Restoring Human Movement - For the Outdoor Lovers

Sebastian, Mandy, Dawne - Performance Place | Sports Chiropractic & Rehab
  • 4.8 (98)
  • Fitness
  • Updated Semimonthly

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. 3h ago

    Why Your Glute Loop Routine Isn't Saving Your Knees on the Trail

    Ready to find out why your pain keeps coming back dispite trying everything? Book a free Discovery Call here. https://www.p2sportscare.com/webinars/  When navigating knee, hip, or back pain on the trail, many endurance athletes assume they just need to rest or isolate their glutes. In this episode, host Sebastian Gonzales challenges common rehab misconceptions and dives into the real-world biomechanics of lower-body durability for hikers, runners, and backpackers. Pulling directly from the clinical principles discussed in this podcast, we unpack why building true trail resilience takes more than just passive pain management or low-intensity glute drills (like clamshells and bird dogs). Sebastian explains how protecting an injured knee leads to severe quadricep and calf deconditioning, leaving your legs completely unprepared to handle the massive braking forces of an 8-mile mountain decline.  Listen to learn: Why early pain relief is a trap, and why true recovery requires progressive, weighted load parameters. The truth about "knees-over-toes" tracking and why it's a mandatory functional requirement for descending mountains and stepping off large trail obstacles. Master the lowering phase: How a controlled 2-to-4-second eccentric count prepares your legs for rugged downhill braking. Moving beyond forward-and-backward movements: Integrating single-leg step-downs and lateral plane work to safeguard your joints against unpredictable terrain. How to apply these rules to your current routine to build an unstoppable, adaptable body for your upcoming summer or winter objectives. Connect with Performance Place Sports Care: Fix Your Movement Here: https://www.p2sportscare.com/ In-Person & Virtual Care: Connect with our medical team at our Costa Mesa, CA facility or schedule a remote multi-state telehealth consultation by calling 714-502-4243. Subscribe & Share: Send this episode to a trail partner who wants to stay strong, healthy, and active this season!

  2. Aug 10

    Beyond the Bench Press: Why Runners and Hikers Need Free-Standing Pushes for Core Strength

    Ready to find out why your pain keeps coming back dispite trying everything? Book a free Discovery Call here. https://www.p2sportscare.com/webinars/  When navigating knee, hip, or heel pain as a runner or hiker, your upper body is probably the last place you look. In this episode, host Sebastian Gonzales covers the pressing pattern—the final foundational piece of our upper-body resistance training series. We move past basic mirror-muscles and unpack how pushing patterns are the true cornerstone of a highly functioning core. Discover the biomechanics of the Anterior Oblique Sling—the crisscross highway of muscle moving from your right shoulder to your left hip (and vice versa)—and learn how it stabilizes your pelvis, unloads your lower body, and prevents common endurance flare-ups like adductor strains and sports hernias. Sebastian breaks down how to choose the right pressing angles for your anatomy, utilizing functional modifications like the half-kneeling "soft lumbar lock" to protect your back and eliminate joint irritation while building compound strength. Listen to learn: Why building maximum capacity in your appendages prevents compensatory overload in your spine and knees. The relationship between overhead extension, excessive back arching, and silent lumbar nerve referrals. How to use a "soft lumbar lock" in a half-kneeling position to enforce spinal neutral under load. Modifying your line of drive: Comparing floor presses, incline variants, and standing cable configurations. Speed vs. Strength: How to manipulate velocity with lighter loads to turn a press into an athletic power movement.

  3. Aug 3

    The Lat-Glute Sling: How Upper Body Pulling Saves Your Knees on the Trail

    Ready to find out why your pain keeps coming back dispite trying everything? Book a free Discovery Call here. https://www.p2sportscare.com/webinars/  Why are structural running and hiking limitations rarely just a lower-body problem? In this continuation of our athletic strength series, host Sebastian Gonzales dives deep into the anatomy of the upper body and introduces a crucial structural link: the pull pattern. If you've been ignoring your upper back or find yourself with a completely frozen arm drive on steep mountain descents, you are forcing your lower body and spine to absorb unnecessary rotational stress. We move past traditional bodybuilding concepts and look directly at integrated human movement. You'll learn about the Lat-Glute Sling (or posterior sling)—the diagonal highway of muscle connecting your back to your opposite glute and IT band—and why a strong upper back provides a mandatory baseline for pelvic control and hip extension. Sebastian also demystifies how to find your ideal elbow alignment using a simple clinical concept called the Power Slot, ensuring your rows, pulls, and suspension movements protect your joints while maximizing neural drive. Listen to learn: Why building strong appendages actively spares your spine from compensation and fatigue over long mileage. The relationship between lack of arm drive, restricted hip extension, and referred lumbar spine pain. How to automatically find your strongest shoulder positioning using the "Power Slot" rule. Modifying your lines of drive: Comparing horizontal barbell rows, single-arm dumbbell setups, and vertical lat pulls. The science of "Retention": How to utilize sticky external cues so your structural changes last between clinic visits.

  4. Jul 27

    Get Stronger, Run Better: A Conversation with Jason Fitzgerald Strength Running Podcast

    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/webinars/  Dr. Mandy Riehl (Wainfan) DC (00:02) All right, welcome back listeners. This is Dr. Mandy Wayne Fan, now Dr. Mandy Real, for those who have heard my name before. thank you for joining the Movement Movement. Today we have a very special guest. This is Jason Fitzgerald, coach, strength training extraordinaire in the running field. So Jason, for those who don't know you, give us a little bit about yourself. Jason Fitzgerald (00:22) Well, thanks, Mandy. yeah, Jason Fitzgerald. I've been running for good lord, twenty seven years now, which which kind of ages me a little bit. I think I'm pushing twenty-eight years in in as a runner myself. I've been coaching since two thousand and ten and I also host the Strength Running podcast. yeah, I really just try to help runners achieve their potential and get their performances where they want them to be. Jason Fitzgerald (00:50) which is often not where they are, but hopefully through conversations like this we can help get runners over that hump and get them to where they want to be. Dr. Mandy Riehl (Wainfan) DC (01:00) Totally. Yeah. For for those of you out there who found our podcast through kind of trying to run through an injury, fix an injury, this information today will be a really good bridge from, okay, I'm kind of sorting through the injury now what? How do I stay out of that? Of course, but what can strength training build for me apart from just, you know, fixing my foot pain, for example. so before we get started here, Dr. Mandy Riehl (Wainfan) DC (01:28) We're gonna have a pretty general focus. So there's gonna be a lot of information in here. So I would recommend not skipping around too much because we may be referencing things that we talked about earlier in the podcast. So stick around through it all. We'll have a great little takeaways at the end of the show. but we're gonna go over a ton of fun stuff today. Jason Fitzgerald (01:49) Well, Mandy, I I also want to say not only am I excited, I'm a little bit jealous that you probably have a bigger Monstera behind you than I do. Dr. Mandy Riehl (Wainfan) DC (01:59) It's it's taken some punishment over the years, but it's it's doing okay. It's about the size of covering up my maps, so I'm not gonna know what to do at that point. Jason Fitzgerald (02:10) Yeah, my mine is pushing seven or eight years old and it's also taking a little bit of abuse. It's not in the the best position right now, but you know, that that that's what you're gonna have to deal with when you're dealing with a jungle vine in your office. Dr. Mandy Riehl (Wainfan) DC (02:23) Right, Dr. Mandy Riehl (Wainfan) DC (02:24) right, yeah. It's my only couple plants in here that haven't died yet with my little window. So well Jason Fitzgerald (02:30) Yeah. Dr. Mandy Riehl (Wainfan) DC (02:30) cool. So so Jason, you're in the strength training world. you are deep, deep in the strength training world for runners. as you mentioned earlier too, if you have not checked out the strength running program podcast, go ahead and check that out after the episode. It's fantastic. but Jason, how did you come to realizing that strength is important? Jason Fitzgerald (02:53) Well, I came to it through a lot of trial and error. it was because I was hurt all the time. You know, it really stemmed from Dr. Mandy Riehl (Wainfan) DC (02:59) Mm-hmm. Jason Fitzgerald (03:00) my personal journey as a runner. You know, before I was a coach, you know, I I ran cross-country, indoor and outdoor track throughout high school and again at the collegiate level. And I I was a very injury prone runner, you know, with Achilles tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis and you know, all kinds of different strains and SI joint problems and Jason Fitzgerald (03:22) IT band syndrome. I mean, you name it, I've probably had the injury. And it wasn't until my first marathon, I ran the New York City marathon. And I realized afterward when I had started to, you know, try to return to running again after about a week off. And I I felt terrible. And pretty soon I developed a case of ITBS that laid me out for about six months. And I had to go to four physical therapists. And I was just seeing all these different people and and Jason Fitzgerald (03:53) Trying to leave no stone unturned on how to get past this injury. But then more importantly, not only just get healthy, but what do I do with my training after I get healthy so that I don't have to waste another six months sitting on my couch watching reruns of house because I Dr. Mandy Riehl (Wainfan) DC (04:09) Yeah. Jason Fitzgerald (04:10) I'm just bored. I really just like to run and I want to get back out there and keep training. So it was a little bit of a process, you know, like I think at the very beginning of of that whole journey for me, Jason Fitzgerald (04:22) I started, you know, incorporating certain body weight, strength exercises, much more mobility work, doing some, you know, band work, medicine ball work, things like that, very running specific, so that I could, you know, get strong in a way that runners care about and that would actually help me stay healthy. and now that's evolved a little bit. You know, I still do a lot of that kind of work and I still prescribe it for my athletes as well that I coach and that I work with, but I'm also fully. Jason Fitzgerald (04:52) in recognition of how valuable weightlifting is in a gym. And yes, it's great for kind of building more durability, more resilience to injury, but in regards to your running economy and your performance and your body composition and all the other lovely things that we love about weightlifting, you know, there's a lot to love about it. And, you know, if you're any kind of performance oriented runner, Jason Fitzgerald (05:17) Which doesn't mean that you're a professional or anything. It just means that, you know, you have some goals. You want to run a certain distance. You want to break a certain time in, you know, a given distance. We have to start thinking much more strategically about your training. And I think strength training is so important. I don't even really call it cross-training. You know, it's just Dr. Mandy Riehl (Wainfan) DC (05:35) Mm-hmm. Jason Fitzgerald (05:36) part of the training process that Dr. Mandy Riehl (Wainfan) DC (05:38) Yes. Jason Fitzgerald (05:38) runners need to really achieve their best. So it it was a it was a very big journey for me, you know, at the beginning. I didn't even Jason Fitzgerald (05:46) lift at all. I didn't do any strength work. I didn't think it was necessary. You know, I I really was just 18 years old and could get away with a lot of, you know, poor exactly. Dr. Mandy Riehl (Wainfan) DC (05:53) Right. You made a rubber. Jason Fitzgerald (05:56) You know, I could just go to sleep at night and then any problem I was dealing with would be gone by morning. You know, to be 18 again. Dr. Mandy Riehl (Wainfan) DC (06:00) Right, right. Right. Jason Fitzgerald (06:03) So I think my youth masked a lot of the training errors I was making at the time. And now that I'm 42 years old, I really have to be thinking a lot more strategically about Jason Fitzgerald (06:15) How I'm structuring my training. And, you know, coming from that college cross-country and track background, it has been very eye-opening coaching adult recreational runners over the last 16 years because, you know, they don't have the same kind of movement fluency that a lot of college athletes have. And so we've got to build a lot of that into the training program so that number one, they just feel much better on a day-to-day Dr. Mandy Riehl (Wainfan) DC (06:42) Mm-hmm. Jason Fitzgerald (06:42) basis, but also. Jason Fitzgerald (06:44) They're building that resilience into the program. They're they're getting the results that they're looking for. They're getting injured less. They're staying healthy for longer. So, you know, I I'm I'm now someone who is such a big proponent of strength training. Now, look, that doesn't mean I love it. I'd rather be out there running a couple more miles. I mean, you know, Dr. Mandy Riehl (Wainfan) DC (07:00) Right. Right, right. Jason Fitzgerald (07:02) I'll raise my hand. I'm a pure runner through and through. Dr. Mandy Riehl (Wainfan) DC (07:04) Totally. Same. Jason Fitzgerald (07:06) I don't like being in the weight room, but I understand that it allows me to do what I love to do. And so now I make it a priority. Dr. Mandy Riehl (Wainfan) DC (07:14) Yeah, it's like going and, you know, buying shoes. It's not I don't have a passion for shopping, but I need shoes, so I will go get shoes. But I know what you mean about the literacy. So just on the side for fun, I I coach high school cross country and having them in the weight room once a week. You know, they're like fourteen year old kids, just the you know, the kids who've been returning and doing all the other maxing out their mileage and all that. but you know, getting them in a on a hex bar Dr. Mandy Riehl (Wainfan) DC (07:42) for the first time ever and they're they're growing, they barely know where their limbs are. It's it's a it's a very different coaching experience than say my patients who I'm transitioning out of care that have been lifting for twenty years already. It's a a different type of education and a different type of like coaching queuing situation. Jason Fitzgerald (08:01) Yeah, I think it's really it's always really interesting looking at different types of people in the weight room. And and I'll never forget a conversation I had with a USA weightlifting national coach who was talking about why runners should be lifting

  5. Jul 20

    Isometrics & Trekking Poles: Practical Knee Joint Care for High-Elevation Hikes

    Ready to find out why your pain keeps coming back dispite trying everything? Book a free Discovery Call here. https://www.p2sportscare.com/webinars/  What happens when an experienced sports clinician faces unexpected knee pain on a long-planned trek into the Eastern Sierras? In this episode, host Sebastian Gonzales uses his recent personal hiking trip to deliver a real-world case study on acute pain mitigation, strategic joint unloading, and risk management on the trail. We pull back the curtain on how to systematically read joint symptoms when you are miles away from civilization. Discover how to identify structural vs. functional issues, and learn why complete rest or "shutting it down" is rarely the best answer for non-surgical flares. Sebastian breaks down the exact protocol he used to manage his own knee distress during downhill descents—combining temporary lumbar spine openers, focused knee extension pumps, and strategic quad isometric holds to maintain mechanical tolerance. We also discuss the practical role of trekking poles for decreasing eccentric load on changing grades, giving you a blueprint to safely save your mountain trips without sacrificing your long-term athletic fitness. Listen to learn: How to make an informed, calculated decision to continue hiking safely when pain surfaces. The hidden connection between sudden knee sensitivity and non-painful lumbar spine mechanical restriction. Step-by-step execution of knee extension pumps using the principles of the McKenzie Method. Structuring maximum contraction quad isometrics on the trail using functional variations like wall sits. Biomechanical safety checks: How to identify true surgical locking versus treatable rehab cases. Connect with Performance Place Sports Care: Subscribe: Follow the show so you never miss a practical, evidence-based breakdown on athletic longevity!

  6. Jul 20

    Episode 0 START HERE

    New to the show? Start here. Dr. Sebastian Gonzales introduces the Restoring Human Movement Podcast, who it is for and what you can expect from every episode. Free resources, guides and a free Discovery Call at  https://www.p2sportscare.com/webinars/

  7. Jul 13

    Bulletproofing Your Knees and Hips for Heavy Packs and Steep Mountain Descents - Rowan Smith

    Ready to find out why your pain keeps coming back dispite trying everything? Book a free Discovery Call here. https://www.p2sportscare.com/webinars/  Guest Resources: Learn more about Rowan Smith's training programs and read his educational resources at https://www.summitstrength.com.au/ When navigating joint discomfort on a steep mountain decline, many mountaineers, trekkers, and backpackers assume they just need to power through or isolate their glutes. In this episode, host Sebastian Gonzales sits down with Rowan Smith, founder of Summit Strength and host of the Training for Trekking Podcast, to challenge common conditioning misconceptions and dive into the real-world biomechanics of lower-body durability for high-altitude and big-peak athletes. Drawing from Rowan's extensive history coaching over 500 hikers and mountaineers preparing for massive bucket-list climbs and rugged expeditions, we unpack why building true mountain resilience takes more than just passive recovery or low-intensity floor drills. Sebastian and Rowan explain how protecting a sensitive joint leads to severe quad and calf deconditioning, leaving your legs entirely unprepared to handle the massive eccentric braking forces of a heavy pack on a brutal mountain descent. You'll also learn how to establish true single-leg benchmarks so you can step onto your next big peak with absolute confidence. Listen to learn: Why early pain relief is a trap, and how mountaineers can successfully transition into progressive, weighted load parameters. The truth about "knees-over-toes" tracking: Why forward knee translation is a mandatory functional requirement for navigating steep descents, high steps, and heavy pack carries. Mastering the lowering phase: How a controlled 2-to-4-second eccentric count prepares your quads and calves for rugged mountain braking. Moving beyond forward-and-backward training: Integrating single-leg step-downs and multi-planar lateral drills to protect your joints on unpredictable talus and scree fields. The minimalist mountaineer setup: How to build a high-yield training routine at home using only your primary backpack and mini-bands.

  8. Jul 6

    Saving Your Summer Mileage: Knee-Dominant Training for Runners & Hikers

    Ready to find out why your pain keeps coming back dispite trying everything? Book a free Discovery Call here. https://www.p2sportscare.com/webinars/  If you struggle with nagging knee issues when running or hiking, your first instinct might be to shut down activity, rest, and wait for the pain to dissipate. In this episode, we break down why that exact pattern of protective avoidance actually feeds into long-term quad atrophy and structural weakness. We move past general philosophy and look directly at knee-dominant exercises designed to build real tissue tolerance. Discover how to use targeted lower body strategies—from isometric wall sits and split-stance holds to machine variations like leg presses and hack squats—to safely navigate structural joint sensitivity. We also explain how to tweak variables like your foot position and shin angle to maintain maximum muscle contraction while bypassing painful ranges of motion. There is no such thing as a truly "bulletproof" joint, but you can systematically train your lower body to handle deep load, tolerate changing trail pitches, and keep your upcoming summer backpacking trips on schedule. Listen to learn: Why absolute rest is almost always the wrong answer for lingering, non-surgical knee complaints. How to utilize a 30-second maximum isometric hold to fire up dormant lower body musculature. Creative ways to structure a time-efficient gym circuit that unloads a sensitive joint while keeping your training productive. Adjusting your setup on the leg press and footplate to safely target the quads. Breaking the cycle of "lazy" quad function so your body feels fully engaged on your next steep descent.

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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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