The Healthy Movement Podcast

Hosted by Kim Nartker

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250

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Founder of Stretch Mobility Coach™ and Creator of The Stretch Method® Owner of The Stretch Mobility Coach Studio's Kim Nartker is a healthy movement pioneer who spent more than 20 years studying how the body moves only to discover the truth most of us were never taught: stiffness, soreness and tightness are the signals our bodies send when our movement system needs support. These signals precede pain and chronic loss of joint mobility after age 40. After decades of working inside traditional healthcare as a PTA. Kim stepped away to open a concierge membership practice that focused on healthy movement testing, tracking, restoring and preserving the health of your movement system. She found in doing this she can help people move better everyday while improving how well people moved through their entire life. Healthy movement can be preserved with the right support and coaching. The show is all about helping you learn how to listen to your movement system, to support it and preserve the health of your movement system. Preserve your healthy movement system so that you are capable of moving well at every stage of life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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60 recent

September 11, 202623 min

Ep #251 Sitting Is Not Shortening Your Hip Muscles

Sitting is not shortening your hip muscles. I read the research and it does not support what we have all been taught. I spent over 20 years as a PTA teaching people that sitting shortened their hip flexors and that aging was why they felt tight. This episode is where I show you what changed my mind. We look at what two studies on hamstring length and hip muscle length actually concluded. We look at what sitting really does inside the first hour and why the fix is not a stretch. Then we get into what is quietly taking your muscle and your joint movement while you are busy blaming your chair. Your hip flexor group is five muscles and some of them begin to atrophy long before you feel anything. This is part of my series for people over 50 who want to keep their hips mobile and healthy. If you feel tight and stiff and heavy in your body this one is for you. www.thestretchmobilitycoach.com/beckett to connect Until next week. Move and feel amazing when you do. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 4, 202634 min

Ep #250 Why Does Your Hip Flexor Stretch Stop Working After Age 40

Your hip flexor stretch stops holding after 40 and the reason has nothing to do with how much you stretch. In this episode I go through the actual stretching research and show you the number nobody hands you. How much stretching it really takes before your range of motion moves enough to count as a real change. Then I show you what happened when researchers stood those same people up and asked them to run. I spent over twenty five years in physical therapy as a PTA before I opened my own studio and started testing the joint instead of the muscle. This is episode one in a new series on the hip. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE Why the hip flexor stretch feels right and still does not hold The two kinds of stretching and which one is available on every corner What a range of motion score actually measures and why it cannot tell you where your loss is coming from The dose response research on how much stretching it takes to see a detectable change Why passive hip extension improved in a study and running did not change at all What no stretching study has ever measured What changes in your body after 40 and why the same program does not work The study from 1991 that says mobility loss is not aging What I actually do with a client over 40 Want to connect with me. Email me at info@thestretchmobilitycoach.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 21, 202637 min

Ep # 249 How to Open Up Tight Joints Without Surgery or Injections after age 40

Can you open up space in a tight joint without surgery or injections after 40. Yes. But not with stretching. There are two types of motion in every joint. One you can partly control and it is the one everybody measures. The other lives inside the joint capsule and you have no voluntary control over it at all. You cannot stretch it. You cannot strengthen it. You cannot foam roll it. And it is the one that decides how far the first one can go. Kim Nartker spent over twenty five years in physical therapy as a PTA and ran her own practice before building The Stretch Mobility Coach. In this episode she breaks down what accessory motion actually is and why a range of motion score cannot tell you where your loss is coming from. She explains what a stretch session reaches and what it never touches. She walks through what physical therapists and chiropractors and osteopathic doctors each do to a joint and what the research says about when any of them do it. Then she gets to the rusted hinge. A door in your house that will not open the way it used to. You can pull on it as hard as you like. The rust is the problem and pulling harder has never once removed rust. She also looks at what a knee replacement actually gives back. The straightening improves. The bend usually does not. And the hip and the ankle and the back that nobody tested are still sitting there restricted. The most useful thing in this episode is a question. Before you agree to any treatment ask what movement can I expect from this. Then ask how long do I keep it after the treatment stops. Write both down. Most people never ask either one. Book your Unlock Healthy Joint Mobility session and get your Mobility Health Score. https://www.wellnessliving.com/rs/appointment-start.html?id_class_tab=3&id_mode=1&k_business=770209&k_class_tab=78026&k_service=319744 In person in West Chester Ohio. Virtual available worldwide. info@thestretchmobilitycoach.com Movement health education. Not medical advice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 13, 20261 hr 17 min

Ep# 248 Why Does My Knee Feel Pressure When I Bend Down?

Your knee feels fine walking. Fine on stairs. Then you go down to the floor and there is a pressure. Most people call this pressure aging. and avoid that deep knee bend. It is not aging. Your knee has a lock and unlock mechanism you have no control over, and going to the floor is the only movement in your day that will tell you it has stopped working. In this episode I break down what that pressure actually is, what the research supports, where the evidence runs out, and three real women standing at three different points on the same road. Please share this episode with friends or family that want answers about knee pain or pressure with deep bending positions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 4, 202645 min

Ep #247 Healthy Movement 101

Healthy Movement 101: What You Can Control, What's Stealing Your Movement, and the Gap Between Them This is the foundational episode — the one to start with, and the one to share when someone asks what healthy movement actually is. We cover a lot of ground. First, what you can control: why holding any position too long lets the tissues around your joints slowly deform and quiet the muscles that stabilize them, why keeping your strength is one of the highest-leverage things you can do, what stretching and mobility work actually change, and how sleep, stress, and nutrition support the system. Then, what steals your movement: a layer of motion deep inside the joint that is not under your voluntary control, how it can begin to fail before you feel anything, and the cycle that follows — what the research calls arthrogenic muscle inhibition, and what I call the Silent Shutdown Cycle. And finally, the gap between the two: the things you can do act on the layer you can reach, while the decline begins in the layer you cannot. Along the way we stay honest about what the research establishes and what I am proposing from what I see in my studio. If you have ever done everything right and still felt yourself getting tighter, stiffer, or less capable with the years, this episode explains why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 28, 202632 min

Ep# 246 Why You Wake Up Stiff, Tight, and Sore

You wake up stiff. Your back, your hips, your feet take a while to loosen up. You stretch, it helps for an hour, and the tightness comes right back. Most of us call this aging and move on. In this episode, movement coach Kim Nartker explains what is actually happening — a documented process the research calls arthrogenic muscle inhibition, and what she calls the Silent Shutdown Cycle. You'll learn why your tightness is a signal from the joint, not a short muscle; why stretching never seems to hold; and how this cycle can run silently for years before pain ever shows up. Kim shares three real case studies of hypermobile women who woke up in pain with no injury, and what changed when they stopped chasing the symptom and started supporting the system underneath it. If you have tightness that appears and lingers, this episode explains why — and what you can actually do about it. https://www.wellnessliving.com/rs/appointment-start.html?id_class_tab=3&id_mode=1&k_business=770209&k_class_tab=78026&k_service=319744 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 21, 20265 min

Ep #245 What Is Healthy Movement

Key Points Keywords healthy movement, movement system, joint health, pain management, functional movement, aging, muscle function, mobility, nervous system, joint space Summary In this conversation, Kim discusses the concept of healthy movement, emphasizing the importance of understanding the movement system that governs our physical capabilities. She explains how aging and pain are often misinterpreted, and introduces the idea of a silent shutdown cycle that leads to joint restrictions and functional decline. Kim advocates for a proactive approach to maintaining movement health through awareness and targeted practices. Takeaways Healthy movement is about the integrated health of your movement system. Pain is often a late signal of deeper issues. The movement system includes joints, muscles, and nerves working together. Range of motion alone does not indicate overall movement health. Joint restrictions can occur without immediate pain signals. The nervous system plays a crucial role in movement restrictions. Functional joint space is essential for healthy movement. The silent shutdown cycle can lead to chronic pain and mobility issues. Healthy movement can be measured and scored for better awareness. A proactive approach to movement health can enhance quality of life. titles Unlocking the Secrets of Healthy Movement Sound Bites 00:00 "Healthy movement is a lifelong approach." Chapters 00:00 Understanding Healthy Movement 02:51 The Movement System Explained 05:43 The Silent Shutdown Cycle and Its Implications Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 14, 202618 min

Ep #244: There Is Something Stealing Your Healthy Movement

In today's show Coach Kim dives into a cycle that you have never heard of. She reveals what is happening in your movement system that leads you down a path to Osteoarthritis, chronic pain and loss of joint mobility and strength. This episode dives into the hidden factors that silently deteriorate our ability to move and stay healthy throughout life. Kim discusses the powerful concept of the "silent shutdown cycle" and offers practical insights into maintaining movement health at every stage of life. Main Topics: The complexity of the human movement system and common misconceptions The "silent shutdown cycle" and how it impacts mobility, often unnoticed How arthrogenic muscle inhibition (AMI) restricts joint and muscle function The importance of supporting the movement system through proper testing and intervention How to reverse muscle decline and improve joint health regardless of age or weight Practical steps to prevent long-term disability and promote healthy movement Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to the human body's movement system and why it matters 00:23 - Symptoms of movement restriction: tightness, soreness, and stiffness 01:12 - Transition to the "Healthy Movement Podcast" and upcoming book 01:41 - The common misconceptions about aging, weight gain, and injury 02:31 - The real enemy: the silent cycle that destroys movement health 03:04 - How lack of systemic support diminishes movement capacity 03:35 - The analogy of household manuals for vehicle and home maintenance 04:08 - The importance of daily movement support at any age 05:06 - Identifying the "silent shutdown cycle" and its dangers 05:45 - How current movement practices focus only on muscles, ignoring deeper support systems 06:46 - The necessity of systemic support for efficient movement 07:14 - The role of bones, joints, tendons, and ligaments in movement health 08:13 - The decline in movement caused by unrecognized joint and muscle restrictions 09:06 - The process of arthrogenic muscle inhibition (AMI) and its impact 09:32 - How protective responses limit movement and lead to stiffness and pain 10:22 - The cycle of movement suppression and how it progresses silently 11:09 - The specific example of the hip joint and its vulnerability to the shutdown cycle 13:02 - The progression to joint degeneration and osteoarthritis from protective responses 15:17 - How to identify and potentially reverse the silent decline with proper testing 16:26 - The myth of aging being the sole cause of mobility loss 17:16 - How to restore movement and muscle function through targeted intervention 17:40 - Final thoughts: test, restore, and preserve your movement health to live freely at any age Resources & Links: Healthy Movement Book – Coming Soon (Check Kim’s website for details) Joint Health & Movement Support Programs (Kim’s services and testing options) Connect with Kim: info@thestretchmobilitycoach.com Call or Text: 513-874-8800 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 7, 202625 min

Ep #243: Understanding Muscle Relaxers

In this "Ask Coach Kim" episode, Kim dives into the topic of muscle relaxers, looking at the research to see if muscle relaxers help improve tightness, stiffness and soreness like marketing of this drug says it does. Kim will explore what muscle relaxers do for you. she will dive into the research to see if muscle relaxers truly relax your muscles and she will talk about why you are tight, stiff and sore and what is going on in your movement system that causes tightness, stiffness and soreness to continue and lead to pain. summary This episode explores the true effects of muscle relaxers on tightness, stiffness, and pain, revealing what the research actually says and how these drugs impact movement health. Kim breaks down the cycle of joint restriction and offers insights on better ways to assess and restore healthy movement. Keywords muscle relaxers, movement health, joint restriction, arthrogenic muscle inhibition, pain, tightness, mobility testing Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Muscle Relaxers 03:02 Understanding Tightness and Its Implications 06:04 The Mechanism of Muscle Relaxers 08:59 Research Insights on Muscle Relaxers 12:02 Long-Term Risks of Muscle Relaxers 14:54 The Silent Shutdown Cycle 18:07 Recognizing Early Signs of Movement Health 21:01 Assessing Movement Health and Solutions Topics Discussed in todays show How muscle relaxers work in the nervous system The cycle of joint restriction and muscle inhibition (AMI) Why absence of pain isn't a good indicator of health The role of joint health and movement in pain prevention Effective methods to restore joint mobility and muscle function Want to get your healthy movement score? Connect with Kim info@thestretchmobiltiycoach.com 513-874-8800 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

June 30, 202635 min

Ep #242: How To Relieve Neck Tightness For Good

Your neck tightness is not a muscle problem. And that is the whole reason your neck tightness never goes away. You stretch it. It feels better for a moment. Then the tightness comes right back. You have been told this is tight muscles and bad posture. The research tells a different story. In this episode Coach Kim explains the real reason your neck stays tight. The tightness you feel is more complex than what you have been taught to understand. The problem lies deeper, in your cervical joints. They have lost functional joint space and your nervous system has quietly switched off the deep muscles that support your neck joints. The big muscles take over and grip to brace those joints, limiting how far they can now move. That bracing is the tightness you feel. Coach Kim calls this the Silent Shutdown Cycle and it runs silently for years before pain ever shows up. In this episode, you will learn why stretching only provides short term relief. Why neck tightness shows up long before neck pain. Why posture is not the full story. And why neck tightness peaks in midlife and hits women hardest. Most people wait for pain to act. Coach Kim works upstream of pain. She built a way to measure your tightness before it becomes something bigger. It is your Healthy Movement Score and it comes with your Movement Age. Ready to find out why your neck feels tight? Book your Unlock Healthy Joint Mobility session. You get your joints tested. You get your Healthy Movement Score and your Movement Age. You leave knowing exactly what is happening and how to move like you used to move. Book your session: www.thestretchmobilitycoach.com/beckett Kim Nartker The Stretch Mobility Coach Test. Unlock. Preserve Healthy Movement For Life #TheStretchMobilityCoach #TheStretchMethod #SilentShutdownCycle #HealthyMovementScore #StretchMobilityCoach #MovementAge #UnlockHealthyJointMobility #HealthyMovement #KimNartker #5DriversOfHealthyMovement #NeckTightness #TightNeck #NeckPain #NeckPainRelief #NeckMobility #JointMobility #Mobility #MidlifeWomen #MidlifeWellness #MidlifeHealth #Healthspan #Longevity #MoveBetter #StiffNeck #ArthrogenicMuscleInhibition #MovementHealth #WestChesterOhio #BeckettRidge Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.