I've been in the fitness industry for almost a decade now. There are a few topics that seem most difficult to explain to the general public. But there is one thing clients seem to have the most trouble understanding. It's not weight loss. It's not dieting. It's not exercise intensity. No matter how much I try to explain, prove or demonstrate, no one seems to understand and really appreciate the connection between the emotional and physical state of the body.

The most effective and long lasting fitness journey cannot focus on one without the other. When I began training, it was suggested that I prepare client workouts before clients arrive. The more I trained, the more I realized, no matter how much I prepared for a session, if the client was not in the right mindset, the workout would be useless.

I had one client on a max strength program involving heavy weights and skilled lifting. Client had recently lost a loved one. He came in and his shoulders were rounded, upper back had a slight hunch and the head was down. I could see his heartbreak before he had said a word. Before he mentioned his loss, he mentioned pain in his back and shoulders.

I had a client once: teenage girl with knee and low back pain. After a few assessments, I had concluded that her knee pain was stemming from a load transfer from a hyperextended low back. After a few conversations, it hit me. She had been trying to emphasize those curves! She spent her days pushing up the breasts and poking out the butt. We've all been there at least once. But when you're a young girl, coming into your own, there are a few standards of beauty you feel overshadow our own. So you spend hours upon hours contorting your body and your true self to fit that standard.

Here's one more example. I trained an elderly woman with spina bifida; a birth defect that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don't form properly. This can cause mild to severe chronic pain. The woman had lived with pain her entire life. She would avoid large crowds because she feared someone bumping into her. This fear caused her to tense up when in an unfamiliar environment. She came to me for knee pain. I took one looked at her and could tell her inner thighs were BEYOND tight.

I found a few articles that list the areas of muscle tension and the type of emotional distress to which it may be attributed. Check it out and see if you've experienced any of these! usually occurring as a result of emotional distress. If unchecked, the tension works it's way to the skeletal level. When setting our #bodygoals, we must not forget to include our spirits.

I found a few articles that list the area of muscle tension and the type of emotional distress to which it may be attributed. Check it out and see if you've experienced any of these!

TALK TO ME! WHAT EMOTIONAL STRESS DO YOU THINK IS EFFECTING YOUR BODY? Let's work it out

9 Types of Muscle Tension Caused by Trapped Emotions

Where Do You Store Stress in Your Body? Top 10 Secret Areas