Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandra Van Gilder.
Sandra, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Most of us grow up understanding the importance of exercise for our physical bodies, and even our emotional health. In my 20’s though, exercise left my knees, lower back, and feet in pain. I found only temporary pain relief, then my symptoms always returned, and sometimes worse than ever when I attempted to return to activities that I loved like running, climbing, snowboarding, wakeboarding, dancing in high heels, and just doing things with my friends.
Thus, began my search for answers. I pursued education through a top physical therapy graduate program. That gave me a great foundation, but it was the Gray Institute and their unique whole body approach that eventually took my pains away. I was able to run a half marathon, pain-free for the first time ever after following their method. My husband, also a Physical Therapist, and I built a business with this whole body movement method, and our patients thrived.
While building our business, we had two beautiful girls. The birth plans for both went out the door. A cord was wrapped around my older daughter’s neck and I was given a quick “snip” to get her out. Thank God, wouldn’t change a thing! But it did have some side effects… I couldn’t sit for a month. The pain, lack of sleep, guilt that I wasn’t a happy new mom, failures with breastfeeding, all settled into a postpartum depression. That led to bad choices of running too soon and literally gave myself pelvic floor problems. My second daughter came early and was an emergency cesarean, only 18 months later. Between the two pregnancies and births, my core and pelvic floor muscles were wrecked! I had what I call the triple threat: incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and diastasis recti (where your ab muscles are split apart). By now, my sciatica and knee pain had also returned.
I wasn’t sure what to do, and as a Physical Therapist, I was embarrassed that I was having these issues. Kegels didn’t work for me, all the attempts to activate my tiny ab muscles, breathing techniques, traditional women’s health exercises frustrated me because they were so passive and took too long. I got bored and lost interest. I needed results, so I went back to what I knew worked for my back and knees. And a wonderful thing happened, as my back and knees got better so did my pelvic floor problems. A light bulb went on. A celebration in my soul. Learning that women do not have to live with embarrassing leakage, or even hip and knee issues was a story I wanted to share. The Move Method was born.
I’m a physical therapist, mom of two girls, and wife to my husband and business partner. Mostly, I want to be an advocate that it’s possible to keep our bodies young and healthy by moving and eating smart. Having figured it out for myself, I wanted to share the information with others so they are not stuck in the cycle of pain and frustration. That is what drives me.
Has it been a smooth road?
My husband and I built a vibrant Physical Therapy business with this whole body movement method, and our patients thrived. Together with a partner, we opened multiple offices. But we found a shared vision for growth and business was difficult to maintain. It was a difficult decision, but we eventually went off on our own so we could craft a culture of healing and a place where our clients could Gather. Give. Grow. (G3 Physical Therapy)
Then, pursuing my passion for educating women has had its own set of challenges. I don’t like the spotlight and never in a million years, would have chosen to be a speaker or make videos for a living, which can be intimidating and a real test of confidence. At the end of the day, it’s about the message and reminding myself that it’s not about me. I am the vehicle to deliver this life-giving information so more women can live happier healthier lives. It’s taken time and effort to leave my ego behind and to trust it’s ok if I don’t have a perfect body. Getting the message out is what drives me to be open-minded about starting my own business speaking, teaching, and developing my online program.
There’s also a learning curve, and I had to recognize I needed help. I may be a good therapist, know my particular craft, but it takes a team to create a business. The online environment is especially challenging if you are not tech or marketing savvy, or if you need to sleep, take care of your kids, be a mom, wife, exercise and stay healthy as I do.
“If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.”
Frank A. Clark
So, as you know, we’re impressed with The Move Method – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
This is super exciting, I love to share about my business. Instead of exercises and activities that cause wear and tear on our bodies, my company, The Move Method, shows women how to use strategic movements to create functional strength and postural alignment. As Physical Therapists, my husband and I developed these movements that bodies need to prevent arthritis, muscle imbalances, that strengthen our muscles on multiple planes and increase flexibility.
This is how it all started, I began to ask questions and developed my own women’s health program. Soon local OBGYN’s started referring more and more patients to me. I realized that no one knew how posture affected their pelvic floor problems, how Kegels are not the ideal exercise, how strengthening your core goes beyond your abs and should include your glutes, hamstrings, and even your inner thigh muscles. I’ve trained a team of women at my clinic, two physical therapists, a physical therapy assistant, and a personal trainer to see my women’s health patients and clients. We have gotten great results through movements that strengthened the whole body and empowered women to be fit and love their bodies again.
So, now, I specialize in helping women, educating them that it’s not natural or normal to have incontinence and other pelvic floor problems after kids or ever. We can continue to be healthy as we age, and not depend on Depends!
This passion, to empower women to build healthy, functional bodies has taken a few paths. One is through an online course, that I am just finishing up, that teaches and inspires through a series of videos. Some of the topics are how-to build and strengthen your muscles in the three planes of motion, how to stretch to increase movement, and the connection between our posture and pelvic floor issues. I teach the science, and explain and show the movements. I have workouts that cover stretching, strengthening, and endurance. If you are thinking that’s a lot to cover, you are right!
The other path I am exploring is an opportunity I have because I am Chinese. I was honored to be invited to speak at the largest fitness professional conference in the world, the Idea World Convention, for two years. That led to my involvement with the inaugural IDEA Convention, China in the summer of 2018. In addition to helping to organize the conference, I taught a session on running mechanics and spoke to the most attended pre-conference course on training the female through the stages of her life. My first time being paid to teach, and I had 32 people who paid over $300 to attend the 8 hour course. I even got to practice a lot of broken Mandarin Chinese. Now this company wants to sell my program in China.
I believe we all have unique gifts to share to the world. I have a combination of being a physical therapist, personal trainer, group fitness instructor, I can speak in front of people, and I’m willing to embarrass myself in front of people and a video camera with broken Mandarin Chinese. I also have friends and professional colleagues in the field of physical therapy and fitness industry that is encouraging me to share this information because it’s new and has such an efficient and effective solution to women’s health problems. I am excited to see how this program and these speaking and training opportunities can give women the bodies they want.
And that’s where I am right now. Exploring ways to share this great information through developing my own online program, teaching in-person classes for the community, and developing seminar courses and certifications for personal trainers. So, 2019 should be a big year for me and hopefully help me transform women’s perception of how to heal their bodies, how to keep their bodies young and healthy, and how to not give up exercise they love and feel comfortable and even sexy in their own skin.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What’s there not to love about Encinitas. The beach, cute shops, awesome restaurants, the best coffee shops. What makes it our home is the community and the life long friends we’ve made.
Contact Info:
- Website: TheMoveMethod.com
- Phone: (760) 822-3030
- Email: sandra@themovemethod.com
- Instagram: @themovemethod
- Facebook: The Move Method
- Twitter: @themovemethod
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
