Jamie Mraz DPT

Jamie Mraz DPT Human Performance Clinician, Educator, and Consultant for Tactical Professionals

05/23/2026

Optimizing hip joint health and performance

A lot of the guys that I see in the clinic have trashy hips. Some have hip pain and some not.

It’s not uncommon for a trashy hip to manifest as low back pain, SI joint pain, or even knee pain. This becomes especially true when we are doing a lot of heavy loaded squats

If the body is unable to sink into each hip joint adequately something else in the body will need to compensate- the pelvis hikes or rotates, the low back over rounds or extends, the knees take on extra torque etc…

Generally speaking the hips need capsular mobility particularly in the back of the joint. They need the ability to rotate. They also need load in a variety of planes of movement to include rotational and laterally

Shown are movements in my training that I do regularly to keep my hips in check

➡️ Posterior capsule stretch
➡️ Closed chain capsule mobilization
➡️ Internal rotation lifts against gravity
➡️ Rotational hinge
➡️ Lateral lunge

Remember that where the body hurts isn’t always the culprit of the problem. If you are dealing with pain associated with heavy squats it’s certainly worth investigating how the hips are performing 🤙🏼

I haven’t felt as inspired lately for physical therapy related contentThe balance of trying to convey nuance with easily...
05/17/2026

I haven’t felt as inspired lately for physical therapy related content

The balance of trying to convey nuance with easily consumable education feels like an impossible task at times

And so I have been on a bit of a social media hiatus, and honestly it has been restorative

Last night Matt and I had a lovely time dressing up for his military ball and right now this side of my life is what I feel most drawn to sharing.

If you have stuck around this page during my hiatus, thank you. I will get back to posting more regular professional content again soon when it feels right.

And if you have applied for 1:1 coaching, I anticipate some spots will open up soon and I will contact you as soon as the openings become available. You are always welcome to reach out to me directly if you have questions in the meantime or just want to make sure your application was received.

Hope you all are having a wonderful Sunday

Yours in health,

-Jamie

04/27/2026

Blood flow restriction training

This is a training modality that I use a ton with overuse lower extremity injuries

It allows us to dial things back while maintaining strength and cardiovascular gains. Added bonus is that most people also report an analgesic effect to immediately following the sessions

The protocol I choose varies based on the injury, client, and goals. Sometimes we work more strength type movements to lightly load the desired joint or tissues. Other times we may utilize a cardio modality such as cycling or incline walking.

As the painful or injured area becomes less sensitive we can start pulling back on blood flow sessions and systematically ramp back up on regular training.

Have you tried blood flow restriction training? What did you think 👀

04/22/2026

Midback stiffness that doesn’t get better with stretching, foam rolling, or chiro adjustments?

It’s likely that you need to incorporate more active and loaded movements to create lasting change

The ribcage and midback gets notoriously stiff on many folks. Targeted breath work with movements that reinforce range of motion should be implemented as part of a comprehensive program

These are some of my favorite ways to drive movement into be midback and ribcage 🤙🏼

This is a conversation that I have with folks almost dailyWhat you are doing isn’t necessarily the problem- it’s what yo...
04/11/2026

This is a conversation that I have with folks almost daily

What you are doing isn’t necessarily the problem- it’s what you aren’t doing.

We need to find the gaps in your training and then fill them in to get your body on a more well rounded program

We need to get you more in tune with your body’s recovery system so that you can learn when to push things and when to dial back

It is human nature to gravitate towards the things we enjoy and the things we are good at. It is all to easy to overlook that aspects of human performance that are difficult for us or ‘boring’.

But what separates the great athletes from the average is the willingness to spend mental and physical energy on the weaker areas of performance.

For my military and tactical athletes, this should be non-negotiable as it can determine career longevity and efficacy of job ex*****on

Hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend 🤙🏼

03/29/2026

Training capabilities that your hips need to stay healthy

Your lower body can be strong AF and still have massive blind spots. The hips are a notorious culprit and deficiencies can hide out for years if all you are doing is bilateral compound lifts like squat/deadlift.

These are some supplemental training capabilities that I like my athletes to incorporate into their lower body training program to keep the hips happy and healthy

1. The ability to load the hips and then push into a lateral direction

2. Rotation without compensation

3. The ability to control pelvic position into a strict hinge

4. Multi-planar stability

5. Control and strength through range of motion

6. Unilateral strength

7. Effective brakes to control impact

🎯 Train with me ➡️ Resolute 12-week strength and mobility program 💪🏼

🔗 Link in bio to get started

03/28/2026

How your feet interact with the ground says a lot of your body’s ability to produce force and absorb impact

What we want to see is an Achilles tendon that lengthens and then recoils to release energy. If you stay up on your toes the whole time, the tendon is at a mechanical disadvantage

We also want to see a foot that can pronate and splay as it accepts body weight

We want the ability to create some stiffness and rigidity in the feet and ankles to strike the ground

The guys that I treat in the clinic are in stiff, rigid boots all day often times leading to stiff and weak feet which then become painful and struggle under high mileage

One of the key components to restoring better foot mechanics is consequently working though a progression where we retain the feet to interact with the ground

Basically mobility and strength work will usually precede and supplement this training but I just wanted to highlight the importance of this

The simplest way to start? Take your shoes off and jump rope. Easy jumps (no double unders). Utilize th muscle tendon elasticity in the Achilles by allowing the heel to drop down to the ground. Your feet will eventually build up but be aware it can take up to 12 weeks

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Tacoma, WA

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