence your success as an instructor and how to avoid injury, overtraining and burnout.

Finally, they offer sage wisdom on how to find acceptance that no matter where you go or how long you teach, there will always be problems with the microphone.

Links mentioned

Take a les mills training: https://www.lesmills.com/us/instructors/

Jenna Etzel is an ACE, AFAA and Les Mills Certified Group Fitness Instructor.  She graduated from W.S.U. with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Spanish, which has oddly come in handy frequently in Fitness!  Jenna currently works for Les Mills US as a National Instructor Trainer and Assessor Lead, teaching new Instructors and Assessors how to become certified/qualified in an effort to work toward our global mission of creating a fitter planet.  Jenna currently teaches Les Mills BODYSTEP®, BODYVIVE®, CXWORX®, BODYPUMP® and Trains CXWORX®, BODYSTEP® and Born To Move®.

Jenna loves helping people get where they are trying to go, both in a classroom setting as Group Fitness participants and in a Training environment with new Instructors.  She loves to study and apply learning strategies that help people learn new skills quickly in a supportive environment.  It is paramount to her that people leave each class or Training experience feeling safe, successful and proud of what they've accomplished so they'll be willing to continue learning and growing.

Jenna loves to write and to laugh with friends and family.  She finds much inspiration in seeing how other people overcome adversity and aspires to live and work from a place of helping others.  She believes each of us CAN change the world.

In this episode, Janet and Nikki talk with Ada Wells, Doctorate of Physical Therapy and sports rehab expert about how to reduce your risk of pain and injury when playing rotational sports (e.g. golf, tennis, running).

They cover myths and misconceptions about training for rotational sports, core control versus core strength (plus why you need both) and the most common causes of injury in rotational sports.

Additionally, they discuss when to stretch or stabilize something and what parts of the body need stability and mobility to increase power and decrease pain.

Areas that typically need more stability:

• Foot
• Lower back (lumbar spine)

Areas that typically need more mobility

• Ankle
• Hip
• Midback (thoracic spine)

*The shoulder girdle typically needs both mobility and stability

Links Mentioned:

Tutorial of Ada's favorite foundational exercises for sports training: http://www.probalance.tv/movingwell

Owner of ProBalance, Inc.

Ada Wells, DPT, PMA®-CPT, is a Physical Therapist, PMA® Certified Pilates Teacher, a Polestar Pilates Educator, and a Level 3 Titleist Performance Institute Golf Medical Fitness Professional. As owner of ProBalance, Inc. in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2004, she has leveraged her experience as a movement practitioner/physical therapist for over 22 years to develop rehab and injury prevention programs for everyone ranging from corporate desk jockeys to golfers. In addition, she is an educator for Polestar Pilates, the highly respected comprehensive teacher training program developed by and for physical therapists and fitness Pilates professionals.

Dr. Wells has provided her services to celebrity golfers at the American Century Golf Championship nationally televised on NBC since 2003 and has been part of the volunteer Wellness Team at the US Open Golf Championships since 2012. She has been a guest instructor on the Athletic Training Channel of Balanced Body® Podcasts and has presented nationally and internationally for Pilates on Tour®.

She can be found online at:

Website: www.ProBalance.TV

YouTube: ProBalanceTV

Twitter: ProBalanceTV

Facebook Groups: Pilates 4 Golfers

Linked in Moderator: Pilates for Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation; Pilates for Sports Conditioning & Athletic Performance

In this episode, Nikki and Janet sit down with physical therapist, certified Pilates teacher and professional yoga therapist, Paige Raffo to talk about the transition to coming back from an injury, so you don't get re-injured.

They cover:

• How to know if you need to see a medical professional for your pain
• The different types of pain and injury
• The typical process of transitioning from rehab back to regular exercise
• The difference between rehab and post rehab + the roles of the medical professional and fitness professional
• How to create a conversation between the medical professional and the fitness professional to get the best possible outcome for the patient/client
• How to find the right physical therapist to meet your needs

Links mentioned:

Soreness podcast with Janet and Nikki
Paige's website

Paige Raffo, PT, OCS, PYT, CPT, OMT

Paige Raffo is a licensed Physical Therapist and board certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS). She earned her BS in Health Science from St. Mary's College of CA and Master's degree from Samuel Merritt University, CA. She is owner and a practitioner of integrative physical therapy in Bellevue WA.

Special training includes certified Pilates instructor (BASI), Professional Yoga Therapist (PYTI), and Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist (AOMT). She is a voracious learner engaging a wide variety of continued education courses related mind-body manual and movement therapies yearly.

Paige enjoys the challenge and reward coming from working with clients from a whole body perspective. She has special interest in hypermoblity, spine care, women’s health, orofacial and airway health. It is her passion to educate not only her clients but colleagues on the importance of holistic physical therapy and wellness.

She is active and gains great joy from spending time outside of work with her family and friends, playing in the outdoors, cooking and eating. To learn more about Paige, please visit her website at balanceflowpt.com.

In this episode, Nikki and Janet chat with integrative wellness practitioner Heather Umberger, M.S. counseling about the importance of play in movement and how play can be used as a tool to more effectively reach your fitness goals.

They discuss how play can improve confidence and create an experience that keeps you wanting to return to an activity (like exercise) rather than avoid it.

Heather explains how we've been evolved to use play as a tool to grow learn and develop. She offers tips for how you can incorporate play into your fitness program (even if you're super linear).

Benefits of playful movement:

• It helps you work harder without the same level of discomfort
• More self confidence
• Improved mental outlook and decrease stress levels
• Less self consciousness - helps you take more risks
• Studies have found when movement is viewed as play and not exercise, then you're more likely to make healthy food choices
• More creativity and productivity 

Examples of playful movement and fitness:

• Games (e.g. tag, adult frogger)
• Nia
• Laughter Yoga

Three ways to bring play into any workout:

• Do something different (in exercise or during a part of your day)
• Go outside and explore, move, walk or go to a playground
• Explore what kind of play experiences are in your community (e.g. Nia, Laughter Yoga club, a new fitness class)

Heather Umberger offers innovative and effective mind/body experiences to improve overall well-being that are a result of her master’s degree in counseling, facilitation of the PSYCH-K® process 13 years in the bodywork field, as well as multiple other trainings.

She’s trained in advanced bodywork methods including trigger point, myofascial release, cranial-sacral, lymphatic, Orthobionomy®, Trager®, Berry Method®, Integrative Reflexology®, Nurturing the Mother® fertility/prenatal/postpartum, Infant Massage USA®, Laughter Yoga, the MELT Method®, and Nia. 

Her clients regularly meet goals such as increased fertility and positive prenatal experience; pain relief (from issues stemming from arthritis, fibromyalgia, pre/post-surgical procedures, headaches, neck/back/shoulder, sports injuries); relief from stress, anxiety and depression; athletic pursuit; graceful aging; management of symptoms with neurological disorders; and wellness. 

You can find more about Heather and her classes, movement and massage services in Chesterfield, Virginia at http://www.fertilegroundmassage.com

In this episode, Nikki chats with Kyria Sabin Waugaman, director of Fletcher Pilates International.

They briefly discuss the history of Fletcher Pilates, Ron Fletcher’s philosophy of movement and how the Fletcher towel work can be used in post rehab and performance settings.

Who was Ron Fletcher?

Ron Fletcher studied directly under Joe and Clara Pilates and is responsible for introducing and popularizing the Pilates Method in the West Coast.

Ron is known for having evolved the Pilates Method while maintaining the intention of the work. With Clara Pilates permission, he brought the work to standing and added elements of barre to enhance the function of the exercises. He also developed the Fletcher Towelwork® to improve integrity strength and balance in the upper body.

Using the Towelwork® to improve performance

The Towelwork® progresses movement from basic to complicated patterns. It starts with stabilization exercises to teach clients how to move from their backs and from a place of symmetry.

Depending on the activity, the application of the Towelwork® will vary, but it gives everyone a sense of strength, flexibility, ease of movement and taking the Pilates principles all the way up through the body.

For many people who play a one sided sport like tennis or baseball, there’s an instability or imbalance in the body that can be corrected with the Towelwork®. Additionally, it can teach dancers how to perform upper body movement from a place of strength and ease.

Fletcher Towelwork® for breast cancer

One of the applications of the work is opening the front of the body. In the case of chest wall surgeries like mastectomies, lumpectomies and open heart surgery, there’s a tendency to close down in the chest particularly when there is scar tissue or pain involved.

This causes changes in upper body posture and compromises the stability of the shoulder girdle. The Towelwork® helps expand the chest wall, improve shoulder stability and correct upper body posture.

Fletcher Pilates teaching philosophy

Ron approached every body from an idea of movement potential – not limitations.

He was all about helping people embody their bodies and he often talked about how we have this give or take, 70 trillion cells that we get to move through life with. He believed that we should treat each person, no matter where they are in their lives as a whole being, not just as someone who is recovering from something.

Links Mentioned:

Fletcher Pilates Website: http://www.fletcherpilates.com

Fletcher Pilates in Seattle with Teresa Chikoore: http://www.pilatesintolife.com/

Kyria Sabin directs Fletcher Pilates® and its affiliated professional Pilates educational program, the Fletcher Pilates® Program of Study.

A graduate of Duke University and a licensed massage therapist, she initiated her studies with Ron Fletcher in 1991 and founded Body Works Pilates studios in Tucson, Arizona in 1993. Recognized by Ron Fletcher as a Master Teacher and Disseminator, Kyria developed the Pilates Program at the University of Arizona where she serves as Adjunct Faculty. She is an international presenter and has served on the national boards for the Pilates Method Alliance, The University of Arizona School of Dance and the Foundation for Expanding Horizons.

You can learn more about Kyria and Fletcher Pilates at http://www.fletcherpilates.com.

In this episode Janet and Nikki discuss practical exercise guidelines and precautions for osteoporosis and osteopenia.

They cover the clinical definition, populations who are at risk and ways to increase bone density and reduce the risk of fractures and injury.

Areas of the body most vulnerable to bone loss:

- Hips

- Wrists

- Spine

Contraindications for osteoporosis: 

- Loaded flexion

- Flexion with rotation

- Rotation

Exercise suggestions for osteoporosis and osteopenia:

- Moderate impact exercise to load the bones (weight training, walking, ect)

- Thoracic extension

- Balance and coordination training to reduce the risk of falling

Links Mentioned:

Sherri Betz osteoporosis article