She Got Stronger in Just 1 Year! Joanne Brown Interview

I'm here with Joanne Brown. Brown. Think about that one for a second. And she started with us about a year ago. And I have just seen such incredible improvement with her just through her body and her mindset and her just understanding what's going on. And so I wanted to bring her on. So as you can hear from her specifically. So, Joanne, before you started with us, I think it's like a year ago.

Yeah, it was a year ago.

What were your goals and what were you doing before that?

Well, before that. Way before that, I. Swimming was my main exercise. And then I realized that it had no weight bearing in it and it wasn't good. Wasn't helping my bones. It was good for everything else. So I started walking and walking became my main exercise. Two miles a day, probably. But I still felt like there wasn't this holistic feeling in my body that something was kind of off and. And I just didn't. Didn't feel quite right. And also I was having a lot of mid back muscle pull kind of things.

Yeah. Now is this, is this. I don't want to, I don't want to put you out of there, but is this world. So you find out about your, your medical thing, your.

What's the question?

The osteoporosis. Right.

Say that again.

The osteoporosis and Ostena.

Oh, well, I had been diagnosed on the border with osteo sclerosis.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Now is this the same time you were swimming that you found that out or was that, was that before?

Yeah, it was probably. Well, that was probably around the same time.

Okay. Yeah. So what led us to. Well, I know what led us to you, but you tell them what led us to you.

Let us to you.

Let's do you, me, us. Yeah.

Well, Cindy Geist is my good friend. She's been coming here for five years and I just, you know, I felt like one day we were taking a walk in the arroyo behind my house and I said, what do you do for exercise? And so she told me about soul core. And I just thought, well, I'll give it a try because. Or I'll check it out.

Yeah.

Because I felt like I needed something.

Yeah.

So then I came to talk to you.

Yes.

And another question was.

Well, it's basically on. That is like you're skeptical. I mean, like questions like, I understand, like what I do is very different and people have a lot of questions as you did. So what was it like you're concerned. Skeptical. Just questions you had.

Yeah, well, I typically my exercise over Many years has been like, solo swimming, walking. And so being in a group gave me a little pause. But I particularly, because I don't like jumping around like Zumba or, you know, all that.

The regular, like, step aerobics and stuff like that.

Yeah, I don't. I don't do that.

Yeah. So neither do I.

So I. So I just, you know, I remember saying that to you. Are we dumping our ass?

No, not at all.

So I gave it a try and it was. I remember you saying, this is going to be really hard.

Yeah.

Yeah, I guess it's hard for everybody.

It's hard for everybody. Yeah. And I try and be very honest. Like, it's not to deter people. It's like most classes, like, okay, if you move around and do something, it's good. And like, this was like, no, because you kind of go into your issues and you have the osteoporosis and then your back was a little lower. Lower back. Like, it's not going to be easy, but it's effective. And now you have concerns about rolling your spine because of what you read and stuff like that.

Yes.

And I give you this. That documentation to one of the videos to watch. And we talked about it, and just from my standpoint, we just did abs today. It's literally night and day. I mean, it's not. I mean, the way your spine rolls. Oh, my God.

Wow.

Because it rolls before it was flat.

Well, I remember at one point when I had a back issue, I went to a physical therapist and she said, you have no movement in your back at all. Upper back room, mid back, nothing.

Yeah.

And so I really needed to work on that.

Did you work with the PT for that?

Just, you know, a few sessions.

Okay.

Or she gave me some exercise.

I see.

Yeah. And let's see. So, you know, the osteoporosis is just not severe. Just like right on the border between osteopenia and osteoporosis. And I've been really working at strengthening my bones, which I think happens here.

It's different.

Myofascial. Everything around the bones.

Yeah. Yeah. And so a lot of times people give these directions of, like, okay, just go lift weights or walk something's weight bearing, which is. It's good advice. But the problem is that if you have an unbalanced body, when I put force through that, whatever I'm doing and I have an unbalanced body, the force stops at that area for you lower back. Yeah. Now you get bad force in your spine. But if you do some good mouth stretching Circumstance strengthening. You balance your body and you strengthen the bone at the same time. Yeah, that's what I was trying to. Yeah, that's why I explained to you. Yeah.

And I think my hesitation about rolling, you know, that spine.

Yeah.

I had also done yoga for many years, not so much right before I came here, but I don't know, it's like a. It's like a mantra in yoga. Do not roll down your spine. Or if you have. If you have bone issues, if you have osteoporosis or osteopenia. See, that was my hesitation.

I thought so. And that's where. That's where. And I love yoga for the benefits it gives for, like, mindfulness and breathing.

Yeah.

But that's the difference between having a program that's based off basically science and one is based more for more meditation. Yoga is made for. Basically, people want to meditate more. This is like, no, I want to correct your scoliosis or whatever the case may be.

Yeah.

So what was your big breakthrough? Like, when did you finally realize, hey, this is actually not going to kill me?

Well, I. I think I just started feeling better. You know, I came here feeling just off, like, not quite all that healthy, like, really. And. And I. I think I just started feeling really good. I remember saying to people after. After each class, oh, I feel so much better now.

We're not. That's normally the case when we're doing it. It's hard, but afterwards you're like, oh, I feel kind of good. You don't want to go back into it again.

Accomplished also.

Yeah. You get the accomplishment and you also have just. Basically, there's a difference between, like, people go from, like an endorphin kind of I just did a good thing feeling to that. Plus, no, I actually feel different in my body.

Yeah.

Like, you feel taller, you feel more positioned.

Yeah.

You feel more connected. Like that's what we're looking for.

Yeah.

So what can you say your specific results were? Outside just feeling good?

Well, I think. I think my. I think my posture is better. I think I'm more aware also. I think that's a big thing. I'm just much more aware of how I'm moving.

Yeah.

I think my balance is better. Yeah, I think a little more flexible.

Awesome.

Does that seem right to you?

No. All of this seems fine to me. Is. Is what I. What I see and what you feel are two different things. Like, I've seen normally, if I stop coming over to you in class a lot, you know, you're doing better. Well, because at the beginning, I'm nervous. I don't want people to hurt themselves. Okay. Make sure you're doing this right. After all, I'm like, yeah, you're fine. I just correct this.

I remember saying to you at some point, very fairly early, it didn't take that long, but you're not coming over to me anymore. I was like, I'm missing that. Right?

You don't. You don't. Give me a second, sir. Yeah. Good. So would you recommend this program to anybody?

Absolutely.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah.

Like who and for. And for what?

Well, for anybody, you know, and maybe particularly for, you know, people who are over.

Over 50. It could be over 40, to tell you truth. Yeah.

Really? I think it's just so. It's. It's, you know, I. I am. I'm moving. I won't be in Santa Fe, you know, and so I am planning to do a. Yeah. An online thing because I just feel like I need to keep this.

That's great. Well, again, I think you've done a great job. I really appreciate you doing this and letting people know your results, and I know you're just going to keep moving forward.

Yeah.

As you keep practicing. Thank you. So. Thank you so much. Just a very quick question. Hold on, hold on.