Movement – Movement Training Co.

What Are Minimalist Shoes?

January 2, 2023September 15, 2020

I’m glad you asked!

Minimalist Shoes are shoes that are shaped like feet, and allow your feet to function as closely to the way they were designed as possible. You may be asking yourself, isn’t this what all shoes do? Unfortunately, no. Modern shoes are NOT shaped like feet, and limit much of the natural movement feet were biologically designed to undertake. Ever wondered why children freak out when you put their shoes on, and initially can hardly take a step in them? Now you know why…

This is so important that I have a whole page and many videos dedicated to the topic here, but this post will serve as a brief overview.

First up, what should you look for in a Minimalist Shoe? In order to fit this category, a shoe has to pass what I call a SHUT Check, which is of course an acronym.

This video breaks down everything you need to know:

Next, an important note on nomenclature. Many companies use the term “Barefoot Shoes,” which drives me absolutely crazy. It’s unclear, confusing, and down right inaccurate. I get that they are trying to say the shoes mimic being barefoot, but anything you wear on your foot will ALWAYS fall short of the actual barefoot experience (which I might add, is worth exploring, but that’s for another post.) That’s why I much prefer the term Minimalist. I dive a little deeper into the importance of clear communication surround footwear in this video:

Lastly, these are my top three minimalist shoe/sandal companies. Note: Because I love them so much, I chose to become an affiliate so I get a small percentage for anything purchased through the following links. If you choose not to use these links, all of these companies are easily findable on Google.
– Xero Shoes
– Earthrunners
– Vivobarefoot

Well, that’s it for this post. Keep an eye out on the Blog, Minimalist Shoe Page, and my YouTube Channel for more info on how to best help your feet do feet things.

Two Brands, One Company.

January 26, 2021August 13, 2020

I’ve officially launched a sub brand of The Movement Training Company LLC called Functional Massage Therapy™. Don’t worry, you won’t miss out on anything if you book a session with one versus the other. This is simply to help clarify my messages and explain how my services will be hugely beneficial to two different demographics. While I’ll be doing much of the same work with both, the language used will vary to help explain my unique approach in a way that makes sense to both demographics. Here’s the general breakdown, with of course plenty of cross over since it’s still me as the therapist/trainer either way.

Movement Training Co. is focused on athletes, adventurers, and weekend warriors. The tagline is “Adventure Forever,” and is focused on helping empower people to keep doing what they love, or get back to doing what they love after an injury.

Functional Massage Therapy™ is focused on people dealing with chronic pain or similar problems keeping them from doing their daily activities. The tagline here is “Reconnect with your body, reclaim your life.” The intensity will often be much lower on the movement side of things, with more body work needed before using gentle movement to reinforce the manual therapy changes.

Again, they’re two sides to the same coin, I’m just choosing to use two distinct brands in order to clarify my message so that I can better reach and serve two unique demographics.

About The Author: Chris Gonzales is the owner and founder of The Movement Training Company and Functional Massage Therapy™. He is a Human Movement Consultant, Licensed Massage Therapist, and Personal Trainer with offices in Woodland Park and Colorado Springs. He also has regular Virtual Office Hours for working one on one with long distance clients, as well as prerecorded online programs available on www.movementtraining.co.

When he’s not helping people live happier, healthier lives, you can probably find Chris in the Colorado Rockies rock climbing, trail running, or hiking with his wife and two children.

What Is A Functional Range Assessment?

January 26, 2021August 13, 2020

What is a Functional Range Assessment? I’m glad you asked.

You can think of an FRA as a “Physical Physical.” It’s a head to toe, joint by joint assessment to identify your body’s current abilities, to determine your specific, and to develop a plan to address those needs.

Most people wait until they are in pain before seeing any type of manual therapist. However, pain is one of the last indicators of musculoskeletal problems. Under the care of a trained professional, many potential problems can be detected early, and addressed before they become painful limitations to your life or sport.

The FRA is not only an opportunity to mitigate pain, but also to improve your “performance” in life and/or athletics. By identifying your body’s current limitations before they become clearly apparent, we are able to make improvements on your body’s Baseline Human Movement Capabilities. (I.E. make sure your shoulder works like a healthy human shoulder should.) The more solid your foundation is, the more confident and capable you will be in all of your daily activities and active pursuits.

Lastly, the FRA is a chance for you to get to know your body. As a culture, we go through life very disconnected with our bodies. People pay little attention to our physical selves until something goes wrong. As we go through and assess all the major joints in your body, you’ll gain a better understanding and appreciation of what is going on in your tissues. The more connected and aware you are of your body, the better you will be able to take care of it. The better you take care of your body, the better it can continually take care of you.

An FRA is a series of three one hour sessions roughly broken down as follows:

Upper Body Assessment and Maintenance Education
Lower Body Assessment and Maintenance Education
Full Body Review and Plan of Action

As of writing this (August 2020), an FRA is $279 for in person, with an abridged version available for Virtual Clients upon request.

How Is Functional Massage Therapy™ Different?

January 26, 2021August 13, 2020

Functional Massage Therapy™ is a term I coined to better describe my approach to client care. While candles, oils, and relaxation massages are amazing, those are not what I do. Functional Massage Therapy™ is all about making lasting biological and neurological changes in your body. In order to do this, I merge manual therapy and movement reeducation in order to best communicate with your tissue.

Most of the soft tissue work I do consists of long, sustained holds to tell the cells exactly what they need to start doing again. Once we begin the process of change using manual therapy techniques, we reinforce them with bodyweight movement exercises both in office, and at home with Movement Homework. The Movement Homework is a very important piece of the puzzle. The purpose of this homework is to maintain what we have done in office, and to continue improving upon what we have done.

Because of the active and interactive nature of this style of work, all sessions are done clothed. (Men: Athletic shorts and a loose t-shirt, Women: Athletic shorts, sports bra, and tank-top or loose t-shirt.)

In every session, I focus a lot on client education and empowerment. The reason I consider myself a Human Movement Consultant is because at the end of the day, the responsibility to take care of your body is yours. I’m here to consult, assist, educate, and guide; but only you have the power to make lasting changes in your body.

You can do this, you are more than capable, and I’m here for you every step of the way.