
A few weeks ago, I helped out Michael, our operations manager as he enjoyed a well-deserved holiday. It was fun reconnecting with clients and getting back into coaching mode. And, I’ll admit, I love the good kind of chaos—a schedule where no matter how hard I try, everything just won’t quite fit. It brings me back to the good old days!
Before he left, Michael gave me one parting instruction: “Please don’t lecture everyone about not doing their warm-ups properly.” Let’s be honest—no one really loves warm-ups. We even tried changing the name to “Movement Prep,” but sadly, some of you caught on that it’s still a warm-up. 😅
So why am I so passionate about warm-ups? Well, partly it’s because I know the benefits but it also has a lot to do with my own trauma!
But first, let me explain why we insist on doing movement preparation in the first place. Spending time before your workout focusing on mobility is the best way to ensure it actually gets done. It has a compound effect, helping you integrate full ranges of motion, reinforce them with stability, and by the time you add strength, your body is in an ideal position to handle it (pun intended). This is especially important if you sit a lot for work or have underlying injuries.
Now, About My Trauma…
Back in 2015, I suffered a significant back injury. Two discs in my lumbar spine were damaged, and an MRI confirmed I had a full extrusion at L5-S1 pressing directly on my S1 nerve root—16mm in size. I also had a bulge at L4-L5. Perhaps I can dive more into my experience in a future newsletter if you are interested? As part of my rehab, I started doing a mobility, movement, and stability routine every morning. And guess what? I still do it!
Whenever I fall out of the habit (usually when I’m traveling), I start to feel that familiar stiffness creeping in, and my back gets tweaky. But as soon as I get back into my routine, I feel better. It’s one of those things that has made such a difference that I’m passionate about making sure others benefit from it, too.
Shout out to all the superstars who ALWAYS show up early and do your entire warm-up. You know you’re our favorites, right? 🤭
Hope everyone has fun doing their warm ups this week….and for the rest of their lives. 👀