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Introduction to the UFFDA! Podcast
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Welcome to the UFFDA! Podcast hosted by Emily Morris and Jordan Rudolph. The UFFDA! Podcast brings you a surprisingly fresh take on everyday topics in health, fitness and everything in between. We want to open the door to explore new information and new solutions in a way that's easy for you to understand and apply to your own life.
Let's get into today's episode.
Hosts' Banter and Welcome
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Hello, everybody. Welcome to the UFFDA! Welcome back to the UFFDA! Podcast. I'm Jordan Rudolph.
I'm Emily Morris.
We're happy to be with you.
As always I stumbled
out of the block. Here we are.
Okay.
It's been a minute since you. I stumbled on an intro. Usually you've been trying to get. I was going to say. Focusing on [00:01:00] trying to get me to mess up the intro.
Yes. Yes. Yes. Welcome back. Welcome. Welcome back. And maybe for some of you that are listening to this for first time, listeners. Welcome. To the show. Uh, we hope that you enjoy, we are.
Episode Topic Introduction: Physical Assessments
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In season four, episode 23, 23.
Okay. Em's got the notes. So kind of like. She said that to me, literally five times now, but I still check. Uh, season four, episode 23, we're talking about the advantage. Of physical assessments or physical screens. And I'll let em take over here to let you all know what a physical. Assessment or physical screen. It is.
Yeah.
Understanding Physical Assessments
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At, I like to think of a physical assessment or a physical screen. As looking at what your body is. Telling us. So oftentimes we sit down with someone. Potential. A new member to Jim wants to work together. You can see. Tell. A lot of information about yourself, you are likely aware. Aware of where your body hurts, what symptoms we're [00:02:00] having, anything. Like that the sensations you might be feeling. But we're a physical assessment. Really comes into play. Is it tells us what your. Body is telling us, it's a way for almost your body to speak.
If. You will. So we use a variety of different assessments here. At unity, both joint by joint. Approaches as. As well as compound movement approaches and looking at how someone's body move. Moves over. The required positions. And these can often be. Both as a human mover. So if we have someone coming in the first thing, we're going to look at them as a. Human mover. But then for some of our athletes, this can also get a little bit more advanced. And see, okay.
What does your sport then require? Have you, so it's like a tiered approach. Into our physical. Assessments and I'm sure we'll kind of get into some of the nitty-gritty, but. At the bare bones assessment is just looking at. At an objective view [00:03:00] of what your body is physically. capable of doing in that moment of the. Assessment.
Importance of Assessments in Fitness
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There's some key words there that you're saying. Um, that apply a lot to the people listening to us, but it also. Applies a lot to you.
And I. Um, who can do some of these screens or assessments to ourself? Self to gauge where we're currently at that day in that moment. I think of it in my head as a physical assessment outside. Outside of a really good set of questions that we can. I ask somebody in a very good understanding of somebody who can listen. And learns how to actively listen, to ask even better questions outside of like a set of standard. Questions, you might see. In a questionnaire anywhere we like to think ours. Ours is a little bit more in depth here.
When we get to work with people. But it's the. The physical assessment is like the last piece or the easiest way physically. Outside of a health history. And again, questionnaire that we can meet someone where they're at. And, and there's a lot of. Coaches. [00:04:00] Trainers gyms. I would even say medical professionals out there that don't. Meet people where they're at.
They just see what. It said in the paper. Um, they might not look at the whole history. They might not follow through on the whole questionnaire, uh, persons coming in. And rotator cuff tear. Okay. Here's the sheet of paper of things we're supposed to do to help the rotator cuff. They don't ask how the rotator cuff happened.
They don't ask where the tear is. They don't acknowledge the person that like anything of the short and they just. Apply to exercise to the person that physical assessment allows us to apply the. The person to what type or what kind of fitness? Or exercise routine that we can help them with. Right. Like. Everything that you said earlier. Is how, uh, We do that through the assessment in terms of. That given moment, right?
Right.
Real-World Applications and Benefits
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Well, I think a really valuable part of the. The assessments that we do quite well here at unity. It is actually look at the whole person a lot of times [00:05:00] when we're going under some. Some of these assessments, we are experiencing a symptom in our. Shoulder, let's say, and we go in and we see a shoulder specialist and the shoulder specialists. Specialist is going to screen the shoulder because that's what the shoulder specialist knows how to do. But in reality.
Okay. We also need to look at what the spine is doing. What the elbow is doing, what the wrist is doing, what the neck is doing, everything in and. Around the shoulder plays a large part to that as well. So when we're. Looking at people. Sometimes when we probably have talked about this in a podcast before. Because we don't necessarily have the tools like we aren't screen. Screen to run. An x-ray or an MRI or some sort of visual imaging. We use the assessment to look under the surface, if you will, and see. See what the body is telling us and put all of those different pieces together. So that's a really good overall physical assessment. Of the entire body can tell you a lot more than just what you were talking. Talking about there, where it was just one piece or one other piece where we can kind of start. Start to put the pieces [00:06:00] together. As a whole unit moving. Moving person.
And what happens if we don't do that? Like, how do we move forward?
Without fully assessing. Right.
Yeah. Okay.
We're we're we're essentially get like, are. Slogan is. If we don't assess, we guess. We're guessing. Right? So. We assess, not guess. And if someone's not going through in our. Like this is biased, but in our eyes, we view this as a professional. In our field, this is what we should be doing. If we're not taking. The time to physically assess. Or screen. And checking. And the person. And like you were just saying. We are guessing. At what we feel like we should do for them or how we should do what we can do for them. Which can be catastrophic.
Like it can be a disaster. Estrus outcome for numerous different reasons.
For sure. I mean, at. At the very best I would say we probably. I end up helping more of the symptoms and not really getting. To [00:07:00] the root cause. And that's at like the very, very best of those. Case scenario and we can get
lucky
and certainly can help. But. I as a coach personally. Don't want to rely on luck when there are so many other tools. That we can have at our disposal and you as the listener, probably not a coach. Most likely listening to this probably don't want someone that would rely. On luck either.
You also don't want to guess yourself. So. So it's power for you to kind of get one of these physical assessments as well.
Like when a doctor is going in to do surgery on somebody, like, let's say it's a surgeon, right? Orthopedic surgeon. And he's like, well, I hope this works. What do you mean? You hope this word?
All we're going to try new surgery. And you're like right now, we're, we're not, we're not, we don't know. Right. But when you think about the surgeries. Uh, doctor has done that surgery. That. He's learned from somebody that's been proven that it works.
Creating Custom Programs Based on Assessments
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We use physical screens. Screens and assessments here.
We, we, we have essentially made our own and. And. We've we've, we've [00:08:00] pulled from different modalities. different companies, different philosophies, and we've essentially made to what we call the unity. Screen or the unity assessment. Technically as. Quote, unquote trainers. We have view ourselves as coaches, but technically we're not. Not necessarily. Depending on who's listening, not allowed to always. Use the word assess. Because that's more of a medical diagnosis. Gnostic tool, but we still do. Um, come after us.
I'm waiting. Um, so when we assessed her screen, That's not a call to you, Gretchen. Um, please don't. Uh, when we assess her screen, we kind of created our own. Own process out of this using principles, philosophies, and standards. From other companies so that we have the objective data that we can compare it to.
And we know. How to help. We're not just throwing somebody onto the surgery table. The the, and performing a quote unquote surgery. Without the knowledge of what we've just assessed or screened. And then we have proven if you want to say recipes or. Procedures. [00:09:00] That we can help take this person through based on what. What type of assessment and what type of history they have.
And, but the. The wildcard through all this as the person themselves, like everybody, like we're. We're way more similar than anybody wants to give us credit for. Way more similar. And the people that don't see it like that are. Not necessarily people that. We work with all the time. Um, But we're way, way, way more. Similar, but it's like that 5% of what makes a person unique is what we really need to tap. Into, and we try to, I feel like our assessments, both physical and non. Tap into that. And we're we're, we're attacking both. Did a good way.
Absolutely.
Well, like you said earlier, it allows to then meet the. The person where they're at, but I like what you had just said there in. And part of that, it also gives us something to come back to. To measure progress. So another benefit not only to meet someone. Where they're at. When they're first starting, but we can then look back and. Say.
Okay. Where did we start from? Here's where we're at [00:10:00] today. Did that program work? Did it have the intended. Outcome. Yes. Awesome. What's the next intended outcome? No. Okay. We need to change something there. Yeah.
So
it also gives us that comparison. Factor.
I love what you just said there. It gives us it's essentially. The, if, if you and I did a physical assessment on each other today, And did absolutely nothing different over the next week. Chances are that. Physical assessments going to look very similar next week, but there could be something that's. That's off that that could be something a little different. Um, whether that's through like, Like in a, in a, in a range of motion, degree measurement that we would do or, or. Um, just a standard of sensations, like whatever we're assessing. At screening for, but. When we have a set. Standard baseline. And we also then can track and. And look back and see progress towards it. That's where the power of. The assessment becomes even more valuable because we can see how we're continuing to make progress. Progress or what sticks like what's [00:11:00] holding true. And. And then that knows helps us know we're on the right track. So it creates a standard. Absolutely. And maybe. Ah, I think it's the right word. The standard and the whole process.
Well, I would say a standard for sure, for where you are as. The human mover right in that moment.
Right. And then we can see, not only did the program change. But if anything, lifestyle wise changed is that affecting. Your body right. Did you just retire and suddenly you're not sitting at a desk. For eight hours a day. Okay. Cool. We're probably gonna see some changes from those lifestyle. Style factors.
Did you get a new bed four weeks ago? And then. All of a sudden your neck's been having these weird sensations and we screen you and it's unlike. What you had before? Okay. Like maybe we need to adjust a mattress. Or a pillow or something of that nature. Right. So it allows us to not only see. What is happening in the gym, but allows us to kind of look at what else. Is affecting the body. And like we talked about. Last week a week for a couple. I don't know. [00:12:00] But it's not just about what's in the gym, it's all the things.
Yeah. Right. It's all the lifestyle factors that can trigger episode 22.
So, yeah, it's
poor at the time of recording this. We've literally recorded it two days. I don't remember, but that's okay. I digress
how it works in our world.
So when we talk about the open, the. The title of this episode, the advantage of physical assessment. I know we just went through several. Things here to the listener, like, oh, it does seem like an advantage, but what's. What's the real then advantage here. Maybe even do a bullet point fashion, but. What do we value? And what do we feel like there's value. Uh, in, in a physical assessment that delivers an advantage to the person.
Well, I think it's. At the very minimum. Minimum, we can add onto this for sure.
But it's the understanding of. Your body. Right? I heard a quote recently listening to a podcast. That we often understand our cell phones or our computer. Computers or operating system on whatever electronic, more than [00:13:00] we. I understand what's happening in our very own body that we live in day in and day out. And that hit me pretty hard.
Cause I was like, well, yeah, but I'm. I'm also someone in this field. So I think the advantage, one of the advantages. Is quite simply learning about your body, learning about why. Y. The pain is that you're experiencing learning about why your. Hamstrings might feel tight when you try and touch the ground and then how to do something. Something about it, if it's something that you want to do about it.
So it's kind of that next tool, but I think. That understanding piece can be huge. It can be. A massive power. In that just you as the listener. Understanding how your. Body is doing what it's doing.
I 100% agree. And I think one. At the. The big pieces of what makes us us. Is, we can deliver this information and digest it for the person.
So they understand. Understand stuff. And there's been how many times we're sitting in the office right now and this recording. But. We, we, we. Basically mirror. Like. We, we, we take this information and we let it [00:14:00] marinate. Either in our heads or through. Through our protocols and we can, we can digest it back. To the person so that they understand it and they will tell them things like, oh, Oh, my gosh, that makes so much more sense of where this is at. And. And. I think the big advantage. That I think are, uh, the. The real power from us comes in is. This knowledge that you have now in. This physical assessment, that's already a huge tool. Massive tool that gives. You the advantage of knowing everything that you just said. And also knowing where your body's. At that day. It allows you to see. Maybe. More.
So what not to do at times, if you understand the language of it. The data. So what I like most about. How, how we do what we do is that we can now interpret that. And. Also take it to the next level of creating that. Full program for the. Person. Um, Now they always say knowledge is power, but knowledge. Knowledge and action is power, right?
Knowledge. Just knowledge, unless you're going. Do something with [00:15:00] it. So when you have that, then it's thinking. About what you can do something with it. And that physical assessment is nothing more than knowledge. It's now, what can you do or what shouldn't you do, but what can. Can you do with it? And then we, we go. It's. It's a full blown custom program tailored and made for you. With. Also, we can't. Again, leave out. Acknowledging the person and. Like the history stuff that we're also assessing too.
For sure.
Well, and that's, that's where this. Has fully focused on the physical assessments, but is worth to note that there's a lot of. Other assessments that go into that right questions like you had set up front
for. An example of somebody, we go through a physical assessment and they might physically assess well, Well, where we can do a lot of things in the gym, but they've never going to work out in their life. That, that we need to know that.
Right.
That's the other part of it that. We've already covered. But the physical assessment strictly what we're talking about this episode, like we're staying. On track with this gives us like that last missing piece to meet them exactly where we're at. Where they are at and then going forward with what we need to do. And for sure. [00:16:00] Absolutely.
And. And recheck, like you said,
right. And then, yeah. And then come back to it. Revisit. Hey. What did, what changed? If anything, from both an input, what changed as. As the output, what are the results of that for
sure. And then we can
continue to progress, continue to. Move forward. Continue to learn more,
continue to win.
No. Awesome.
Winning isn't for. For everyone. And I can commercial over the weekend gave me goosebumps. It was LeBron James one. Freaking unreal.
Awesome. I'm going to send it to you later. Okay. Everyone should watch it. I'd probably just plug it into this episode for the heck of it. But this is how you win this. This is how you take advantage and you get sustainable results. This is how you build confidence and strength. This. Is a major piece that physical assessment piece.
Absolutely.
Conclusion and Call to Action
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I think that about wraps it up as always.
Thank you guys so much for tuning. Into this week's episode of the podcast, share this with someone who you think. We'll find it valuable. Leave us a rating or review subscribe. Download. All the things that help us to organically.
When did you arrive, just [00:17:00] before lunch? Yeah, a little bit earlier. So, when do we start?
