'Bent but not Broken' with Paige Fraser

December 10, 2020 Disabled Girls Who Lift

Left: Paige is shown in a studio artistically posing with one leg up, hands on face. Picture vogue. Right: Paige is mid-dance with strong flexibility, leg extended across the floor and arms folded overhead. She is wearing all black in both images. — Left: Paige is shown in a studio artistically posing with one leg up, hands on face. Picture vogue.
Right: Paige is mid-dance with strong flexibility, leg extended across the floor and arms folded overhead. She is wearing all black in both images.

This week we spoke with professional dancer and scoli advocate Paige Fraser. Paige drops a lot of knowledge bombs on conservative treatments (ie NOT surgery) for scoliosis and a life of movement with a curved spine.

As Paige says, "I feel like my purpose here on Earth is to talk about my process. I’m learning how to listen to my body, knowing when I need physical therapy or massage, and taking the necessary steps to prevent injury."

After listening to the episode, Check out her nonprofit Paige Fraser Foundation for resources and programs that include dance & movement for all bodies.

Mobility, Magic, and More on the latest episode!

November 6, 2020 Disabled Girls Who Lift

Our disabled bodies deserve to move well and enjoy movement! We explore some mobility and magical tips on the latest podcast episode. Available on your favorite platform! Click below or search your podcast app for "Disabled Girls Who Lift".

https://www.disabledgirlswholift.com/dgwl-podcast

GIF showing Mandy Moore on ‘Drunk History’ saying, “I brought your ass everything you need. You’re welcome, everybody.”

And since we're feeling generous, here's a quick summary of a few magical tips. Listen to the full episode for more context and conversation!

Mobility = how your joints moves, Stability = muscle strength, Flexibility = muscle length.
Depending on how you do a 'stretch', it can target both flexibility and stability.
Warm ups have a goldilocks zone, don't move around too much OR too little before the actual workout.
You owe it to yourself and your body some space to transition before you workout, give yourself time to mentally prepare for movement and see how you feel before starting. This happen with the warm up or before it.
All the magic isn’t just in the gym. Don't forget about posture, hydration, recovery between workouts, and getting good sleep!
Top 5 things to address with mobility work: unilateral exercises, core stabilization (bracing), chest expansion, hip openers, & balance

Injury, Aches and Pains?

October 23, 2020 Disabled Girls Who Lift

Us disabled girls are full of aches, pains, and imbalances, and it’s super important that we learn how to listen to our bodies and what to do with them to keep lifting for the long haul.

On our latest episode we talk about past injuries, laugh at a few mistakes we’ve made along the way, and share tips on how to choose the right PT to meet your goals.

GIF showing DJ Khaled sitting in an executive chair hands folded saying “Major key alert.” Key emojis flash on the screen.

Here are the top major key alerts from that episode!

1. There are three types of injuries. One, the overuse injuries that are everyday aches and pains from our imbalances that we ignore. Two, the injuries you couldn’t have done anything to prevent or avoid (ie freak accidents). And three, the “you knew better” injuries. Just chill out, slow down, and pay attention to prevent those “you know better” injuries.

2. It can be hard to “listen to your body”, when your body doesn’t even know what it’s doing. Sometimes our bodies are not regulated, can't send us the right signals, or send us different signals than what we're taught. It's half the work in any fitness plan to learn how you as a person connect to your body and how your body responds to movement.

3. If you need help learning your body or recovering from injury, HIRE A PHYSICAL THERAPIST. Check if they're licensed, creep their social media to make sure they aren't a dick, and don't be afraid to ask all the questions in the world. If after all that they still suck, it's ok to fire them. This applies to any and all people you pay for a service. If the service doesn't serve you, move on!