Do you warm-up? Cooldown? At times, warm-ups and cool-downs feel unimportant or a waste of time, however, DocJen & Dr. Dom break the confusion in this episode. With a high emphasis on specificity, they explain the importance of strategically warming up the body to prepare for the upcoming movement and cool down to truly downregulate the system and facilitate recovery. After explaining the RAMP protocol, explaining neuromuscular coordination and proprioception, they provide examples of an optimal warm-up for running, lower body strength, and HIIT workouts. Then, they dive into how you can optimize your cooldowns, and Dr. Jen explains why she loves to use mobility flows and core at the end of her workouts to downregulate the system gradually. Let’s dive in!

VivoBarefoot Discount

Allow your toes to breathe, and give your foot the space and environment to move through its full range, gain mobility, and strength from within. Gain functionality back in your feet as you give back to the environment with VivoBarefoot Shoes! As a listener of the podcast, get 15% off using our code at checkout using code “TOB“.

**Vivo offers a 100-Day trial period. If you are not completely satisfied, you can send the shoes back and get a refund.

What You Will Learn In This PT Pearl:

03:36 - When are warm-ups important?

05:13 - RAMP Protocol

09:34 - Why do you need to warm-up

12:16 - Warming up for a run

14:47 - Warming up for the deadlift

17:47 - Warming up for HIIT workouts

19:10 - How to optimize your cooldowns?

22:30 - Mobility & core at the end of workouts

24;09 - What the research says.

Watch Episode 174 on Youtube

For research and full show notes, visit the full website at: https://jen.health/podcast/174

Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Optimal Body Podcast. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to subscribe and leave a quick rating and review of the show!

Lose weight by eating more or less? Jason Philips takes us back to his teens as he shares his perspective on dealing with Anorexia Nervosa. With his story inspiring his passion for nutrition education, he simplifies the rabbit hole of fat loss and nutrition, explaining caloric maintenance, restoring biofeedback, and true stress management. Through his triangle of awareness approach, he speaks about how you can set yourself up for your most optimal fitness journey and how to approach dieting according to your goals. Furthermore, he explains body signals that may arise when disordered habits have a physiological effect, clarifies the theory behind eating more to lose weight, the quality of nutrition and explains the nuances in physiological adaptations to caloric deficits for weight loss. Immerse in the simplified truths around our physiological adaptations!

Paleo Valley Discount:

Dr. Jen & Dr. Dom swear by Paleovalley because they know everything that is in their beef sticks and can trust the ingredients list. There’s no vague labeling or words they don’t understand on the packaging! Stack them up in your pantry using code ‘OPTIMAL’ to get a 15% discount at checkout.

What You Will Learn in this Interview with Jason Philips

4:13 - Why Jason is passionate about nutrition education

6:45 - Was Jason diagnosed with an eating disorder?

6:11  - How did Jason heal his relationship with food?

14:58 - Triangle of awareness and aligning your fitness journey

18:22 - Starting blocks to creating YOUR triangle of awareness

22:20 - Dieting for fat loss?

26:15 - How to set up yourself up

29:03 - Eat more to lose weight?

33:23 - Body signals that something may not be right

35:55 - Exercise & managing nutrition for fat loss

39:57 - Is there an easy method to calculating caloric needs

42:55 - Is the fast food calorie = whole food calorie

48:21 - Where can you learn more with Jason

Items mentioned:

To learn more about Jason and view full show notes, please visit the full website here: https://jen.health/podcast/173

Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Optimal Body Podcast. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to subscribe and leave a quick rating and review of the show!

Is a weak core giving you back pain? Feeling your low back during core exercises? Will core workouts rid your back pain? DocJen & Dr. Dom debunk common myths surrounding the relationship between core exercises and back pain. Clarifying the possible roots of back pain, they explain the how the biopsychosocial model in relation to expectations, mindsets, and beliefs surrounding interventions and pain perception. Furthermore, they dive into the anatomy of the core and what it encompasses, how movement can inhibit pain, the perks of strength training for overall back health, and how to begin and progress core exercises to truly optimize integrity and coordination throughout the body. Let’s get the fact straight about core & back pain!

Coba Board Discount:

Feeling your low back? Grab your Coba Board. We hear our community share their stories about how using the Coba Board has changed their low-back pain game. How? By truly activating your glutes. it’s time to feel something different. Work with different resistances and a specially shaped board to help you activate your glutes, safely load your spine, and prevent your low back or quads from overcompensating.  Use code  ‘OPTIMAL’ at checkout .

What You Will Learn In This PT Pearl:

02:32 - WIll core exercises cure your back pain?

05:00 - Is all back pain a consequence of a weak core?

08:04 - Why core exercise may be helpful for some individuals?

10:33 - Research on Strength training

13:55 - 4 Types of Core Movements

15:48 - Is there bad movement? Is it always correlated with pain?

16:36 - Move in different ways to build core integrity

17:56 - How the biopsychosocial model is related to pain

22:22 - How to start addressing the core

24:56 - How to progress core exercises

17:56 - Relieving symptoms to relieve symptoms

Watch Episode 172 on Youtube

For research and full show notes, visit the full website at: https://jen.health/podcast/172

Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Optimal Body Podcast. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to subscribe and leave a quick rating and review of the show!

Dealing with recurrent, current chronic pain? Is pain all in the mind? Wondering how different techniques are helping your pain? We have Dr. Alex Anderson, Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy, on to break down the shifts in pain science and why pain is important.  Using the biopsychosocial model, Dr. Alex addresses pain through a biomedical perspective, and how psychosocial factors can affect pain perception too. Then, she dives into chronic pain and how pain is interpreted in the brain through inputs of threat stimuli. Discussing chronic pain modulation, she dives into the physiology of  Fibromyalgia and how plasticity in the brain makes pain plastic too! Finally, she provides insight into how manual therapy techniques modulate pain, specifically looking at joint mobilizations, trigger points, and dry needling. Let's dive into the science of pain!

Coba Board Discount:

Feeling your low back? Grab your Coba Board. Get your glutes activated optimally during deadlifts and squat variations and get a great full-body resistance workout by activating the core activating and firing up the upper body. Load up the body effectively and safely with your very own lightweight and easily storable Coba Board, using code ‘OPTIMAL‘ to get 15% off at checkout.

What You Will Learn in this Interview with Dr Anderson:

4:07 - Consent on pain education

6:23 - Shifts in pain science & do we need to get rid of pain?

9:51  - Contributors to pain

12:35 - How the Central Nervous System works

14:46 - Brain & Physiology of Chronic Pain

18:54 - Fibromyalgia

20:21 - Plasticity of pain

23:39 - How do manual therapy techniques and tools help pain?

26:30 - What is manual therapy doing physiologically in the body?

32:18 - What are Joint Mobilizations?

33:47 - Dry Needling

39:27 - How do trigger points form?

43:03 - How does acupuncture differ from dry needling?

45:00 - How Dr. Alex is exploring her pain

49:58 - Learn more with Dr. Alex

Items mentioned:

To learn more about Dr. Alex and view full show notes, please visit the full website here: https://jen.health/podcast/171

Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Optimal Body Podcast. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to subscribe and leave a quick rating and review of the show!

Bloated often? Dr. Jen & Dr. Dom break down the anatomy and different components of the gut. After discussing their experiences with gut issues, they dive into how gut mobility and motility relate to fascial connections.  By describing different manual techniques to help reduce that bloat, they hone in on the importance of diaphragmatic breathing and the role of the nervous system, as well as different movement patterns that can ease the pressure in the gut.

Free Week on Jen Health!

Are you someone who needs a plan to get going? Worried about accountability or the ability to stay consistent? Come join our Jen Health membership and we will remove the thinking for you! There are 12 plans that you get access to based on what your main painpoints or target areas are. The best part, you can get a FREE WEEK when you sign up! Come join the community today! You could even grab a special discount using code OPTIMAL at checkout.

What You Will Learn In This PT Pearl:

02:55 - What is Motility?

03:55 - Dr. Jen's twisted colon

08:20 - Dr. Dom's Inguinal Hernia

12:05 - Gut Fascia

14:15 - How Breath is a gamechanger for bloating

18:46 - Gut Massage for large intestine mobility

21:53 - Elongating abdomen in a relaxed position

23:27 - Going upside down

Watch Episode 170 on Youtube

For research and full show notes, visit the full website at: https://jen.health/podcast/170

Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Optimal Body Podcast. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to subscribe and leave a quick rating and review of the show!

Whether you are looking to get pregnant in the near future, are pregnant, or are due soon, Dr. Breanna covers it all in the interview. As a board certified physical therapist with post-doctorate training in obstetrics and pelvic health, and a mother of three, she dives into the lack of education about the birthing process and where you can find resources to get educated. As she rides the wave of her birthing experiences and the differences between them, she dives into the psychological and physical trauma she experienced. Explaining the roles of doula, the OBGYN, and the midwife in the birthing process, Dr. Breanna explains the importance of finding the most optimal birthing position for you. Then, she dives into tools to prepare the body for labour, what tears are normal and of concerns post-partum, diastasis and prolapse, as well as Episiotomy. In light of preventing pelvic floor and core dysfunction, she provides her best core cues and how you can prevent dysfunctional tears post-partum. Lean into how Dr. Breanna navigated her birthday and her expert advice!

What You Will Learn in this interview with Dr. Breanna Welsh

3:49 - Dr. Breanna identifies the differences between her 3 births

7:46 - Why is there lack of knowledge on how to birth

10:10 - Resources for birth & pregnancy

12:34 - What is a Doula?

16:00 - Dr. Breanna’s Trauma during birthing 

21:00 - Why is birthing in your back common & recommended?

23:33 - Positons for birthing

26:04 - Tools to prepare your body for birthing 

31:06 - Is diastasis and prolapse normal during pregnancy?

32:52 - When should you see a pelvic floor therapist?

35:38 - Differences in dysfunction with multiple births & prolapse

38:17 - Cues for pelvic floor and core awareness

42:20 - What is an Episiotomy?

44:09 - Preventing the risk of tears during birthing

47:30 - Did Dr. Breanna predict her third pregnancy accurately?

54:25 - Finding what works for you is key

56:11 - The importance of support

Items mentioned:

Go here for full show notes and resources: https://jen.health/podcast/169

Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Optimal Body Podcast. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to subscribe and leave a quick rating and review of the show!

New Year, New You? Creating new year resolutions? Perhaps not. It’s not about re-inventing yourself or changing who you are, but about how you develop and grow everyday. As DocJen says, “It’s about continuing to be aware and create evolving pattern of YOU throughout the years.” DocJen & Dr. Dom dive into how you can make sustainable goals for the new year! Debunking expectations typically seen in many personal development programs, they dive into their method of couple goals and how writing down affirmations can be empowering. Using their own examples, they explain their process in creating goals and how you can begin to get REAL with your goals this year. With emphasis on the 1% rule to create small and achievable steps to your final goal, try rid failure and hone in on awareness and accountability. Let’s let go of perfection and dive into 4 ways you can optimize each month.

What You Will Learn In This PT Pearl:

2:05 - Method of Couple Goals

5:08 - What you get told at personal development programs

5:55 - Is writing down affirmations helpful?

6:44 - How do we set up our goals?

11:26 - Get real with your goals

12:39 - Failure is a tricky word

14:00 - The process of continual assessment with accountability partner

15:26 - Accountability for Dr. Jen

17:21 - Consistency

19:07 - Let go of perfection

20:00 - Sunmarizing key takeaways

Watch Episode 168 on Youtube

For research and full show notes, visit the full website at: https://jen.health/podcast/168

Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Optimal Body Podcast. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to subscribe and leave a quick rating and review of the show!

Heard of the attachment theory? Perhaps sacred union? Wanting insight into the psychology of cheating and sex addiction? Sick of social pressures influencing your relationships? Curious about freedom in a relationship? We have Stefanos Sifandos to discuss the intricacies and aura within relationships as he leans into the vulnerability and humility that comes through his story of childhood trauma manifested through behaviors of sex addiction and cheating. After riding the wave of his coming-of-age journey epiphanic perspective, he explains how he found health within his relationships by living what he preached. He provides insight into finding freedom within a relationship and inviting trusted individuals in to help you see parts of yourself you can’t see. By honing in on awareness as the first step, he provides an example of shifting into embodied action and how you can lean into your own healthy relationship. Then, Stefanos dives into how you can navigate resistance against open expression within a relationship and how you can identify if couple’s work or self work is needed to help a relationship heal through the attachment theory. Finally, Stefanos defines Sacred union in his words and how it relates to sacred sexuality. Let’s unpack all things relationships with Stefanos!

What You Will Learn in this Interview with Stefano:

2:00 - Why did Stefanos choose to work with relationships

6:36 - Living what you preach

11:18 - Where cheating stems from & Stefanos journey with sex addiction

17:38  - How to define freedom in a relationship

20:27 - Seeing parts of you that you can’t see

23:08 - “We need more than awareness, but awareness is a great starting point”

25:06 - Example of shifting from awareness & installing consistent, embodies action in life

26:57 - What defines a healthy relationship?

28:47 - What to do if open expression is met with resistance in a relationship?

32:11 - Self-work versus couple work

34:00 - Defining the attachment theory

37:34 - What is Sacred Union?

42:02 - Are Sacred union & sexuality related?

43:15 - Get coached by Stefanos & learn more!

Items mentioned:

To learn more about Stefanos and view full show notes, please visit the full website here: https://jen.health/podcast/167

Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Optimal Body Podcast. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to subscribe and leave a quick rating and review of the show!

Been diagnosed with Spinal Stenosis? Fear loading the spine or moving around it? DocJen & Dr. Dom dive into what’s happening with the spine when diagnosed with Spinal Stenosis, the research around its prevalence, and who may be more prone to the diagnosis, explaining the potential causes of Spinal Stenosis. They explain Spinal Stenosis as an extension-based diagnosis that requires flexion-based treatment, the role core exercises play in treatment protocol, whether inversion tables are necessary, and how posture relates to Spinal Stenosis. They present the research on physical therapy versus surgery protocols for treating Spinal Stenosis, and what you can begin to do to address it. Let’s dive in!

Coba Board Discount

Feeling your low back? Grab your Coba Board. We hear our community share their stories about how using the Coba Board has changed their low-back pain game. How? By truly activating your glutes. it’s time to feel something different. Work with different resistances and a specially shaped board to help you activate your glutes, safely load your spine, and prevent your low back or quads from overcompensating.  Use code  ‘OPTIMAL’ at checkout .

What You Will Learn In This PT Pearl:

2:55 - What is Spinal Stenosis?

4:45 - Where does Stenosis occur?

5:57 - Why does growth occur and what does that mean?

7:39 - Do you really need inversion tables?

9:35 - Research around spinal stenosis

11:08 - Causes of Stenosis

15:11 - Stenosis is an extension-based diagnosis

16:22 - Will core exercises heal your spinal stenosis?

18:45 - How does posture relate to stenosis?

19:14 - Research on  physical therapy vs surgery for stenosis

22:43 - Treatment/ Avoiding spinal stenosis

Watch Episode 166 on Youtube

For research and full show notes, visit the full website at: https://jen.health/podcast/166

Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Optimal Body Podcast. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to subscribe and leave a quick rating and review of the show!

Sick of social pressures influencing your relationships? Curious about how to overcome arguments in relationships? Want to understand the difference between momentary infatuation and reality? Curious about true love? Feel like your past is getting in your way of a successful relationship? We've got you covered with an insightful interview with Christine Hassler. Firstly, Christine discusses how to separate your relationships from socio-cultural expectations and how to best navigate whether a relationship is real, true, and what you're called for through the way you feel. Furthermore, she shares her best tips in unpacking yourself and that manifests in what it feels like to be loved. Then, she gets into the nitty-gritty about hardships and arguments in relationships, how she defines healthy fighting, and her best tips to getting through downtimes in relationships. Without repressing or recycling emotions, Christine promotes the idea of "feeling your feelings," explaining the vulnerability and your inner-critic voice, FInally, she explains 4 stages to establishing the most optimal relationship for you! Let's dive in!

What You Will Learn in this Interview with Christine Hassler

2:44 - Social pressures around stages within relationships

4:23 - Being wrapped up in the moment and infatuation vs knowing what you called in and reality

7:23 - Being yourself and what it feels like to be loved

10:26  - Getting through the hardships in relationships

12:17 - Defining healthy fighting

17:47 - Feeling your feelings

26:37 - How to present vulnerability within a relationships

20:26 - Tips on navigating our inner critic voice

35:18 - Building a relationship with your inner-critic

39:00 - 4 factors to call in an optimal relationship

47:38 - Learn more with Christine

Items mentioned:

To learn more about Christine and view full show notes, please visit the full website here: https://jen.health/podcast/165

Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Optimal Body Podcast. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to subscribe and leave a quick rating and review of the show!