Kinesi, LLC

12/09/2022

Cold, dark, slippery... 😫

Even though I LOVE a nice walk outside,
The current weather has got me kinda... NOPE.

Fortunately, with just a little bit of space...
And the magic of 3D movement...
I can still enjoy the benefits of a walk, without having to endure any brutal weather.

Join me and try it out for yourself!

Warm wishes to you,
Melissa

P.S. If aches, pains, or old injuries are keeping you down, make sure to book a call with me at kinesipt.com/talk so we can help you get back to your normal, vibrant self!

06/09/2022

BASEBALL SEASON

I had a great session with a young baseball player earlier this week.

He saw me briefly 2 years ago to address some pain he was having...

And is STILL doing the exercises I taught him regularly. 💪

He's so diligent with his exercises-

Partially to keep the pain away...

But also because he notices how much better he feels (and plays) when he does them.

And for an athlete dedicated to excelling in his sport...

That feeling is priceless.

Now we're getting to work on UPGRADING.

He's doing well, no injuries.

But some improvements in his lower body and torso movement...

(flexibility, strength, and coordination)

Will help him throw harder, faster, and more accurately.

Move better...

Feel better...

Perform better.

I love how all of these things fit together.

And how fun it is to help people do it.

Can't wait to see the smile on his face when throwing someone out at 2nd base becomes EASY. ⚾️

If pain is keeping you from playing at your best in your sport...

(Or if you're just feeling more stiff, weak, or slow than you'd like)...

You don't have to "just live with it."

Movement-based physical therapy is a great way get back to feeling strong, mobile, and pain-free again.

Plus, it's easy and fun to do.

To find out if movement-based physical therapy at Kinesi might help you, book a FREE Discovery Call at kinesipt.com/talk now.

We'll jump on the phone, and have a quick conversation about where you're at now... and what you'd like to improve in your movement.

If I can help you do it, I'll let you know. If something or someone else will serve you better- I'll point you in that direction.

Book your Free Discovery Call now: kinesipt.com/talk.

Talk soon!
Melissa

Photo by Chris Chow on Unsplash

04/26/2022

It's easy to think you have to do an exercise "correctly" to get any benefit from it.

But "correct" is a relative term.

Instead of trying to make yourself do an exercise correctly...

Try finding the exercise that is right for your body, right now.

When you do, your progress will be faster... and more FUN.

If you'd like some help learning how to do this- book a Free Discovery Call at kinesipt.com/talk and I'll see what I can do to help you out.

04/01/2022

EASY HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY

Pain, discomfort, and nausea do NOT have to be part of your workout.

In fact, they will likely HOLD YOU BACK from making progress with your movement-

By creating MORE pain...

Or by KILLING your motivation.

Tune in NOW to hear how you can gain flexibility quickly...

WITHOUT having to torture yourself with painful stretches. ❤️

03/29/2022

***JUST HEAR ME OUT FOR A SECOND 😂 ***

One of my clients told me last week that an exercise he has been working on.....(hamstring stretches)...
Makes him feel nauseated.

The tightness...
And trying to push through it...
Doesn’t just give him a physical challenge...
It gives him a literal GUT reaction.

And a very unpleasant one at that.

The interesting thing to me was that this client also wanted help with...
Sticking to his exercise program.
He admits his motivation isn’s always strong...
So he often chooses rest and relaxation over exercising.

Is it any wonder he feels this way?

Do YOU feel motivated to do things that will make you want to throw up? 😫

I’ve heard similar confessions from many of my clients over the years.
They feel frustrated, even ashamed of themselves...
And call themselves words like “lazy” and “uncommitted...”
Because they don’t feel motivated to do the exercises that are supposed to help them.

But when I dig deeper...
I find out they have very good reasons for losing their motivation.

They say that exercises they are attempting to do...
Feel wrong.
Cause pain.
Seem useless.
Draw attention to their weaknesses.
Are boring.
Or, in extreme cases like this, make them feel sick!

And while I won’t tackle ALL of these barriers right now,I DO want to say one thing.

Despite all the “No Pain, No Gain” messages out there...

Exercising to get out of pain...
Should NOT be a miserable experience.
In fact, misery is counterproductive to the process.

Yes, there is value in pushing our limits.

But if we’re going to do that, our efforts should be yielding some pretty great results.

Unfortunately for my client, stretching his hamstrings wasn’t getting him any more flexible.

It was only giving him a more intense experience of how tight they were...
And a growing belief that their tightness was impossible to change.
Which is why, in the moment of decision between his couch and his exercises...
The couch was winning.

However, when we changed his approach...
And helped him find some comfort in his movement...
His flexibility improved.
AND his nausea cleared right up. 😅

If you’ve found yourself in a similar situation,
I hope this story brings you some hope.

You’re not bad or wrong if you hate exercising because it feels awful.
And not wanting to be in pain... doesn't mean you're unmotivated.

There are many fun, easy, and beneficial ways to move...
That DON’T involve discomfort, pain, or nausea...
And DO help you get stronger, more flexible, and less painful.

You just might need some help finding ways to move that feel good...
AND help you achieve the results you want in your life.

Best regards,
Melissa

P.S.
If you'd like to find out what it’s like to LOVE moving again, head over to kinesipt.com/talk and book a FREE Discovery Call.

I help dancers, athletes, and active adults regain comfort and freedom in their movement... even if they’ve been injured or in pain for a long time.

Plus, I help them build manageable exercise programs... that get great results. 😊

Although I can’t help everyone, a Free Discovery Call is a quick, easy way to find out if Kinesi is right for you.

We’ll check in with where you are at right now, where you’d like to be, and what might be holding you back from getting there.

If I can help, I’ll let you know and help you get started. If not, that’s totally cool- I’ll help you find someone who can.

Book your FREE Discovery Call now: kinesipt.com/talk.

03/03/2022

SIDEWAYS RUNNING 😄

On a walk outside yesterday, my son showed me how he and his classmates ran around orange cones during an obstacle course at preschool that morning.

There's a strange poetry in the fact that a preschool obstacle course...

Reveals a secret about healthy movement...

That should NOT be a secret.

God gifted us humans with 3 dimensional motion.

All of our joints,

And all of our muscles,

Always move in 3D.

You can see it in this video.

As J and I are running, our bodies are moving forward/backward, side to side, and rotationally... all at the same time.

And as my brilliant mentor, Gary Gray, puts it...

"When you improve one plane of motion,

You improve all three."

Which means...

You never have to get stuck in a rut of only moving one way.

Especially when it hurts.

Instead...

You can choose a new way to move.

One that doesn't cause pain.

And is easy to do.

Then you can hack the system...

And regain pain-free movement.

Just like an open side street helps you avoid a traffic jam...

Pain-free movement in 1 dimension...

Clears the path for pain-free movement in other 2 dimensions.

Example:

When bending forward from the waist causes back pain...

Moving sideways or rotationally might NOT cause pain.

And repeating movements that are NOT painful...

Can help restore your ability to bend forward comfortably again.

I see it happen all the time.

And it's still a wonder to behold.

"Melissa, this is like magic..."

I've had many clients say... while throwing me a sideways glance.

But I promise, I'm no magician.

This is the kind of magic that is already in your body,

Waiting for you to use it.

No matter how long you've been in pain,

How many injuries you've had,

Or how long it's been since you've danced the boogie. 💃🕺

Don't be fooled by the thought that you have to push through pain...

Or repeat a painful movement...

In order to get better, stronger, or less painful.

The indirect route is usually much easier...

And more effective.

Of course, running sideways might not be the fastest way to get to the finish line.

But then again... it might. 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

Best regards,

Melissa

P.S. If you've bee hoping for an easier, more fun way to get out of pain and back to your active life, movement-based physical therapy can help.

If you'd like to find out more, simple head over to kinesipt.com/talk and book a FREE discovery call.

I'll call you at the time you choose, and we'll have a chat to see if Kinesi is the right fit for you.

Book your call now: kinesipt.com/talk.

02/17/2022

I was having a mid-day dance break earlier this week, when a thought hit me...
And I decided to coin a new term.

PROPRIOCEPTIVE LIQUIDITY

(We'll see if it catches on, lol).

It's the ability to put your body exactly WHERE you want it to be...
Exactly WHEN you want it to be there...
Without having to think too much about it.

It's what helps you...

✅ Step in an awkward direction... without twisting your ankle.

✅ Reach deep into the back of the closet... without throwing out your back.

✅ Pop out of your chair and bust a move (cuz your favorite jam is on!)... without pulling a muscle.
..And maybe even do all of these things on the same day. 👍

Unfortunately, pain, injury, and fear… all disrupt our proprioceptive liquidity.
We stiffen up.
Become cautious when we move.
And lose the smooth, easy, movement that we used to enjoy.

Even worse, if we try to go back to our normal activities too quickly,
(Without enough proprioceptive liquidity)...
The pain often comes back,
Or we get injured again,
And the cycle of pain and immobility continues.

The good news is,
Regardless of your past injuries or illnesses,
This cycle can be reversed.

You can regain proprioceptive liquidity...
That is, "anytime access" to your movement...
By gently,
And progressively,
Exposing your body to the situations that cause it to move the way you want.

Not too much, at first.
But enough to get your body to pay attention...
And LEARN.

Like this:
"Hey body, this is what I want to be able to do.
You down with that?
Great. Thanks."

Not forcing it.
Just inviting it to come along with you.
To the party YOU want to have.

And the cool thing is...
The more varied, interesting, and successful experiences your body has...
The more it learns how to adapt to any situation you throw at it...
And the more you get to enjoy "proprioceptive liquidity."

Or sweet dance moves.

Whatever you want to call it. 😉

Best regards,
Melissa

P.S.

If you're frustrated with lingering pain, stiffness, or weakness in your body...

And you'd like to regain more "anytime access" to fluid and effortless movement...

For sports, dance, or just real life as a human...

Movement-based physical therapy can help you do it.

Head over to kinesipt.com/talk and book a free discovery call to get expert support and find out if we're the right fit for you

02/04/2022

THE BEST FOOTWEAR YOU WILL EVER OWN...

The other day, my back was bugging me.

It was a familiar feeling- a tight, restricted feeling on the right side of my low back, near the top of my pelvis.

It hurt when I bent forward, twisted, or stepped the wrong way.

And I knew it would escalate into a much bigger problem if I didn't take care of it.

Of course, I was tempted to stretch my back...

Or try to "pop" it.

That's usually my first instinct.

But I knew from experience doing those things probably wouldn't help...

And had a good chance of making it worse.

Instead, I paused and thought for a moment...

And took off my slippers.

I had been wearing my cushy, sherpa-lined slippers for the last few weeks.

(My awesome sister gave them to me for Christmas a couple of years ago).

And while I love them for being so warm and cuddly...

My back felt about 50% better as soon as I took them off.

This moment of relief reminded me of something important.

And I want to share it with you today:

Your feet are the most underrated resource you have in your body.

And because of their tremendous impact...

And, I'd even say, intelligence...

Investing effort in helping your feet move well...

Will contribute more to your ability to move and exercise without pain...

Than ANY pair of shoes ever could.

Your feet are chock full of movement-ability.

In each foot you have...

26 bones.

33 joints.

And 100+ muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

Plus, you have somewhere around 400,000 proprioceptors in your feet, too.

(Proprioceptors are nerve endings that detect movement).

I think it's fair to say that how, when, and how much your feet move...

Is really important.

Best of all, your feet respond to challenges.

When we cushion and protect them too much,

Their ability to sense and respond to movement diminishes...

And they get weaker.

When we help your feet move successfully...

With appropriate and progressive challenges...

They get stronger, more responsive, and more able to contribute to healthy movement in the rest of your body.

In other words,

You are already the proud owner of the BEST pair of footwear you could ever own:

Brilliant, responsive, strong, and adaptable... feet.

That's why my back felt better almost immediately....

And continued feeling better when I kept moving without my slippers on.

My body needed the support that only my FEET could give it.

What’s more, many of my clients tell me that they are more comfortable in their shoes...

And out of their shoes...

When they have been training up their feet.

And when their feet feel better...

So does the rest of their body.

As the old saying goes...

"Take care of your feet.

And they will take care of you."

Best regards,

Melissa

P.S.
WHENEVER YOU EXERCISE, remember this rule: "Movement begets movement. Success begets success."

Move MOST in directions and ranges that are 100% comfortable and easy for you... and avoid movements that are restricted, painful, or uncomfortable.

If you’re having trouble finding “comfortable and easy” in your movement, physical therapy can help.

Head over to kinesipt.com/talk and book a free discovery call to see if movement-based physical therapy might be right for you.

Photo by Michał Parzuchowski on Unsplash

01/28/2022

"Movement begets movement. Success begets success."
-Dr. David Tiberio

This is a motto I live by... and I help my clients to do the same.

Why?

Well, it goes against what we're conditioned to believe...

But, there's no need to be rough with your body.

You don't have to push hard to get great results.

In fact, pushing hard often sabotages your efforts...

And results in more pain, stiffness, and injury.

Gentle, pain-free movement...

Feels easy.

Keeps you safe.

And produces more pain-free movement.

Your body is more powerful than you might think.

Try out some easy, successful movement with me right now.

And see what happens!

-Melissa

01/25/2022

There's no need to be rough with your body.

You don't have to push hard to get great results.

In fact, pushing hard often sabotages your efforts...

And results in more pain, stiffness, and injury.

Gentle, pain-free movement...

Feels easy.

Keeps you safe.

And produces more pain-free movement.

Your body is more powerful than you might think.

Give it a chance to move easily...

And see what you get back!

-Melissa

02/19/2019

If you are using your age as an excuse... QUIT IT!! 😆😉😘

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