Foot Care for Pain-Free Movement with Doc Jen
My very first guest is back! Dr. Jen Esquer is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and she’s ranked as one of the Best Fitness Trainers on Instagram by Shape Magazine. Her resume is impressive, but what’s even cooler is her mission: to help anyone who’s willing to learn how to listen to their own body to address pain at the source and establish the foundation for true, sustainable health. Doc Jen does private sports therapy, creates online programs and workshops, and is featured as a speaker at fitness gatherings worldwide (when gatherings were happening worldwide, that is). Always on the move, Jen hosts her own podcast now – the Optimal Body Podcast – and recently got engaged!
We get right down to it with an in-depth exploration of common pain complaints and how the overly cushioned footwear so many of us are conditioned to gravitate toward is causing problems all the way up the chain. I share my experience with Spartan-racing soccer players, and Doc Jen gives us the PT’s view of what’s actually happening when we experience knee, hip, and back pain. Of course we talk about my favorite minimalist shoes, made by Vivobarefoot (Jen loves them too!), and how to transition into them gradually. We discuss the hang-ups that might prevent people from embracing more ergonomic footwear, and make a list of conditions under which minimalist shoes aren’t actually the best choice. If you haven’t listened to my episode with Kris Gethin, I highly recommend you start there for an intro into minimalist footwear. Then check this episode out to learn how the shoes you wear can help you become healthier.
What’s new with Doc Jen (5:00)
The amplification of pain (7:00)
Minimalist footwear and misguided intentions (8:30)
Toe separators and heel lifts: why use them? (16:30)
The difference between function and structure (20:00)
A little misalignment causes a whole lot of problems (23:00)
Why soccer players can’t run up hills (26:00)
How to regain mobility (28:00)
Minimalist shoes won’t help your pain if you don’t transition gradually (33:00)
Going barefoot might mean slowing down, and that’s okay (39:00)
Don’t wear minimalist shoes to do these things (41:00)
Is your pain more important than your style? Look at the bigger picture (42:30)
Knee pain? Hip impingement? It’s probably a foot problem (48:30)
Repetitive patterns lead to chronic pain puzzles (51:30)
We might work out, but how much do we move? (55:00)
Nature shifts your mindset (57:30)
Is indoor confinement more dangerous than COVID-19? (58:30)
Dom the musical tree climber (1:02:00)
Where to find Doc Jen (1:03:00)
In This Episode
Where to Find Doc Jen
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