It's super helpful to have outside eyes when you're trying to solve a tough problem. Which is exactly why I'm currently seeing a physical therapist.

First it was mid back tension for a few weeks. Then it was an ache in my hip. And then tension on the entire right side of my torso.

When all my best tools and tricks only brought temporary relief - I booked a consultation with a physical therapist. And no shocker here - it's really been helping!

In today's episode, I'm peeling back the curtain on why I'm currently in PT.

You’ll learn:'

• Why I'm currently going to physical therapy
• The #1 reason you should book an appointment with a PT
• And three things that will keep you out of pain for good once you're done

All the links:

• 30 days to more strength + flexibility with the Mobility Mastery Toolkit
• Movement Mavens has the tools and strategy to support you on your path to enjoying life without pain - www.aewellness.com/mavens
• www.aewellness.com/podcast - Show notes, links and more.
• Join the free Body Nerds FB community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aewbodynerds/
• Come hang out with me on Instagram @hollaformala : https://instagram.com/hollaformala/
• TikTok @ aewellness
• Bodywork Starter Guide - learn the 6 places you need to roll right now for quick-relief, plus the reason why what you’ve tried so far has only given you a temporary fix. Download the guide for free now at www.aewellness.com/bodywork
• 818-396-6501 is the Body Nerd Hotline - how do you build consistency and/or where are you getting stuck? Drop me a line and let me know your body nerd hacks - you might just hear your voice on a future episode!

Are weighted blankets worth it?

I've always been curious if replacing my comforter with a 15 lb blanket would help me sleep better. The people who use weighted blankets swear by them, but shelling out $100 to be crushed while sleeping?

I wasn't really sold on the idea.

And then I was gifted one (thanks brother!) and will tell you that it totally makes a difference.

But how does it actually work? And are there differences that make one brand better than another?

In today's episode, we dive into the science of weighted blankets, how pressure therapy works, and how to choose the correct weight for maximum benefit.

If you've had a weighted blanket in your cart for a while now or just want to better understand why you sleep so soundly when you use yours, today's episode is for you!

You’ll learn:

• The science of weighted blankets - and how they work
• Why pressure therapy is so effective
• And how to choose the correct weight for maximum benefit

All the links:

• Bedsure Weighted Blanket Queen Size with Removable Cover
• 30 days to more strength + flexibility with the Mobility Mastery Toolkit
• Movement Mavens has the tools and strategy to support you on your path to enjoying life without pain - www.aewellness.com/mavens
• www.aewellness.com/podcast - Show notes, links and more.
• Join the free Body Nerds FB community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aewbodynerds/
• Come hang out with me on Instagram @hollaformala : https://instagram.com/hollaformala/
• TikTok @ aewellness
• Bodywork Starter Guide - learn the 6 places you need to roll right now for quick-relief, plus the reason why what you’ve tried so far has only given you a temporary fix. Download the guide for free now at www.aewellness.com/bodywork
• 818-396-6501 is the Body Nerd Hotline - how do you build consistency and/or where are you getting stuck? Drop me a line and let me know your body nerd hacks - you might just hear your voice on a future episode!

Today’s episode was brought to you by The Amino Co. Their essential amino acid blends are 100% backed by science to help you perform at your best, heal from within, and live life to the fullest. Whether your goal is to reduce inflammation, maintain muscle mass or improve focus - the Amino Co has you covered! Save 30% off your entire order when you use the code BODYNERD at www.AEwellness.com/amino.

Movement restrictions are super common if you're working with a PT or are recovering from surgical procedures. And it wasn't uncommon for me to work with patients in the physical therapy clinic who had been given similar instructions to avoid specific movements for a specific amount of time.

But there was always the lingering question of how long.

Should you avoid that movement for days?

Weeks?

Months?

On today's show, I'm joined by physical therapist, Dr. Sarah Court, to learn about post-surgery recovery and exactly what you should do with those movement restrictions (including how long to follow them).

Sarah shares what her own surgical recovery looks like after a (very) recent double-mastectomy and the conversations to have with your surgeon to get you back to moving pain-free, as soon as possible.

You’ll learn:

• The best way to manage your recovery post-surgery
• Questions you should be asking your surgeon
• And how to get back to moving, pain-free, no matter how long it's been

All the links:

• 30 days to more strength + flexibility with the Mobility Mastery Toolkit
• Movement Mavens has the tools and strategy to support you on your path to enjoying life without pain - www.aewellness.com/mavens
• www.aewellness.com/podcast - Show notes, links and more.
• Join the free Body Nerds FB community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aewbodynerds/
• Come hang out with me on Instagram @hollaformala : https://instagram.com/hollaformala/
• TikTok @ aewellness
• Bodywork Starter Guide - learn the 6 places you need to roll right now for quick-relief, plus the reason why what you’ve tried so far has only given you a temporary fix. Download the guide for free now at www.aewellness.com/bodywork
• 818-396-6501 is the Body Nerd Hotline - how do you build consistency and/or where are you getting stuck? Drop me a line and let me know your body nerd hacks - you might just hear your voice on a future episode!

Neck, back, shoulder, hip, and foot pain all share one thing in common - the solution starts with better alignment.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not pitching posture as a magical fix, but one of the few lessons I remember from physics is about levers and the truth is it's less work for your muscles (and fascias) to hold you up against gravity when you're in better alignment.

Better posture doesn't mean you can never slouch again or that everything you've been doing up to now has been bad. But learning about posture can help you solve one missing piece of the injury puzzle.

So whether you know you need to work on your posture or you just have been struggling with tension or pain, today's episode is for you!

You’ll learn:

• Why posture matters
• The 4 most important parts of good posture
• And if you have to have good posture 24/7 for it to count

• 30 days to more strength + flexibility with the Mobility Mastery Toolkit
• Movement Mavens has the tools and strategy to support you on your path to enjoying life without pain - www.aewellness.com/mavens
• www.aewellness.com/podcast - Show notes, links and more.
• Join the free Body Nerds FB community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aewbodynerds/
• Come hang out with me on Instagram @hollaformala : https://instagram.com/hollaformala/
• TikTok @ aewellness
• Bodywork Starter Guide - learn the 6 places you need to roll right now for quick-relief, plus the reason why what you’ve tried so far has only given you a temporary fix. Download the guide for free now at www.aewellness.com/bodywork
• 818-396-6501 is the Body Nerd Hotline - how do you build consistency and/or where are you getting stuck? Drop me a line and let me know your body nerd hacks - you might just hear your voice on a future episode!

Today’s episode was brought to you by The Amino Co. Their essential amino acid blends are 100% backed by science to help you perform at your best, heal from within, and live life to the fullest. Whether your goal is to reduce inflammation, maintain muscle mass or improve focus - the Amino Co has you covered! Save 30% off your entire order when you use the code BODYNERD at www.AEwellness.com/amino.

Do you have flat feet? Do you know how to tell if you do?

You're not alone - almost 75% of people in the United States will suffer from foot pain at some point in their life.

Your feet are a sensory organ just as much as your hands and eyes are. And while flat feet or fallen arches may feel like a permanent sentence - they're not.

I've been the person with custom orthotics and thick cushioned shoes. And I'm now the person who prefers barefoot and can go all day in minimalist shoes.

And while the difference between the two might feel like an impossible leap for you right now, I promise you that it's not.

So whether you have any number of foot ailments like plantar fasciitis, flat feet, heel pain, tendinopathy, or more (or you just want to prevent them), today's episode is for you!

You’ll learn:

• How to tell if you have flat feet
• The anatomy of the arch
• And my best flat foot fixes

• Foot Pain Fixes [YouTube]
• Holowka, N.B., Wallace, I.J. & Lieberman, D.E. Foot strength and stiffness are related to footwear use in a comparison of minimally- vs. conventionally-shod populations. Sci Rep 8, 3679 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-21916-7
• Goo, Y. M., Kim, T. H., & Lim, J. Y. (2016). The effects of gluteus maximus and abductor hallucis strengthening exercises for four weeks on navicular drop and lower extremity muscle activity during gait with flatfoot. Journal of physical therapy science, 28(3), 911–915. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.28.911
• 30 days to more strength + flexibility with the Mobility Mastery Toolkit
• Movement Mavens has the tools and strategy to support you on your path to enjoying life without pain - www.aewellness.com/mavens
• www.aewellness.com/podcast - Show notes, links and more.
• Join the free Body Nerds FB community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aewbodynerds/
• Come hang out with me on Instagram @hollaformala : https://instagram.com/hollaformala/
• TikTok @ aewellness
• Bodywork Starter Guide - learn the 6 places you need to roll right now for quick-relief, plus the reason why what you’ve tried so far has only given you a temporary fix. Download the guide for free now at www.aewellness.com/bodywork
• 818-396-6501 is the Body Nerd Hotline - how do you build consistency and/or where are you getting stuck? Drop me a line and let me know your body nerd hacks - you might just hear your voice on a future episode!

Today’s episode was brought to you by The Amino Co. Their essential amino acid blends are 100% backed by science to help you perform at your best, heal from within, and live life to the fullest. Whether your goal is to reduce inflammation, maintain muscle mass or improve focus - the Amino Co has you covered! Save 30% off your entire order when you use the code BODYNERD at www.AEwellness.com/amino.

When was the last time you stretched your pelvic floor? Or strengthened it? Or even thought about it for that matter?

On today's episode, I'm joined by pelvic health physical therapist Stephanie Prendergast and she's sharing everything you didn't know you needed about the pelvic floor.

So whether you have low back pain, hip pain, or pelvic floor issues or, you just love to nerd out about the body - today's episode is for you!

On today’s episode, you’ll learn:

• Why you might not need kegels
• When you should see a pelvic floor PT
• And how to find a pelvic health physical therapist in your area

• Pelvic Health & Rehabilitation Center
• @Pelvichealth on Instagram
• Pelvic Pain Blog
• 30 days to more strength + flexibility with the Mobility Mastery Toolkit
• Movement Mavens has the tools and strategy to support you on your path to enjoying life without pain - www.aewellness.com/mavens
• www.aewellness.com/podcast - Show notes, links and more.
• Join the free Body Nerds FB community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aewbodynerds/
• Come hang out with me on Instagram @hollaformala : https://instagram.com/hollaformala/
• Bodywork Starter Guide - learn the 6 places you need to roll right now for quick-relief, plus the reason why what you’ve tried so far has only given you a temporary fix. Download the guide for free now at www.aewellness.com/bodywork
• 818-396-6501 is the Body Nerd Hotline - how do you build consistency and/or where are you getting stuck? Drop me a line and let me know your body nerd hacks - you might just hear your voice on a future episode!

Today’s episode was brought to you by The Amino Co. Their essential amino acid blends are 100% backed by science to help you perform at your best, heal from within, and live life to the fullest. Whether your goal is to reduce inflammation, maintain muscle mass or improve focus - the Amino Co has you covered! Save 30% off your entire order when you use the code BODYNERD at www.AEwellness.com/amino.

Have you ever wondered how massage guns work? It's a handheld device used on soft tissue that vibrates at a pre-determined frequency. They're designed for muscle relief but look a lot like something you find in a garage.

But they can be super helpful when it comes to reducing soreness and increasing range of motion.

As I've started using mine more frequently, I wanted to learn more about the science of how your body responds to vibrational massage and what's actually happening.

So if you have a massage gun or just are curious how they work...today's episode is for you!

You’ll learn:

• How massage guns work
• If percussive massage really makes a difference
• And the most effective way to incorporate them into your self-care

• Shop Massage Guns www.aewellness.com/massagegun
• Konrad, A., Glashüttner, C., Reiner, M. M., Bernsteiner, D., & Tilp, M. (2020). The Acute Effects of a Percussive Massage Treatment with a Hypervolt Device on Plantar Flexor Muscles' Range of Motion and Performance. Journal of sports science & medicine, 19(4), 690–694. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7675623/
• Martin, J. (2021, January 20). A critical evaluation of percussion massage gun devices as a rehabilitation tool focusing on lower limb mobility: A literature review. https://doi.org/10.31236/osf.io/j9ya8
• SportingTheory UK
• 30 days to more strength + flexibility with the Mobility Mastery Toolkit
• Movement Mavens has the tools and strategy to support you on your path to enjoying life without pain - www.aewellness.com/mavens
• www.aewellness.com/podcast - Show notes, links and more.
• Join the free Body Nerds FB community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aewbodynerds/
• Come hang out with me on Instagram @hollaformala : https://instagram.com/hollaformala/
• TikTok @ aewellness
• Bodywork Starter Guide - learn the 6 places you need to roll right now for quick-relief, plus the reason why what you’ve tried so far has only given you a temporary fix. Download the guide for free now at www.aewellness.com/bodywork
• 818-396-6501 is the Body Nerd Hotline - how do you build consistency and/or where are you getting stuck? Drop me a line and let me know your body nerd hacks - you might just hear your voice on a future episode!

Knee pain is a drag - but just because it's common doesn't mean it's normal.

My first experience with knee pain was on the varsity soccer team in high school, but I don't worry about my knees anymore because I practice regular body maintenance (including managing that awful quad and IT band tension that led to my initial pain).

Knee pain is not something you have to just deal with - so whether you have knee pain now or just want to avoid it at all costs, today's episode is for you.

You’ll learn:

• All about knees
• Common causes of knee pain
• And the best way to get rid of knee pain that takes less than 15-mins a day

• Amplify Hips Challenge - starts Aug 16!
• Episode 23 Why Your Hips are So Tight
• 30 days to more strength + flexibility with the Mobility Mastery Toolkit
• Movement Mavens has the tools and strategy to support you on your path to enjoying life without pain - www.aewellness.com/mavens
• www.aewellness.com/podcast - Show notes, links and more.
• Join the free Body Nerds FB community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aewbodynerds/
• Come hang out with me on Instagram @hollaformala : https://instagram.com/hollaformala/
• TikTok @ aewellness
• Bodywork Starter Guide - learn the 6 places you need to roll right now for quick-relief, plus the reason why what you’ve tried so far has only given you a temporary fix. Download the guide for free now at www.aewellness.com/bodywork
• 818-396-6501 is the Body Nerd Hotline - how do you build consistency and/or where are you getting stuck? Drop me a line and let me know your body nerd hacks - you might just hear your voice on a future episode!

Today’s episode was brought to you by The Amino Co. Their essential amino acid blends are 100% backed by science to help you perform at your best, heal from within, and live life to the fullest. Whether your goal is to reduce inflammation, maintain muscle mass or improve focus - the Amino Co has you covered! Save 30% off your entire order when you use the code BODYNERD at www.AEwellness.com/amino.

Just because something shows up on a scan or a doctor has told you that you have "grade 4 XYZ" does not mean you're destined for a life of pain.

Today I'm sitting down with physical therapist Dr. Tracy John who doesn't think an MRI tells the whole story.

Dr. Tracy will help you rethink how to approach back pain, down to the exercises to focus on and how to move about your day to keep your body feeling good.

So if you have back pain or are just interested in keeping your body feeling amazing no matter what, then today's conversation is for you.

You’ll learn:

• How to properly engage your core
• Why your MRI might not have anything to do with why your back hurts
• And how to get the best value from your healthcare providers

All the links:

• Get Balanced PT
• @GetBalancedPT on Instagram
• 30 days of mobility with the Mobility Mastery Toolkit
• Movement Mavens has the tools and strategy to support you on your path to enjoying life without pain - www.aewellness.com/mavens
• www.aewellness.com/podcast - Show notes, links and more.
• Join the free Body Nerds FB community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aewbodynerds/
• Come hang out with me on Instagram @hollaformala : https://instagram.com/hollaformala/
• TikTok @ aewellness
• Bodywork Starter Guide - learn the 6 places you need to roll right now for quick-relief, plus the reason why what you’ve tried so far has only given you a temporary fix. Download the guide for free now at www.aewellness.com/bodywork
• 818-396-6501 is the Body Nerd Hotline - how do you build consistency and/or where are you getting stuck? Drop me a line and let me know your body nerd hacks - you might just hear your voice on a future episode!

There are a few very deliberate things I do on a regular basis to create (and conserve) my energy.

And even with that - the last 18+ months have me feeling exhausted!

So today’s episode will help you to boost your energy so you can show up for the things you love on your terms.

It’s my effort to be anti-hustle culture and give all of us the permission to just be.

Because sometimes, we just need a little reminder.

You’ll learn:

• 3 ways to boost your energy
• How to bust yourself out of a rut
• And why the last 90 mins before you go to sleep makes all the difference

• Do blue blocker glasses really work? AND how to put your phone in night mode! with Andy Krafft [video]
• 30 days to more strength + flexibility with the Mobility Mastery Toolkit
• Movement Mavens has the tools and strategy to support you on your path to enjoying life without pain - www.aewellness.com/mavens
• www.aewellness.com/podcast - Show notes, links and more.
• Join the free Body Nerds FB community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aewbodynerds/
• Come hang out with me on Instagram @hollaformala : https://instagram.com/hollaformala/
• TikTok @ aewellness
• Bodywork Starter Guide - learn the 6 places you need to roll right now for quick-relief, plus the reason why what you’ve tried so far has only given you a temporary fix. Download the guide for free now at www.aewellness.com/bodywork
• 818-396-6501 is the Body Nerd Hotline - how do you build consistency and/or where are you getting stuck? Drop me a line and let me know your body nerd hacks - you might just hear your voice on a future episode!

Today’s episode was brought to you by The Amino Co. Their essential amino acid blends are 100% backed by science to help you perform at your best, heal from within, and live life to the fullest. Whether your goal is to reduce inflammation, maintain muscle mass or improve focus - the Amino Co has you covered! Save 30% off your entire order when you use the code BODYNERD at www.AEwellness.com/amino.