Episode 10 - Ben Mooney: Sleep Specialist

Raquel Cunningham

Sleep. We all need it yet most of us struggle with it. Enter Ben Mooney, occupational therapist specializing in sleep science, here to make it all make sense. As someone with Tourette Syndrome himself, his genuine compassion and curiosity for each individual helps him guide others. His 25 years of experience show in this discussion of a very complex life need. I wish you good sleep.

Mooney Wellness: https://www.mooneywellness.com

Disclaimer: This is for educational and informational purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree to not use any of the information from TicFit or any guests on the podcast as a diagnosis or treatment.

Episode 9 - How to Build an Exercise Program with Tic Considerations

Raquel Cunningham

This is a compilation of everything I have learned in the past 20 years about training with Tourette Syndrome, for both myself and others. I debuted this presentation at the National Tourette Conference, Tic-Con, in 2024 to be a resource that we can continue to build upon. I explain the differences between movement and exercise, key training variables, the anatomy of diaphragmatic breathing, and soft tissue work all with the goal to help our ticcing bodies feel better.

To see this with accompanying slides, watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/wtfevTn5SL8

Disclaimer: This is for educational and informational purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree to not use any of the information from TicFit or any guests on the podcast as a diagnosis or treatment.

Episode 8 - Ronald Gonzales-Trujillo, trainer & actor

Raquel Cunningham

We welcome our first fitness professional, trainer and actor, Ronald Gonzales-Trujillo. We do a movement break down spotlighting hinge progressions/regressions and how they might be applied towards lower body tics with CBIT principles in mind. We also discuss how progressive overload, programming for different goals, and centrating joints can become tools to add to the Tourette management toolkit.

Follow Ron at instagram: @rg_trujillo and IMDB

Learn more about training programs to manage tics: www.ticfit.org/programs

Disclaimer: This is for educational and informational purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree to not use any of the information from TicFit or any guests on the podcast as a diagnosis or treatment.

Episode 7 - Dr Christine Conelea: The Tourette Brain

Raquel Cunningham

What is going on inside our brain when we have involuntary tics? Where does movement come from voluntarily? We speak with clinical researcher, Dr. Christine Conelea about circuits, brain circuits not circuit training. She is Director of the Minnesota Tic and Compulsivity (MnTiC) lab and is leading the way with research on ways to help those with Tourette Syndrome, OCD, anxiety, and other tic disorders.

Links:

ticlab.umn.edu
www.nih.gov

Journal post: It Started in the Pool

Disclaimer: This is for educational and informational purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree to not use any of the information from TicFit or any guests on the podcast as a diagnosis or treatment.

Episode 6 - The Music Episode

Raquel Cunningham

In this more personal episode, we look at music and it's influence on the co-occuring conditions to Tourette, like anxiety, insomnia, depression, and OCD. We discuss how music affects Raquel's co-occuring conditions and what she did about it. Just like tics manifest in unique patterns, so do our playlists.

90's Music Nostalgia Coloring Book

Disclaimer: This is for educational and informational purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree to not use any of the information from TicFit or any guests on the podcast as a diagnosis or treatment.

Episode 5 - Debi Hinerfeld, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA: A Deep-dive with an OT Pro

Raquel Cunningham

Dr. Debi Hinerfeld shares her wealth of knowledge in the field of occupational therapy, health science, and CBIT. We cover a lot of ground around life with tics while discussing internal sensory systems and co-occuring conditions to Tourette Syndrome. Throughout this episode we talk about the importance of weight-bearing exercises, balance training, stability, mobility, and movement and how it plays a role in sensory integration.

More information about Debi:
debihinerfeld.com
[email protected]

Disclaimer: This is for educational and informational purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree to not use any of the information from TicFit or any guests on the podcast as a diagnosis or treatment.

Episode 4 - Shannon Floyd, OTR/L: What is CBIT?

Raquel Cunningham

In our first guest interview we welcome Shannon Floyd, OTR/L! Shannon is an experienced occupational therapist who specializes in CBIT, the only evidence-based non-pharmaceutical treatment for Tourette Syndrome. We discuss the many different ways an OT can help someone with TS, what CBIT-is for those unfamiliar with it, and how exercise can play a role in all of it.

Contact: [email protected]

Swimming Journal: https://ticfit.org/journal/it-started-in-the-pool

Iceberg reference: https://tourette.org/resource/iceberg-illustration-poster/

Disclaimer: This is for educational and informational purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree to not use any of the information from TicFit or any guests on the podcast as a diagnosis or treatment.

Episode 3 - Making 2D Workouts 3D

Raquel Cunningham

Moving and strengthening in different planes of motion contribute to well rounded training programs. When we look at our tics through different planes of motion, we have a new outlook to explain, describe, and understand motor tics. Using this outlook as a tool to understand ticcing mechanics can lead to more informed choices about what exercises or movement patterns will guide you towards your goals more effectively.

Disclaimer: This is for educational and informational purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree to not use any of the information from TicFit or any guests on the podcast as a diagnosis or treatment.

Episode 2 - Can open___worms everywhere

Raquel Cunningham

Episode 2 discusses training muscles that are antagonists to ticcing muscles. Two books that have had a huge influence on how I train are "Becoming a Supple Leopard" by Dr. Kelly Starrett and "Body by Breath" by Jill Miller. We also cover compensatory patterns and co-contracting muscles. There's a lot packed into a 15 minute, hence can open....worms everywhere.

Disclaimer: This is for educational and informational purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree to not use any of the information from TicFit or any guests on the podcast as a diagnosis or treatment.

Episode 1 - Morse Code and Marionettes

Raquel Cunningham

Hi! Welcome to TicFit the podcast. A platform to discuss how tics impact our bodies and how we can find meaningful movement to address tic related pain, develop body awareness, and use the gym as a place to tic freely. In the first episode, we discuss what tics feel like and how we hope to build upon the things we know about Tourette Syndrome while exploring topics in exercise science. A mover from the get-go, our host Raquel Cunningham talks about her movement journey and what insights she has gained from being a trainer with tics.

Disclaimer: This is for educational and informational purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree to not use any of the information from TicFit or any guests on the podcast as a diagnosis or treatment.