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In this episode of the David Grey Rehab Podcast, I welcome personal trainer and strength coach, Katie St.Clair, along with physical therapist, Jill Zimmerman. Tune in to learn about the fundamentals of training and physical therapy with the pelvic floor in mind, the functions of the pelvic floor, and the impact of the pelvic floor on pregnancy and postpartum life. Plus, Katie and Jill share great advice for fitness professionals as well as their powerful thoughts on the relationship between trauma, the pelvic floor, and chronic tension in the body.
We also uncover the marketing tactics behind Jill and Katie’s unique business models, the importance of high-quality, safe learning environments (especially for online courses), and my approach to using reactive movements and/or yielding in plyometrics.
“I think the hardest thing about mother[hood] is the expectations that they’re going to have time to do any of these things. Finding strategies – like hey you’re in your car or hey you’re breastfeeding – there are actually things you can do while you’re sitting there… So, let me give you a seated exercise you can do in your car”, Katie St.Clair
“There’s a lot of guarding of the pelvic floor that’s due to safety or a need to find safety. So there’s a lot of emotional issues that people might guard with their pelvic floor, whether it be past traumas, even just emotional trauma, physical trauma… feelings of shame, feelings of fear… and that happens in other parts of the bodies too but especially with the pelvic floor”, Jill Zimmerman
Episode Timeline | What You’ll Learn:
00:13 – Introducing Katie and Jill & The topics of today’s episode
08:07 – My South Carolina story
10:33 – About Katie, Jill, and their work
16:30 – Understanding your scope of practice & The power of collaboration and learning in training and physical therapy
21:31 – Thinking outside the algorithm & Accelerating your learning through case studies and repetitively doing hands-on work
27:21 – Marketing strategies and insights for fitness professionals
29:44 – Overcoming personal insecurities and setting boundaries in your business and courses
35:28 – How Jill and Katie are inspiring women to be strong, confident, and knowledgeable about their bodies
37:39 – About Jill’s business model & Why she offers a monthly case study program
40:01 – Their contrasting lifestyles & services: Formal mentorships, mini courses, 1:1 in-person and online training programs, and more!
47:16 – How they help people who experience stress incontinence.
50:03 – The functions of the pelvic floor & How the functions can become overworked
55:22 – What happens to the pelvic floor during pregnancy and postpartum? & What happens to the pelvic floor when you inhale and exhale?
1:06:49 – Squat vs. Deadlifts: What should be happening to the pelvic floor?
1:11:59 – Trauma, Safety, Emotions, and the Body: How are they connected?
1:21:09 – What happens to the pelvic floor during bouncing exercises? & The importance of focusing on tendon health and laxity
1:24:08 – Plyometrics & The pelvic floor
1:31:06 – Advice for women in the fitness industry & Advice for men in fitness who want to work with more women.
1:35:30 – Who would you bring to a deserted island if you were trapped there for a week?
“Hip impingement can be a tricky one to treat and I think some people get really hung up, and it’s like, well is anyone looking at the pelvic floor? Maybe we should because that’s a huge part if you actually think about where those muscles lie and what they do. So, I think [physical therapy] can be a really good tool to sort of unlock some of these really tough to crack cases”, Jill Zimmerman
Watch this episode on YouTube
Connect with Katie St.Clair:
Visit Katie’s website & Sign up for her courses
Connect with Jill Zimmerman:
Resources Mentioned:
Listen to The Movement Space Podcast
Listen to the Naval Podcast episode about “How to Get Rich”
Connect with DGR:
Follow David Grey Rehab on Instagram
Listen to more podcast episodes
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
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