Back Pain

Personal Training Success Story – Denise Johnson

Santa Fe personal training success client shares her journey

Meet Denise Johnson—Turning Setbacks Into Success

Some people just know how to work hard, and Denise Johnson is the definition of that spirit. Years of emergency room nursing, logging 250 cycling miles a week, and raising a family—Denise knows hustle. But when back pain hit and “working harder” didn’t fix it, she found herself at a frustrating crossroads.

With a nudge from her friend Amy Weyrauch, Denise gave SolCore Fitness a shot. She met challenges head-on, moving from skepticism to hope—and ultimately, to a brand new kind of success. Instead of giving up when the “just stretching” approach felt hard, Denise stuck to the process and proved that real results come from trusting the journey.

Q&A With Denise—Insight, Wins, and Encouragement

Q: What made you decide to start?
“My back was in constant pain from spinal stenosis, and I wanted to get back to real health and fitness. If you don’t have your health, you can’t enjoy the life you’ve worked for.”

Q: What did you do before?
“I was a spin instructor, racer, and avid walker, but nothing stopped the pain. I tried every modality out there, always with lukewarm results.”

Q: Results you’re proud of?
“My back feels fantastic! Myofascial stretching and ELDOA made a huge difference. I now know how to move properly, and I’m more connected to my health and fitness.”

Q: Favorite and least favorite exercises?
“I love all strength exercises, especially lifting weights. ELDOA and myofascial stretching? Still tough, but I know they’re what I need.”

Q: Challenges or current goals?
“Myself—continuing to grow and reconnect.”

Q: What do you like best about the program/trainer?
“The education. Learning how to move the right way and correct pain has been invaluable.”

Q: Advice to other members?
“Stick with it. The mental adjustment as you age is real, but support makes all the difference.”

Q: For someone on the fence?
“If you can’t commit to yourself, you can’t commit to anything. This program will help if you’re in pain.”

Feeling inspired by Denise’s commitment and results? Find your own strength and relief with SolCore Fitness:
https://www.solcorefitness.com/personal-training-and-manual-therapy/


Get more information @ 

Facebook

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

Bluesky

 

 

 

How Training The Pelvis Helps Lower Back Pain

Pelvis alignment exercise for back pain relief Santa Fe

Why Your Pelvis is the “Base” of Back Health

It’s easy to assume fitness is all about cardio or visible muscle, but real movement starts with the pelvis. This unsung “base” affects daily posture, power, and how you feel after everything from desk work to hiking or skiing. Even with good cardio, surprising imbalances in the pelvis can trigger—or worsen—lower back pain, kyphosis, and neck or shoulder strain.

After hands-on ELDOA training (and a wake-up call about spinal health!), it becomes clear why skilled trainers prioritize pelvic tucks and alignment at every warm-up. The pelvis is like the junction box for all chains in the body—slight tilts send stress rippling through the spine, creating compensations and, ultimately, pain.

Chains, Imbalances, and Fixing “Old Man Spine”

Many back issues are rooted in imbalances from repetitive motion or poor form: one muscle gets tight, its counterpart becomes weak, and faulty movement patterns emerge. The good news? You can retrain these patterns through technique, balanced activation, and repetition—just like re-learning a language, but for your posture.

Keeping the pelvis neutral means four major muscle groups stay balanced and the rest of the body can “stack” comfortably. Back pain remains the top workplace health problem in the U.S., costing billions, with prevention nearly always better (and smarter) than last-minute fixes.

ELDOA—Why Spinal Space Means Less Pain

While there’s no “magic pill,” ELDOA training promotes lasting change by normalizing muscle and fascia tension, strengthening posture, and making more space in the spine. Benefits include better blood flow, reduced disc pressure, spinal rehydration, improved tone, and a real sense of wellbeing. Maintain your “homework”—especially the L5-S1 wall stretch ELDOA—for better daily movement and far less pain.

Learn more about misalignment patterns and the best corrective strategies SolCore Fitness recommends—find your own path to pain-free living in Santa Fe:
https://www.solcorefitness.com/segmental-strengthening/
Get more information @ 

Facebook

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

Bluesky

 

 

 

Personal Training Success Story – Barbara Hendrick

Client success story—overcoming back pain with personal training Santa Fe

Barbara’s Story—Back in Action, Pain-Free

When Barbara Hendrick came to SolCore Fitness, back pain from a horseback riding accident had derailed her active life and was only getting worse. She’d tried physical therapy, osteopathic treatments, and even expensive injections—nothing worked until she committed to a new approach. After a thorough consult, it was clear Barbara was ready to work hard and make lasting changes.

An avid bookkeeper and “ridiculously active” outdoor enthusiast, Barbara’s passion for hiking, paddle boarding, water aerobics, pilates, and gardening made it essential for her to move pain-free. For her, being able to hike with her husband was non-negotiable: “If I couldn’t hike with Chris, then what’s the use in living?”

Q & A: Barbara’s Journey in Her Words

What made you decide you wanted/needed to start a program?
Back pain. I had hurt my back horseback riding and it was getting unbearable. I was desperate.

What did you do before?
I had done PT, Osteopath treatments and a 3 set round of Prolotherapy, and none of it worked to ease my back pain.

What results have you achieved since starting your program that you are proud of?
I have much better posture now. My spine is much more flexible and has a lot more mobility. And now even when I do activates that really cause my back to tighten up (like gardening) it goes back to normal really quickly.
Editor’s note: Barbara got hurt in August 2013. She started classes in May 2014, and by August 2014 she was able to go horseback riding without pain!

Do you have a favorite exercise? Least? What do you like or don’t like about them?
Frogs (inner thigh stretches) and butterflies (upper back strengthening) are my least favorite even though I know they are good for me. I love all the other exercises, because I know that I am doing a lot of good for my body by making it stronger and more flexible. If I did have to choose two movements that I especially love, it would be the 90/90/90s and the sliding back and forth move with my spine. The sliding move (lateral translation) really opened my spine, and the 90/90/90 (obturator internus myo-fascial stretch) balanced my pelvis and kept my back out of pain.

What are some challenges or goals you are currently working on?
To keep my body in a place where I can keep playing. I want to hike, horseback ride, paddle board, work out, garden, etc., without the fear of getting hurt.

What do you like best about our program/having a trainer?
You guys make it so comfortable to come and work out. And it is a lot of fun in class. Really humorous.

What advice would you give to the other SolCore Fitness members?
Do your homework! (I swear I didn’t make her say that)
Side note: It took Barbara about four months before she started doing her homework. When she did, her results started to be extremely rapid.

What would you say to someone on the fence about joining our program?
Give it a try. To try it for three months is nothing.

Inspired by Barbara’s journey and want to get moving again without pain?
Explore how our Personal Training and Manual Therapy can help:
https://www.solcorefitness.com/personal-training-and-manual-therapy/

Get more information @ 

Facebook

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

Bluesky

 

 

The 3 Reasons Why Boot Camps Wreck Your Body!

Fitness boot camp injury prevention, safe group exercise Santa Fe

The 3 Reasons Boot Camps Miss the Mark (and Wreck Your Body)

Most fitness boot camps promise fast results and endless motivation—but the reality is that they usually bring plateaus, frustration, and more injuries than improvements. After two decades as a personal trainer, it’s clear: these environments rarely deliver safe, lasting change.

1) Pushing People Far Past Their Capacity

Jumping from sedentary living to max-intensity workouts isn’t a smart progression. Sally, for example, is active but mostly sedentary, then suddenly thrown into a high-intensity, one-size-fits-all boot camp. The result? Pain, exhaustion, and risk—not the strength and physique she hoped for.

2) No Thorough Evaluation

A quick body fat test is not an evaluation. Without deeply understanding each person’s history, injuries, and goals, real risk factors get missed. Issues like back pain, compressed discs, tight fascia, or underlying patterns are ignored—not safe or productive.

3) No Individual Adaptation

Movement is good, but random, unadapted movement in a crowded class isn’t a recipe for success. To truly progress, each person needs a structured plan, progressing from stability to strength and flexibility based on their current state and future goals.

What Makes a Group Class Actually Safe and Effective?

SolCore Fitness’s Group Exercise Classes are built on holistic assessment and progressive, biomechanically sound programming. Every participant is evaluated, each movement is biomechanically purposeful, and adaptation is a constant. The results? Real pain relief, improved posture, body awareness, and sustainable strength—without the wreckage.

Looking to lose pain, build posture and strength, and actually enjoy your fitness journey?
Group Exercise Classes:
https://www.solcorefitness.com/group-exercise-classes/

Get more information @ 

Facebook

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

Bluesky

 

 

What Is a Corrective Exercise? (And Why Most Are Not Corrective at All)

The phrase corrective exercise shows up everywhere in gyms, physical therapy clinics, and YouTube workout channels. But here’s the problem: most so-called “corrective” movements do very little to actually correct the body. They might stretch a muscle or make you sweat, but they don’t normalize posture, biomechanics, or fascia—the true foundations of movement.

A real corrective exercise does not just look good on paper or fit a trendy label. It changes the way your body functions, balances tension across joints, and restores harmony in the system. When done correctly, it should help your body hold better alignment naturally, not just while you’re doing the exercise.

True corrective exercise, ELDOA, and back pain relief Santa Fe

What Makes a Real Corrective Exercise?

A genuine corrective exercise should check three essential boxes:

  1. Targeted impact – It works on a specific area of the body (a joint, spinal segment, or fascial chain) that is out of balance.
  2. Posture-driven – Instead of isolating one muscle, it addresses how that area interacts with the entire body through tensegrity (balanced tension).
  3. Sustainable change – The result is not just a temporary stretch or pump. You should feel and move differently afterward—less pain, more space, better function.

If an exercise doesn’t create these changes, it isn’t truly corrective—it’s just another generic workout move.

The Wrong Example (And What’s Better)

Take the prone cobra (also called the McKenzie press-up). This exercise is often given for back pain because it forces the spine into extension. The idea is that “arching” the back will reduce disc pressure. But for most adults, especially those with disc compression or herniation, this is risky.

Here’s why: when the discs are already being pushed backward, forcing them into more extension just squeezes them further. Instead of healing, you may end up with more bulging, nerve irritation, or even worsening herniation.

What’s better? Instead of forcing a position, true corrective exercise should decompress the spine. It should create space, not more compression. That’s where ELDOA comes in.

ELDOA—The #1 Corrective Exercise for Back Pain

ELDOA (developed by French osteopath Guy VOYER, DO) is the gold standard of corrective exercise for compressive spinal pain. Unlike generic stretches, ELDOA uses precise, postural positions designed to open space between individual vertebrae.

  • How it works: Each ELDOA posture places the body in exact angles and tensions that “self-normalize” a joint. For the spine, this creates decompression at the disc level, allowing fluid exchange and rehydration.
  • The result: Pain decreases, posture improves, and your body begins to “hold” better alignment naturally.

Instead of simply masking symptoms, ELDOA corrects the underlying problem—compression. That’s what makes it a real corrective exercise.

Why ELDOA Works When Other Methods Fail

Traditional corrective programs often:

  • Focus too much on strengthening one muscle group.
  • Stretch areas without integrating them into full-body posture.
  • Treat the symptom instead of the structure.

ELDOA takes the opposite approach. By targeting the fascia and tensegrity system, it changes how the whole spine functions. Members at SolCore Fitness in Santa Fe have used ELDOA to finally find freedom from chronic back and neck pain—even when physical therapy, chiropractic, or generic “core” programs didn’t help.

The difference is clear:

  • Not corrective: “Do this back extension, it’ll feel good.”
  • Corrective: “Here’s the exact posture that decompresses your L5-S1 disc, restores balance, and lets your spine move naturally again.”

That’s the power of real corrective exercise.

The Takeaway

If you’ve been searching for corrective exercise for back pain, be careful. Most of what’s out there is not truly corrective—it’s just exercise with a fancy label. The right approach doesn’t push your spine further into trouble. It creates space, restores balance, and sets your body up for lasting relief.

That’s why, at SolCore Fitness, we use ELDOA as the cornerstone of corrective back pain programs. Because when you correct the source, not just the symptom, you get long-term freedom—not another temporary fix.


Want to try ELDOA and set a true foundation for a pain-free, active life?
Free Consultation
https://www.solcorefitness.com/free-consultation/

Get more information @ 

Facebook

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

Bluesky