The Cheer Athlete

“Squeeze! Stay tight!” It’s one of the most common cues in cheer—but squeezing harder doesn’t necessarily create better stability. In this episode of The Cheer Athlete , we look at what may actually be happening when a...

You don’t need a PT on staff to start paying attention to how your athletes move. In this episode of The Cheer Athlete Podcast , I walk you through a simple movement screen you can use with your team in about 10...

Back pain can make choosing the “right” exercise feel complicated. But before you focus on the exercise, take a look at the movement. In this episode, we bring together the movement patterns we've been discussing over...

Your shoulder feels tight—but is your shoulder actually the problem? If you have trouble reaching overhead, reaching behind your back, or keeping your shoulders relaxed during pressing movements, it’s easy to assume you...

Your neck feels tight—but is your neck actually the problem? When something feels stiff, our first instinct is often to stretch it. But if you keep stretching the same area and the tightness keeps returning, it may be...

Your back is supposed to bend forward—but it’s also supposed to extend. So why does reaching overhead sometimes leave you feeling tight through your shoulders or pinched in your lower back? In this episode of The Cheer...

Most people have been told to "lift with your legs" and never bend their back. But is that really how the body was designed to move? In this episode, we take a closer look at trunk flexion —one of the most important...

Movement Leaves Clues. What if the way you move is telling you more than where you hurt? In this episode of The Cheer Athlete Podcast , I explain why movement is more than pass or fail—it’s information. Whether you're a...

Is the painful area really the problem? Not always. In this episode, I discuss why your body often compensates when movement is limited and why the area that hurts may actually be doing extra work rather than causing...

Why Your Back Pain Isn't the Problem (Most of the Time) Does your back hurt when you lean backward, tumble, reach overhead, or stand for long periods? What if your back isn't actually the problem? In this episode, I use...

In this episode, I explain why movement screens shouldn't be about finding perfect form—they should help us understand how the body solves movement. We'll discuss: • Why compensation isn't always a bad thing • The five...

Is your foot really the problem...or is it just where the movement shows up? In this episode, I pull together the key ideas from my recent five-part YouTube series on single-leg stance and explain the why behind the...

Why do you still feel tight after stretching? It's one of the most common questions I hear from athletes, clients, and adults trying to move better. In this episode, we explore why stretching alone isn't always the...

What is the missing link between movement, strength, and performance? In this episode, I discuss why building strength isn't always the first step toward better performance. Movement quality, awareness, breathing...

In this episode of The Cheer Athlete Podcast , I’m breaking down the ABCs of movement: Awareness, Breath, and Control . These three principles are the foundation of how I help cheerleaders, adults, and physical therapy...