SolCoreFitness

Lower back Pain: 3 BIG Reasons Why!

Are you searching for lower back pain relief? Googling lower back pain exercises, stretches, or massages? You’re not alone—lower back pain affects over 619 million people worldwide and is one of the leading causes of disability.

I know the frustration personally. About 16 years ago, I fell into that statistic. I tried doctors, PTs, chiropractors, acupuncture, yoga, Pilates—you name it. Some helped temporarily. Others made things worse. None gave me long-term results… until I took a holistic approach to my body.

I’m Ekemba Sooh, owner of SolCore Fitness in Santa Fe. I’m a SomaTrainer and SomaTherapist trained in a unique, osteopathic method of working with the body. After 30+ years in this field, I’ve helped countless people who were failed by symptom-focused care finally find relief—and get their lives back.

If you’re tired of lower back pain running your life, here are 3 major reasons you’re stuck—and what to do about it.

1. Poor Posture: Structure Dictates Function

Bad posture does more than look sloppy—it breaks down your entire system. Structure dictates function. That means your body only works as well as it’s aligned.

Having poor posture compresses joints, disturbs your fascia, restricts movement, and stresses your nervous system. And it’s not just about “standing up straight”—you need to stack your ear, shoulder, hip, and ankle vertically (plumb line), and be able to maintain that inside a 40° gravity cone.

If your posture’s off, everything else—training, therapy, diet—can only take you so far.

2. Bad Training: What Are You Actually Teaching Your Body?

Your body adapts to what you do—constantly. Whether you’re standing, sitting, or lifting weights, you’re always “training” it. The problem? Most people unknowingly teach their body to break down.

Take sitting, for example. It shortens and weakens your hip flexors and rotators, rounds your spine, and shuts off your glutes. This creates a chain reaction that leads straight to lower back pain. Most training programs don’t undo this damage—they reinforce it.

Effective training must be holistic and specific. You need to work not just the muscles that hurt, but the fascia and chains that surround them. That means targeted stretching, segmental strengthening, and spinal decompression like ELDOA—not generic “core” exercises or trendy workouts.

3. Bad Treatment Models: Are You Chasing Symptoms or Solving Causes?

Most conventional treatments focus on symptoms. You’re in pain, so you get pain meds, ice, or maybe some stretches on a sheet. That might help for a few days—but it doesn’t fix the cause.

Symptom-based care creates a cycle: Pain → Treatment → Temporary Relief → Pain Returns.

Cause-based therapy works differently. It asks:

  • Why did this pain start in the first place?
  • What movement patterns, lifestyle habits, or dysfunctions are at play?
  • What does your body specifically need to correct the problem?

In a cause-based model like mine, we assess how you move, how your spine functions, what your fascia is doing, and what your nervous system is compensating for. The goal isn’t just “feeling better”—it’s functioning better for life.

Bonus: Food, Hydration & Your Disc Health

Your lower back is only as healthy as what you feed it. Junk food, dehydration, and inflammation weaken your tissues—especially your discs. These shock-absorbing structures are 70% water. If they’re dehydrated, they shrink and lose strength.

Good food and proper hydration are not extras—they’re part of the solution.

So What Now?

Ask yourself:
Do you want to just feel less pain—or do you want to function better?

If it’s the latter, you need a program that:

  • Works holistically (not just locally)
  • Targets the cause, not just the symptoms
  • Evolves with your body over time

That’s the work I do. And if you’re ready, I’ve got a few options:

Lower back pain isn’t just about your back. It’s your posture, your habits, your beliefs, your biology. You can heal it—but only if you take a complete approach..

it’s not just working out, it’s building a foundation for a better life.

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AI and exercise. Is it leading you down the wrong path?

Using AI for fitness may seem like a modern-day solution. Brands like Peloton and Tonal promise an at-home personal trainer experience powered by smart technology. But is that program really right for your body? Will it help you progress—or leave you frustrated and stuck?

Hi, I’m Ekemba Sooh, owner of SolCore Fitness. I’ve spent 30 years helping people move, heal, and grow through a unique system based on osteopathy. That means I approach the body as a whole, with every part affecting the next. So when I see people relying on AI for their workouts, I can’t help but ask: is this truly helping?

Why AI Alone Falls Short in Fitness

AI—artificial intelligence—is smart. It can write content, answer questions, and automate tasks. I even use it myself to help outline articles. But when it comes to fitness, things get complicated. Most AI-powered fitness systems use general programming pulled from a shallow pool of traditional exercise science.

That’s a problem. Because if traditional fitness programs worked well on their own, we wouldn’t have an obesity epidemic, chronic pain issues, or confusion about how to train properly. You can be motivated and consistent, but if the program itself is misaligned with your body’s needs, you won’t get far.

Fitness companies saw a shortcut. They cut out human trainers and replaced them with tech. And because many people are already familiar with the exercises AI promotes—squats, deadlifts, pushups—it feels safe and familiar. But familiarity isn’t the same as effectiveness.

What AI Can’t See

AI doesn’t know your fascial restrictions, your structural imbalances, or your injury history. It doesn’t know if your pecs are tight or weak, or if your hip joint is compressed. It gives you a squat whether or not your body can do it safely.

Those “seven primal movements” (squat, bend, push, pull, lunge, twist, gait) are great—but only if your body is ready. Most people have compensations and limitations that need to be addressed first. Without that prep work, AI is just automating dysfunction.

For example, say you’re doing pushups. If your pecs are underdeveloped or overly tight, your body will still complete the movement—but it will cheat. And no amount of AI coaching will correct that unless it also includes isolation, fascial work, and joint mobility training.

A Holistic Approach Technology Can’t Replicate

I’m not anti-tech. I use Zoom to work with clients, spreadsheets to track progress, and video to educate. But I don’t let AI drive the program. I use human insight, years of study, and real-time feedback to shape each client’s path.

True holistic training means knowing which chains of movement are involved, how fascia influences motion, and how one area can throw off the whole system. It’s not just about what exercises you do, but how and when you do them—and what comes before.

Osteopathy embraces complexity, not generic templates. And while that makes it harder for big companies to scale, it’s also why it works.

Should You Use AI for Exercise?

If your goal is to move your body a few times a week and you’re not looking for deep transformation, then yes—AI can offer a convenient, affordable option. But if you want long-term results, sustainable change, and to actually understand and work with your body, it falls short.

Fitness isn’t about just “doing workouts.” It’s about building a relationship with your body—knowing what it needs, how it responds, and how to support it fully.

Want to Learn More?

If you’re ready to explore a smarter, deeper way to train, check out the resources below:

I’d also love to hear from you—have you tried AI-driven fitness tools? What was your experience like? Drop a comment or reach out and let’s have a real conversation about it.

Until next time,
Ekemba

it’s not just working out, it’s building a foundation for a better life.

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Do you know how to build the house of your body?🏠

SolCore therapy and fitness lead contractor of your body article

Taking control of your health is the goal. But unless you’re deep in the health and fitness world, you don’t know everything it takes.

Jumping between classes, trainers, and therapists feels productive. But that only works if you actually understand how to structure and integrate everything—if you’re truly acting as the lead contractor of your body.

Let me share a real-world example.

A woman came to one of my free monthly ELDOA classes. These community sessions let people experience holistic exercise firsthand through one powerful technique.

She found it helpful and booked a consultation. But once we sat down, I learned she was already working with a Pilates instructor, a personal trainer, and a therapist. 🧐

When I asked what she wanted from me, her answer was clear: “Just come to my house and teach me the ELDOAs.”

She thought ELDOA alone would fix everything. She also assumed seeing different professionals meant she was getting a full-body solution.

She wasn’t.

She was playing the lead contractor—but without the blueprint. She was making decisions with limited knowledge, based on marketing, hearsay, and assumptions. And unfortunately, her body showed the results. Technically speaking, she was “jacked up,” and continuing on that path was only going to make it worse.

This is a common mistake.

Many people take on the role of lead contractor of their body, but they don’t know what’s required. It’s like trying to build a house when you’ve only watched a few YouTube videos. You might know what a hammer does, but you don’t know how to use it in the context of framing a structure.

She needed to acknowledge what she didn’t know—and allow a qualified health and fitness professional to guide the process.

The lesson?

If you want lasting change, stop trying to piece together your wellness from random parts. Start building a strong, sustainable foundation with guidance.

🎯 Ready to learn how to take charge the right way?

👇🏾 Use the link below to grab your copy of:

“Move Better, Reduce Pain, and Live Life on Your Terms:
The 4 Steps to Break the Cycle, Fix It, and Keep It!”

Building a foundation for a better life.

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The Untold Truth About the SI Joint (And Why Most Fixes Fail)

The sacroiliac joint—or SI joint—is one of the most misunderstood areas in the body. And yet, it plays a massive role in your ability to move, feel good, and stay injury-free.

If you’ve ever looked for SI joint exercises or ways to relieve SI joint pain, chances are the info you found was generic, over-simplified, or just wrong. And that’s a problem.

A dysfunctional SI joint can prevent you from gaining strength, limit your mobility, and leave you stuck in a loop of recurring pain or injury.

Let’s fix that.

What Is the SI Joint (And Why Should You Care)?

The SI joint connects your sacrum (the base of your spine) to your ilium (your pelvic bones). You have two of them—left and right—and together they form the foundation of your pelvis.

Think of your pelvis as the floor of your body. If the floor is off, everything built on top—your spine, shoulders, legs—becomes misaligned.

Here’s the kicker: SI joint issues are often asymptomatic. You might be struggling with shoulder pain, knee discomfort, or tight hip flexors—and never realize the source is pelvic instability rooted in the SI joint.

Why Standard Fixes Don’t Work

Most practitioners don’t fully understand the SI joint. Some even claim it’s not a real joint or that it doesn’t move. That’s not just wrong—it’s dangerous.

The SI joint is a total joint:

  • It has a capsule
  • It contains synovial fluid
  • It has proprioceptors (tiny sensory “computers”)
  • It’s stabilized by key muscles and ligaments

When this area is off, you don’t just lose movement—you lose the ability to communicate with your body.

A Deeper Look: Movement and Dysfunction

Physiologically, the SI joint has one primary movement axis—called the oblique axis. It helps the sacrum and ilium move together smoothly as you walk or bend.

But when dysfunction sets in, the joint can fall into 20+ different pathological movement patterns, leading to all sorts of compensations, from a false leg length discrepancy to upper-body pain.

If your treatment or exercise doesn’t account for these patterns, you’re just treating symptoms—not the cause.

My Journey With the SI Joint

I’ve been in the health and fitness field for 30 years. I started out like most trainers—using standard methods like PT and corrective exercises. But when I injured my own back (L4-L5 disc bulge with sciatic pain), those traditional approaches didn’t help.

That’s when I found osteopathy. It opened my eyes to how the body truly works: as a holistic, interconnected system.

And the SI joint? It was central to the whole picture.

How I Assess and Work With SI Joint Issues

When someone comes into my studio (or online), one of the first places I assess is the SI joint—no matter what pain they report.

Why? Because if the foundation is off, everything else will be too.

Here’s my general approach:

  1. Assessment – Identify which part of the SI joint is involved (lesser arm, greater arm, apex, base, etc.).
  2. Ligament Reboot – Using manual therapy (like TLS and pumping) to reactivate proprioceptors and restore communication.
  3. Fascial Work – Addressing deeper fascial chains that are often involved but ignored.
  4. Specific Exercise – Not just general glute or core work, but targeted movement based on what your body needs.

Muscles involved include:

  • Piriformis
  • Glute Max (deep + superficial)
  • Glute Med
  • Obturatorius
  • Iliopsoas

But again, it’s not just about muscles. It’s about chains. You have to treat the whole system.

Don’t Google “3 Moves for SI Joint Pain” (Please)

Generic exercises might help a little—or they might make things worse.

Why? Because SI joint issues are specific. The dysfunction could be from one of many regions within the joint or even a combination of them. Without proper assessment, you’re guessing.

And in the body, guessing is a great way to stay stuck.

Want to Learn More?

I share more like this every week—so subscribe, share, and join the conversation. If you’re ready to go deeper:

Don’t let a misunderstood joint hold back your potential. Fix the foundation—so the rest of your body can finally thrive.

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 How to Be Present in Your Life: 9 Simple Ways to Stay Grounded

SolCore Therapy and fitness

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to constantly be somewhere else in your mind.

Scrolling through social media. Texting someone who isn’t in the room. Replaying yesterday or stressing about tomorrow.

This emotional disconnection is a signature of modern life. But when your body is here and your mind is not, you miss the real beauty of living—and the power of your own presence.

➡️ You’re not being the partner, parent, or friend you want to be.
➡️ You’re missing the beautiful gifts right in front of you.
➡️ You’re overlooking challenges and opportunities that matter.

The truth? You only get today. Yesterday’s gone. Tomorrow isn’t promised. What you do now is what counts. Here’s how to be present in your life, one moment at a time.

✅ 1. Breathe

Nothing centers you faster than your breath. Close your eyes and take three slow, deep breaths. If you want, take more.

✅ 2. Go Deeper

Explore mindfulness tools like meditation, guided apps, or yoga. You don’t need to be perfect—just consistent.

✅ 3. Unplug from Social Media

Nothing pulls you out of the present like scrolling. Schedule intentional scroll times and silence the rest.

✅ 4. Limit the News

Constant news exposure fuels anxiety. Stay informed, but stop doom-scrolling. You’ll be okay without the 24/7 feed.

✅ 5. Exercise Regularly

Move your body intentionally. Even a 15-minute walk clears your head and brings your attention back to now.

✅ 6. Practice Gratitude

Each day, jot down 1–3 things you’re grateful for. Speak your appreciation out loud. Smile at a stranger. It all counts.

✅ 7. Set Boundaries at Work

Take breaks. Turn off your phone after hours. Learn to say no when your plate is full. Boundaries are a gift to your future self.

✅ 8. Forget Multitasking

Focus on one thing at a time. Multitasking might feel productive, but it dilutes your attention and drains your energy.

✅ 9. Engage Your Senses

Look around. What do you see? Smell? Taste? Feel beneath your feet? Anchor yourself in what’s happening right now.

Some people get frustrated with presence practices. “It’s hard to stay focused,” they say.

They’re right. It is hard. Our minds wander—and that’s okay. Just gently return to the moment. Again and again. Like any practice, it gets easier over time.

Take a breath. Be gentle with yourself. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to show up.

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Allow the Process to Change You: Why Discomfort Leads to Growth

Click on the image to watch the video.

We’ve all heard the saying:

“Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is insanity.”

We know it logically. But most people don’t feel it deep enough to change. And that lack of internal understanding sabotages their progress before it even starts.

Let’s talk about why this happens—and what you can do instead.

The Fear Wall That Stops Real Change

As a SomaTherapist and SomaTrainer, I’ve worked with people for decades to help them overcome pain and build stronger, more balanced bodies. But I can often tell early on who’s going to succeed and who’s going to give up.

Those who succeed?
They’re open. They might feel the same fear and discomfort, but they don’t shut down. They let the process unfold.

Those who don’t?
They put up walls. They fear being uncomfortable, not understanding everything right away, and not feeling “safe” in uncertainty. That fear hijacks their ability to learn, grow, and trust their bodies. And it keeps them stuck.

Discomfort Is Part of the Path

Growth requires stress. Not too much—but definitely not zero.

Whether you’re pursuing a career, healing your body, or learning something new, you’ll go through moments of frustration and uncertainty. That’s the cost of real transformation.

Take my own story:
When I first experienced this work, it was hard. I felt it in unfamiliar places, and it was uncomfortable. But I let the process reshape me—physically, emotionally, and mentally.

The discomfort of staying stuck was worse than the discomfort of moving forward.

Linear Systems vs. Holistic Growth

Most people are used to symptom-based approaches:

  • Go to a chiropractor for your back
  • Go to a PT for your shoulder
  • Try a personal trainer for strength

But the body doesn’t work in isolated parts. It functions holistically.

When I start working with clients using a true osteopathic model, it surprises them. We’re not just addressing the painful spot—they begin moving and strengthening parts of their body they didn’t even know were involved. Tight, dry, and weak areas get activated. And yes—it feels foreign and uncomfortable.

But that discomfort is the signal that change is happening.

If You Don’t Let the Process Change You…

You’ll quit.
And quitting—even if it feels good in the moment—leads to a cycle of:

  1. Relief from stress
  2. Rationalization (“I know what’s best for my body”)
  3. Disappointment when things don’t improve
  4. A lowered threshold for quitting again

Eventually, quitting becomes part of your identity. And that’s a heavy burden to carry.

Your Identity Can Grow—If You Let It

You are more capable than you think. You’re more you than you realize. But that expanded version of you only emerges when you step into stress, growth, and challenge.

When you allow the process to change you—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally—something powerful happens:

  • You break the cycle.
  • You become more grounded in your body.
  • You expand your capacity as a human being.

Final Thought: Life Is Here to Help You Grow

As author Echeart Tolle said:

“Life isn’t here to make you comfortable. It’s here to help you grow.”

Growth comes from allowing, not controlling. From openness, not certainty. The process may not always feel easy—but the rewards are real and lasting.

Your turn: Have you gone through a process that challenged and changed you?
Leave a comment and let me know—I’d love to hear your story.

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Discover the Hidden Dangers of Anterior Pelvic Tilt

“Duck butt” might sound funny, but anterior pelvic tilt is no joke.

It’s a common postural issue where your pelvis tilts too far forward—and it’s one of the main reasons people suffer from chronic lower back pain, disc bulges, SI joint instability, and more.

I’m Ekemba Sooh, SomaTherapist and SomaTrainer. I had anterior pelvic tilt myself—and it played a major role in my L4-L5 disc bulge and sciatic pain. No trainer, therapist, or doctor ever told me the tilt was the root cause.

They were treating symptoms. Not the source.

Click on the image to watch

What Is Anterior Pelvic Tilt?

Your pelvis naturally tilts slightly forward to support upright movement. But anterior pelvic tilt happens when this angle becomes exaggerated and stuck—creating a “duck butt” posture.

This tilt disrupts your body’s alignment and sets the stage for chronic compensation patterns. Over time, these compensations become permanent dysfunctions.

How It Becomes a Problem

Your body is a biotensegrity structure—meaning it’s designed to distribute force efficiently across the entire system. If one area tightens or weakens, your body adjusts to keep you moving. That’s compensation.

Compensation isn’t bad at first. But if left unchecked, it snowballs into bigger problems:

  • Chronic lower back pain
  • Lumbar disc issues (bulges, herniations, stenosis)
  • SI joint dysfunction
  • Pelvic floor and organ dysfunction
  • Reduced performance and poor energy transfer

It all stems from the inability to attenuate force efficiently—because the structure is compromised.

What Causes Anterior Pelvic Tilt?

Too much sitting is a big culprit. It shortens the hip flexors (especially the psoas) and weakens the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, spinal stabilizers).

Over time, your body learns this dysfunctional position—and your nervous system adopts it as your default.

For some, it’s even genetic. But genetics just mean you have to be more intentional—not that you’re doomed.

Why Most Approaches Fail

Typical solutions focus on isolated muscles. But your body doesn’t work in isolation—it moves as an integrated system through fascia.

That’s why general exercise, yoga, and stretching routines often fail. You feel good temporarily, but your body snaps right back to the same pattern the next day.

Why? Because you didn’t train the fascia to support a new pattern.

The Real Solution: Train Fascia + Function

To fix anterior pelvic tilt, you need to retrain your entire structure:

  • Stretch the shortened hip flexors (especially the psoas)
  • Strengthen the weakened glutes, hamstrings, and back muscles
  • Activate fascia chains, not just muscles, to build intelligent, whole-body control

The best tools I’ve found for this are osteopathic-based etiology exercises—like the ELDOA and my full training system. These methods respect how the body actually works: as a connected, intelligent, adaptable structure.

When to Start? Now.

If you’re in your 20s or 30s—start now and prevent future issues.
If you’re in your 40s, 50s, or 60s—and already feeling pain—this needs to be your primary focus.

You can’t afford to ignore anterior pelvic tilt. It’s not just a posture issue—it’s a performance killer, a pain amplifier, and a hidden driver of long-term health problems.

What to Do Next

If this resonates, here are a few ways to go deeper:

Final Thought

Anterior pelvic tilt is a structural dysfunction—but it’s also an opportunity.

It’s your body’s way of asking for smarter input. When you respond with the right training, you’ll not only relieve pain—you’ll become stronger, more mobile, and more connected to your body than ever before.

Don’t wait until things break down. Train holistically. Train intelligently. Train to support the life you want to live..

Building a foundation for a better life.

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The Surprising Truth About Iliopsoas Muscle Pain

If you’re dealing with iliopsoas muscle pain—sometimes called psoas pain—you’re not alone. The iliopsoas plays a critical role in how your spine, pelvis, and hips move… and when it’s tight, weak, or dysfunctional, it can cause low back pain, hip pain, bursitis, pelvic issues, and more.

But here’s the real problem:
Most people—and even many professionals—oversimplify it. They give you generic psoas stretches or strengthening exercises that don’t address the full picture.

Let’s change that.

Click on the image to watch

What Is the Iliopsoas Muscle?

The iliopsoas is a deep muscle made of multiple parts: the psoas major, psoas minor, and iliacus. It doesn’t just run from your spine to your hip—it has multiple attachments at the spine, pelvis, and upper leg, making it a true tensegrity muscle in the osteopathic model.

That means it plays a central role in connecting and coordinating movement between your upper and lower body.
It also means problems with your iliopsoas don’t stay localized—they can ripple out into your spine, pelvis, or even internal organs through fascial connections.

Why Basic Psoas Stretches Don’t Work

Search the internet and you’ll see the same stretch everywhere: kneeling lunge, arms overhead, arch the back, slide forward.

Sounds familiar?

Here’s what’s wrong with it:

  • It ignores the multiple fiber directions and attachment points of the iliopsoas
  • It reinforces poor spinal positioning and can compress the lumbar discs
  • It fails to address fascia, which is key for actual lengthening and balance
  • It’s based on basic anatomy—not the complex interconnections that actually matter

Worse, these stretches can aggravate spinal conditions and reinforce patterns that caused your pain in the first place.

A Holistic Way to Work With the Iliopsoas

To truly improve iliopsoas muscle function, you need a program that goes beyond muscle alone.

Enter Hill’s Muscle Model:

A true holistic approach includes:

  • The muscle itself
  • The fascia that supports and connects it
  • The ligaments and joints it influences

All three work together. You can’t isolate one and expect long-term results.

What I Do Instead

As a Soma therapist and trainer with 30 years of experience—18 under the osteopathic model—I help people move and heal holistically.

Here’s how I work with the iliopsoas:

  1. Normalize the fascia
    Fascia surrounds and runs through the psoas like a spiderweb. If it’s twisted or adhered, the muscle can’t function correctly. Manual therapy helps unwind these patterns.
  2. Myofascial stretching
    Instead of basic stretches, I use biomechanically precise postures that account for all attachments and fiber directions. These target the whole chain, not just one part.
  3. Postural release
    Sometimes, just hanging in a specific posture allows the psoas to release more deeply than any active stretch. I show clients how to do this safely and effectively.
  4. Strengthen it—correctly
    A tight muscle can also be weak. I use movement patterns that strengthen the iliopsoas in the right directions, based on how it truly functions.
  5. Address the surrounding system
    That includes spinal stabilizers like the transverse spinalis, longissimus, iliocostalis, and lats. Muscles don’t work in isolation—they work in systems.

Want to Try a Simple Postural Release?

Here’s a safe, passive way to begin releasing the iliopsoas:

  • Sit on the edge of your bed or a bench
  • Lie back and hold one knee to your chest
  • Let the other leg hang off the edge
  • Hold for as long as is comfortable
  • Switch sides

This gentle release works with the body rather than forcing it.

Ready for Deeper Change?

Most iliopsoas issues don’t get better with surface-level fixes.
You need to work with the cause, not just the symptoms.

If this resonates with you, I have a few resources:
✅ Free Resource – To Get Mobile, Get Out of Pain, and Live the Life of Your Dreams
✅ Consultation – Want to work together? Book a time via the Calendly link

You’re capable of more than you think. Allow the process to change you—and you’ll be amazed at what your body can do.

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How to Make and Stick with a Commitment to Health and Wellness 

People often ask me how I stay committed to my health and wellness.

Well, first—if I’m being honest—I’m kind of anal-retentive. I like having a plan, following through, and doing the work to keep myself moving forward. 🤪

But the real key?
I treat my health like a relationship.

And just like any relationship, it can’t be one-sided. If all you do is take, take, take… eventually, that relationship falls apart. You have to listen, give, and nurture.

Life is hectic. It’s easy to push your well-being to the bottom of your to-do list. But here’s something I want you to really hear:

👉 It’s not easier to do nothing.
👉 It’s not cheaper in the long run.
👉 And it’s definitely not selfish to take care of yourself.

Your body wants to live the amazing life you envision—but it needs your support to do that. Not pressure. Not punishment. But TLC.

That’s where a lot of people go wrong. They don’t make it a priority until something goes wrong. And when they do? They want results immediately.

But ask yourself this:
What if someone treated YOU like that in a relationship? 💥

Find Your Why

The real secret to lasting commitment starts with a single, powerful question:

What’s your WHY?
Who do you want to become?

Before you figure out what you’re going to do… or where you’re going to do it… or how much it will cost, or how long it will take…
You must first know WHY it matters to you.

That’s what gets you started.
And that’s what keeps you going.

So take a minute—maybe even longer—to reflect. This might come to you right away. Or you may need to journal, meditate, or talk it through with someone you trust.

However it comes, honor it.
This is your foundation.

Because when you know your WHY, you stop bouncing between random workouts and wishful thinking. You stop waiting for someone to come in and “fix” you.

This Is the Path

Yes, it’s still going to take work. You’ll have good days and hard days.

But like Eckhart Tolle says:

“Life is not here to make you happy. It’s here to help you grow.”

And when you choose to walk this empowered path, you will grow. You’ll learn. You’ll stumble. You’ll get up again. And you’ll build a life that’s more meaningful than you ever imagined.

Just take the first step.
Commit to yourself.

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Shoulder Strengthening Exercises for Strength, Mobility, and Injury Prevention

Having strong, mobile shoulders is essential—not just for lifting or sports, but for your entire body’s health.

But most shoulder pain solutions and “best rotator cuff” workouts you find online are incomplete. They miss critical pieces of the puzzle—especially the joints involved and the two most forgotten muscles you must train for real results.

Let’s break it down.

Click on the image to watch the video.

Your Shoulder Is More Than One Joint

Most people think of the shoulder as just the glenohumeral joint—where your arm bone (humerus) meets the socket in your shoulder blade (glenoid). But that’s only one piece.

There are five distinct joints that make up the shoulder complex:

  • Glenohumeral joint
  • Subdeltoid joint
  • Sterno-chondral-costal-clavicular (SCCC) joint
  • AC (acromioclavicular) joint
  • Serratic joint (under the shoulder blade)

Each joint plays a role in shoulder mobility and strength. If even one is off, your whole shoulder can suffer—often leading to pain or dysfunction on the opposite side of the problem area.

You Need More Than Muscles—But the Right Ones Matter

Your rotator cuff and deltoid muscles are essential, but they’re just the beginning.

The long head of the bicep and long head of the tricep attach to the glenoid from above and below. When you lose function in either (like after bicep surgery), you sacrifice major stability.

Other important players:

  • Pec major/minor
  • Latissimus dorsi
  • Trapezius
  • Levator scapulae
  • Serratus posterior superior

But two muscles stand out as most neglected and critical:

The Most Important Muscles You’re Probably Ignoring

1. Serratus Anterior

Fans out from your ribs to your shoulder blade. It helps anchor and stabilize the scapula while allowing fluid movement.

2. Rhomboids (major and minor)

Run from your spine to your scapula and work as antagonists to the serratus anterior. Together, these two maintain the neutral, retracted position of your shoulder blades—which affects everything from head posture to pelvic balance.

If your shoulder blades are unstable or misaligned, it can trigger a cascade of dysfunction:

  • Forward head posture
  • Decreased mobility
  • Increased injury risk
  • Compensations in your spine and opposite hip

The Joint Must Be “Smart” and “Fluid”

It’s not enough to strengthen muscles. Your joints need:

  • Fluidity (healthy fascia)
  • Neurological engagement (a “smart” joint)

If your serratic joint is stiff and disconnected, your shoulder gets noisy—literally. That cracking/popping you hear? That’s congealed fascia, not bones moving.

Smart Shoulder Training: What It Takes

Train with Hill’s muscle model in mind:
Every muscle needs its fibers, fascia, and joint working together for full function.

✅ Serratus anterior training must include multi-angle work and differentiate between the rib and scapular attachments.
✅ Rhomboid work must target both the major and minor and be done above the glenohumeral line, where the scapula locks and moves as one with the arm.

Most programs miss this. They focus on the “burn,” not the biomechanics.

Don’t Forget the Spine

A kyphotic (overly rounded) upper spine pushes the head and shoulders forward—undermining even the best exercises.

You can work your serratus and rhomboids all day, but without spinal mobility and scapular positioning, your results will be limited.

Want Help?

If you’re ready to take a holistic approach to shoulder health:

I’ve been doing this for 30 years under an osteopathic paradigm. I don’t guess—I assess, and I train with the full body in mind.

Let’s get those shoulders strong, stable, and pain-free.

Building a foundation for a better life.

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