The Movement Paradigm

06/18/2026

Did you know one nerve may influence your stress, sleep, digestion, recovery, and even your ability to stay calm under pressure?

It's called the vagus nerve, and it's one of the body's most important communication pathways. It helps connect your brain to your heart, lungs, gut, and other vital organs, playing a key role in nervous system regulation and overall health.

Join Dr. Arianne Missimer, DPT, RD, IFMCP, CSCS, for an evidence-based webinar:

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲, 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

🗓️ Tuesday, June 23, 2026
🕦 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM EDT

You'll learn:
✨ How the vagus nerve influences stress and recovery
✨ The connection between the brain, gut, and nervous system
✨ Why vagal health matters for movement and performance
✨ Practical strategies to support resilience and well-being

Whether you're a healthcare professional, athlete, or simply curious about optimizing your health, this webinar will provide actionable insights you can start using right away.

💬 Comment VAGUS below, and we'll send you the registration link!

📱 Or scan the QR code to reserve your spot.

06/18/2026

Feeling better does not always require a complete lifestyle overhaul.

Often, the biggest improvements come from consistently practicing simple habits that support your body's natural ability to thrive.

Here are 10 simple ways to start feeling better today:

✔ Move your body intentionally each day, whether through walking, strength training, stretching, or another activity you enjoy.

✔ Practice diaphragmatic breathing to help regulate stress and support your nervous system.

✔ Build balanced meals with carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats to promote steady energy and satisfaction.

✔ Stay hydrated, especially first thing in the morning after waking up.

✔ Add probiotic-rich foods to support gut health and digestion.

✔ Prioritize 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep each night.

✔ Get daily sunlight exposure, ideally in the morning, to support your circadian rhythm.

✔ Reduce blue light exposure before bedtime to help improve sleep quality.

✔ Make time for activities that bring you joy, such as reading, journaling, drawing, or other hobbies.

✔ Strengthen your relationships by spending meaningful time with the people you care about most.

Remember, health is built through small daily choices. You do not need to be perfect. Focus on consistency, celebrate progress, and keep showing up for yourself one habit at a time.

Which of these habits are you already working on? Let us know in the comments below!

06/17/2026

Why would you use heel wedges for squats?

Heel wedges are not “cheating.” They are a tool.

The main goal of a squat is to keep your center of mass over your base of support so you can load the movement efficiently, maintain control, and actually access the pattern you are trying to train.

Sometimes, when ankle mobility is limited, the body has to find motion somewhere else. Instead of squatting, you may start to turn it into more of a hinge or deadlift pattern — hips shoot back, torso tips forward, and the movement changes.

Heel wedges can help create a better squat setup by allowing the knees to travel forward, the torso to stay more upright, and the load to stay better organized over the feet.

You might benefit from heel wedges if you:

• Have limited ankle dorsiflexion
• Have a history of ankle sprains or stiffness
• Tend to hinge when you are trying to squat
• Have a higher-arched foot type
• Have a structurally or functionally everted/pronated foot type that has affected ankle mobility
• Feel like you cannot keep your weight balanced through the whole foot during a squat

For some people, heel wedges may be a temporary strategy while you work on ankle mobility, foot mechanics, strength, and motor control.

For others, they may become a more permanent fixture based on your structure, injury history, sport, training goals, or what allows you to move and load best.

The goal is not to label them as good or bad.

The goal is to use them intentionally based on your individual body, your movement strategy, and what helps you access the squat pattern with the most control.

When the body has access to the right position, it can create better strength, better control, and better options.

Save this and try heel wedges the next time your squat feels more like a deadlift. 🦶

06/15/2026

The kettlebell windmill is so much more than a shoulder exercise.

It is a full-body integration drill that connects your feet, hips, core, rib cage, and shoulder into one coordinated system.

As you hinge into the windmill, your core has to create stability while your thoracic spine rotates and your shoulder maintains control overhead. The goal is not just to “hold the kettlebell up,” but to create a strong connection from your grounded foot all the way through your trunk and into the shoulder.

Think:

Root through the feet.
Hinge through the hips.
Rotate through the rib cage.
Reach actively through the kettlebell.
Keep the shoulder stable, not shrugged.

This is where true shoulder stability comes from — not just the shoulder itself, but the core and breath helping to create a strong, integrated foundation.

Move slow. Own the position. Let the body work as a system.

Save this for your next kettlebell session. 💪

06/14/2026

Why You May Need Salt If You’re Burned Out

Could low sodium be making burnout symptoms worse? Learn why salt a...

06/12/2026

Reverse Lunge with Bottom Calf Raise + Short Foot

This is not just a reverse lunge.

By adding a calf raise at the bottom, we are working on loading and unloading the foot while improving coordination from the foot to the core.

Start by stepping back into your reverse lunge. As you lower down, inhale and keep even pressure through the front foot — under the big toe, under the little toe, and through the heel.

At the bottom, continue that inhale as you press evenly through the ball of the foot, especially under the big toe and little toe, and come up into a small calf raise.

Try not to roll to the outside of the foot or collapse inward.

Then slowly lower the heel back down with control.

Once the heel returns to the ground, exhale, gently root your toes into the ground without gripping or curling them, find your short foot, and press back up to standing.

So the sequence is:

Inhale: reverse lunge and calf raise at the bottom.
Control: slowly lower the heel.
Exhale: root the toes, find short foot, and come back to standing.

This helps train eccentric control, foot strength, balance, and the timing of how we load and unload the foot during movement. 🦶

Move slowly, stay connected to the ground, and let the foot organize the rest of the chain.

Share this with a friend who is working on foot strength, balance, or better lower body control.

06/12/2026

I want to share a quick case because this is exactly why we have to look beyond weight and focus on metabolic health.

In one year, this person’s triglycerides went from 145 to 59.

In just three months, their fasting insulin improved from 8 to 6.5.

And their hemoglobin A1C went from 6.3 to 5.4 in three months.

That is a huge shift in blood sugar regulation, insulin sensitivity, and overall metabolic health.

Now, this did not happen from one magic supplement, one extreme diet, or one workout plan.

It came from addressing the foundations:

Better protein and fiber intake.

More balanced blood sugar throughout the day and around tennis.

Strength training and consistent movement.

Improving sleep and stress regulation.

Supporting digestion, inflammation, and nervous system health.

When triglycerides drop, insulin improves, and A1C comes down, that tells us the body is becoming more metabolically flexible.

It means the body is handling glucose better, storing and using energy more efficiently, and moving away from chronic metabolic stress.

This is why we don’t just chase symptoms.

We look at the whole person.

Because when you support the body from the inside out, the numbers can change — and more importantly, the person starts to feel better too.

So proud of her! Need help ? Reach out for a discovery session!

06/11/2026

Somatic Technique | Neck Release

Can a gentle neck release support your vagus nerve and nervous syst...

06/11/2026

Feeling tired all the time, struggling with low energy, or noticing frequent headaches? Iron deficiency could be playing a role.

Iron is an essential mineral that helps your red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body. When iron levels are low, your body may not get the oxygen it needs to function optimally, which can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, pale skin, brittle nails, headaches, and decreased exercise performance.

Did you know that iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies worldwide? It is estimated that a significant portion of anemia cases are linked to low iron levels.

There are two main types of dietary iron:

✔️ Heme Iron
Found in animal-based foods and generally absorbed more efficiently by the body. Sources include beef, fish, chicken, and eggs.

✔️ Non-Heme Iron
Found in plant-based foods such as beans, peas, oatmeal, fortified cereals, and leafy green vegetables. While it is not absorbed as easily as heme iron, it still contributes to your daily iron intake and can be an important source of iron for many individuals.

If you suspect you may have low iron levels, speak with your healthcare provider before starting supplements. Proper testing can help determine the cause and guide the best treatment plan for your needs.

Small changes in your nutrition can make a big difference in your energy, recovery, and overall well-being.

Stay tuned for more nutrition content every Wednesday.

06/09/2026

Side sit is a great neurodevelopmental position to train rotation, core control, lateral hip stability, and shoulder integration.

Because the body is supported from the ground up, it creates an opportunity to work on breath, alignment, and movement quality all at once.

In the rotation variation, hold a light weight and begin by grounding through the bottom hip and forearm. Keep the rib cage stacked over the pelvis as much as possible. As you inhale, reach the weight underneath the arm and slightly under the body, allowing the thoracic spine and rib cage to rotate. Then, as you exhale, return and reach the weight back up, using the breath to help bring the ribs back into alignment and create control through the trunk.

The goal is not to force a bigger twist.
The goal is to create controlled rotation without collapsing through the shoulder, ribs, or pelvis.

In the cable row variation, stay tall through the side sit position and begin by organizing the shoulder and trunk. As you row the cable, pull through the back and allow the shoulder blade to move naturally, while keeping the pelvis grounded and the rib cage connected. Since the cable adds a rotational challenge, the trunk has to work to maintain alignment and resist being pulled off center.

This variation helps train how to pull, stabilize, and transfer force while maintaining an integrated base.

For both:

* Ground through the hips and support arm
* Keep the rib cage and pelvis organized
* Use the breath to guide the movement
* Allow motion from the upper back without losing the base
* Add load only if the position stays controlled

This is what makes side sit so valuable — it connects breath, rotation, stability, and strength in a developmental pattern that supports real-life movement.

Save this for your next movement session and share it with someone who has asymmetrical movements, SI joint pain , or just wants to optimize their movement!