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This is important👇 I saw three new patients in

This is important👇
I saw three new patients in my office this week. All three had been through pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT) before. When they called to inquire about PFPT with me, they all shared that they felt like they had failed PFPT previously because they were still navigating pelvic floor symptoms on the regular. They also asked me if I thought it was worth it for them to try PFPT again, or if they simply needed to accept their “new normal” and give up on being able to do [activity] altogether (aka their long term goal).
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My response: You did NOT fail, Mama. Just because you didn’t reach your goal(s) with your previous PFPT, doesn’t automatically mean game over. Perhaps your previous PFPT helped you get as far as they could with the skillset they had available? And sometimes that’s not enough to help you reach all of your goals.
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Then I ask, “Tell me what PFPT was like for you previously? Did your PFPT help explain the why behind your symptoms, what you were working on together to help address those challenges, and how your exercises were specifically helping you get back to your long term goals?” If the answer is no, and/or they tell me, “All of my previous sessions were done with me lying down and there was no mention of how our treatment sessions were helping me get back to [activity].” Then we definitely have more to explore together💪🏼
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This further confirms you haven’t failed, Mama. This simply means you need the right PFPT for YOU who has successfully supported others in achieving similar goals to the ones you have set for yourself. Sometimes it takes working with a few different therapists to get all the way to your desired outcome, and sometimes you can find one who can support you all the way through. Please don’t give up! Instead, ask more questions.
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✨Interview us!✨
Yes, you can do that! And, I recommend that you do BEFORE you book your appointment so you feel confident that you have a PFPT on your team who understands your unique needs and goals from the beginning. Swipe to learn the top 5 questions I suggest you ask your future PFPT 😉
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What other questions do you think would be helpful to include?👇🏼

I’ve been reflecting on how different my world f

I’ve been reflecting on how different my world felt one year ago. I wish I could go back and tell my then self this is a marathon not a sprint. This will be a hard road, with no roadmap and no clear end in sight, but you can do it. You will chart a new path, and you will be grateful for some (not all, let’s be real) of the fertilizer that has come from this 💩 storm.
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For context: This week last year…
I closed my practice doors,
Not knowing what the future held,
For what would be two weeks…
Which quickly became four…
Which quickly became TBD….
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It took me 2.5months to decide to re-open my practice with a whole new adventure of operating procedures. At the time I was frustrated with myself for taking “that long” to make my next move. In hindsight, I can say it was well worth the wait. It gave me space - well, more like forced me against my will 🙈 - to pause and check in about the things that were serving me, the things I wanted to let go of, and the things I wanted to step into…
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One BIG thing I chose to step into was showing up HERE, as a pelvic health contributor on social media, and dang has it taught me A LOT:
🤓 How to be more clear and concise with my explanations
🧩 How to communicate challenging concepts into more digestible pieces
🎙How to get more comfortable with public speaking/being on video
🎨 How to become a graphic designer (thank you @canva!)
♥️ How amazing and supportive the pelvic health community is online
🙌🏻 How I can serve and contribute and connect with others outside of my office walls
😬 How vulnerable it feels every time I post something 👈🏼 this one especially!
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I still feel very much like a newbie. I still get caught in the comparison game. I still need to untangle myself at times when the imposter syndrome creeps in…but, I’m getting more comfortable with being uncomfortable and appreciating that that’s part of the growing process, too.
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All that to say, Thank you! Thank you for being here, and connecting with me. It means more than you know! What’s something you’ve learned and been proud of about yourself in the last 365days?

I’m not sure who needs to hear this today…but,

I’m not sure who needs to hear this today…but, Mama, postpartum recovery takes longer than advertised, and that’s not because you’re doing it wrong. It simply takes time for tissues to heal and rebuild anew. This is a measure of biology, not a reflection of you needing to try harder. I understand why this process is confusing, especially you’re given the “all clear” at your 6wk PP checkup, and “return to work” often by 3mo PP, all of which is compounded by social media “bounce back” and diet culture perpetuating this false sense of “recovery” being quick and seamless with the “right exercise and the right foods”. The reality is that recovery doesn’t magically happen when you hit X number on the scale, or once your body looks a certain way on the outside. It happens with time, and from the inside out, just like your baby did. It took your little one nine months to grow and develop, and your body supported and accommodated those incredible changes for that long, too. It deserves at least the same amount of nurturing (sometimes more) to heal and rebuild, as well.
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Mamas, how long did you think it would take vs how long it took for your PP recovery journey 💜

When was the last time you wrote a hand written ca

When was the last time you wrote a hand written card to someone you appreciate? 🐌✉️ Full disclosure, it’s been way too long since I have...
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I’d love to invite you (and myself) to do so, in honor of International Woman’s Day, which is today btw 🙌🏻 Send a card to a lady you admire in your life, telling her what you appreciate about her and why ✨ and if you feel so inclined, tag me in your stories so we can share more of this positive writing love out into the world 💕
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I’m honored and excited to be kicking off Day 1 of “Be Week” which is a FREE 6 day event dedicated to recognizing and celebrating women in motion offering free virtual classes, writing prompts, music, yoga and movement sessions designed to support and empower all people.
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If you’re just learning about this event today, no worries! It’s not too late to join! Simply text FLY to (805)429-4321, and you’ll receive an activity link and writing prompt for each day of Be Week!
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Thank you to all of my SB teammates who have come together to put this special week together 🥳:
@thepublicrunclub @partyproperproductions @santabarbara_yogacollective
@Jennyshatzle @centerlinecommunity
@hokaoneone
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#internationalwomensday #beweek #hokaoneone #timetofly

“Do I need to wait until I fully stop nursing, a

“Do I need to wait until I fully stop nursing, and/or wait until my postpartum hormones have returned back to pre-pregnancy levels to be able to begin pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT)?”
👆👆👆
HECK NO!
You do NOT need to delay your healing, Mama.
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There is NO REASON why prenatal hormones, nursing hormones, postpartum hormones, and PFPT cannot co-exist together despite many mom’s being told otherwise from their medical providers. This recommendation is terribly misguided. In fact, seeing a PFPT throughout all stages of your pregnancy and postpartum journey is invaluable, and should be the “standard of care”.
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Your hormones are going to be in flux for a while during pregnancy, and again postpartum, and won’t return back to pre-pregnancy baseline until about 90days after one fully stops nursing. Also, women nurse for anywhere from days to years in duration, so having to wait until that is all concluded before seeking the care you need from a PFPT isn’t an appropriate recommendation.
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That’s like saying, “Oh, you have a shoulder injury and you’re wanting PT support? Well, what phase of your menstrual cycle are you in? Oh, you’re in the high hormone phase of your cycle? Sorry, yeah you need to wait till your hormones return back to baseline before we can see you…” 🤦‍♀️That recommendation wouldn’t fly then, and it shouldn’t fly you’re pregnant or postpartum either. Your hormones should not be used against you, or prevent you, from getting the medical care you need and deserve for your pregnancy and postpartum recovery.
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So the next time a provider tells you that you need to wait, I encourage you to keep asking for a PFPT referral. If they give you resistance or deny your referral here’s my pro-tip: Tell the provider that is refusing your referral that you would like them to document in your medical record that you are asking for a referral and it is being denied. It’s highly unlikely you’ll walk out of that office without your referral 😉And if that still doesn’t get their attention, know you can ask any MD for a referral for PFPT.
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Mamas, what was your experience when you asked for a PFPT referral? Ps: please share so more mamas know this, too ♥️

Come celebrate with us! 🥳 . I’m so honored an

Come celebrate with us! 🥳
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I’m so honored and excited to be a part of a special project celebrating International Women’s Day. Starting March 8th and throughout the week, a few of my local Santa Barbara teammates and HOKA ONE ONE have been working behind the scenes to put together “Be Week” 🙌
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Be Week is a FREE 6 day event dedicated to recognizing and celebrating women in motion offering free virtual classes, music, and workouts designed to support and empower all people.
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We’re also happy to introduce a new twist on the this virtual challenge event: text in! Simply text FLY to (805)429-4321, and you’ll receive an activity link and writing prompt for each day of Be Week!
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You'll also see instructions on how you can share your response to the movement sessions and writing prompts via Video Share. After the completion of this event, we’ll be gathering everyone’s contributions into one beautiful art piece, which we’ll share out to highlight the ways we expressed, encouraged, and connected with one another during this time!
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Thank you to all of our partners:
@thepublicrunclub @partyproperproductions @santabarbara_yogacollective
@jennyschatzle @centerlinecommunity @bestcoastgreg
as well as @hokaoneone for organizing and supporting this project that aims to empower and inspire the women in our lives!
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#internationalwomensday #beweek #hokaoneone #timetofly

Yesterday I shared a vulnerable story about myself

Yesterday I shared a vulnerable story about myself. I talked about how I haven’t always felt confident with strength training, even though it’s part of my job as a physical therapist. If you’ve ever felt intimidated by strength work, I totally get it.
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Learning anything new is hard. That doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. That’s part of the process, especially when it comes to strength work because most of us have never had an opportunity to learn HOW to do it. Kinda crazy to think about, right?!
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“Do strength training,” they say…
“It’s good for you,” they say…
BUT WHEN DID WE LEARN HOW?!
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I promise, strength training doesn’t have to be complicated, or involve fancy gym equipment to be effective 👉 true story! My home gym consists of a few dumbbells and kettlebells, resistance bands, a chair, and a yoga mat. You can do A LOT with that, BUT before getting caught up in the equipment and what exercises to do, hit pause.
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There’s an important piece that needs nurturing before getting to the strength work. Building a strong system around consistency (your how) BEFORE worrying about the doing (the exercise, # of reps, and equipment) is where the magic happens, and where most get STUCK.
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So how do we nurture consistency, first? ✨ Make it easy! ✨ This is the 3rd law of four from James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits. It’s helped me immensely, and I’ve also been using it with my patients and coaching clients to help them build their strength training habit into a regular routine! Cuz that’s an exercise in itself!
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“Make it easy” consists of the following ingredients:
💡 Reduce friction: Decrease the number of steps between you and your desired habit.
💡 Prime your environment: Prepare your space to make future habit easy to execute.
💡 Two-Minute Rule: Scale your habits into bite-size pieces to help build consistency quickly.
💡 Automate your habits: Invest in ways (technology, coaching, etc…) that will help you lock in your habit.
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Do you already use any of these habit hacks?
If so, which ones?
If not, which ones sound helpful?

Confession... Three years ago, I committed to my o

Confession...
Three years ago, I committed to my own strength training habit after m-a-n-y failed attempts. I know that sounds hard to believe, especially since I talk about how important strength work is on the regular, design strength programs for my mother runner clients, and lift 2-3x/wk myself. It wasn’t always this way.
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I’ll let you in on a BIG secret...Before three years ago, I knew how to help people overcome injuries and do rehab exercises, but knew n-o-t-h-i-n-g about formal strength training. Those are two very different things.
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Spoiler 🚨 Alert: We aren’t taught strength training in PT school 🤯 We’re taught how to get someone out of pain and instruct them on rehab exercises, mostly...and then that’s where most PTs are told to make their exit. At that point, we’re no longer “medically necessary” according to insurance, so patients are often told to keep on keeping on, and gradually ease back into things without guided support 🤦🏻‍♀️💔 So not ok!
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I share this to say, strength training was intimidating for me until three years ago because I had never learned, nor expected my patients to express interest in wanting to learn...until they did, lol! My patients started asking if I would help them develop their own strength training routines to do after graduating from PT 😳
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I felt honored they wanted my help and saw the value in continuing their strength work. I also felt embarrassed that I didn’t know “enough” about strength training or even have my own routine established. How could I help them if I didn’t know how to help myself? Could everyone else see the HUGE imposter syndrome billboard I felt living across my forehead?
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I decided to ask for help (also super uncomfortable) from a personal trainer locally, asking if they would help coach me. I shared why I wanted to learn about strength work, and they shared they felt intimidated to coach me bc of my PT background. I asked if we could learn from each other - I will forever be grateful they said yes. This helped me grow tremendously!
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Asking for help doesn’t make you any less capable. In fact, it makes you stronger 💪
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Drop a 🙋🏻‍♀️ below if you agree!

Aches and pains are common, but do not have to be

Aches and pains are common, but do not have to be your “normal” throughout pregnancy🤰🏻And if you have a provider on your medical team who dismisses your discomfort and/or tells you “that’s just what happens, you’re growing a baby,” I respectfully encourage you to find a new one, ASAP! Every mama deserves support from a pelvic floor physical therapist (PFPT) from day one, AND you don’t have to wait to be in pain to seek out our help 😉
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I LOVE connecting with patients during their pregnancies. There are so many things we work on together: breathing techniques for pelvic floor + abdominal activation, strength work, exercise recs for each trimester, belly wrap supports, transfer and lifting techniques, etc...and as they enter week 34+ we begin education around perineal massage, pushing techniques, and what to expect in those early weeks postpartum.
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For a lot of my prenatal patients, connecting with a PFPT is the first time they’ve had an opportunity to learn about their bodies, to understand the anatomy of their pelvic floors, to appreciate how much their bodies are doing, and gather tools to support their journeys.
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Pregnancy is beautiful AND stressful on the human body. Each trimester has its own unique changes and challenges, and with the majority of maternal healthcare being baby-centered care, it leaves many expecting mothers with questions like: are certain aches and pains normal? Doing what I’ve always done for exercise doesn't feel good in my body, should I keep doing it anyway? Is leaking or pelvic pain simply par for the course? Can I be doing anything to set myself up for a smoother delivery and postpartum recovery? Just to name a few…
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The good news is, Mama, you don’t have to answer these questions on your own, AND inviting a PFPT on to your medical team to answer these questions WITH you is invaluable. Plus, it helps you develop a relationship with a PFPT provider so that you already have your person to support you with your PP healing ♥️
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Mamas, do you wish you had a PFPT to support you during your prenatal period? If you did, what did you find most helpful?

✨ Make it Attractive ✨ Now that I have your at

✨ Make it Attractive ✨
Now that I have your attention 😜 A few months ago, I found myself struggling to find time to read for fun and be consistent with my mobility program. I told myself, “I should be able to find 10min to do this a few days a week,” and yet the days and weeks went by without me making any headway towards these “easy” goals. Anyone else relate? 🙋🏻‍♀️While 10min sounds simple, it’s not easy to implement.
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Spoiler alert 🚨 Even I, the movement pro, have trouble being consistent with my mobility programming at times, too.
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After 2.5months of, “I'll begin tomorrow…” stuck on repeat, I decided to adjust my strategy by making my plans more attractive. This is the second law of four from James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits. I highly recommend adding it to your list if you’re looking for help in the habit building arena.
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Make it attractive consists of three main ingredients:
💡 Use temptation bundling: Pair an action you want to do with an action you need to do.
💡 Join a culture where your desired behavior is the normal behavior.
💡 Create a motivation ritual: Do something you enjoy immediately before a difficult habit.
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How I use these three ingredients:
📚 Temptation bundling: I wanted to read and needed to do my mobility work. This was when I had the brilliant idea to listen to my audiobook WHILE doing my 10min of mobility work = win win!
👭 Joining a culture to support me in this habit took some creativity, but a way that I reverse engineered this has been sharing audiobook recs with friends and subscribing to a monthly mobility program (shout out to Kinstetch with @jenhosler). Both of these have kept my habits attractive, and helped me stay accountable by creating a pseudo-culture for me virtually.
☕ My motivation ritual: I LOVE coffee, and enjoy a warm cup while on my mat in the mornings as I listen to my book and rock out 10mins, which now easily becomes 20min, on my mat before diving into my day.
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If you’re working towards a goal right now, would any of these attractive tips help support your consistency efforts? If so, which ones stand out the most to you?

Dose ✌officially complete! . I have immense grat

Dose ✌officially complete!
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I have immense gratitude and appreciation for the Santa Barbara Health Department and support staff that made it possible for me to receive my second dose (Moderna).
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Earlier this week I shared my experience and secondary reactions in my stories, but also wanted to share those details here for others to reference.
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Here is my vaccine timeline and corresponding effects: Tuesday 2/16 at 10:30a I received my second dose, and felt zero effects except a sore arm until 9p that evening. I then began to experience a low intensity headache, general fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and the onset of mild chills. I went to bed around 9:30p and slept until 8a the next morning. When I woke, I still had a low intensity headache, mental fogginess, and general fatigue, but felt well enough to work my usual day. These symptoms persisted until about the 24hr mark and then started to ease. I felt like I was at 80% capacity by dinner time, with only fatigue remaining. By Thursday morning I woke up feeling back to 100% without any residual effects and my arm soreness fully resolved.
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I had a mild reaction compared to most. It is much more common to experience a heightened reaction about 8-10hrs after, which persists for about 24-36hrs afterwards based on what I’ve heard from others, and my providers. I know that everyone’s experience is unique for a variety of factors. Here are a few things I did to prepare:
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💦 Hydrated well 48hrs before AND the day of my vaccine 💤 Gave myself extra time to sleep the day before and after 🏋 Maintained my exercise routine, including the day of the vaccine, but took the day off afterwards to rest 💊 Made sure NOT to take any Tylenol or Advil beforehand as there are reports that mention a possible interference with the vaccine’s efficacy when taken just prior to the vaccine. I did not take them after either as I wanted to better notice and report how my system responded.
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Note: I share all of this NOT as a rec for anyone, but rather to share my preparation and experience so that you can make the best informed decision for you should you choose to get the vaccine. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out ♥️

✨ Make it Obvious ✨ . Sounds simple enough, ri

✨ Make it Obvious ✨
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Sounds simple enough, right? How obvious are the daily habits you’re using to help you reach your goal(s)? In some places of my life, I’m definitely a work in progress on this. For today’s post, I’m sharing how I nurtured my strength training habit into a permanent one - aka how I made it obvious 👇👇👇
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Make it obvious 😳 is the first law of four out of James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits. I highly recommend adding it to your list if you’re looking for help in the habit building arena.
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Make it obvious consists of three main ingredients:
💡Get clear on your behavior, and then dial in the time/location. This helps our brains remove extra resistance from decision fatigue. “I’ll work out tomorrow, “ is vague and makes it easy for all the other structured commitments to take priority.
💡Use habit stacking: “After doing [current habit], I will do [new habit]. Use the momentum of a habit that you already do regularly/automatically to help you create a new one.
💡Design your environment so that it reminds you of the habit you’re working on, thus making it obvious and visible. Bonus points if you can make that environment fun, and a place you actually want to be!
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How I used these ingredients to build my strength training habit:
1️⃣ In the beginning I got clear on committing to 10min of strength work 3 days a week at home in my living room or outside on the deck.
2️⃣ Habit stacking: I added those 10mins of strength work to my existing cardio schedule on Tues/Thurs/Sat. In the beginning, I hated strength work, so making it happen when I was already consistent with my running/cycling sessions made it easier for my brain and body. I also tricked myself by saying, “It’s just 10min…” 😜
3️⃣ Last August I carved out a corner of our living room that is now designated as our “movement corner”. This is where a yoga mat, weights, foam roller, etc…live permanently. Seeing them in plain view everyday makes it obvious for me and my husband to take movement breaks and keep our fitness routine regular. I also added a salt lamp to make it fun!
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What has helped you build habits that lasts? Have you found making it obvious helpful in achieving your goals?

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