Pain Science Education
Excel in Sports with Good Technique
As I neared the top of the initial 1.5 mile climb on the Caldera 10 km run course, I found the aid station. I slowed to take a cup of Gatorade. And that's when she passed me. Oh Crap! I had no idea another woman was so close! But I had to hydrate. The next section of...
Pain Free Backpacking
It has been over a decade since I've been backpacking due to injury and fear of pain. I am happy to say that my husband and I went out for a successful night last weekend to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary. Backpacking can be added to my list of can do...
How Fit Are You?
Can you... Complete 50 abdominal crunches in one minute? Squat 2 times your body weight? After reading those two sentences, are you feeling unfit right now? Well, I am! These, however, are just a few of the assessments that some people commonly use to...
Mental Excellence in the NCAA Basketball Tournament
It's now the end of March, which means basketball madness. 68 teams start the Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament, and in just over three weeks, we have a champion. Clearly, the stakes are high in every game. The loser goes home in the single elimination format. These...
Keep Race Results in Perspective
It's ski season, in some parts of the country anyway, which means Nordic ski racing for me. As I am about to embark on the biggest ski race of my career this weekend, the American Birkebeiner, it is good to remember to keep perspective. Please enjoy this piece I...
Should you stretch a tight muscle?
Well, that seems like a silly question with an obvious answer, right? Wrong! When we stretch a tight muscle, we make the assumption that the muscle is tight because it is shortened and needs to be lengthened. However, this is not always the case. Actually, a muscle...
Joint Pain, Taping and the Long-Term Consequences
Before any athletic practice or competition, you'll often see rows of athletes lined up in the training room having their ankles, wrists or other various joints taped so they can go play. If you're like most athletes, you don't think much about it except that you need...
5 Tips for Planning a Winning Athletic Season
It's never too early to start planning for your next athletic season. Sometimes it takes years to build up the fitness for an event. You also need long range planning in order to peak for an important competition. As a coach, I help athletes develop a realistic season...
3 Benefits of Base Training Aerobic Workouts
If you are a competitive summer athlete, your cardiovascular training focus shifts during the fall and winter to over-distance and endurance aerobic workouts. Most people refer to these workouts as Long, Slow Distance (LSD). Through my interactions with people, I have...
Cross Train for Better Posture and Performance
Not enough motion or too much of the same, repetitive movements can cause one major issue: postural deviations. For example, because I spent years hunched over a bicycle, along with a desk job, my shoulders and upper back took on a rounded position. This hunched-over...
How to Prevent Cycling Injuries
So you want to stay pain and injury free on the bike? Well, it all depends on the fitness of the body you bring into cycling and your approach to riding. Let me explain. BODY FITNESS More fundamental than your VO2 max or power output, total body fitness includes...
Are you racing out of fear?
Why do you race? I have been asking my friends, teammates and clients this question for years. Yet, I have not heard a satisfactory answer. Recently, I had a conversation on this topic with a client. This caused me to write this blog. Let me elaborate. There are many...
Run, Walk and Hike Pain Free with These Exercises
Running creates impact forces of up to 10 times your body weight! When your body is not stacked in a strong, aligned posture against the forces of gravity and ground reaction, guess what? Your body will suffer! With each foot strike, you hit the ground. Then, the...
Phased Strength Training for Athletes
For warm-weather athletes, the start of the fall season, with its shorter days and cooler temperatures, typically marks the beginning of the off season. During this time, we emphasize strength development during our training. However, how you lift weights actually...
High Intensity Intervals, Best Exercise for Your Waist Line
Okay, let's be open about this . . . If you're female, part of your motivation to exercise is weight management or weight loss. Also, your desire may be to eat what you want. Or, maybe you just want to lose a few pounds to look more attractive. Regardless, we all know...
Meet Jessica!
I believe we are designed to move and play throughout our entire lives. I don’t buy into the idea that we should slow down with age, or that pain, injury and physical restrictions are unavoidable aspects of growing older. So, here’s my philosophy. Our mental mindset, combined with the physical position and condition of the body that we bring into any activity (from walking to skiing to everything in between), determines our chance of hurting when we move. If we have a positive mindset, and if we have proper positioning and move with correct body biomechanics, all activities should be possible.
This is the goal I have for everyone: to overcome pain and limitations so you can Stay in the Game for Life!
Visit The Pain Free Athlete website for additional resources and opportunities.
