Dr. Lauren Shelton at Loa Movement

Call Website Contact the practice

Dr. Lauren Shelton at Loa Movement Doctor of Physical Therapy & mom of 2 helping you get stronger and feel results in as little as 2 workouts a week.

Grab 3 Free Loa Movement classes at the link below (No cc required)🙌🏼

09/24/2026

Ever do an ab exercise and wonder why it doesn't feel like it's actually working your abs?

Your position relative to gravity might be the missing piece.

Here's the concept: gravity needs to be working directly against the muscle you're trying to target.

Hold a dumbbell down by your side and your shoulder barely has to work.

Hold that same dumbbell out in front of you, and you'll immediately feel your shoulder kick in.

Nothing changed except the position of the weight relative to gravity.

The same idea applies to ab training.

A standing ab exercise puts your abdominals in a position where gravity isn't loading them much at all.

Move onto your back, and gravity now loads the abdominals directly.

One note worth knowing: lying on your back for ab work also loads your hip flexors.

If that position causes you pain, a ball crunch is a great substitute since it targets the abdominals without pulling the hip flexors into the equation.

Have you ever switched up an exercise position and immediately felt the difference?

Tell us about your experience below!

09/22/2026

Traveling soon and worried about how you’ll complete your lower body workout while you're away from your dumbbells?

All you need is one Pilates ball!

This travel-friendly lower body burner comes straight from our "Ball So Hard" class inside Loa Movement, and it packs a real challenge into just a few simple moves.
Toss the ball in your suitcase and you've got a full workout ready to go, no equipment, no excuses.
Where's your next trip taking you?!

09/17/2026

Have you ever gotten a product recommendation from someone and immediately wondered if they're just getting paid to say it?

I get it, and that's exactly why I want to be upfront here: I've *never* done a paid ad promotion, and I honestly probably never will.

I only share products I genuinely love and actually think you'll love too.

I get asked all the time what my favorite protein drink is, and I finally have one I can recommend without hesitation.

Gramms tastes like an electrolyte drink but packs in 20 grams of protein.

This past August, Gramms sponsored our Summer Steady Challenge, and the response from our Loa community was amazing!

So many members fell in love with it that I wanted to make sure our whole Facebook community knew about it too.

Right now, Gramms is offering our followers an exclusive 25% off discount through September 22nd with code GRAMMSXLOA25.

After that, you can still grab 10% off anytime with code LAUREN10.

Have you tried Gramms yet? My favorite flavor is the Tropical Punch. Courtney from Loa Operations is obsessed with the Peach Tea!

I'd love to hear what you think if you've tried it!

09/01/2026

Ever push through an exercise that burns so much it must be working, only to wonder later if you were actually doing anything useful?

Feelings can be deceiving!

Just because a movement feels hard or creates a burning sensation doesn't necessarily mean it's effective.

Here's a great example using the hamstrings: This muscle's job is to extend the hip and bend the knee.
In an exercise like the "ball squeeze," in the reel, the hip is extended and the knee is bent, which actually puts the hamstring in an overly shortened position.

When a muscle is that shortened, it can't produce much force.
There's simply too much slack in the system.

Compare that to the "ball curl," where the hip is flexed and the knee is straightening.
This puts more length into the hamstring, positioning it to actually produce force.
Same muscle, same general movement pattern, completely different result, all because of position.

Position plays a huge role in whether an exercise is truly loading the muscle you're trying to target.
Have you ever caught yourself doing an exercise that felt intense but turned out to be missing the mark?

I used to think there were only two reasons to work out: performance or aesthetics.For years, exercise was something I d...
08/27/2026

I used to think there were only two reasons to work out: performance or aesthetics.

For years, exercise was something I did to change how I looked, not something I did because I loved my body.

That is not the case anymore.

Today I lift, walk, hike and run because I love my body, not because I am trying to change it.

That shift changed everything about how I feel in my own skin, and it is the whole reason Loa Movement exists.

I told the full story, including exactly what that shift took, in this week's free email. If you are not on the list yet, you can sign up below to access 3 free strength training classes with me AND get on my weekly email list!

What's your relationship with exercise looked like over the years? Has it changed?

08/26/2026

Think squats are the only way to build strong glutes?

Good news, they're not, and you've got way more options than you might realize.

Here's what actually matters most for muscle growth: adequately loading the muscle:
That means getting to a point where you're just a few reps away from muscle failure, roughly around the one-minute mark of continuous effort.

There's no single "holy grail" exercise you must do to build strong glutes.

You just need to load them to fatigue, and there are plenty of ways to get there.

Here are 5 exercises we love teaching inside Loa Movement classes to do exactly that, starting with the wall hinge.

Which of these do you already have in your routine, and which one are you adding next? Let me know below!

08/25/2026

Have you ever caught yourself sucking in your stomach just to look or "feel" a little smaller, even when you're just standing at the sink doing dishes?

I vividly remember a friend in college telling me her mom told her to suck in her stomach when wearing jeans so her belly would look flatter.

I have a *lot* of thoughts on that, but let's just talk about what it does to the physical body:

Constantly tensing any muscle isn't ideal, but this is especially true for your abdominals.

When you hold them tense all the time, it can affect your body's ability to manage pressure, which can show up as issues with pelvic floor function and even your breathing.

Here's the piece that's easy to miss: When your deep abs contract and compress your ribcage, it can create the appearance of a smaller waist.
But proper pressure management does not mean staying in that compressed position all the time.

Your body needs the ability to expand and release, not just hold and brace.

Next time you catch yourself sucking it in out of habit, let it go, and let your body breathe the way it's meant to.

Have you noticed yourself doing this without even realizing it? Let us know below!

08/20/2026

Running a web-based fitness app sure looks a lot different than I once imagined it might.

My days are filled with so much diversity, and although the to-do list never really stops, I couldn't love it more.

Every minute spent behind the scenes is a minute spent bringing you all my very best.

From building the workouts and picking the playlists we move to in class, to the filming, tech and video editing with Kevin in Production, and planning community challenges and events alongside Courtney in Operations, it all means so much to me.

Getting to build something like this, and getting to share it with you, is a gift the Loa team doesn’t take for granted.

So next time you're in class, know there's a whole lot of heart (and a lot of behind-the-scenes hustle) that goes into making it happen!

What is a fun but unexpected part of your job? Share below, I’d love to hear about it!

08/18/2026

Ever notice how a walk outside just feels different than a walk on a treadmill? Turns out your brain notices too!

There's a lot of research showing exercise is good for brain function.

But one study found something more specific and honestly, pretty fascinating.

After just 15 minutes of walking, only the people who walked outside showed an increase in a brain marker linked to attention and working memory.

The indoor walkers didn't see the same boost.

So what's actually behind it?

The researchers themselves asked whether nature or exercise plays the bigger role here, and there are a few different theories worth considering: it could be sun exposure, it could be walking on an uneven trail versus a flat track, or it could simply be stepping out of a perfectly climate-controlled room.

Whatever the exact reason turns out to be, here's the takeaway we keep coming back to: nothing beats time outside.

Next time you're deciding between the treadmill and a walk around the block, let this be your sign to head outdoors.

Where's your favorite spot to get outside and move?

08/12/2026

Ever feel like one entire side of your body is tight and compressed?

It might be your QL, your lats, your intercostals, or honestly, all of them.

When your ribcage can't fully expand on one side, it puts a whole chain of muscles into a shortened position.

Here's a simple technique to lengthen and open up that side of the body: the standing QL and intercostal stretch.

The key is to breathe deeply so you can actually feel your ribcage expanding and compressing as you move.

Stand up and give it a try, it's one of my faves!

(credit to for this one)

Address

Durham, NC
27707

Telephone

+19193229461

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Dr. Lauren Shelton at Loa Movement posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Dr. Lauren Shelton at Loa Movement:

Shortcuts

Share

Category