The Body Nerd Show

If you're waking up with pain, tension, or soreness - it's time to talk about your sleep setup. Stress while you're sleeping can be more than just mental - sometimes the actual position you're in can create tension or set your body up for daytime pain. Thankfully, sleep setup is relatively easy to adjust and that's exactly what I'm covering in today's episode! You'll learn: Best sleep positions fo...

The human body is resilient and adaptable - and you have way more control over it than you think! Hands down - the best way to figure out what works for you is to experiment and see what happens - and my guest today will teach us how to do that. Today I'm joined by fellow body nerd and body detective, Andy Krafft of the Lab Rats Podcast. What I love most about Andy's show (that he co-hosts with hi...

Back pain sucks - but what differentiates generic back pain from a pinched nerve? And should your treatment plan change if it is one or the other? If you've ever had back pain or just want to keep your spine healthy for years to come - this episode is for you. On today's episode, you'll learn: What to do for a pinched nerve The physiology of what's actually happening And why pain-free movement wil...

Intermittent fasting is all the rage right now - but does that mean that fasted workouts are for everyone? I'll let you in on a little secret - even when the science says that something might be fantastic for you, doesn't mean it will work perfectly for your unique body, chemistry, physiology, stress levels or situation. So how much should you actually eat before you workout? And what's the best m...

One of my main goals with this show is to give you the knowledge you need to be able to separate fact from fiction. So I'm really grateful that my friend, and doctor of physical therapy, Dr. Sarah Court is joining me again today to help bust some fitness myths! We took the questions submitted by YOU and did our best to explain why these myths are nonsense and what you can do instead.  I'm really e...

Routines are amazing. But sticking to a routine requires the rest of your life to stay exactly the same (which it never does).  Anytime a routine has to take a back seat because of schedule changes, injuries, or life -  it can feel like you've fallen off the wagon and have to start again from scratch.  I've definitely been there! And routines are great, but there are pros and cons to getting locke...

Based on the number of facial product ads I see in my feed, I know I'm not the only one watching people massage, pull, rub, and roll their face.  And after a lifetime of being told not to touch my face if I wanted to avoid wrinkles, using rollers and metal tools on your face seems totally counterintuitive.  And while I understand how things happen in your quads, the face seems like a totally forei...

I'll be the first to admit that I'm totally addicted to my phone.  And while I have all the screen timer locks that literally lock me out of apps when I've spent too much time on them - I was really struggling with staying off my phone at night.  What happens if you stay off all devices for the 90 mins - 2 hours before you get into bed? Magic (but really, the deepest, most restful sleep you've eve...

Hangriness is no joke - and I wanted to know more about what was actually going on physiologically. Is it really an excuse for getting irritated with my husband or would better timed snacks solve the issue?  As adults, you might think you're impervious to mood swings and temper tantrums from being sleepy or hungry - but we're basically oversized toddlers.  On today's episode, you'll learn: If hang...

Does what you do in the gym have an impact on how you feel for the rest of your day too (and could that be optimized by syncing it with your cycle)?  For the last 6 months, I've been programming a specific type of workout based on where I was in my cycle. And the results have been super interesting. I'm all about optimizing health and performance - and using your cycle as another data point is tap...

If something hurts - should you stretch it? Or do mobility?  I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've seen someone ask for recommendations on the internet for an injury and 90% of the responses are "do this stretch!" or "try this foam roller thing"! Which isn't necessarily bad advice - but it's sort of missing the point, in my opinion.  The way I see it - we need to be asking better ques...

When it comes to anxiety and stress - Is the only option to learn to live with it?  On today's show, I'm chatting with Dr. Giancarlo Licata of Vital Head and Spinal Care - one of the top neurofeedback centers in the world. And what he has to share about retraining your brain is going to blow your mind.  It's totally possible to change your brain - and can help reduce anxiety, improve focus, and he...

Whenever I feel like I can barely keep my head above water, the first thing that gets dropped is my workouts. Which then only fuels the overwhelm because I move for my mental health.  It's a double edged sword - you don't have time to workout because you're overwhelmed but then you feel more overwhelmed because your haven't moved and your cells are craving it 🙈 If that sounds familiar, today's ep...

Should you eat before you workout? Maybe you've heard that working out on an empty stomach is the worst thing you could do for your performance.  Or maybe you've heard that fasting is the BEST - and anything other than that is a waste of time. I don't eat before I workout - and haven't for a super long time.  So if you're conflicted about what you've heard on the internet and aren't sure if you sh...

I gave up coffee and have zero regrets. ☕️ Drinking coffee was not just a morning ritual for me, but every system in my body depended on it, even when it was causing a problem. But after laying in bed wide awake for yet another night - I had a wild idea. What if we just stopped drinking coffee? The first two weeks were hell.  But after that? I started getting the best sleep of my life and waking...

Dr. Sarah Court, DPT busts fitness myths left + right for us this week. There's enough nonsense about fitness on the internet and swirling through gyms everywhere, so Sarah and I are doing our best to tackle the most pervasive fitness myths, including: if you should stretch before a workout, if you have to do the same thing on both sides and if giving up is the only option when you have pain. I lo...

If you've ever rolled your upper back on therapy balls or have been massaged there - you know the joy that is trigger points.  In common areas of high tension, it's not unusual to find a number of knots, lumps, and bumps that can be incredibly painful.  And not only can these areas become inflamed and irritated, but often refer pain to other parts of the body.  But can you get rid of trigger point...

Whether it's workouts or drinking more water, the science of building rock-solid habits is a lot easier than you think.  Habits are habits - whether they're good or bad.  And starting up a new habit can be way easier when you use the 3 strategies I'm sharing in today's episode.  These are the same strategies that I've used to build up my twice-weekly workout habit and that Mavens are using to lock...

From post workout soreness to full on injuries - life (and pain) happens.  But not all pain is created equal. And waiting it out (so you don't overdo it) isn't always the best course of action.  So how do you tell the difference between good pain and bad pain? And is there a way to prevent both post workout soreness and injury?  That's exactly what I'm sharing on today's episode!    You'll learn:...

Running is awesome - it's easy, you need very little equipment, and it can be a fantastic outlet for stress.  But it's also super common to get injured running. But should you rest? Wait it out? Ice?  Our guest today will get us clarity. I'm joined by physical therapist and host of the Run Smarter Podcast, Brodie Sharpe.  Whether or not you're a runner, I know you'll get a lot of great tips on how...

If you flip open any anatomy textbook, you'll see a lot of red muscle. What it's missing is a key part: fascia. While we talked about fascia in my anatomy dissection course in college - for the most part it was just the famous ones like the IT Band and plantar fascia. So when I did a second dissection course after college and saw, first hand, how interconnected your body is because of fascia, it b...

Tension headaches are a drag.  And as someone who used to deal with tension headaches and neck pain ALL OF THE TIME, (but doesn't anymore) today's episode is a roundup of all the things I did to get myself out of pain.  So if you suffer from neck or shoulder pain - get a pen - you'll definitely want to take notes on today's episode.  You'll learn: What tension headaches are Common causes of tensio...

When you're in pain, it's hard to think straight. And while it may be tempting to wait it out, a good physical therapist can help you start feeling better fast. But when should you actually seek the help of a physical therapist?  Today's guest is physical therapist (and friend) Sarah Court, PT, DPT, e-RYT. With her experience in orthopedic and neurologic settings, rehabilitating patients post-surg...

Are emotions really held in the hips? Today's guest has all the reasoning behind why they are. I'm joined by somatic therapist, coach, and educator, Raina LaGrand. We cover everything from how emotions and trauma are held in the body, how to get reconnected to yourself (even if breathing feels stressful), and the best ways to get grounded when the world around you feels out of control. She's the p...

Have you ever been so sore from a workout that you felt it for a few days after? Soreness is the result of working hard (yay!) but the lingering inflammation and impact on how you move is a bummer.  I've tested and tinkered with this one over the years - including that one time I did one leg to feel if it was actually making a difference (I wouldn't recommend that one because the only thing worse...