OPAL Movement Therapy

06/05/2026

If your goblet squats don't feel quite right, you're not alone!!

It’s actually really easy to let gravity and momentum take over the squat instead of you moving into the squat with control and movement in the right places.

Here are some of the most common cheats we see when coaching goblet squats:

▪️Shifting all your weight into your heels instead of staying balanced through your whole foot

▪️Getting a little extra credit from the low back at the top of the squat

▪️Using your back to lift the weight up instead of driving through your legs at the bottom

▪️Butt wink at the bottom

▪️Not using your ankles enough and allowing the shins to track forward toward the feet

▪️Leading the movement with your neck

▪️Rounding the upper back

The good news? Most of these aren't strength problems. They're movement problems and movement problems can be trained.

What we're looking for is a squat where your whole foot stays connected to the ground, your abs help keep your spine stable, your ankles, knees, and hips all contribute, and your legs do the work of standing back up.

May the squat be with you!🙏

Need more help?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call through the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📱💻✨
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06/05/2026

When we add weight in the front of our body like on a goblet squat, we have a tendency to stay upright with our torso rather than hinging at the hips and allowing our head and torso to move forward.

If we don't hinge at the hips, then we are more likely to buckle in our low back since we are trying to stay more upright with our chest to support the weight in front.

This is a great opportunity to train yourself to use your abs and hips instead of your low back to lower and lift the weight.

We recommend slowing down, engaging your abs to keep your spine nice and rigid, sending the hips back and allowing the head and torso to come forward, pausing at the bottom to re-engage the abs if you've lost them, and using your glutes and legs to return to standing.

Need more help?💙
Book your FREE Discovery Call through the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📲💻✨

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06/04/2026

"I have been working with OPAL Movement Therapy for the past couple of months to establish better movement habits in my left shoulder and left hip, and I am just amazed at how good our remote sessions have been. I'm feeling lots of relief already and moving better!"

Want to work with us?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call and work with us anywhere in the world by clicking the link in our bio or visiting OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📱 ✨

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06/04/2026

One of the most common faulty movement patterns we see is the hip collapsing into internal rotation or adduction.

When that happens, the knee follows and dives in because it’s the bottom of the hip!

Over time, hip rotating or diving in can put stress on the tissues at the hip, knee, and/or ankle!

Working on optimal alignment and control at the hip isn’t just about the hip - it's about building a foundation for pain-free movement!

Need more help?💙
Book your FREE Discovery Call through the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📲💻✨

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06/03/2026

Hey everyone!

It's that time of the week... our new YouTube video has dropped!🔥

If you love our stuff but didn't know we had a YouTube channel where we post long-form content - check it out below! We post once a week, cover all different topics, and are always open to requests.

This week, we're piggybacking off of last weeks "Hip Mobility Routine" with an ADVANCED Hip Mobility Routine!

Dr. Morgan goes through more advanced exercises like hip shin box, fire hydrants, hip circles, and more!

Give it a watch and let us know which drill challenges you the most! 💙💪

If you've already mastered the basics, these advanced hip mobility ...

06/03/2026

If something feels off in your back, hips, or lower body workouts, it might be time to improve your hip extension.

Hip extension is simply your leg moving behind your body. It sounds simple, but a lot of people end up getting that movement from their low back instead of their hip.

That's why we like to build hip extension step by step.

▪️ Prone Hip Extension → Can you move your leg without your back helping?

▪️ Donkey Kicks → Build awareness of your glute while keeping your spine quiet.

▪️ Hip Extension with a Stick → Learn to separate hip movement from back movement.

▪️ Glute Bridges → Start strengthening hip extension without standing.

▪️ Double Leg Hip Thrusts → Increase load while keeping the glutes in charge.

▪️ Single Leg Hip Thrusts → Challenge each side individually and expose side-to-side differences.

▪️ Staggered RDL Progression → Apply hip extension in a more functional, loaded position.

The goal isn't just to get stronger. Instead, you want to learn how to optimize hip extension coming from the hip. Once you can do that, you'll often see it carry over to walking, running, stairs, lunges, squats, deadlifts, and many other lower body movements.

Need more help?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call through the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📱💻✨
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06/03/2026

If you’ve been working out but something just feels off in your back or hips, you might need to clean up your hip extension!!

Hip extension is just your leg moving behind your body. The glute muscle is the primary hip extensor so it should be doing most of that movement.

In the clinic, this is something we look at all the time because a lot of people can move their leg back, but they’re just not doing it from the right place.

In this example, George is able to move his hip into extension without his back jumping in to help. That’s the goal.

When we test this on the table (prone hip extension), we’re looking to see if the glute can lift the leg without the low back arching or rotating.

And honestly, a lot of people (even Dr. Morgan) will notice one side is harder than the other.

When the back takes over, it’s usually because:
▪️ the hip is a little stiff
▪️ the glutes aren’t doing their job as well
▪️ or there’s just a lack of control between the hip and spine

And that can show up in everything from walking to running, lunges, stairs, squats, and deadlifts.

So this is less about “strength” and more about learning how to use the right muscles.

At OPAL, we spend a lot of time helping people refine this,so your hips are doing the work… not your back!!

Need more help?💙
Book your FREE Discovery Call through the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📲💻✨

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06/02/2026

We love working with people who have big goals!🔥

From race days to everyday life - our job is to help you stay healthy, keep moving, and continue doing the things you love!

If you're training for something and are looking for the kind of support you tell all your friends about - don't hesitate! Schedule your FREE Discovery Call with us today and see how OPAL can help you crush your goals!

Work with us anywhere in the world by clicking the link in our bio or visiting OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📱 ✨

06/01/2026

If your neck has been feeling tight or irritated, this is a good place to start. 🔥

A lot of the time, the neck isn’t the only problem. It’s usually responding to a stiff upper back and shoulder blades that aren’t moving well.

So instead of going straight to the neck, we zoom out first.

Start with your upper back (thoracic spine):
▪️ Cat Cow
▪️ Thoracic Extension with a Roller
▪️ Thread the Needle with a Roller

Then bring in your shoulder blades:
▪️ Touchdown with a Shrug on the Roller
▪️ Front Rack Rock Back

This helps take some of the load off your neck.

Then you can layer in gentle neck work:
▪️ Head Rolls
▪️ Chin Tuck Progression on Your Back

It doesn't need to be aggressive. Instead, we're just giving your body gentle opportunities to move in the right places.

If you skip the upper back and shoulders, you may keep chasing the same neck tension. Start from the bottom up!

Need more help?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call through the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📱💻✨
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06/01/2026

This is an older clip of Dr. Morgan, but still one of our go-tos for neck pain! 🔥

She was in between clients and started to notice a little neck pain on the right side near the base of her skull. Nothing major, just one of those “okay… this is annoying” moments.

And since she didn’t have anyone around to treat it, this is usually where she starts!

First, just some gentle head rolls. Nothing aggressive, just moving through some gentle neck flexion and finding a little relief.

Then she’ll usually shift to her upper back because your neck sits on your upper back. If there’s any stiffness there, it tends to show up in your neck.

She loves to address this with thoracic extension on the foamroller. You can do this drill by placing the roller between the shoulder blades. Cradle the neck and work into a little thoracic extension. You can pause where it feels tight, breathe in and out to relax over the roller, and let things ease up a bit.

Nothing fancy. Just simple things that can help in the moment!

Need more help?💙
Book your FREE Discovery Call through the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📲💻✨

⌨️ Drop a comment or question
🌍 Share with the world
🫶 Follow for more
📲 DM us for a FREE Discovery Call
🌐 OPALMovementTherapy.com
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