Men’s Health

Avoid These Common Mistakes When Doing Lunges

The lunge is one of the seven primal movements — foundational patterns your body needs to perform life’s activities. It shows up in everything from walking up stairs to playing sports. But despite its importance, most people do it wrong. And improper lunges can lead to dysfunction, pain, and eventually injury.

Let’s break this down holistically — the way your body is meant to be understood.

Click on the image to watch the full video

Why Lunges Matter (And Why Most People Get Them Wrong)

Lunges are a global movement, meaning they involve many joints, muscles, and fascia chains working together. But too many people skip the prep work and just jump into reps. That leads the body to “cheat” the movement — finding ways to make it happen, but not necessarily the right way.

And those cheats? They lead to bad movement patterns, compensation, and eventually breakdowns like knee pain or low back strain.

Before doing lunges, your body needs to be trained for them — especially in the areas that stabilize and coordinate your leg and pelvis.

Key Muscles You’re Probably Not Training Properly

Two of the most important muscles for safe, strong lunges are the glute medius and adductor longus. These muscles are opposites — one on the outside of the hip and one on the inside of the thigh — and they work together to stabilize your leg and pelvis.

Most people train the glute med with exercises like the “clam.” But here’s the issue:

  • The clam only targets part of the glute med (there are three fibers).
  • It usually involves hip external rotation, which recruits the piriformis — not what you want if you’re trying to isolate glute med.
  • It doesn’t train the fascia chain that connects the glute med to your entire body.

A better approach? Train each fiber of the glute med specifically, and in a position that mimics how your body moves in life — like during a lunge.

The same goes for the adductor longus. To train it properly, use motions that involve hip flexion, internal rotation, and adduction — not just squeezing your legs together.

Lunges don’t fail because your quads aren’t strong. They fail because one link in your movement chain is weak or misfiring. That’s why I teach segmental training — working specific muscles in their purest form so they can do their job when it matters.

You’re only as strong as your weakest link. If the glute med can’t stabilize your pelvis, no amount of squats, step-ups, or lunges will fix the imbalance.

Micro Movements Drive Macro Success

The lunge isn’t just a bend of the hip and knee — it involves rotation, weight transfer, balance, and fascia coordination. That’s why I always say:

“The micro movements manage the macro movements.”

When you walk or lunge, your foot and knee rotate slightly — it’s subtle, but critical. If that rotational control isn’t trained first, you’re building a house on a shaky foundation.

Fascia: The Secret Ingredient

Your fascia — the connective tissue that wraps around and links your muscles — plays a huge role in lunging. For example, the tractus iliotibial (IT) band connects fascia from the glute med, thigh, and hip down to your knee.

If that fascial line isn’t trained, it guesses what to do — which means your knee may twist, shift, or compensate.

Training fascia means educating it — not smashing it with foam rollers. That’s why our method incorporates myofascial stretches and specific movements that guide the fascia to behave correctly.

Mastering the Lunge (Once Your Body’s Ready)

Once your body is prepared, here’s how to progress your lunge safely:

🔹 Supported Lunge

Start with one leg forward, most of your weight on the front leg (90/10 split). Let the front knee bend first, followed by the back. Focus on clean, vertical motion — no tipping or twisting.

🔹 Stepping Lunge

Now add movement. Step out with your heel first, not your toe (avoid “ballerina steps”). Your step should be slightly longer than a normal stride for better alignment and control.

🔹 Multiplanar Lunges

Life doesn’t happen in a straight line — neither should your training. Practice lunges:

  • Forward
  • Diagonal forward
  • Lateral
  • Diagonal backward
  • Backward

This prepares your body for real-world movements like hiking, skiing, or playing with your kids.

Lunges Are More Than a Gym Exercise

When done right, lunges teach your body to move efficiently, absorb force, and transfer energy through your whole system. But when done wrong — with poor prep or misaligned form — they cause more harm than good.

Need Help Getting This Right?

If you want expert guidance tailored to your body, I’ve got two options for you:

See you next week — and take care of your movement!

Building a foundation for a better life.

Find out more @

Facebook

BlueSky

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

3 Steps To Strong Mobile Hips. Avoid Hip Surgery!

We’re seeing it more and more — hip replacements at younger and younger ages. In fact, over 544,000 people get hip replacements every year. That’s wild.

But here’s the thing: surgery isn’t your only option.

Whether you’re dealing with hip pain, trying to prevent it, or just want to move better and stay strong, the key is training your hips proactively — not reactively.

Let’s talk about why most people end up under the knife, and how you can avoid it by taking control of your body with a holistic plan that actually works.

Click the image to watch the video

Why Most Hips Break Down

It usually starts slow. You feel a little something, go to PT for 10 sessions, maybe take some pain meds or anti-inflammatories. Then cortisone shots. Then, one day, surgery.

It doesn’t have to go that way.

As someone who’s been in this field for 30 years — first as a personal trainer, now as a SomaTrainer and SomaTherapist — I’ve seen this cycle play out too many times. But I’ve also seen how the right training can keep your hips healthy for decades.

The 3 Factors That Destroy Hip Health

Let’s look at what really causes hips to break down:

1. Load: The Hidden Stress in Your Hips

Every time you move — walk, stand, sit — your hips absorb massive force. There’s an actual equation (called Pauwels’ Balance) that shows just how much pressure goes through your hips with every step.

If your muscles aren’t trained to handle that force, the cartilage in your hips starts to wear down layer by layer. And once it’s gone, it’s gone.

That’s what leads to arthritis, bone spurs, and joint degeneration — not old age, but untrained structure under constant load.

If you’re overweight, that force multiplies dramatically.

2. Imbalance: The Silent Saboteur

When your body is out of alignment — tight on one side, weak on the other — that force doesn’t distribute evenly. Instead, it grinds into your joints.

You might notice pain or tightness in your hips, or maybe you just feel a little off.

Most people ignore these signs or treat them as “normal.” But they’re messages from your body: “Help me get back in balance.”

Muscles like your glute medius, pelvic rotators, adductors, and deep hip stabilizers must work together. If even one of them is off, your hip health suffers.

This is why clamshells and cookie-cutter PT routines don’t work. You need a plan that understands how the body really functions — holistically and fascia-connected.

3. Time: The Slow Creep of Wear and Tear

If you’re not proactively training your hips, time will catch up with you.

People often tell me, “It just started hurting out of nowhere.” But unless there was trauma, that’s rarely true. It’s years of imbalance and neglect that finally surface.

Pain isn’t the problem. It’s the signal that something deeper has been brewing for a long time.

What a Holistic Hip Program Actually Looks Like

Most programs only treat the symptom or isolate muscles. But your body doesn’t work in pieces — it’s an integrated system.

A holistic approach does two things:

Macro Work: Full-Body Support

You need a foundation. That means training your body as a whole — posture, fascia tension lines, spine, core, hips — so your system supports itself from the ground up.

Micro Work: Targeted Hip Support

Then, focus on areas that get the most load — hips, spine, deep stabilizers. You need to:

  • Strengthen all fibers of key muscles (e.g. glute med: anterior, middle, posterior)
  • Stretch strategically (e.g. pelvic rotators, iliopsoas, spinal extensors)
  • Integrate movement so your nervous system knows how to use what you’ve built

The way you train is the way your body behaves in life.

Stop Waiting. Start Building.

If you want to avoid surgery and move better for life, now is the time.

And you don’t have to do it alone.

I offer 3 free ways to start:

Let’s build a body that can keep up with the life you want to live.

Building a foundation for a better life.

Find out more @

Facebook

BlueSky

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

The Pelvic Floor: A Holistic Approach to Strength and Mobility

Whether you’re a man or a woman, your pelvic floor is essential for a strong, mobile body — yet it’s one of the most overlooked systems in human movement. Your pelvic floor isn’t just “down there” — it’s the foundation for your spine, hips, and core.

But here’s the truth: Most people don’t know how to train it. They rely on outdated approaches or ignore it completely… until something goes wrong.

So let’s take a look at what your pelvic floor really does — and how to support it through a truly holistic approach.

Click on the image to watch the full video

Your Pelvic Floor: A Dynamic Foundation

Think of your pelvic floor like the foundation of a house. It needs to be solid to support everything above — and adaptable to handle pressure from above and below.

Every day, your pelvic floor supports both:

  • Descending forces — gravity, body weight, internal organ pressure
  • Ascending forces — from walking, standing, lifting, and movement

If your pelvic floor isn’t strong and balanced, your whole body compensates.

Why Most Pelvic Floor Training Fails

Most people only hear about Kegels — and usually just for women. But men need pelvic floor training too. And even then, Kegels alone won’t fix dysfunction.

A true pelvic floor program:

  • Goes beyond isolated contraction
  • Addresses the muscles, fascia, and ligaments
  • Respects the nervous system and joint balance (especially the SI joint)

What Muscles Make Up the Pelvic Floor?

It’s more than just one muscle. Your pelvic floor includes:

  • Levator Ani group (puborectalis, pubococcygeus, iliococcygeus)
  • Coccygeus
  • Piriformis & Obturator Internus (side/posterior pelvic walls)
  • Glute max (deep fibers)
  • Iliopsoas (passing through the pelvis to your spine)

These all work together. But they don’t function in isolation. You must also consider the fascia and ligaments that interconnect everything.

Ligaments: The “Smart Tissue” That Guides Your Body

Ligaments do more than hold bones together. They’re the intelligent sensors that tell your body how to move — or how not to.

Key ligaments affecting your pelvic floor:

  • Cooper’s ligament (connects pelvic fascia to hip stabilizers)
  • Pubofemoral ligament
  • The sacro-recto-genital-vesicle-pubic ligament (yes, that’s one ligament!)
  • Anterior sacroiliac ligaments
  • Iliolumbar & pubic ligaments

These aren’t just structural — they’re sensory. If your ligaments aren’t healthy, your body loses its ability to move smartly.

Fascia: The Connective Highway

Fascia connects your pelvic floor to:

  • Your diaphragm
  • Your spine
  • Your abdominal wall
  • Your hips, legs, and shoulders

That’s why holistic pelvic floor care can’t stop at squeezing muscles. You must address how fascia tensions pull and support the whole structure.

Start Here: How to Rebuild Pelvic Floor Health

1. Begin With the Ligaments

Healthy ligaments guide healthy movement. In my osteopathic practice, I use manual therapy techniques like pumping and double TLS to:

  • Improve fluid flow
  • Activate proprioceptors
  • Reset the tissue’s baseline tone

This sets the stage for real, sustainable strength.

2. Use ELDOA to Reinforce & Integrate

ELDOA (a unique form of fascial tension exercise) is one of the best ways to train the joints, ligaments, and fascia together.

It helps:

  • Open restricted spaces
  • Activate deep stabilizers
  • Improve spinal and pelvic floor communication

3. Strengthen and Stretch the Muscles (Holistically)

Once the ligaments are awake, you can start training the key muscles:

  • Piriformis
  • Obturator internus
  • Glute max (medial fibers)
  • Iliopsoas

Use Hill’s Muscle Model: work the fibers, the fascia, and the ligament to train effectively.

4. Now Add Kegels — the Right Way

Only once you’ve built a strong base should you begin isolated Kegel contractions. And even then, you must avoid compensation patterns.

When doing Kegels:

  • Do not squeeze your glutes, abs, or adductors
  • Train your brain to activate just the pelvic floor
  • Separate contractions from surrounding muscle groups
  • Progress to coordination patterns using glutes, adductors, and diaphragm separately

This is crucial — especially for women during childbirth or anyone recovering from dysfunction.

Final Thoughts: The Pelvic Floor Is a Whole-Body System

Most people treat the pelvic floor like a switch — either it’s “on” or it’s “off.” But the truth is, your pelvic floor reflects your entire body’s condition.

If your SI joint is off, if your glutes are weak, if your diaphragm is tight — your pelvic floor will suffer. And if you ignore it? You’ll feel the effects in your strength, mobility, and long-term health.

Ready to Train Smarter?

If you’re ready to go deeper — not just with your pelvic floor, but your whole-body health and longevity — I’ve got 3 free ways to help:

Let’s stop isolating and start integrating.

See you next week.

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

Find out more @

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

Do You Know the Truth About The Bend Pattern?

Bending is one of the most common movements we use in everyday life—picking up your kids, moving a box, swinging a golf club. But most people don’t do it well. That poor movement adds up, leading to tightness, pain, or injury over time.

So should you jump straight into Romanian deadlifts (RDLs) or kettlebell swings to “fix” it?

Not quite.

Let’s unpack what the bend pattern really is, which muscle chains are involved, and how to approach this movement holistically so your body gets stronger—not more worn down.

Click the image to watch the full video

What Is the Bend Pattern, Really?

In training, the bend pattern refers to a hip-dominant movement like an RDL or deadlift. You’ll see this pattern show up solo or combined with other movements during everyday life—lifting, twisting, walking, squatting.

But just “doing” the movement doesn’t mean you’re doing it well.

If your muscle chains are out of balance—some tight, some weak, some misfiring—practicing the bend pattern without addressing the root causes can reinforce dysfunction and eventually lead to pain or breakdown.

The Bend Pattern Is a Global Movement

Unlike isolated exercises, the bend pattern is what we call a “global” movement. It requires the whole body to coordinate and act as one. That’s why I don’t just teach the movement—I assess how your body is functioning within the movement.

We look at the full chain: the muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments, and how they interact.

The primary chain behind the bend pattern is your posterior chain—from your heel to your calves, hamstrings, glutes, deep back muscles, and even your neck and shoulders. But your anterior and lateral chains help stabilize that pattern too.

Here’s a quick snapshot of the key players:

  • Soleus
  • Gastrocnemius (calf muscles)
  • Hamstrings
  • Gluteus maximus
  • Four layers of spinal muscles
  • Trapezius
  • Rhomboids
  • Levator scapulae
  • Shoulder stabilizers

The Problem with Just “Doing” the Bend

Too often, people start loading up barbells without assessing the quality of their chain or how their fascia is functioning.

The bend pattern naturally places more mechanical load on the lower back than a squat—simply due to leverage. That’s not a bad thing. But it becomes a problem if:

  • You haven’t trained segmentally
  • Your fascia is out of balance
  • You’ve overloaded the system
  • You’re dealing with an acute back issue

Force isn’t the enemy. Misapplied force is.

How to Learn the Bend Pattern: Start Pure

To truly master this pattern, you must start with clean motor control. I teach the butt-back, bow-forward drill from a kneeling position. It’s the most stripped-down, brain-friendly way to teach your body how to move properly.

From there:

  1. Kneeling →
  2. Bodyweight standing RDL →
  3. Light weight →
  4. Full deadlift (hip + knee bend)

At each step, you’re grooving the right motor pattern—building a motor engram in your brain so you move properly without having to think about it.

Key pointers:

  • Keep a neutral spine (don’t over-arch or round)
  • Maintain all four natural curves in your back
  • Shift weight back into heels—but don’t lift your toes
  • Move as one unit—don’t break at the spine
  • Engage your abs and lats for support

Common Mistakes (That Will Wreck Your Back)

  • Rounding the spine
  • Overarching the lower back
  • Losing foot contact
  • Using too much weight too soon
  • Not progressing through proper training stages

Instagram might celebrate a rounded-back deadlift, but your body won’t. You want smooth, controlled, segmental movement—built over time with intention.

The Fascia Piece (Why It Matters)

Muscles don’t work in isolation. They’re wrapped in and connected by fascia—a living, communicative network that governs structure, neurology, and coordination.

If your fascia is dehydrated, compressed, or restricted, your body can’t move well—even if your muscles are “strong.”

Here’s what affects fascia health:

  • 🚰 Dehydration (aim for half your body weight in ounces of plain water daily)
  • 😰 Chronic stress
  • 🧍‍♂️ Not working the fascia directly (training in multiple planes and ranges)

Want a better bend pattern? Take care of your fascia first.

Deadlift vs. RDL

Once you master the RDL, you can layer in the deadlift by adding controlled knee flexion. The movement stays hip-dominant, but now you’re handling more force and range of motion.

Both movements are important—but only if you’ve earned the right to do them well.

Slow Is Smooth. Smooth Is Strong.

Building a bend pattern takes time. Don’t rush. Train your brain, train your chains, and train your fascia. It’s not about how much weight you lift. It’s about how well you move—now and for the rest of your life.

Want Help?

If you’re 40+ and looking to be strong, mobile, and pain-free for the long haul, I’ve got a few ways to support you:

All links are in the description below.

See you next week—take care.

— Ekemba Sooh
SolCore Fitness & Therapy

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

Find out more @

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

Unlocking Sarcopenia: A Holistic Approach to Building Strength and Mobility

Sarcopenia doesn’t just happen overnight. It’s a progressive condition that weakens your muscles, damages your posture, and erodes your ability to move and live freely. While most people associate sarcopenia with aging, research shows it can begin as early as your 30s. And despite common advice, lifting weights, eating more protein, or taking hormone supplements won’t be enough to stop it.

So what’s the missing link? A holistic, fascia-based approach that addresses your body’s structure, balance, and communication systems — not just the muscles themselves.

Click on the image to watch the full video

What Is Sarcopenia, Really?

Sarcopenia is the gradual loss of muscle mass and neuromuscular connection. It leads to weakness, fatigue, poor balance, difficulty with stairs, and decreased mobility. Contributing factors can include:

  • Inactivity or lack of intentional movement
  • Hormonal imbalance
  • Ineffective protein synthesis
  • Inadequate nutrition

Most people respond with a linear strategy: eat more, move more, and take supplements. But the body doesn’t operate in straight lines — it’s a web of interdependent systems. If you don’t address your structure and internal communication, even the best supplements won’t get absorbed properly. That’s where a holistic model comes in.

The Fascia-Based Framework That Changes Everything

To build real strength and protect against sarcopenia, you need to train your fascia — the connective tissue network that holds your muscles and skeleton in place. Your muscles don’t operate alone. They rely on:

  • Contractile fibers (your muscle tissue)
  • Series and parallel elastic components (your fascia, ligaments, and periosteum)

This system is described in Hill’s Muscle Model and supported by osteopathic principles. When fascia is stiff, unbalanced, or misaligned, your muscles lose their efficiency — no matter how hard you train.

Balance Your Structure Before You Build Strength

Structure dictates function. If your posture is collapsing, your digestion, hormone production, and movement all suffer. That’s why people with sarcopenia often show signs like:

  • Kyphotic (hunched) posture
  • Decreased height
  • Poor digestion or hormonal imbalance
  • Limited strength despite working out

Building strength on top of dysfunction won’t work. You must first correct your structure through fascia-based methods — which brings us to the two most powerful tools for long-term change.

Myofascial Stretching and ELDOA: Your Secret Weapons

✅ Myofascial Stretching realigns your tensegrity structure — the interconnected web that holds your body together. It creates space and balance through precise tension in the fascia.

✅ ELDOA strengthens and decompresses your spine, restoring efficient communication between your brain and body. A healthy spine boosts hormonal signals and neuromuscular coordination — exactly what sarcopenia disrupts.

Together, these tools form the foundation of a fascia-centered program that not only restores strength but builds it intelligently, sustainably, and holistically.

Train the Whole Chain, Not Just the Muscle

Muscles have multiple fiber directions. For example, your glutes have anterior, middle, and posterior fibers — each needing a different position and movement pattern to train effectively.

By using fascia-informed postures and loading the full myofascial chain (not just isolated muscles), you teach your body to move better, not just harder.

Go Beyond 10 Reps — Challenge the System

To reverse sarcopenia, you must go beyond your comfort zone — not recklessly, but with purpose. That means pushing past 10 reps when appropriate, training to near-exhaustion in a safe way, and challenging your nervous system to adapt and grow.

This stimulates the exact responses you want:

  • Muscle growth (even without heavy weights)
  • Improved neuromuscular coordination
  • Greater hormonal efficiency
  • More connection, awareness, and control

Start Where You Are, Then Build Up

Yes, this may sound complex — fascia, hormones, structural balance, different muscle fibers — but it all starts in one place: where you are right now.

Find the tightest, weakest, or most disconnected part of your body and begin there. With the right strategy, your body will adapt faster than you expect. Overwhelm fades as progress builds. And each step unlocks a little more strength, confidence, and freedom from the grip of sarcopenia.

Want Help? I’ve Got You.


✅ Free Ebook – 4 Steps to Live the Life of Your Choosing: Get Stronger, More Mobile & Pain-Free.
✅ Book a Call – If you’re ready for a deeper transformation, I’ll assess where you are and where you want to go — and we’ll see if my program is a fit.

Building a foundation for a better life.

Find out more @

Facebook

BlueSky

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

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.

Click the image to watch

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.

Find out more @

Facebook

BlueSky

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

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.

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

Find out more @

Facebook

BlueSky

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

 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.

Building a foundation for a better life.

Find out more @

Facebook

BlueSky

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

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.

Building a foundation for a better life.

Find out more @

Facebook

BlueSky

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

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.

Building a foundation for a better life.

Find out more @

Facebook

BlueSky

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube