The MVMNT Therapist

The MVMNT Therapist I'll help you move better, get stronger, rehabilitate your injuries, as well as help you navigate/manage pain along the way, especially chronic pain.
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🏋️‍♂️MSK Therapist + Strength Coach
📖Special interest in Pain, Strength, Movement
💯Committed to helping people
🗣️ Views my own
NB: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, this helps me help more people without charging too much.

03/08/2026

Paolo Maldini once said: "If I have to make a tackle, then I've already made a mistake."

At first, that sounds ridiculous. Surely even one of the greatest defenders of all time still had to make tackles.

Exactly.

That wasn't his point.

The very best don't just react well. They anticipate. They position themselves well. They read the game and try to stop problems developing before a last-ditch tackle becomes necessary.

I think rehabilitation is exactly the same.

Even the best therapists, coaches and rehabilitation programmes can't prevent every injury or flare-up. Pain is complex, and someone's capacity can change because of their physical health, sleep, stress, recovery, confidence or simply because life got in the way.

So when someone flares up, the question isn't always, "What exercise should I change?"

It's:

"What changed?"

Every flare-up tells a story.

Maybe the external load increased too quickly. Maybe their ability to tolerate that load changed. Maybe the programme didn't change… but the person did.

Our job isn't just to settle the flare-up. It's to understand the story it's trying to tell us, then adapt. Adjust the load. Modify the plan. Support the person in front of us.

Maybe that's what Paolo Maldini really meant.

Every tackle tells a story. Every flare-up does too.

The best therapists don't stand out because they always have the right answers.

They stand out because they ask better questions.

📚 Inspired by a quote attributed to Paolo Maldini and informed by the biopsychosocial model of pain and contemporary load management principles.

31/07/2026

One of the biggest communication mistakes we make isn't giving advice...

It's giving advice too soon.

Many of us have learnt to start with, "That's awful" or "I'm so sorry to hear that." But if we immediately follow it with "Have you tried...?" or "You should..." we've often moved on before the other person has felt truly heard.

Empathy isn't just acknowledging someone's emotions.

It's being willing to stay with them for a little longer.

Ironically, when people feel understood first, they're often far more open to exploring solutions afterwards.

On their terms.

With their permission.

This is a core principle of Motivational Interviewing and one of the biggest shifts I've made in my own clinical practice.

📚 Miller WR & Rollnick S. Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change (4th ed., 2023).

05/07/2026

You don't listen as well as you think you do.

I first heard this Cuban proverb shared by Casey Jackson, and it's stayed with me ever since:

"Listening looks easy, but it's not simple. Every head is a world."

Think about that.

Every person you meet has a completely different world inside their head.

Different experiences. Different fears. Different values.

If you assume you already understand them...

You're not really listening.

You're waiting to respond.

Every head is a world.

Don't be so quick to think you've already seen it.

Reference: Miller WR, Rollnick S. Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change. 4th ed. Guilford Press; 2023.

01/07/2026

Motivational Interviewing is way more than communication skills.

You can learn communication skills.

You can learn active listening.

You can learn open questions.

You can learn reflections.

But that doesn't mean you're practising Motivational Interviewing.

Because MI isn't just about what comes out of your mouth.

It's about the spirit and the intention behind the techniques.

When someone is talking to you...

Are you trying to fix them?

Convince them?

Correct them?

Or are you genuinely trying to understand them?

People can feel the difference.

The words might be identical.

The intention isn't.

That's why two practitioners can use exactly the same communication skills...

But only one is truly practising Motivational Interviewing.

Without the spirit...

The techniques are just techniques.

📚 References

• Miller & Rollnick. Motivational Interviewing (4th ed.), 2023.
• Miller & Rollnick. Ten Things That Motivational Interviewing Is Not. 2009.
• Moyers & Miller. Is low-fidelity Motivational Interviewing really Motivational Interviewing? 2013.

I wish I'd done this years ago... 🥵My bedroom gets absolutely cooked by the morning sun every summer.A fan was just blow...
25/06/2026

I wish I'd done this years ago... 🥵

My bedroom gets absolutely cooked by the morning sun every summer.

A fan was just blowing hot air around, so I decided to try something different.

I bought some reflective thermal insulation, cut it to size, and covered the windows.

The difference was noticeable within a few hours.

It won't replace air conditioning, but if your room heats up because of direct sunlight through the windows, stopping that heat before it enters can make a much bigger difference than trying to cool the room afterwards.

Sometimes the best solution isn't adding more cooling.

It's stopping the heat getting in in the first place.

If you're struggling to sleep during this heatwave, this might be worth trying. ☀️😴

15/06/2026

What an amazing couple of days at my first MINT UK & Ireland Meeting in Cardiff.

Huge thanks to Orla Adams, Stephen Rollnick, and everyone involved in organising such a fantastic event.

The presentations were excellent, but the real value is also in the conversations over coffee, around the dinner table, and between people who are all passionate about helping others.

It was great catching up with old friends, meeting lots of new faces, and being part of such a welcoming and inclusive community.

A special mention to Gary Mendoza, who first introduced me to Motivational Interviewing all those years ago, Jonathon Whitson-Russell, who supported me through my TNT application, and Matt Phillips, who it was great to catch up with.

There were far too many great presentations to mention individually, but Casey Jackson's session was a standout for me. He travelled over from Washington DC and it was worth every mile.

One takeaway that really stuck with me:

You can learn all the communication skills in the world, but without the right intention behind them, it isn't really Motivational Interviewing.

I came away with new ideas, new connections, and even more excitement for what's next.

Now I'm looking forward to Lisbon for TNT and the MINT Forum, and immersing myself in MI for five full days.

13/06/2026

The biggest mistake women make with Reformer Pilates?

Thinking that's all they need.

Now before everyone loses their minds...

I actually like Reformer Pilates.

I've said that repeatedly.

I think it's great.

It's challenging.

It's enjoyable.

It gets people moving.

And that's a good thing.

But don't assume it's all you need.

Because if you look across most sports...

most hobbies...

and most physical activities...

you'll usually find strength training and conditioning working quietly in the background.

Not because it's trendy.

Not because everyone wants bigger muscles.

But because being stronger tends to help people do life better.

Healthy ageing isn't about finding one perfect exercise.

It's about building a body that's strong enough to cope with life.

That's why strength training helps you:

Stay strong.

Stay capable.

Stay independent.

For longer.

And that's exactly why every major health organisation recommends some form of strength training.

So if you're doing Reformer Pilates...

great.

Keep doing it.

But I'd strongly consider adding some dedicated strength training too.

Because the goal isn't to be good at Reformer Pilates.

The goal is to build a stronger, more resilient version of you.

And who knows...

it might even make you better at Reformer Pilates too.

📚 References

• World Health Organization. WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour. 2020.

• Fragala MS et al. Resistance Training for Older Adults: Position Statement From the National Strength and Conditioning Association. J Strength Cond Res. 2019;33(8):2019-2052.

• Peterson MD, Rhea MR, Sen A, Gordon PM. Resistance exercise for muscular strength in older adults: A meta-analysis. Ageing Res Rev. 2010;9(3):226-237.

11/06/2026

REFORMER PILATES... Is it strength training?

My answer is: Sometimes...

A reformer can provide resistance.

And yes, it can make you stronger.

But getting stronger and strength training aren't always the same thing.

A reformer is a tool.

The real question is how it's being used.

✅ Is resistance progressively increasing?

✅ Is progress being measured?

✅ Are you getting stronger over time?

Or are you just doing a different workout every week?

Strength training isn't random.

It's planned.

Progressive.

And measurable.

I think Reformer Pilates can be brilliant for:

• Movement confidence
• Control
• Coordination
• Strength in longer ranges of motion

But here's the catch:

You can make something harder without making it heavier.

And heavier matters if the goal is strength.

That's why Reformer Pilates can be a fantastic addition to a strength programme.

I'm just not convinced it replaces one for most people.

Especially if your goal is maximising strength and getting the full benefits that come with being stronger.

Because here's the question...

If Reformer Pilates is the only thing you're doing...

are you getting all the benefits that come with strength training?

Maintaining muscle mass.

Reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

Staying strong as you age.

Maintaining your independence.

I'm not convinced.

📚 References

• Wells C, Kolt GS, Bialocerkowski A. Defining Pilates exercise: A systematic review. Complement Ther Med. 2012;20(4):253-262.

• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Progression Models in Resistance Training for Healthy Adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.

• Fragala MS et al. Resistance Training for Older Adults: Position Statement From the National Strength and Conditioning Association. J Strength Cond Res. 2019;33(8):2019-2052.

10/06/2026

Mat Pilates is not strength training.

Now Pilates is hugely popular, and for good reason...

so before you tell me I'm wrong...

hear me out.

If you've seen my previous reel about Yoga...

I'm about to repeat myself.

Just in case everyone else hasn't.

Mat Pilates is great for:

✅ Mobility

✅ Balance

✅ Control

✅ Body awareness

But strength training has a specific goal:

💪 Getting stronger.

And we do that through progressive overload.

More resistance.

More challenge.

Over time.

Most mat Pilates classes aren't designed for that.

They're designed for a different adaptation.

And that's okay.

Because being active...

isn't the same as getting stronger.

Now before anyone jumps into the comments saying:

"But Reformer Pilates is strength training..."

That's a completely different conversation.

And I'll cover that in the next reel.

But spoiler alert...

if your goal is getting stronger...

you might not like my answer.

📚 References

• World Health Organization. WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour. 2020.

• Wells C, Kolt GS, Bialocerkowski A. Defining Pilates exercise: A systematic review. Complement Ther Med. 2012;20(4):253-262.

08/06/2026

Some people don't just work for achievement.

They work for relief.

Because being productive can feel emotionally safer than being still.

If I keep moving...

I don't have to think.

If I stay busy...

I don't have to feel.

If I achieve more...

maybe I'll finally feel enough.

And that's the trap.

Because eventually your nervous system can forget how to slow down without guilt.

Rest starts feeling uncomfortable.

Silence feels agitating.

And doing nothing starts feeling like failure.

Not because you're lazy.

But because your brain may have learned that productivity equals safety...

worth...

or control.

And that's a hard pattern to break.

But awareness is usually where change starts.

Learning to slow down...

without feeling guilty for existing...

might be one of the healthiest skills a high performer can build.

📚 References

• Crocker & Wolfe (2001) – Contingencies of Self-Worth

• Hayes et al. (1996) – Experiential Avoidance

• Neff (2011) – Self-Compassion

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Harborne
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