Reader - I was talking to a client yesterday who became a 1:1 client after my Fall Challenge — and what she said honestly brought tears to my eyes.
She told me:
“I’m not the person I used to be… and I don’t want to lose any more of myself.”
That hit hard because it’s the exact lesson I learned the hard way, too.
And it’s the lesson most women only realize once things start slipping:
If you don’t train your body for the life you want… you slowly lose the ability to live it.
Not dramatically.
Not suddenly.
Quietly.
A little at a time.
And one day you wake up and notice that the body you used to trust —
the one that helped you lift, run, bend, twist, play with your kids, work long days —
just… doesn’t have your back the way it used to.
And no one talks about what that does to you mentally.
The moment I realized this lesson myself
In my 20s I was strong, athletic, capable.
Pushups, lunges, squats — easy.
Movement was second nature.
Then life got busy (2017–2019).
And I didn’t train much… because of “life.”
And I don’t mean anything dramatic — just the normal, quiet things that pile up:
client hours running over,
late dinners,
stress I didn’t realize I was carrying,
days where I told myself “I’ll do it later,”
and then later never came.
I remember always coming up with perfectly reasonable excuses:
“I’m too tired/its cold/I don't wanna."
“I have a million things to do.”
“I’ll start fresh Monday.”
“I need a longer chunk of time.”
“I’ll work out when things settle down.”
And the decline snuck up on me:
• squats felt shaky
• lunges felt terrible
• pushups dropped from 20 → barely 5
• random pains showed up
• everything felt unpredictable
• I felt older than I was
I was embarrassed.
Frustrated.
And confused about how I “let myself get here.”
But here’s the bigger lesson I reallllly want you to hear:
**Your body isn’t failing you. It’s adapting to what you do — and what you no longer do.**
This is what traditional PT and wellness rarely explain.
Your back, hip, or SI pain isn’t happening because of:
❌ weak core
❌ tight hips
❌ “poor internal rotation”
❌ imbalances
❌ compensations
Those are incomplete explanations.
The real issue?
You haven’t been trained — consistently or progressively — for the real-life forces your body is facing.
Not because you’re lazy.
Not because you’re broken.
Because no one ever taught you how to rebuild strength for the life you’re actually living.
And that is exactly why so many active, capable women get stuck.
Why this lesson matters for YOU
You can foam roll, stretch, activate, or “fix your imbalances” forever…
but it won’t rebuild the capacity you need to:
•get off the floor without feeling stuck or needing to “strategize” your way up
• pick up the laundry basket or dog food bag without doing that little breath-hold “please don’t twinge” moment
• jog across the parking lot or airport terminal without your back or hip barking at you for the next three days
• carry a toddler, car seat, Costco haul, or Trader Joe’s bags in one trip without your SI joint lighting up
• bend, twist, reach, roll out of bed, or turn to grab something in the car without that split-second fear of “is this going to hurt?”
Relief isn’t the same as resilience.
And this is why I shifted from quick chiro/rehab sessions to what I do now.
People didn’t need more temporary relief.
They needed a plan to rebuild themselves.
This is exactly what my REBUILD Method is for.
If you're a midlife or postpartum woman dealing with back, hip, or SI pain —
and you want strength, mobility, confidence, and a body that can do things again —
this is the path.
After working together, you’ll be able to:
✨ move like yourself again
✨ lift + run without flaring up
✨ trust your joints again
✨ build mobility that actually matters
✨ feel strong, stable, and capable
More strength.
Better mobility.
Improved fitness.
A future that feels bigger, not smaller.
You’re not too far gone.
You’re just under-prepared — and that’s fixable.
If any part of this email made you say,
“Ugh… this is literally me,”
then you are exactly who I built this for — and honestly, one of my favorite people to help.
👉 Start here — it’s the simplest, easiest first step to rebuilding the strength your real life actually requires.
And if you applied a while ago and never followed up, or life got busy and you ghosted yourself a bit?
Just reply “OKAY...”
I’ll take that as your sign that you’re ready for a real conversation, zero pressure, and we’ll take it from there.
You don’t need a perfect plan.
You just need a starting point — and this is it. 💛
With you,
Dr. Shannon