Way Beyond Fitness

06/08/2023

Oh Scotland...let me count the ways! Did a solo trip to Edinburgh for 3 days. It was amazing!

05/05/2021

05/03/2021

I am thinking of you this morning. Want to know why? I had some wonderful company visit last week and guess what...they were in pain. Pain that kept them from sleeping at night. Let's be real..right now, good sleep is a priority to keep our immune system strong. We need it people!!!
My visitor was having some S.I. joint pain with a side of shoulder pain. Ouch! No wonder they I weren't sleeping.
Long story short with just a few restorative techniques we got them feeling lighter and sleeping like a champion. My thought was...why didn't they ask for help sooner?
So I am thinking of you today and wonder if you are trying to grin and bare it instead of asking for help. Are you? Help, that with just a few simple suggestions, can make a significant impact on your health. Especially in the middle of a pandemic. So I plead with you to keep your body a priority right now. You deserve to feel great, to move and sleep without pain. Just an email or phone call away if you need me. Many blessings!

03/25/2021

So excited to present a workshop at this amazing event that supports women in the tech industry. If you are interested in attending, check out the link below.

11/07/2020

Are you frustrated?

Maybe you don't know where to start.

Are you just putting your head down and pushing through the pain?

Have you tried PT and it still hurts?

How about surgery and the issue is returning.

Share with me what is frustrating you right now in the comments below.

11/06/2020

To wear a brace or not to wear a brace???

Overuse injuries stink. I am sitting here typing your right now with a torn rotator cuff and thumb tendinitis. Yes...the pain free coach gets injuries too dammit!

So as I wait for my PRP (platelet rich plasma) injection in February for my shoulder I am working on my thumb over use injury (did you know wrist, elbow and hand overuse injuries usually stem from shoulder instability? Yep..it's true!)

So your coach, who inspires you you move often and freely, is wearing a brace to decrease mobility? Yes, I am (she says with confidence). The reason? Its my right hand and I use it often!!!!

So, to brace or not to brace? To be honest, this is a case by case basis BUT I do know in order to get the natural process of inflammation to do its job you have to rest said injury. That is difficult to do if you still need to work, show up for your family, or have commitments you can't escape. During that time a little 'support' can go a long way.

BUT between those dedicated hours you have to take the time to rehab (move correctly) and ice.

Are you ready to heal? Be pain free?
Visit my website to get my free guide on 3 Things you May be Doing that are Causing You Limiting Joint Pain! (anyone have a suggestion for a shorter title...message me 😉)

11/05/2020

How do you boost efficiency of your collagen supplement?

Collagen is one of the many supplements recommended when dealing with joint pain and injuries. Just remember, to get the most bang for your buck you need this one critical ingredient! (Otherwise your are just getting the benefits if expensive p*e and p**p.)

That essential ingredient????

Movement baby!

Physical, mechanical, and environmental stressors are the key ingredient needed to boost the efficiency of collagen. It is what triggers fibroblastic activity so the tissue will remodel (so you look, feel, and move younger...sign me up!)

So make sure and add variable movements, lifts, reaches, swings, and metabolic challenges to get the fibroblasts demand up!

This multiplanar approach to movement along side of collagen supplementation is the best use of your money (spent on collagen supps and powders).

08/10/2020

16th wedding anniversary in The Beartooths.

Hiking, catching 'brookies', and making memories with the family.

08/04/2020

So hot outside!! How are you adapting your workouts to the heat?

If it's too cold or too hot, take your workouts inside OR move them to an earlier or later time in the day.

07/31/2020

How do your feet line up when you walk?

I was watching my neighbors toddler walk yesterday and took a moment to enjoy the amazing flawless design of his feet. Despite some stumbling and balance issues (which the little guys is conquering like a champ I might add) his feet were perfectly aligned. The outside edge from the base of his heel to the outside edge of his pinkie toe was a straight line. I mean grab that level and I dare to test it straight....with every step! It was alignment in its finest hour.

Do your feet do that?

I dare you to try it out.

Stand up with your feet hip pointer width. Now turn your feet in (yes, most of us will have to turn the ball part of our feet in). Line up the whole outside edge of your foot. How does that feel?

Weird right? Do your knees feel funky? How about your hips? Low back have something to say?

This is how the foot should live BUT through years of repetitive motion and compensation your perfect baby feet have learned bad habits.

Your challenge...learn how you can bring your body back toward its original design.

Want to find your baby feet position (in a pain free and non-intrusive way) let's connect!

07/16/2020

How do you manage your epic failures?

Yesterday morning I couldn't get any of my cakes to work. Chocolate, vanilla, one recipe, another; it didn't matter. Nothing was working! Even when I tried to put my scraps together in salvage it with some tasty butter cream my butter cream turned out as an epic fail. Mother buckets of fail!!!

But in the end I was able to do it. And I'm proud of my very 1st wedding cake for the happy couple.

How do you manage taking on new challenges? You need to be patient with yourself, kind, and gentle with the learning process. Give yourself enough time to try and fail and also succeed. If you're rushed the stress is only gonna add to the agony of the situation and you may miss the opportunity to actually enjoy the process you're experiencing.

Also bask in the moments where you excel even if they're small.

In the end don't be afraid to try something new and challenge yourself. You can learn so much from your epic fails if you're open to seeing it You never know what amazing things my turn out

06/29/2020

Gluten Free cake anyone?

Eating with food sensitivities and intolerances doesn't have to be complicated.

Now this is a picture of a trial wedding cake I am making for a friend's wedding. It tastes great and all I did was replace the flour! The hard part? Knowing which GF flours work best for baking, making pasta, thickening, etc. Do you have a favorite?

I like using flour for my baking projects. Its a simple replacement that with a couple tips, its an easy switch.

A lot of my pain free clients need to clean up their diet to get pain free. My Let's Fix Your S**t programs give them the support to eat healthy and reduce inflammation.

Don't feel overwhelmed as you start your Pain Free journey.

06/24/2020

My husband is slightly embarrassed by my staring problem.

But as we were walking in Yellowstone National Park I could not stop staring at the group in front of me. No they weren't dressed as grizzly bears...🙃 but if you watch closely notice that every single one of these young men walk differently.

Knees are popping out to the side, toes are turned out, hips are limited, some are square, 'bow-legged, there is a narrow walking stance, etc. Its fascinating. I was developing alignment programs in my head all weekend (I am a dork even on vacation).

How we move in the world is influenced by so many factors!

This month we are working on healthy knees and some of these guys should take some notes because I am seeing some wear and tear down there 😉. Next month our focus will be ribcage positioning (talk about reducing low back pain!!!)

Want to join us? Message me for info.

05/19/2020

Class starts on 10 mins!

May is the month for the happy shoulder series.

Still teaching virtually and still helping others get pain free from limiting joint pain.
Shoulders are a unique animal. You have their relationship with the hips and low back THEN you get a little more specific with the T-spine, shoulder blade, and shoulder socket. Then...can we talk about how tight hands and forearms can limit a shouler? Can we please?

Its all here in my Fit From Within monthly membership. See my bio for more onfo.

Have a day full of joyful ROM!

04/28/2020

Your body gets 'sticky' as you age. So mix up your exercise for the best results (you know...be like Brad).

"Lack of movement quickly fosters the development of additional cross-links in fascial tissues...proper exercise loading, if applied correctly and regularly, can induce a MORE YOUTHFUL collagen architecture" - Schleip, R and Muller, D "Fascial Fitness" 2012.

Did you know that restructuring can take up to 2 years! Wow! Its time to go to work.

So whether you are on the preventative end or its time for you to start the 'restructuring' program, getting pain free is a journey....not a race. A multiplanar journey to be exact.

"The fascial system responds better to variation than to a repetitive program." Meyers T. "Fascial Fitness: Training in the Neuromyofascial Web" IDEA Fitness Journal April 2011.

So this means, for your body to look and feel young (from an exercise training standpoint) you need to train in a variety of vectors, angles, tempos, and loads.

Are you one of those professionals who does the same 'type' of exercise program each week?

Its time to mix it up and 'unstick' your body (you know....like Brad)😉.

04/23/2020

Feet are the perfect conversation piece.

A BIG percentage of the times I am standing in line somewhere wearing my five finger shoes, someone starts a conversation with me.

Stranger at Costco: "So how do you like those shoes?"

What my sweet new friend doesn't realize is that this is a highly loaded question!

My first response is to stare, non-judgmentally of course, at their feet. And a BIG percentage of the time that person is wearing a 'specialized' shoe of some sort.

What I know then is that what the person is really asking me is, "Do you think these would solve my painful feet problems"?

My response as I wait patiently in the Costco line: "You ever seen the movie 'Happy Feet'?"

The biomechanist and caring practitioner in me has to pause mid-smile and say, "BUT....my now happy feet didn't start that way".

Human tissues are dynamic and are highly receptive to the forces placed upon them. When forces and input changes, the tissue has to respond in a new way.

If somone was to jump from the maximum cushioning Hoka shoe to barefoot-like shoe....let's just say they will NOT be dancing like an Emperor Penguin anytime soon.

This shift into a new educational 'platform' *snicker at my pun* is really challenging.

Not only for the tissue/structure of the foot but also on the body as a hole unit (yes, the hip bone is connected to the chin bone). 😏

Dramatic changes happen when you shift out of a highly supportive shoe. More than you would even realize. 🤯

So, should I recommend that my Hoka wearing new best friend in line at Costco jump into the zero drop shoe because I like them?

Oh hell no people!

BUT if you do it in a very, very, very thoughtful way (switching from a cushy shoe to barefoot), it very well could be the savior you are looking for pain free feet.

The hard part, understanding the journey you need to respectfully take to get feet pain free.

And that is why I am here! Your pain free guide!

So let's talk about your feet (whether they are stinky or not) and schedule a qualifying call to get pain free today. Link in bio.

bunions

04/13/2020

04/09/2020

Want some pain free advice that gets results?

I am so excited to share my new guide, The 3 Things you may be doing that are Contributing to your Joint Pain.

The title is a mouthful but the content is totally something you can chew on.

These 3 recommendations are the most powerful steps you can take to get painfree for good.

So head on over to my bio. Click on my link to my website and download it for free.

Merry Christmas (its not really but its my gift to you) 😉

Your Pain Free Coach,
Shana