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.

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

03/06/2026

Yoga is not strength training.

That doesn't mean yoga is bad.

Far from it.

Yoga is a mind-body practice that combines physical postures, breathing exercises, relaxation, and often meditation.

It can improve flexibility, balance, body awareness, stress management, and can even improve strength, particularly in people who are new to exercise.

But strength training has a different goal.

Progressive overload.

The resistance gradually increases over time so your muscles, bones, and connective tissues continue adapting.

That's where yoga becomes limited.

Most progression in yoga comes from improving skill, balance, control, flexibility, or holding positions for longer rather than progressively increasing resistance.

Those are valuable adaptations.

They're just different adaptations.

So keep doing yoga if you enjoy it.

But if your goal is maintaining muscle mass, strength, and bone health as you age, yoga is a great addition to strength training, not a replacement for it.

📚 References

Cramer H, Lauche R, Langhorst J, Dobos G. Yoga for depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Yoga is commonly described in research as a mind-body practice incorporating postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation.

World Health Organization. WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour (2020). Adults should perform muscle-strengthening activities involving all major muscle groups on 2 or more days per week.

02/06/2026

Most people think strength training is just about building muscle.

And yes, that's one outcome.

But that's not why major health organisations recommend it.

Strength training has been linked to improvements in:

✅ Bone density
✅ Balance
✅ Physical function
✅ Metabolic health
✅ Insulin sensitivity
✅ Reduced falls risk
✅ Reduced frailty
✅ Preserving muscle mass as we age

That's important because from around our 30s and 40s onwards, we can gradually start losing muscle mass and strength if we don't use them.

The goal isn't to become a bodybuilder.

The goal is to stay capable.

To keep doing the things you enjoy.

To maintain your independence.

To give yourself the best chance of staying active and healthy for as long as possible.

Strength training isn't just about adding years to your life.

It's about adding life to your years.

Move. Recover. Adapt.

📚 References

World Health Organization. WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020.

01/06/2026

Most people think if an exercise feels hard, it must be strength training.

Not necessarily.

Strength training has a specific goal: getting stronger.

That's why organisations like the World Health Organization recommend muscle-strengthening activities involving all major muscle groups on at least two days per week, alongside aerobic activity.

The key question isn't:

"Is this exercise hard?"

It's:

"What adaptation am I trying to create?"

Different activities create different adaptations.

Strength training builds strength.

Cardio builds cardiovascular fitness.

Other activities may improve mobility, balance, coordination, skill, endurance, or movement confidence.

None of those are bad.

They're just different tools for different jobs.

This reel is the foundation for a series where we'll look at some popular forms of exercise and ask a simple question:

Are they actually strength training?

References

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

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

27/05/2026

Butt muscles gone to sleep?…

27/05/2026

Burnout doesn’t always look like falling apart.

Sometimes it looks like functioning…

just with less patience, less energy, less emotion, and less capacity than before.

You still go to work.

Still answer messages.

Still train.

Still show up for everyone else.

But small things start feeling heavier than they should.

You forget simple things.

You feel emotionally flat.

You snap quicker.

You wake up tired.

And eventually…

you stop feeling like yourself.

A lot of high functioning people normalise this because they’re still “coping.”

But surviving isn’t the same as recovering.

Chronic stress can affect sleep, attention, memory, emotional regulation, recovery, and overall wellbeing.

Sometimes burnout isn’t loud.

Sometimes it’s just slowly running on empty while pretending everything’s fine.

📚 Reference:
Maslach C, Leiter MP. Understanding the burnout experience: recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry. 2016;15(2):103-111.

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