HNL Movement Podcast

This week on the HNL Movement Podcast, we're thrilled to welcome Jono Blodgett, the founder of Mauka Makai Fitness and a three-time Spartan AG World Champion. Join us as we delve into Jono's inspiring journey, from his upbringing in Hawaii, where his passion for the ocean and active pursuits shaped his journey. to his role as an invasive species coordinator for the division of aquatic resources.Jono served as an invasive species coordinator for the division of aquatic resources and engaged in enlightening conversations with fishermen who were faced with aches and pains that prevented them from living active lifestyles. Motivated to create change, he established Mauka Makai Fitness, a company focused on empowering individuals to overcome perceived barriers and achieve their goals. Concurrently, Jono immersed himself in the world of Spartan races, embracing rigorous training and exploring various facets of optimizing human performance, including nutrition, sleep, recovery, biomechanics, and breathing techniques. He has shared the knowledge and experiences he has gained through the years to help others reach their goals.Join us for an engaging conversation as Jono shares valuable insights and lessons learned. Be sure to visit his website and follow Mauka Makai Fitness on Instagram (@mauka.makai.fitness, @jonoblodgett) for inspiring content, workshops, and retreat information. Stay tuned and enjoy this episode!Website: https://www.maukamakaifitness.com/ Instagram: @mauka.makai.fitness, @jonoblodgett YouTube: Mauka Makai Fitness (https://www.youtube.com/@maukamakaifitness4295)

Show notes coming soon...

In this episode of the HNL Movement Podcast, Andrew discusses practical strategies for athletes to make healthier food choices. Did you know that up to 90% of athletes don't consume enough fruits and vegetables to meet their daily nutrient needs? Andrew explores the many factors that influence our food choices, including social, emotional, stress, schedule, food preferences, and logistical influences. He also delves into the unique challenges that athletes face when it comes to making healthy food choices.Andrew emphasizes the importance of planning and preparing meals and snacks to help athletes make healthier food choices. By being aware of the many food choices we make each day and the factors that influence them, athletes can make informed decisions that support their health and performance goals. Join Andrew for this informative and engaging episode promoting sustainable healthy habits for all aspects of life.Don't miss out on more informative content coming your way on the HNL Movement Podcast, YouTube channel, and social media outlets. Subscribe, follow, and share this episode to help others practice sustainable healthy habits. Tune in and enjoy the episode!

Let’s welcome Coach Luis Ramirez to the HNL Movement podcast! He shares so many great experiences, from growing up following his sister’s footsteps playing volleyball to coaching many great athletes here in Hawaii. He has always loved practicing, training, and studying volleyball through his career and continues to help the next generation of volleyball athletes do the same.  Luis grew up playing on the Dominican Republic national teams since he was 12 years old. He gained valuable experiences that shaped him into a well-rounded volleyball player, and he eventually found himself playing collegiate volleyball at Menlo College. During college, he seamlessly began to help to coach club volleyball and do individual and small group coaching. He had a passion for coaching that was just as strong as his passion for playing volleyball himself.  Eventually, Luis found his way to Hawaii and has loved being here ever since. The Hawaii volleyball community has welcomed Luis and his ability to develop young volleyball players. He shares what his journey has been like, from coaching at various high schools, directing Rainbows Volleyball Club Hawaii, and the countless clinics and training sessions he has done for more than 25+ years. Listen in to all the great gems Luis shares in this episode; from the evolution of the sport, coaching philosophy, to Hawaii volleyball. Also, be sure to check out more information about coaching services online and on social media. Listen in and enjoy this episode! IG: @luis2rmrzWebsite: https://www.volleyhawaii.com/ 

Andrew dives into the concept of how we need to do more than rely solely on what exercise we’re doing, or purely on exercise prescription. The way we perform exercise, or the way we execute exercises, will contribute greatly to how we adapt to exercise. Andrew shares key tips that will help you to improve your movement quality with all your training. These tips are to focus on the basics and fundamentals, work to continually improve your movement quality, and find ways to tune up your body. Overall, these broad concepts can apply to all training philosophies and practices. Be sure to stay tuned for more content coming your way on the HNL Movement Podcast, YouTube channel, and social media outlets. Subscribe, follow, and share! Enjoy the episode!

Andrew dives into the concept of how proximal function is extremely important to reduce injury risk and optimize performance. The stability, strength, and coordination of proximal regions, the regions more central in the body, provide a base for our bodies to move and move well. This proximal function can greatly impact the number of forces placed on our joints and tissues, as well as mitigate any excessive and unwanted strain that may become problematic. The take home message of this episode is to make sure that you work on proximal function and integrate it into movement patterns with training and sports. Working on isolated joints and their function is only part of the picture, working to improve the function of the entire kinetic chain is another crucial part of the picture. Be sure to stay tuned for more content coming your way on the HNL Movement Podcast, YouTube channel, and social media outlets. Subscribe, follow, and share! Enjoy the episode!

Leslie Wright On Bodywork, Recovery, & Fascial Stretch TherapyLeslie Wright, the founder of The Wright Stretch and Fascial Stretch Therapy practitioner, joins us for this episode of the podcast! She is originally from Wyoming, growing up in the country on her family farm. Ever since she can remember, she was gravitated toward science and helping people in any way that she could. This eventually evolved into helping people through the form of bodywork and massage.Leslie eventually went to massage school and started on her career path to help people take care of their body. Soon after she graduated, she connected with her Aunty, Ann Frederick, the co-founder of Fascial Stretch Therapy. This led to her working in Ann & Chris Frederick’s clinic as they continued to improve the techniques of Fascial Stretch Therapy. During this time, she has gained invaluable knowledge and experience from both Ann & Chris, while also helping to assist with Fascial Stretch Therapy workshops and certification courses in the early years.She eventually founded her own business, working on many athletes and clients in the Seattle area. At the beginning of 2020, she made her move to Hawaii and continued to help people take care of their body. The pandemic pushed her to continue to evolve and grow as a practitioner. She began incorporating MELT method techniques to further teach people how to work on mobility by themselves. Listen in to all the great information that Leslie shares about Fascial Stretch Therapy concepts and how she empowers people to take care of their body. Also, be sure to check out her website for more information and the services she offers. Listen in and enjoy this episode!Website: https://www.thewrightstretch.com/

Andrew shares updates about navigating through his 4th semester in his PhD program! This episode is a great insider peek at all the demands of Andrew’s PhD experience. Going through his program is like working towards any other long-term goal, focus on taking the next step while learning and growing along the way.Andrew shares valuable insights about the process of going through his 2nd year. He doesn’t only shed some light on his workload, but also how time consuming and demanding biomechanics research can be. He is in the middle of collecting data and fully immersed into the research process with ongoing projects. For everyone working towards your goals, continue to plug along and trust the process. Great things lie ahead when you put in the time and effort to improve.Be sure to check out the HNL Movement YouTube channel for video clips of the podcast episodes and helpful resources to optimize your performance. Stay tuned for future episodes on what’s going on in Andrew’s journey, as well as exciting future guest interviews! Aloha!

Andrew talks about National Athletic Training Month and reminds everyone to show your appreciation to all the athletic trainers you know. Athletic trainers work tirelessly to support athletes in many ways so that they can perform in sports and life. They wear many different hats and bring so much to the table when it comes to healthcare in sports. The athletic training profession continues to grow and you can find athletic trainers in a wide variety of settings. Wherever you go and what types of services you are looking for, there’s an AT for that. For those of you who are interested in learning more about ATCs, Andrew shares insights into some responsibilities of athletic trainers. More information can also be found at www.nata.org. Listen in as Andrew shares some thoughts about the future of athletic training, attracting aspiring athletic trainers, and advocating for the profession and future growth. Thank all your athletic trainers for what they do behind the scenes to support sports and competition. Be sure to stay tuned for more content coming your way on the HNL Movement Podcast, YouTube channel, and social media outlets. Subscribe, follow, and share! Enjoy the episode!  

Let’s welcome Dr. Suma Metla, the founder of Three Little Ducks Hawaii and a physical therapist who specializes in pediatric care. She shares how her past experiences has led her to Hawaii and helping families to support their growing kids as they navigate through their early formative years. Her passion to help others stems from her parents and how they instilled the importance of volunteering to help others in need. From a young age Suma volunteered with the Special Olympics year after year.Suma also grew up practicing classical Indian dance from when she was about 6 years old. Later in life, she also began to practice yoga in addition to dancing which also helped her to connect with her culture. All these activities throughout her life have given her a great appreciation for her culture as well as how important movement is to support our overall health and well-being. After completing her sociology degree in undergrad, she found her passion in pursuing a career in physical therapy. This seamlessly led into helping to support children and they develop and grow.Suma shares many great insights about early motor development in this episode. Her big message to families is to do what suites your lifestyle, sparks your interest, and supports your child’s growth and development. Be sure to check out more great resources on her website and social media platforms below. On her website you can find excellent resources, more information about the Ohana yoga classes, her baby classes, and physical therapy services as well! Listen in to all the great information Suma shares and enjoy the episode!https://threelittleduckshawaii.com/IG: @threelittleduckshawaii