Corrective exercises

Dec 21 2024

Katy G – When All Else Failed, She Tried Again And Succeeded

The big smile that Katy comes in with is always a joy to see. But situations with her body were trying to take that smile away. You see, 10 years ago, she was injured at work. The pain and limited activity were constant companions.

She tried PT, Cranial Sacral, and all types of bodywork massage, including Rolfing, Feldenkreis, acupuncture, chiropractic, ergonomic office assessments, and yoga classes, and bought various DVDs specific to back issues. In 2023, I had spine surgery for sciatica and stenosis. She suspected her back would have been worse sooner without these efforts, but they didn’t fix matters.

Activities like gardening, bending, walking, and sitting were severely limited and painful. She had sciatica every day and neuropathy in her shin and foot. The walking distance was short, and her speed was slow. Sitting down really locked up her back and glutes. Standing was more comfortable. Lying prone with ice offered some relief.

Medicare cut off her PT five months after surgery, but she was still not okay. To make matters worse, and her frustration, PT had not helped much anyway. She was praying for direction when she saw an ad for a free SolCore Fitness trial class on Facebook (this is our Monthly Free ELDOA class).

She signed up online and attended the free Saturday group class, and since she found it so beneficial, she signed up for the 2-week trial to give SolCore Fitness a fair test. Ekemba Sooh did an assessment of my issues so he knows what is safe to do. Ekemba is active in class, hands-on, adjusting student postures, and he is very aware of our abilities and injuries. She also signed up for some individual sessions to include the manual therapy techniques because “I was desperate to get better.”

After six months of classes, she continues to improve. She walks better, moves easier, can sit longer, has reduced duration, is less frequent, and travels more efficiently. Since she continues to make progress, she is motivated to keep going and continue to improve her body, health, and life. So, She is sticking with the program that got her there.

Find out more @

May 04 2024

Gardening. The Unwanted Effects On Your Body.

🌱 Gardening Hurts? How to Protect Your Body While Doing What You Love

Gardening brings joy to so many people — the satisfaction of growing your own food or flowers, the quiet peace of working in the soil. But for many, it also brings back pain, neck stiffness, sore knees, or overall fatigue. It doesn’t have to be that way.

I’m Ekemba Sooh, owner of SolCore Fitness. I’ve been in the health and fitness field for over 30 years, working under the osteopathic model. And here’s what I want you to know:

Gardening is a sport. It’s physically demanding. And like any sport, if you don’t prepare your body for it, you’ll pay for it.

In this blog, I’ll break down:

Simple things you can do to avoid injury and feel better

Why gardening leads to pain

What’s really happening to your knees, back, and spine

Click on the image to watch the video

🌻 Gardening is More Demanding Than You Think

Here’s what most people miss: gardening places a huge load on the body.

You’re squatting, bending, twisting, lifting, and often holding these positions for long periods. That’s a combination of:

External load (heavy pots, rocks, plants)
Postural load (static crouching, awkward angles)
Repetitive strain (hours of weeding, digging)

One of my clients — an art teacher — came to me years ago with chronic pain. After months of work, she felt great and was living her life again… until one weekend she gardened for five hours straight. No warm-up. No cool-down. She undid months of progress in one afternoon.

This isn’t about fear — it’s about awareness.

🦵 Your Knees: Why Squatting Hurts Later

Gardening involves constant squatting, both dynamic and static. The knee joint is most stable at 90 degrees — but once you drop lower, things start to rub.

A law in biomechanics called Delpech’s Law tells us that high pressure on a surface leads to the body producing more tissue. In the knees, this can lead to roughened cartilage, causing pain, grinding, and inflammation — especially if you do it over and over without support.

🧍‍♂️ Your Lower Back: Lever Arms & Fascia Fatigue

Ever notice how heavy things feel when you’re bent forward? That’s the lever arm principle. The further out the weight (or your torso), the more strain on your lower back.

From your belly button to your pelvis, you don’t have bones to hold things together. Your fascia — soft tissue layers — does the job. But fascia needs to be hydrated, supple, and trained to support load.

If your fascia isn’t prepped, long hours in bent-over positions can overwhelm it. That leads to tightness, spasms, or worse.

🌀 Your Spine: Why Flexing and Twisting Are Dangerous

Most gardening tasks involve two risky combinations:

Flexion + Rotation (scooping dirt, weeding)
Extension + Rotation (reaching up and twisting)

Both compress the spine’s joints and increase the risk of disc issues like bulges, herniations, or pinched nerves — especially if your spine isn’t stabilized by surrounding muscles and fascia.

This isn’t about avoiding movement. It’s about training your body to handle those movements safely.

🏋️‍♀️ What You Can Do to Prevent Gardening Injuries

Here are the three keys to keeping your body pain-free while gardening:

1. Train Like It’s a Sport

You wouldn’t try to deadlift 500 pounds without a program, right? Gardening is no different. Your body needs a holistic strength and mobility plan based on what you’re asking it to do — not just general workouts, but targeted prep for your spine, knees, pelvis, and fascia.

2. Warm Up Before Gardening

Your body is like an old car — it needs a few minutes to “rev the engine.” A proper warm-up turns on your muscular and neurological systems, thins out the fluids in your joints and fascia, and helps prevent injury.

Here’s a short warm-up that targets the most stressed areas:

👣 Knees

Knee Circles (clockwise and counterclockwise)
Figure 8s (vertical and horizontal)
These gentle movements lubricate the joint and prep ligaments for squatting.

🧘 Pelvis

Pelvic Rocks in a wide-stance position with knees bent and torso upright. Helps activate the hips and lumbar spine.

🌀 Spine

Torso Translations & Tilts with arms in external rotation. Warms the ribcage and mid-back while protecting from over-compression.

Just 5–7 minutes of this can drastically improve how your body handles the demands of gardening.

3. Recover After Gardening

You’ve loaded the system — now you have to unload it. Stretch the areas you used. Use fascia-specific movements or myofascial stretches to rebalance the body. Don’t just sit down and let it tighten up.

Using Osteopathic manual therapy techniques like TTLS, work with the body and speed up healing to regain function.

🌿 Want to Keep Gardening for Life?

If gardening brings you joy, it’s worth protecting. And if you want help, I’ve got 3 easy ways to start:

👉 Download my Free Guide: 4 Steps to a Mobile, Pain-Free Life
🗓️ Book a Consultation to talk about your specific body and goals

Let me help you garden smarter, not harder — and keep doing what you love for years to come.

Building a foundation for a better life.

Find out more @

Mar 09 2024

Unlocking the Power of the Squat Exercise

The squat exercise is one of the seven primal movements. But unlike the others, a properly executed squat is the only one that can directly improve your posture.

Most people learn to squat the wrong way. Fitness classes, trainers, and online videos often pass down bad form like it’s tradition. Challenges like “100 squats a day” only reinforce poor patterns. They don’t teach you how to move—they teach your body how to compensate.

That’s a problem.

Click the image to watch the full video.

Why the Squat Exercise Matters So Much

A squat isn’t just for building legs or glutes. It’s a global movement that involves your whole body working together. In fact, it’s made up of multiple smaller systems working in harmony—from your pelvic floor to your jaw.

Done right, it’s one of the most powerful tools you have for long-term strength, mobility, and posture.

Done wrong, it becomes a slow leak—wearing down your body over years until the damage is finally too loud to ignore.

Most People Are Taught the Squat All Wrong

When I started training back in my teens, I was told to arch my back, stick my butt out, and look up. It felt powerful—but it placed massive stress on my lower back and neck. I didn’t feel pain for years. But by the time I hit 35, that form had helped cause a spinal issue and sciatic pain.

That’s how compensation patterns work. You don’t feel them until they’ve done damage.

And unfortunately, a lot of fitness systems still teach that exact form today.

The Squat and Posture: A Unique Relationship

Unlike bending, pushing, or pulling, the squat uses and improves your posture—if done correctly.

Your postural system is made up of:

The Plumb Line (ear, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle alignment)
The Gravity Line (a 4-degree cone rising from your pubic bone)

The squat interacts with both. If your plumb line is off, squatting can make things worse. But if you squat with awareness and alignment, it actually helps reinforce your posture inside that gravity cone.

What It Takes to Do a Proper Squat Exercise

The squat is built from many parts. Each part needs to function independently before it can function together.

Here’s what that means:

✅ The Beam Phenomenon

Your torso needs to move like a solid beam—no wobble. That requires training your:

Pelvic floor
Abs (especially lower abs)
Diaphragm
Lats
Pecs
Fascia in the mouth and throat

✅ Foot and Ankle Mechanics

Your feet are your foundation. A weak or collapsed arch (especially at the navicular bone) throws off everything above. You may need arch support or proper shoes when lifting heavy.

✅ Pelvic Tuck and Knee Drive

A good squat is knee-dominant. That means knees move first—not hips.

At the same time, keep your pelvis tucked and chin tucked to stay in the beam. This requires both abdominal strength and fascial flexibility in the back.

If your soleus and calves are tight, your heels will lift and stop your knees from driving forward. So you may need to stretch and strengthen your calves to get full range.

Learning to Squat Means Slowing Down

If you’re constantly focused on performance or fat loss, you’re not giving your body the time it needs to learn proper form. And in a class environment, correcting your form often isn’t the priority.

That’s like trying to learn typing by mashing keys as fast as possible without learning the keyboard.

It’s not a matter of willpower—it’s just bad input. And bad input = bad output.

Good Squat = Good Life

Learning how to do a proper squat gives you a relationship with your body.

You’ll learn where you’re tight, where you’re weak, and where you’ve been compensating without even knowing it. And when you address those things, your body responds.

You get stronger. You feel better. You age slower.

Want Help With Your Squat?

I’ve helped thousands of people reconnect to their bodies through correct, holistic training. Here’s how you can start:

📘 Download the free eBook on mobility, posture, and pain relief
📅 Book a consultation to get 1-on-1 feedback on your squat and your training

You’ve been given a body that can last 90+ years. The squat exercise is one of the best ways to take care of it.

Let’s make sure you’re doing it right.

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

Find out more @

Jan 20 2024

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:

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Building a foundation for a better life.

Find out more @

Jan 10 2024

Amber SolCore Fitness and Therapy Success

Sometimes, what you’re doing just stops working. For Amber, it took years of yoga, chronic pain, and a sudden breakdown to realize her body needed something different. This is her story—and how SolCore Fitness helped her shift from injury to healing.

When Pain Overrides the Pose

Amber had been practicing yoga since she was 19. It was more than a workout—it was a lifestyle. She loved the wildness, the philosophy, the breath work, and the physicality.

But over time, yoga shifted. The deeper, spiritual practice faded, replaced by fast-paced, athletic movements. Like many, Amber had flexibility—but not mobility or strength. She could move into poses, but her body couldn’t support them.

Eventually, her back gave out.

“It was the day after Thanksgiving. I stepped out of the car and literally couldn’t move. I crawled up the stairs to my mom’s house. It was terrifying.”

That moment wasn’t random. It was the result of years of compensation, strain, and bypassing the body’s needs. Her long-time bodyworker warned her:

“You’re too stretchy. You need real strength.”

Why Yoga Alone Couldn’t Help

Amber loved yoga. But she realized she had been using it to avoid—not address—her deeper structural issues. Like many, she thought movement alone was enough. But flexibility without strength, and effort without direction, only made things worse.

“I didn’t want to bash yoga. But I had to admit—it wasn’t working. My body needed something more holistic, structured, and biomechanically sound.”

Enter SolCore Fitness.

A New Approach: Structured, Subtle, and Demanding

Amber admits it wasn’t easy at first.

SolCore’s program required consistency and re-learning. The exercises were unfamiliar and subtle—but also deeply challenging.

“It was counterintuitive. I had to unlearn how I’d been moving for decades. But the subtlety was powerful. Within six months, I was 75% better.”

Through personalized training and a focus on fascia, mobility, strength, and proprioception, Amber rebuilt her foundation. The back pain lessened. Her posture improved. Her nervous system regulated.

And maybe most importantly, she reclaimed her relationship with her body.

Lasting Changes and a New Way Forward

Amber still has a desk job. She still feels occasional pain. But now she knows how to manage it. She’s no longer dependent on yoga poses to feel “better.”

She’s walking more, doing breathwork, meditating again—and she can sit in silence without discomfort.

“This has helped me return to the real yoga: presence, breath, and awareness. I found a better balance.”

Her advice?

“Don’t wait until things break down. Be willing to change. What worked in your 20s won’t work forever. Find a system that evolves with you.”

Want to Explore a Better Path for Your Body?

Amber’s story is one of many. At SolCore Fitness & Therapy, we help people get out of pain and into possibility through a method that combines manual therapy, fascia-based training, and deep biomechanical insight.

💬 Curious if it’s right for you? Click here to schedule a free consult.

📄 Want the case study version? Click here to download.

Building a foundation for a better life.

Find out more @

Dec 23 2023

Unlocking Vitality: The Power of Zone 2 Cardio for Optimal Health and Fitness

Zone 2 cardio is getting a lot of attention lately—and for good reason. But this isn’t just another fitness trend. If used properly, Zone 2 cardio can become the foundation of your long-term health, energy, and recovery.

Let’s break it down and show you how to make Zone 2 part of a complete, fascia-informed training approach—not just another checkbox in your routine.

Click the image to watch the video

What Is Zone 2 Cardio?

Zone 2 is the second level in a 5-zone cardiovascular scale, where your body primarily uses fat and oxygen (aerobic metabolism) to fuel movement.
It sits between gentle movement and high-intensity exercise, typically falling between 60–70% of your max heart rate.

Not sure what that means?
Start with a basic estimate: 220 - your age = max heart rate.
Then calculate 60–70% of that number.

More precise formulas exist, but the important thing is to start where you are and listen to your body.

✅ A heart rate monitor (Apple Watch, Garmin, etc.) can help
✅ You should still be able to talk comfortably while training (aka the “talk test”)
✅ You may still breathe mostly through your nose

Why Zone 2 Cardio Works So Well

Zone 2 improves how efficiently your body uses oxygen, delivers nutrients, and clears waste.
Here’s what you gain:

Stronger heart and lungs
More mitochondria (cellular energy factories)
Better capillary density (circulation)
Faster recovery between workouts
A solid base for strength or higher-intensity training

If you’ve ever jumped into HIIT, CrossFit, or intense lifting without seeing results, it’s often because your foundation was missing.
Zone 2 is that missing piece.

The Missing Link: Structure and Posture

But here’s the part most people miss: your structure matters just as much as your heart rate.

If your posture is collapsed—rounded shoulders, forward head, restricted breathing—you’re limiting the ability of your lungs and heart to perform.
And that can reduce the effectiveness of even a perfect Zone 2 session.

That’s why we integrate corrective and structural work into all our programming at SolCore Fitness.
When you combine Zone 2 with myofascial stretching, segmental strengthening, and ELDOA techniques, you unlock the full benefit of cardio.

Explore how ELDOA exercises can open space in your spine and thorax to support better breathing and recovery.

How to Build Your Zone 2 Routine

Start with Zone 1
If you’re new to cardio or unsure of your baseline, begin with lower-intensity Zone 1 work and good posture habits.
Let your body adapt before pushing harder.
Dial in your structure
Use corrective exercise and mobility work—like Global Strengthening and postural realignment—to prepare your body for regular training stress.
Progress gradually
- Begin with 45-minute sessions
- Aim to increase duration to 60–90 minutes over time
- Stay consistent and let your body adapt over weeks—not days

Don’t Skip Corrective Work

Even walking puts thousands of pounds of force through your joints over the course of 10,000 steps.
Without corrective exercise, those forces accumulate and degrade performance—especially in an unbalanced body.

Every Zone 2 session should be followed by realignment and decompression work, not just foam rolling or massage.

Corrective support ensures that:

Muscles recover efficiently
Fascia maintains healthy tone and hydration
You prevent breakdown while building endurance

Final Thoughts: Periodization Is Key

Zone 2 isn’t meant to be a permanent state. It’s a phase in a smart, periodized plan.
You cycle between:

Structure + Zone 1
Structure + Zone 2
Corrective + Recovery
And eventually, higher intensities with full preparation

This is how you train for vitality, not just fitness.

Want support?
“Want to go deeper? Explore our Circulatory and Respiratory System Exercises designed to strengthen breathing and circulation.”

Request A Free Consultation Here

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

Find out more @

Dec 16 2023

Back Mobility: Why Stretching Alone Isn’t the Answer

Click on the image to watch

If your back feels stiff and stuck—and you’re tired of moving like Frankenstein—it’s time to look at back mobility from a deeper perspective.

Most routines you see online might feel good temporarily, but they don’t address the root cause.
And in many cases, they can actually make things worse.

Here’s why.

What Is Mobility, Really?

Mobility is the ability of your joints and tissues to move freely in all the directions they were designed to move.

It’s not the same as flexibility.
You can be flexible (like touching your toes) without having true mobility (like moving smoothly under load or rotation).

Mobility is functional.
It helps your body perform well, stay pain-free, and move with strength.

But it requires more than a few stretches.
You need structure. You need muscle. And you need balance.

The Anatomy of Real Back Mobility

Your back isn’t just one unit.
It’s a coordinated system of:

Four spinal curves (sacral, lumbar, thoracic, cervical)
Deep and superficial core muscles
Fascia, joints, and connective tissues

If you lose the natural curves in your spine—say your lumbar spine flattens—you lose structural integrity.
Your spine becomes weaker, more fragile, and less mobile.

Mobility isn’t about forcing range.
It’s about having the right alignment and the right strength to support movement.

At SolCore Fitness, we rebuild that foundation with a fascia-first lens—using tools like segmental strengthening and osteopathic training principles.

Why Routines Alone Don’t Work

Most YouTube videos show the same spinal twists and cobra stretches.
They feel good—for a moment.

But twisting a compressed spine can make things worse.

That’s because twisting compresses the discs between vertebrae. If your spine lacks space or alignment, you’re grinding into vulnerable tissue every time you rotate.

Over time, this leads to:

Herniated discs
Nerve impingement
Chronic tension and compensation

Before you stretch or twist, your spine needs:

Proper space and alignment
Muscular balance and activation
Awareness of how your body compensates

The Real Process for Unlocking Back Mobility

If you want lasting mobility, follow this sequence:

1. Rebuild Spinal Curves and Space

Mobility requires decompression. Without space between vertebrae, movement will always be restricted.
We use ELDOA, myofascial techniques, and postural re-education to reintroduce this space.

2. Strengthen in All Directions

Your core isn’t just abs. It includes obliques, transverse abdominis, spinal stabilizers, and many supporting muscles.

You need to strengthen in rotation, side-bend, extension, and flexion—not just planks.
Back and front must work together, not in isolation.

This approach is central to our personalized therapy and training plans.

3. Move with Intention

Only after steps 1 and 2 can you begin applying movement patterns that support your mobility.
Even then, it’s not about routines—it’s about selecting movements that fit your body’s needs and structural state.

That’s why we don’t give cookie-cutter programs.
You’re not a cake. Your body isn’t built from a recipe.

You Need a System, Not a Shortcut

You’ve probably tried a few of those “10-minute mobility fixes.”
Maybe they felt good… until they didn’t.

True mobility is sustainable. It works with your body—not against it.
And it honors the complexity of your spine, fascia, and nervous system.

Want to learn what a real back mobility program looks like?

Start with our free holistic fitness guide, or book a consult and we’ll walk through what’s keeping you stuck and what needs to change.

You’re not meant to live in restriction.

With the right strategy, your back can feel strong, mobile, and free—so you can move the way life intended.

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

Find out more @

Dec 02 2023

Discover the Game-Changing Solution for SI Joint Dysfunction

SI joint dysfunction can be miserable—constant pain in different places, no clear answers, and “fixes” that don’t work. It’s one of the most stubborn and misunderstood issues in the body. But there is a solution.

Understanding Your SI Joint

Let’s start with the basics.
SI stands for sacroiliac. Your sacrum (the triangle bone between your glutes) connects to your ilium (your hip bones) at two SI joints, shaped like boomerangs.

Many people confuse SI joint dysfunction with low back pain. But they’re not the same—and mislabeling it can send you down the wrong treatment path.

Your SI joint is a true joint with cartilage, a capsule, ligaments (like the anterior and posterior sacroiliac ligaments), and muscular support from the piriformis, glutes, psoas, obturator internus, and more.

This joint moves—primarily in oblique torsions—but it can also develop 20+ pathological movements (and infinite combinations of dysfunction).

Why SI Joint Issues Don’t Go Away

Your SI joint takes on ascending and descending forces through your body. It’s involved when you sit, stand, walk, squat—pretty much everything. So when it’s not functioning well, everything suffers.

In my own case, I had no SI joint pain at first. But a small dysfunction there led to L4-L5 disc compression, sciatic pain, and long-term compensation patterns.

The problem? Most people treat symptoms, not causes. And SI joint dysfunction is often the hidden cause behind hip, knee, foot, and even spinal issues.

What Doesn’t Work (And Why)

❌ Popping it back into place
❌ Rolling on a foam roller
❌ Generic exercise routines
❌ “Fused” joint logic that ignores anatomy
❌ Thinking your SI joint doesn’t move

These approaches either oversimplify the problem or completely miss it.

What Actually Works

Assessment First – You need someone who understands the full range of SI joint pathologies.
Work With Ligaments – Smart ligaments become “dumb” when dysfunctional. Treatment and manual therapy must re-educate them.
Use Targeted Exercise and Therapies – The most powerful SI joint reset tool I’ve found is the ELDOA method. These postural exercises use fascial tension and soft tissue to normalize the joint and retrain proprioception. Using osteopathic therapies like TTLS along with osteopathic exercises dramatically increases your healing and the regaining of your function.

The SI joint doesn’t exist in isolation. It’s part of a complex network—and requires a fascia-based, integrative strategy that honors how the body truly works.

If you were hoping for a one-size-fits-all “SI joint routine,” I won’t insult your intelligence.

That’s not how the body works—and it’s why so many people stay stuck.

What to Do Instead

If you want to address your SI joint dysfunction at the root, here are three free ways to take the next step:

📘 Download the Free Guide:
“How to Move Better, Get Out of Pain, and Live the Life of Your Choosing.”
Instant access. Zero fluff.

💬 Book a Free Consultation:
Tell me where you are, what you’re doing, and where you want to go. I’ll find the holes in your system and help you chart a real path forward. No obligations—just clarity.

You don’t have to guess. You don’t have to suffer. And you don’t have to keep trying things that don’t work.

You just need a system that sees the whole picture—and a guide who understands how to help you work with it.

Let’s get started.

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

Find out more @

Nov 27 2023

Michele Byrne SolCore testimonial

Real Progress from Real Commitment: Michele Byrne’s SolCore Story

When Michele Byrne first came to SolCore Fitness & Therapy, she wasn’t sure what to expect. Like many people, she was used to exercising at home — yoga classes on YouTube, quick stretches, and the occasional bike ride. But after her doctor recommended something more targeted to help with her hip tightness and posture challenges, she gave SolCore a try.

And it stuck.

“I just knew right away this would be good for me,” Michele shared.
“It’s not far from my house, and I had no excuse not to come!”

Michele is an artist who’s spent over 30 years working solo. Just getting out of the house and into a structured environment was a shift — but the results spoke for themselves. She noticed the difference not just during classes, but in the way she moved throughout her day.

From struggling to sit upright with her legs outstretched, to now practicing the 90/90 and figure-four stretches every morning, Michele’s transformation came from consistency, awareness, and dedication.

“Some of the stretches are really difficult,” she said.
“But I feel so much better after class. I’m more aware of my posture all day — and I can tell I’m getting better.”

She had tried physical therapy before, but it wasn’t until she combined specific fascia-based training with a supportive class environment that things really started to click.

Now, she comes to class regularly — Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and sometimes Saturday — and even finds herself practicing at home.
That’s a big deal.

Michele’s story is about more than flexibility. It’s about reconnecting with your body and giving it what it needs to function better — through smart training, community, and expert guidance.

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If Michele’s experience resonates with you and you’re curious about what this kind of training could do for you, check out her full case study:

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Building a foundation for a better life.

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Nov 11 2023

Posture Corrector Brace: Will It Actually Fix Your Posture?

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We love gadgets here in the U.S. — especially ones that promise fast results.

The posture corrector brace is one of them. It straps over your shoulders and pulls them back, claiming to fix forward head posture and kyphosis.

But does it work?
Or is it just another overpromised shortcut?

Let’s break it down — scientifically and holistically.

What Is a Posture Corrector Brace Supposed to Do?

The posture brace is designed to pull your shoulders back, which is meant to correct rounded posture. The idea is simple: if your shoulders are more upright, your head and spine will follow.

But posture isn’t simple.

Forward head posture and kyphosis (over-rounded upper back) are complex conditions with deep structural, muscular, and neurological components. A strap won’t solve that — not by itself.

The Problem With “Just Pulling Back”

There’s a concept called the Law of 22 Degrees. Once your head shifts 22° forward relative to your shoulders, it changes the mechanics of your cervical spine. You don’t just bend forward — you slide forward — and over time, that becomes permanent.

That’s why you see older people stuck in that hunched-forward posture. They’ve crossed the threshold. The brace doesn’t reverse that.

And kyphosis?
That doesn’t start at the shoulders. It starts in the spine, involves the ribs, and pushes the shoulder blades outward and forward. That dominoes into tight pecs, weak rhomboids, overloaded lats, dysfunctional breathing, and nervous system strain.

Why Posture Braces Don’t Fix the Real Issue

A brace might remind you to stand up straight — but it doesn’t retrain your body. And that’s the problem.

Real posture correction requires:

Opening and hydrating joints (especially the spine)
Strengthening the right muscles in the right biomechanical positions
Reprogramming your brain’s “postural map” (a.k.a. motor engrams)
Restoring space in the rib cage and fascia
Training your feet, not just your upper body

None of that happens by pulling two straps.

What You Should Focus on Instead

Want better posture? Here’s what works — and why.

💧 Start with Tissue Health

Hydrate your fascia. Sleep well. If your tissue is dry or inflamed, exercise will just create more dysfunction.

🧠 Retrain Your Brain

You don’t need to “think about posture” all day. You need to educate your nervous system to hold better posture automatically.

That means:

ELDOA exercises for joint-specific spine awareness
Strengthening your rhomboids with your arms overhead
Training the levator scapulae to pull your head back
Stretching the pec minor, lats, and delts to open space
Re-aligning your gravity line: ear → shoulder → hip → knee → ankle

Most people think they’re standing straight… and they’re not. That’s because the brain’s postural map is distorted. But it’s fixable — if you train it intentionally.

🦶 Don’t Forget the Feet

Your feet send constant feedback to your brain about balance. If you don’t train them, your posture won’t hold — no matter what you do up top.

🫁 Free the Ribcage

Tight ribs lock your thoracic spine. That limits shoulder mobility and forces your neck forward. You need mobility in your costovertebral and sternocostal joints to breathe and move correctly.

So… Is a Posture Corrector Brace Worth It?

Short answer: No.

Even if it helps you remember to pull your shoulders back, it creates a false sense of progress. It bypasses the actual work — which means your dysfunction continues to build underneath.

And the longer you stay in that dysfunction, the harder it is to reverse.

The body adapts. If you keep pushing it into artificial alignment without education or support, you’re not solving anything. In fact, you might make it worse.

Train Your Body the Right Way

I get it. Gadgets are easy. Real training takes effort.

But your body is beautiful, adaptable, and designed to move well — if you give it the right input.

If you’re ready to do that — we can help.

Your Next Steps

You’ve got options, depending on what works best for you:

✅ Download the Free eBook:
“Get Out of Pain, Get Mobile & Get to the Life You Want”
Includes 4 core steps you can start right now. Instant download.

✅ Schedule a Call with Me:
If you’re ready to stop guessing and start training the right way, let’s talk. We’ll map out where you’re stuck, where you want to go, and I’ll show you what’s possible with a real, fascia-based approach.

Thanks for reading — and for caring about your body.
If this helped, share it with someone who needs it.
And if you’re still thinking about that brace… maybe leave it in the drawer. 😉

Building a foundation for a better life.

Find out more @

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What Is a Posture Corrector Brace Supposed to Do?

The Problem With “Just Pulling Back”

Why Posture Braces Don’t Fix the Real Issue

What You Should Focus on Instead

💧 Start with Tissue Health

🧠 Retrain Your Brain

🦶 Don’t Forget the Feet

🫁 Free the Ribcage

So… Is a Posture Corrector Brace Worth It?

Train Your Body the Right Way

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