Ironhorse PT and Pilates, Inc.

The ultimate move to unlock stiff hips, expand tight ribs, and relieve back pain. ✨
Whether you’re an athlete who does a lot of twisting (like golf or volleyball), managing scoliosis, or just feeling tight from sitting all day, the Pilates Mermaid is a game-changer for your spine. It combines deep side-bending with rotation to instantly create space and mobility where you need it most.
Your spine will thank you for this one! 🙌
Save this for your next movement session, or send it to a friend who always complains about a tight back! 📌✈️ ̇lateschai̇r

Taking a holistic approach to rehab means looking at how the whole body connects, rather than just focusing on the spot that hurts. When a patient comes in with wrist pain, the root of the problem often stems from weakness further up the arm. By addressing the shoulder and upper back, we build a strong foundation that unloads the wrist and allows it to heal.

During this session, we targeted the entire arm from the shoulder down:

Incline Bench W-Press: We started here to wake up the upper back muscles and correct the rounded, guarded posture that often happens when an arm is injured.

Banded Wall Slides: Pushing into the foam roller activates the muscles under the armpit, teaching the shoulder blade to anchor down and absorb daily impacts so the wrist doesn’t have to.

Towel Forearm Rolls: This classic clinical drill builds functional grip endurance and pumps healing blood flow straight to the forearm tendons without grinding the joint.Waiter’s Walks:

Finishing with an overhead carry forces the wrist to lock into a perfectly straight line under a load while building total shoulder stability.True recovery isn’t about chasing symptoms—it’s about strengthening the whole system with a progressive, personalized plan. If you’re dealing with stubborn wrist or arm pain, let’s look at the big picture together.

Rehab is about more than just one treatment—it’s about combining the right tools to help you move and feel better.

In this session, we used:
🔹 Soft tissue work to address stiffness and improve comfort
🔹 Floss band + active knee range-of-motion exercises to reinforce movement and prepare the knee for strengthening
🔹 Red light therapy as an adjunct treatment that may help reduce pain and support recovery for some patients

Each of these techniques serves a purpose, but none of them replace the most important part of rehab: **progressive exercise and a personalized treatment plan.**

This approach may be helpful for people recovering from knee injuries, dealing with stiffness, or working to return to the activities they enjoy.

Interested in a Medical Massage? Sign up with Dr. Kim today!

✨ Stability isn’t about being rigid—it’s about having control.

This Pilates reformer sequence uses a dowel for feedback during a tabletop hip exercise, helping you notice when your pelvis starts to rotate or shift. The goal is to let the hip move while maintaining good control through your trunk.

We follow it with cat-cows on the reformer to improve spinal mobility and movement awareness.

These types of exercises can be helpful for improving coordination, pelvic stability, and movement quality as part of an individualized rehabilitation or strength program.

Want to know if these exercises are appropriate for you? Our physical therapists can help assess your movement and create a plan that’s right for your goals.

📍Ironhorse Physical Therapy & Pilates. San Ramon, CA

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Don’t underestimate the bridge.

This Pilates Reformer exercise is one of our favorite ways to build a stronger core, activate the glutes, and improve pelvic control—all while encouraging healthy movement of the spine.

Many people with low back discomfort rely too much on their low back muscles and not enough on their glutes and deep core. The Reformer Bridge helps retrain that pattern by teaching the body how to generate movement from the hips while maintaining stability through the trunk.

This exercise may benefit individuals dealing with:
✔️ Low back pain
✔️ Core weakness
✔️ Hip weakness
✔️ Pelvic instability
✔️ Poor posture
✔️ General deconditioning

As strength and control improve, these skills carry over into everyday activities like walking, lifting, squatting, climbing stairs, and staying active with confidence.

Key cue: Press through your heels, engage your glutes, and move with control.

Have you tried bridging on the Reformer before?

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🚨 Athletes or lifters with shoulder pain: stop scrolling.

Just because overhead pressing hurts doesn’t mean you have to stop training.

This landmine press is one of our favorite ways to help athletes continue building strength while respecting irritated shoulders, rotator cuff injuries, impingement, and limited overhead mobility.

The angled pressing position is often more comfortable than traditional overhead lifts, while still challenging the shoulder, core, and upper body in a functional way.

We’re not against band exercises—they can be helpful early on. But if your goal is getting back to swimming, CrossFit, weightlifting, throwing, or other overhead sports, eventually your rehab needs to look more like the activities you’re trying to return to.

Rehab shouldn’t stop at pain relief.
The goal is getting you back to doing what you love with confidence.

🏃‍♂️ Runner Success Story

After a Spartan Race injury, knee pain and instability lingered for nearly 8 months—making downhill running, speed work, and higher mileage difficult.

Through a detailed run gait analysis and targeted strength training, we identified key weaknesses and movement imbalances that were limiting recovery.

Just a few months later:
✅ 99% pain-free running
✅ Back to longer weekly mileage
✅ Speed work without setbacks
✅ Confident downhill running again

The goal isn’t just getting out of pain—it’s building a body that’s stronger, more resilient, and ready for the demands of running.

Scoliosis + Heavy Lifting? Yes, you can. 💪

Returning to heavy back squats after pelvic floor symptoms isn’t just about getting stronger—it’s about moving well under load.

In this session, we checked:
✔️ Proper bracing with a lifting belt
✔️ Squat symmetry and weight distribution
✔️ Core and pelvic floor coordination under load

One key exercise we added was double kettlebell front rack squats. Unlike a back squat, the front rack position challenges the core much more, making trunk control and balance the limiting factor rather than just leg strength.

The result? Better symmetry, improved positioning, and more balanced loading throughout the squat.

Even better, she previously experienced hip pinching during squats—and that’s no longer an issue.

Rehab isn’t just about isolated exercises. It’s about building the ability to confidently return to the activities and exercises you love.

30 weeks pregnant and moving stronger than ever 💪🤰

One of the biggest misconceptions about pelvic floor health is that it’s all about doing Kegels. The reality? Your pelvic floor doesn’t work alone.

Your pelvic floor, deep core, hips, glutes, back, and breathing muscles are designed to work together as one integrated system. That’s why our prenatal rehab Pilates program focuses on training movement, strength, stability, and coordination—not just isolated muscle contractions.

These exercises are helping this mama build core strength, improve pelvic stability, and support her changing body as her pregnancy progresses. The result? No p***c pain, no pelvic pain, and no back or hip pain at 30 weeks pregnant—a huge win as baby continues to grow every week! 🙌

Through personalized Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy and prenatal Pilates, we’re helping moms stay active, strong, and comfortable throughout pregnancy.

✨ Pregnancy doesn’t have to mean living with pain.

Have you been told to “just do Kegels” during pregnancy? Let us know below 👇