How to ditch your inhaler and forget about a herniated disc with Philippe Morel
This video is a client testimonial from Philippe Morel. He is one of my first clients and a few years ago he received a diagnosis that left him thinking he could never do the activities he loved again. Check out the video (it’s in French) to hear his experience with working with me and the progress he saw in a year.
Some diagnosis seem more like a life sentence rather than a diagnosis itself. At least that’s what Philippe thought when we first started working together. He had been using an inhaler for a big part of his life and he experienced a disc injury in his L-4 and L-5 some years ago. These conditions had left him feeling that this was something he would have to suffer from his whole life. There is a difference in the previous statement. There are things that will stick with us forever, like that hernia. However, that doesn’t mean it has to make us suffer or stop us from doing what we want.
Fast forward to a year, Philippe has the confidence to lift weights he thought were long gone or that he could only do in his “golden years”. Aside from that, he was able to ditch his inhaler permanently. Now it’s probably the time when you are thinking “How did he do it”?. Maybe, another thought is creeping up: “Not everyone can do this”. Maybe you’re right, or maybe it’s more simple than you think. Here is what Philippe needed to do in order to ditch his inhaler, forget about his herniated disc and finally see progress in his training. Here’s the list:
Stop going 5x a week to a CrossFit class where he attempted to do movements his body was not ready to do yet. This was only causing more harm than good. Instead, after his initial screening, we agreed that he would go to class 2x a week with some modifications. This allowed him to enjoy the social aspect of the group classes and still get a good workout in.
Having a 1:1 personal session with me once a week and doing a home workout once a week. In our sessions, we focused on teaching him and exploring new movements and planes of motion. These sessions were focused on education and exploring new pain free ranges of motion. The home workout was focused on increasing the ranges of motion so that he could move and feel better.
Nose breathing. This was key and Philippe quickly learned to embrace this even when commuting on his bike or picking up his kid. with his bike. There is tremendous power in proper breathing mechanics. They allow us have a better oxygen intake and be more tolerant to the CO2 our body accumulates while exercising. This means increased performance. This was what contributed the most on ditching his inhaler. We implemented nose breathing during his warm-ups and whenever he remembered it throughout the day.
Consistency. I can’t even tell you how consistent he has been for the past year. In a whole year, he only cancelled a handful of our sessions due to work and life. He rarely missed a home workout or tried to catch up. Consistency for us does not mean never skipping a session, it means never skipping a session twice and focus on the daily little efforts.
Curiosity. After experiencing a glimpse of what our training might lead him to, he started doing tons of research on his own. After he found an exercise, article, video, whatever interested him, he would send it to me and we would talk about it.
There is the list of steps we used to get Philippe to where he is now. These steps were carefully selected and tailored to him, his goals, his current situation and his lifestyle. This does not mean it has to be any different for you. We can replicate the same process and adapt it to you, your goals and your lifestyle. And please, next time you receive a diagnosis from a medical professional, make sure to treat it as a diagnosis and not a life sentence. Not everything is lost and we can work together to get your physical freedom back and get you where you want to be.
