OPAL Movement Therapy

03/17/2026

Deadlifts are one of our favorite lower body lifts!!

Not just because they build strength but because they require range of motion, control, AND strength to perform well. 💪

One of the most valuable parts of the deadlift is the pause at the bottom.

When approaching the bar, the movement begins with a hip hinge while bending at the knees and ankles, keeping the spine rigid. Then, at the bottom of the lift, there is a pause.

That moment allows a quick check-in: Is the lift about to come from the back… or from pushing the ground away with the legs?

If connection with the legs is lost, the pause allows a reset:
▪️ Tighten the abdominals
▪️ Push through the feet
▪️ Let the hips, knees, and ankles drive the body back to standing

This concept carries over into everyday life!

Before lifting something awkward like furniture, a heavy box, luggage, or picking up a child, taking a brief pause can help organize the movement.

Instead of rushing the lift, the body can hinge, stiffen up the core and trunk, and then use the hips and legs to do the work.

Sometimes the most important part of the lift is the moment before it begins!

Want to move better for life?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call by clicking the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📲💻✨

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03/16/2026

3 Exercises to Improve Your Rotational Strength

Want to improve your rotational strength?🔥 Add these three exercises to your routine!!

▪️Half-Kneeling Banded Open Books
▪️Standing Trunk Rotations with a Band
▪️Landmine Rotational Overhead Press with a Banded Row

Need more help?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call through the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📱💻✨

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03/16/2026

Here's a clip of a drill Dr. Evan taught at our Rotational Strength for Golfer's workshop last month!🏌️‍♀️

This drill is called trunk rotation with a band and it can help build rotational control and strength for golf and other rotational sports.

Start with a band or cable at chest height. Stand on two feet and step away from the band so there’s tension the entire time. If the band goes slack, you’re too close.

From there:
▪️ Core engaged
▪️ Legs steady as your base
▪️ Hips facing forward

Now rotate your chest! Your arms stay straight and simply move because your torso is rotating.

A common mistake is pulling with the arms and letting the knees collapse inward. Instead, keep the legs stable and let the trunk rotate on top of the hips. The arms should follow the body, not the other way around.

Golf is a rotational sport, so the goal is to train the body to rotate as a system!

Want to move better for life?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call by clicking the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📲💻✨

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03/15/2026

Runners and wellness enthusiast!!! Join the OPAL team at the Hippo Trail Fest 🦛

This an amazing community running and wellness event in Hutto. If you want to run, they have a 5K, 10K, 10 miles, 20 miles, 50K, 10K Ruck, 10 miles Ruck, Hippo Haul (5km weight carry race), and Youth 1 Mile.

Drs. Morgan, Magda, & Evan will be offering free injury screens at Hippo Trail Fest on Saturday 3/21 from 8 am to 12 pm!

There will also be:
▪️Live music
▪️Curated Art & Wellness Market
▪️Recharge Zone with cold plunge, sauna red light therapy, and yoga (free for both racers and spectators)
▪️Food & Drinks for free and for purchase

🗓️ Saturday, March 21st
🕜 8:00AM-5:30PM
📍 Hippo Social Club | 3250 Limmer Loop Unit 3, Hutto, TX 78634

We hope to see you there!!!

More info & race registration: https://www.tejastrails.com/hippo ✨💻

03/15/2026

The brain remembers pain! 🧠

Dr. Magda once had a patient who had sustained a severe leg fracture in a motorcycle accident. About four months into rehab, the patient came into the clinic convinced he had rebroken his leg.

He had fallen while dancing at a wedding and felt immediate pain in the same spot where the fracture had occurred.

An exam was performed, and everything appeared normal. However, the pain response was strong enough that it raised concern.

Dr. Magda's clinical instructor observed the patient walk and assessed his leg and concluded that the leg had not been rebroken.

The explanation was simple: the brain remembered the previous injury!

The patient had landed right where the fracture had occurred. The nervous system recognized the location and created a protective response.

Not because there was new damage but because the system remembered the past injury.

Two days later, the patient returned to therapy without any issues.

Pain is a real experience, but it does not always mean new tissue damage has occurred. Sometimes it reflects the nervous system trying to protect an area that has been injured before.

Want to learn more? Join us at Dr. Magda's Pain Science Webinar on Thursday 3/19 at 6 pm CT!

Click the link in our bio or go to OPALMovementTherapy.com/events ✨💻

Want to move better for life?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call by clicking the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📲💻✨

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03/14/2026

Another amazing Pi(e) Day in the books!!🥧🥧🥧
On top of being an amazing PT, Dr. Morgan also bakes a mean homemade pie!

Chocolate & cherry pie slices for all of our Saturday PT peeps!! We love showing our clients appreciation and sharing the love of pie! 💙

03/14/2026

Here are three of the biggest cheats we see with barbell RDLs:

▪️ Rocking onto the heels:
Some people slam their weight back into their heels and feel a big hamstring stretch behind the knee. But that’s not loading the hip, it’s just locking out the knee joint.

▪️ Letting the bar drift forward: When the bar moves away from the body, it pulls the spine into extension and makes it much easier to use the back instead of the hips.

▪️ Leading the lift with the spine:
A common pattern is moving the spine first to start the movement and then lifting with the back first to return to standing instead of starting the movement and finishing the movement with the hips.

Instead, aim for this:
▪️Pressure through the whole foot.
▪️Bar close to the thighs.
▪️Hips lead the motion on the way down and on the way up.

An RDL is a pure hip hinge.
You’re not trying to reach the floor.

When the hips stop moving back, the rep is done (for most people it's right around the kneecap) and then the hips bring you back to standing upright!

Want to move better for life?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call by clicking the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📲💻✨

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03/13/2026

3 Exercises to Fix Your RDL Form 🔥

An RDL (Romanian deadlift) is a pure hip hinge! The glutes and hamstrings lengthen as the hips move back, then shorten to bring you back to standing.

But a common mistake is turning the movement into a hybrid RDL/squat.

You hinge… then start bending the knees… and suddenly it becomes a hybrid between a squat and an RDL!

In a true RDL, the spine stays rigid, the hips travel backward, and the head moves slightly forward with the hinge.

Master the hip hinge and fix your RDL form with these three exercises:

▪️Hip Hinge with a Bench/Chair
▪️Hip Hinge with a Stick
▪️Kettlebell RDL

Need more help?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call through the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📱💻✨

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03/13/2026

An RDL (Romanian deadlift) is a pure hip hinge! The glutes and hamstrings lengthen as the hips move back, then shorten to bring you back to standing.

But a common mistake is turning the movement into a hybrid RDL/squat.

You hinge… then start bending the knees… and suddenly it becomes a hybrid between a squat and an RDL!

In a true RDL:
▪️ The spine stays rigid
▪️ The hips travel backward
▪️ The head moves slightly forward with the hinge

The knees aren’t intentionally bending -- They appear bent because the hip moves behind the knee, creating relative knee flexion.

If someone feels hesitant about sending their hips back and their torso forward, they often keep the head upright, curve through the low back, and bend the knees instead -- turning the lift into a half a RDL and half a squat.

Think of the RDL as forward and back, not up and down!

Hips back. Head forward.
Glutes and hamstrings lengthen or stretch on the way down. Then they shorten or contract to bring you back to standing upright.

Want to move better for life?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call by clicking the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📲💻✨

💙 Like if this was helpful
⌨️ Drop a comment or question
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03/12/2026

"If you’re looking for high-quality physical therapy tailored to your individual needs— look no further!

Initially I came to OPAL Movement Therapy for back pain. My pain would interfere with some plans that I had in the next few months and was keeping me from doing the things I enjoyed.

Dr. Evan was able to quickly work to resolve my pain and teach me how to prevent recurrences. Now we are working towards goals that include my strength training and improved longevity! I can already see the difference in the quality of my workouts.

Worth every penny! Dr. Evan and the team at OPAL are standouts among providers and PTs!"

Want to move better for life?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call and work with us anywhere in the world by clicking the link in our bio or visiting OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📱 ✨

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03/12/2026

Here is a clip from our recent Rotational Strength for Golfers workshop a few weeks ago!

Golf is a full body movement so the training should be too. 💪

▪️Set up in a split stance with the band anchored in front of you.

▪️As you row with one arm, rotate your body with it. Row and rotate.

▪️On the other side, press overhead as the body rotates.

You could just row and press with the arms but then you’re missing the point! The goal is to connect the movement.

Row and rotate, press and rotate.

We want the hips, core, and upper body all working together because in golf, the arms aren’t doing the swing alone!

Do you do rotational training for golf or other sports?

Want to move better for life?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call by clicking the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📲💻✨

💙 Like if this was helpful
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03/11/2026

Are you confident in your barbell RDL set up?
Many people are unsure about the right rack height, grip position, or how to safely load the bar!

In our new YouTube video, Dr. Morgan explains how to retrieve the bar safely, where to place the J-hooks, how to find the correct grip on the barbell, and how to properly load weight plates & clips before starting your lifts.

If you’re new to weight training or want to make sure your setup is safe, this video is for you!!

https://youtu.be/nRLaBb8WzZQ

Drop a like or comment and subscribe to our channel! As always, if you have any questions or need more guidance, don't hesitate to reach out! We are here to support you & your movement goals!💙💪

Setting up a barbell correctly is one of the most important steps before performing Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs), but many people are unsure about the right rac...