Hi Reader,
I’m constantly reminded how easy it is to believe that more effort = better results.
That if you stretch more, pace yourself harder, push through the pain (or wait it out)… eventually things will just get better.
But the truth?
If the effort isn’t going to the right places, you can work endlessly and still feel stuck.
A woman messaged me recently and her story hit hard:
“Hi, I’m not sure I’m really postpartum anymore — my daughter is almost two. I have disc issues and was diagnosed with facet hypertrophy last year.
I’m better than I was… but I overdid it last weekend.
This week has been so hard, and I had a full lower back twinge just from sweeping and twisting.
It freaked me out.
I want to do simple things — bend down, pick up my daughter, go on a walk — without being afraid I’ll flare up again.”
She added:
“I stretch, I do Pilates, I try to pace myself… but it feels like time is the only thing helping. And I’m so sick of this.”
If you’ve ever thought the same — I want you to know:
You are not alone. And you’re not doing anything wrong.
But I also want to lovingly challenge the belief that time is the only answer.
Because pain fading over time is not the same as your body being ready for real life.
One of my clients came to me with nearly the same story.
She had lived in fear of her back flaring up for two years — because her doctors and PTs kept saying:
“Just give it time.”
“Rest a little more.”
“Try stretching or Pilates.”
The problem?
None of that rebuilt the strength she needed for her actual life.
And moms don’t exactly have the luxury of lying down every time their back flares up.
So what did we do differently?
We stopped chasing pain…
And started building function.
We looked at what her body needed to do in real life:
✅ Squat and stay there
✅ Support herself on all fours (and move with control)
✅ Push and pull — slowly and with speed
✅ Walk on uneven surfaces like the beach
✅ Reach overhead without dumping into her spine
And then?
We built a program to get better at those things.
We calmed her symptoms down first — and then built her back up with the right inputs.
✨ We found that variations of goblet squat pauses and pulses helped her build the durability to pick up her kid — way more than any reformer drill ever did.
✨ Light, airy assisted drop lunges helped her rebuild confidence and control in her left hip — more than all the clamshells she had done before.
✨ Tall kneeling cleans to presses unlocked her mid-back and opened her chest and ribcage in a way that breathing drills alone never managed.
Not random exercises.
But the right exercises, with the right timing and pacing, for the right purpose.
Because lying on a reformer activating your inner thighs is not the same as carrying your toddler through the grocery store.
Stretching your hip doesn’t mean you can load your hip and feel stable.
And pacing yourself doesn’t teach your nervous system how to adapt under stress.
You’re not doing the wrong things.
But they might not be the right things — for the demands of your life right now.
And that’s not your fault.
Fitness and rehab culture often skips right over the messy middle:
That weird in-between place where you’re not 100% pain-free…
But you still have to live your life, carry your kids, and chase them at the park.
If your nervous system feels fried…
If you’re tired of guessing and Googling symptoms…
If you’re stuck between “be careful” and “just push through it”...
Please hear this:
You’re not broken.
You’re not behind.
You’re not weak.
You’re just carrying too much — with too little margin.
That’s not a flaw.
That’s physiology.
And it can get better — when the inputs match the outcome you’re looking for.
If you’re in a season like this — where your body feels unpredictable and you’re not sure who or what to trust…
I’d love to help.
Here’s where we start:
👉 Click here to view the Starter Plan and Full Coaching Options
If you’re ready to move better, feel stronger, and trust your body again… the Starter Plan was made for you.
✅ 6 weeks of personalized support
✅ Custom movement plan based on your body and goals
✅ Messaging access + check-ins to adjust in real time
This is real support — not a 'see you for 10 sessions and good luck' setup, where you're left guessing between appointments and afraid to ask questions.
If you’re ready to start the new year with a clear, personalized plan — just reply with STARTER and I’ll get you set up.
No pressure — just help if you’re ready.
Talk soon,
Dr. Shannon
Be Resilient Coaching