Restoring Human Movement - For the Outdoor Lovers

Sebastian, Mandy, Dawne - Performance Place | Sports Chiropractic & Rehab

You shouldn't have to pack up your trail gear or cancel a summer trip just because your body is pushing back. Welcome to the Restoring Human Movement podcast, a periodic show for hikers, backpackers, and trail runners who are navigating the physical realities of training in their 40s and beyond. Hosted by the sports chiropractic and rehab team at Performance Place Sports Care in Costa Mesa, California, we don't release episodes on a rigid corporate schedule...we only drop a new show when we have something genuinely useful to share. Our goal is to give you clear, no-nonsense strategies to manage growing pains and stubborn injuries without forcing you onto the sidelines. We focus on the exact issues that take outdoor athletes off the trail, including lower back pain, hip impingement, labral tears, sports hernias, plantar fasciitis, and patellofemoral knee pain. If you want to understand how your body actually handles load and how to fix your biomechanics, this is for you. We see patients in person at our Costa Mesa clinic, and we also provide telehealth consultations across multiple states. Hit subscribe to keep your training on track. Call us if you want some help getting back to activity. https://www.p2sportscare.com/ 714-502-4243

  1. 20h ago

    Piriformis Syndrome in Runners & Hikers: Causes, Symptoms, and Recovery

    Ready to find out why your pain keeps coming back dispite trying everything? Book a free Discovery Call here. https://www.p2sportscare.com/webinars/  That deep, aching pain in the middle of your glute that flares up after miles on the trail or hours behind a desk—piriformis syndrome is one of the most frustrating injuries for active runners and hikers. But what is actually happening deep in the hip, and how do you distinguish it from a lower back disc issue? In this episode, we unpack the biomechanics of piriformis syndrome. We explore how the piriformis muscle can compress the sciatic nerve, creating localized glute pain that radiates down the back of the thigh. We break down the biggest daily triggers—from prolonged sitting and driving to steep uphill hiking—and reveal why endless piriformis stretching often makes the irritation worse. Plus, we share actionable strategies on sitting posture adjustments, glute max strengthening, and why staying active is key to long-term recovery. What You'll Learn in This Episode: What is Piriformis Syndrome? How the sciatic nerve travels under (or through) the piriformis muscle, creating peripheral nerve entrapment. Classic Symptoms & Triggers: Recognizing deep glute aches, thigh pain, and why cross-legged sitting, long drives, and steep inclines aggravate it. Piriformis vs. Disc Sciatica: How spinal MRI findings differ from true piriformis syndrome, and why 9 out of 10 cases of leg pain actually stem from the lower back. The Stretching Trap: Why pulling aggressively on an inflamed piriformis causes excess joint and nerve compression instead of relief. Building Glute Capacity: How targeted strength training (especially glute max) and simple lifestyle resets reduce the risk profile and keep you running and hiking pain-free.

  2. 6d ago

    The "Selflessly Selfish" Mindset: Why Adults 40+ Struggle to Prioritize Fitness (with Oliver Nam)

    Ready to find out why your pain keeps coming back dispite trying everything? Book a free Discovery Call here. https://www.p2sportscare.com/webinars/  To learn more about customized training programs for adults 40+ or to connect with Oliver and his team, visit Thrive Training Irvine For adults over 40, prioritizing personal health often feels like an impossible luxury. Between managing demanding careers and caring for family, most people spend decades putting everyone else's needs before their own. On the Restoring Human Movement Podcast, host Sebastian Gonzales sits down with Oliver Nam, owner of Thrive Training in Irvine, California, to discuss why busy adults must adopt a "selflessly selfish" mindset. Being selflessly selfish means recognizing that carving out dedicated, non-negotiable time for your own physical health isn't selfish at all—it is the essential foundation that allows you to stay strong, energetic, and capable for the people who rely on you. Many active adults fall into the trap of "yo-yo fitness" because they try to force their bodies into the same high-intensity, bodybuilder-style routines they used in high school or college. These outdated workouts fail to match their current schedules, stress levels, or joint capacities, inevitably leading to joint pain, injury flare-ups, and frustration. Coupled with common barriers like gym intimidation—the anxiety of stepping into crowded, male-dominated weight rooms—and the persistent fear of "getting bulky," many people end up retreating to low-impact cardio machines or quitting altogether. Oliver Nam emphasizes that weight training won't make you bulky without extreme caloric surpluses, but shifting away from isolated muscle splits toward time-efficient, full-body movement patterns is what truly builds functional resilience. Overcoming these barriers requires a shift from short-term fitness projects to a sustainable, lifelong lifestyle. While motivation fluctuates, finding an empathetic community and structured guidance builds long-term accountability, helping empty nesters and active adults reclaim their strength. By committing to progressive overload, proper movement mechanics, and targeted strength work, adults can eliminate chronic pain, travel comfortably, and participate fully in the activities they love. .

  3. Oct 5

    Can Pilates, Yoga, or TRX Actually Build Enough Strength for Trail Running?

    In this episode, we tackle the next logical step in our runner's strength series: knee-dominant training. If you've ever had your running or hiking season cut short by a nagging knee condition, your gut reaction might have been to shut it down, rest, and cross your fingers. We dive into why that standard "wait and see" approach usually keeps you on the sidelines, and how intentional, strategic loading is the actual path to long-term joint tolerance. We move past the myths of "bulletproofing" your body and focus on real mechanical principles. You'll learn how to navigate knee sensitivity using maximum muscular contractions—starting with isometric holds like wall sits and split-squat pauses—and how to successfully transition back into compound movements like hack squats, leg presses, and goblet squats. We also take a direct look at popular cross-training modalities like Pilates, yoga, and TRX to break down exactly when they help, where they top out, and why they might not check the box for true heavy resistance training. Listen to learn: Why total rest is rarely the right prescription for non-surgical knee pain. The science of "Reps in Reserve" (RIR) and why the final 5 reps before failure are where the magic happens. How to use isometric holds to safely stimulate quad, hamstring, and soleus contraction without joint irritation. Adjusting your footplate position and shin angle on a leg press to decrease joint stress while maintaining power. Why the "knees over toes" rule is a mandatory reality for descending steep mountain trails. Connect with Performance Place Sports Care: Fix Your Movement Here: https://www.p2sportscare.com/ In-Person & Virtual Care: Connect with our team at our Costa Mesa, CA facility or schedule a multi-state telehealth session by calling 714-502-4243. Subscribe: Hit that follow button so you never miss a real, evidence-based breakdown on athletic performance!

  4. Sep 18

    Plantar Fasciitis in Runners: Root Causes & Root Causes - Dr. Mandy Riehl DC & Jason Fitzgerald

    Guest Coach Jason Fitzgerald - Strength Running Podcast strengthrunning.com/strength/ for strength content Ready to find out why your pain keeps coming back dispite trying everything? Book a free Discovery Call here. https://www.p2sportscare.com/ Plantar fascia pain plagues countless runners, but finding its root cause and treating it effectively can feel like a frustrating trial-and-error process. On a notable episode of The Strength Running Podcast, host Jason Fitzgerald brought on Dr. Mandy Riehl, a rehab chiropractor, former D1 cross-country athlete, and running specialist—to dive deep into what actually causes runner's heel pain and how to solve it for good. Rather than relying on temporary fixes like aggressive calf stretching or resting, Dr. Riehl emphasizes the need to evaluate total foot load tolerance, intrinsic foot strength, and running gait biomechanics. A critical step in true recovery is establishing an accurate differential diagnosis, ensuring that persistent heel pain isn't actually medial calcaneal nerve entrapment, tarsal tunnel syndrome, or referred lumbar radiculopathy masquerading as classic plantar fasciopathy. To build long-term capacity in the foot, treatment must transition away from passive modalities like ice and orthotics toward heavy slow resistance (HSR) and progressive loading. Heavy loading systematically rebuilds damaged fascial tissue and increases lower leg stiffness, which drastically improves energy return, lowers ground contact time, and enhances overall running economy. Endurance athletes often shy away from heavy weight training due to the common myth that lifting will make them bulky. However, because of the interference effect, the metabolic tug-of-war between anabolic and catabolic signaling during endurance volume, runners can safely perform heavy resistance training without adding unwanted mass, gaining vital structural resilience instead. Building this lower-body foundation not only resolves heel pain, but also protects against other frequent overuse conditions like patellofemoral pain syndrome, Achilles load, and plantar overload.

4.8
out of 5
98 Ratings

About

You shouldn't have to pack up your trail gear or cancel a summer trip just because your body is pushing back. Welcome to the Restoring Human Movement podcast, a periodic show for hikers, backpackers, and trail runners who are navigating the physical realities of training in their 40s and beyond. Hosted by the sports chiropractic and rehab team at Performance Place Sports Care in Costa Mesa, California, we don't release episodes on a rigid corporate schedule...we only drop a new show when we have something genuinely useful to share. Our goal is to give you clear, no-nonsense strategies to manage growing pains and stubborn injuries without forcing you onto the sidelines. We focus on the exact issues that take outdoor athletes off the trail, including lower back pain, hip impingement, labral tears, sports hernias, plantar fasciitis, and patellofemoral knee pain. If you want to understand how your body actually handles load and how to fix your biomechanics, this is for you. We see patients in person at our Costa Mesa clinic, and we also provide telehealth consultations across multiple states. Hit subscribe to keep your training on track. Call us if you want some help getting back to activity. https://www.p2sportscare.com/ 714-502-4243

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