Michelle’s journey in the gym began with severe sciatica. Simple daily actions that most people take for granted were a struggle, like sitting to watch television in the evening or driving to work. From a trainer’s perspective, we needed to start slow and carefully assess what she could and couldn’t do.

 

The first step was identifying the source of her sciatic pain. It originated from the lower back, which isn’t ideal, rather than lower down the leg where tight muscles could trigger the sciatic nerve. This meant we had to be cautious and considerate in every exercise prescribed.

 

We started with exercises to engage her lower posterior muscles while keeping her spine safe. Box step-ups were a key choice. From a client’s perspective, they might seem simple or even boring, but they allowed full range of motion without stressing her lower back or introducing rotational movements. Upper body exercises were also included as long as they were performed from stable positions.

 

Over time, Michelle improved. Gradually, her movements became stronger and everyday life tasks became easier. Then came a minor setback. Simple actions, like leaning into her car while cleaning it, triggered her sciatic nerve again. She was understandably worried that her progress would be derailed and that pain would linger for months. After a year of steady work, I was confident her resilience and strength would help her recover quickly, which thankfully it did, the discomfort lasted only around a week.

 

During that week, Michelle described tightness and pain through her pelvis. I suspected the Psoas muscle, a key hip flexor muscle was involved. Once the pain subsided, targeted stretches were prescribed to address the remaining tightness. A tight muscle can limit progress, so addressing it was crucial for long-term improvement.

 

From that point, it has been steady progress. Michelle has adhered to her stretches and moved on to larger and more complex exercises. She is now performing barbell Romanian deadlifts, something she likely never imagined when she first joined Innate. As she continues to strengthen, we’ll progressively add new, more complex movements to support further growth.

 

This journey may sound straightforward, but it has not been a linear path. Michelle’s progress has taken over a year and a half. She has been patient, trusted the process, and kept moving forward. Her improvements go far beyond her sciatic issues. She has worked on push-ups through incline variations, developed her coordination and strength, and mastered lifting techniques. One of the most significant achievements has been her ability to push herself in the gym. Her consistency has been outstanding. Aside from the week she had off due to her sciatic flare-up, she has rarely missed a session, attending two to three times per week.

 

Looking ahead, the plan is to advance her workouts further. This includes hip thrust variations with added weight, heavier squats or trap bar deadlifts to progress from goblet squats, and continued upper body strength development. Michelle has a natural aptitude for effort, which will allow her to make excellent progress. I am excited to see how far she can go with continued guidance and support.