
Exercise Is Health
At Muscle Activation Schaumburg, we believe your health is your most valuable asset. Join hosts Charlie and Julie Cates as they discuss how to utilize exercise to help improve and maintain your health, as well as interviews with health and wellness experts from various fields including chiropractic, accupuncture, psychology, nutrition, and functional medicine. Both Charlie and Julie are certified personal trainers and Muscle Activation Techniques® practitioners in Schaumburg, IL.
Latest episodes

Jun 26, 2024 • 24min
E339 - Why Pushing Your Range of Motion Is Making You Less Mobile
Get Started With Muscle Activation Techniques® To Keep Your Muscles Strong & Functioning Well: http://vagaro.com/muscleactivationschaumburg/services Do you feel like you are becoming less flexible and mobile despite doing all the “right” things? The truth is, many of the traditional strategies for increasing mobility can actually be making you less mobile, especially if you are really trying hard to push yourself with them. Fortunately, there are some simple changes you can make with what you are doing to avoid these issues completely and start to increase your mobility on a consistent basis. On this week’s episode of the Exercise Is Health® podcast, we are explaining why this happens, what these simple changes are, and how you can start implementing them into your workouts and throughout your week. If you are looking for an alternative approach to improving your joint mobility without risking pain or injury, listen up! What we share this week is something you need to hear. Check out all the details in this week’s episode! Ready to schedule your first Muscle Activation Techniques® session with us? Click here to get started: http://vagaro.com/muscleactivationschaumburg/services Would you like to have our guidance implementing the 4 Exercise For Life Principles while you workout? Join the Exercise For Life Membership for free for 30 days! Just head to www.exerciseforlifestudios.com to get started! Did you find this episode helpful? Let us know by leaving us a rating and review on the following platforms: – Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/exercise-is-health/id1330420565 – Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6H1CneHjsPiPStrAeFTP25?si=X1IuXkp0T1KCv3gCtt3j5g Want to grab a free copy of our best-selling book, “The Exercise For Life Method”? Click here to order yours while copies are still available! www.exerciseforlifemethod.com Just cover the cost of shipping and handling to have it delivered right to you. Follow us on Instagram for more exercise tips and content about MAT® here: – Muscle Activation Schaumburg: @muscleactivationschaumburg – Julie Cates: @julcates – Charlie Cates: @charliecates

Jun 19, 2024 • 20min
E338 - What To Change With Your Workouts If You Have Piriformis Syndrome
Get Started With Muscle Activation Techniques® To Keep Your Muscles Strong & Functioning Well: http://vagaro.com/muscleactivationschaumburg/services Do you have piriformis syndrome? There are a lot of proclaimed remedies out there, but what if everything you try just seems to make things worse? How can you keep your body feeling strong and fit despite having piriformis syndrome? On this week’s episode of the Exercise Is Health® podcast, we are laying out a plan to follow with changes you need to make to your workouts if you have piriformis syndrome. Not only can these changes help to ensure that your piriformis syndrome doesn’t get worse, they can also help your body become stronger and more resilient as you start to feel and function better. Check out all the details in this week’s episode! Ready to schedule your first Muscle Activation Techniques® session with us? Click here to get started: http://vagaro.com/muscleactivationschaumburg/services Would you like to have our guidance implementing the 4 Exercise For Life Principles while you workout? Join the Exercise For Life Membership for free for 30 days! Just head to www.exerciseforlifestudios.com to get started! Did you find this episode helpful? Let us know by leaving us a rating and review on the following platforms: – Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/exercise-is-health/id1330420565 – Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6H1CneHjsPiPStrAeFTP25?si=X1IuXkp0T1KCv3gCtt3j5g Want to grab a free copy of our best-selling book, “The Exercise For Life Method”? Click here to order yours while copies are still available! www.exerciseforlifemethod.com Just cover the cost of shipping and handling to have it delivered right to you. Follow us on Instagram for more exercise tips and content about MAT® here: – Muscle Activation Schaumburg: @muscleactivationschaumburg – Julie Cates: @julcates – Charlie Cates: @charliecates

Jun 12, 2024 • 23min
E337 - The 3 Things You Need To Consider After Knee Surgery
Get Started With Muscle Activation Techniques® To Keep Your Muscles Strong & Functioning Well: http://vagaro.com/muscleactivationschaumburg/services Have you ever had knee surgery? Too often, the focus during the recovery process is 100% focused on the knee, but that is only a piece of the puzzle. Regardless of whether you have had surgery to repair your ACL, to replace your knee entirely, or any other type of knee surgery, there are three considerations we recommend everybody take to help speed up and optimize their recovery process. On this week’s episode of the Exercise Is Health® podcast, we are diving into what these three things are and how to go about implementing them into your post-surgery plan. If you have ever had knee surgery of any type, listen up! These three considerations are key to making sure your recovery is as smooth as possible. Check out the details in this week’s episode! Ready to schedule your first Muscle Activation Techniques® session with us? Click here to get started: http://vagaro.com/muscleactivationschaumburg/services Would you like to have our guidance implementing the 4 Exercise For Life Principles while you workout? Join the Exercise For Life Membership for free for 30 days! Just head to www.exerciseforlifestudios.com to get started! Did you find this episode helpful? Let us know by leaving us a rating and review on the following platforms: – Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/exercise-is-health/id1330420565 – Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6H1CneHjsPiPStrAeFTP25?si=X1IuXkp0T1KCv3gCtt3j5g Want to grab a free copy of our best-selling book, “The Exercise For Life Method”? Click here to order yours while copies are still available! www.exerciseforlifemethod.com Just cover the cost of shipping and handling to have it delivered right to you. Follow us on Instagram for more exercise tips and content about MAT® here: – Muscle Activation Schaumburg: @muscleactivationschaumburg – Julie Cates: @julcates – Charlie Cates: @charliecates

Jun 5, 2024 • 28min
E336 - The Hidden Issues Underlying Neck Tightness
Get Started With Muscle Activation Techniques® To Keep Your Muscles Strong & Functioning Well: http://vagaro.com/muscleactivationschaumburg/services Does your neck tighten up? Neck tightness is often blamed on posture, working on a computer, or using a smartphone, but the truth is there is a lot that can influence how your neck feels. In fact, there are three areas in particular that are rarely ever discussed but that we’ve seen have the biggest impact on how the neck feels and functions. On this week’s episode of the Exercise Is Health® podcast, we are diving into what these three areas are, how they can influence your neck, and what you can do to make sure everything is strong and functioning as well as possible to help your neck feel great. If you have ever struggled with chronic neck tightness, or if your neck has ever felt stiff for just a day or two, listen up! What we share in this discussion can completely change what you do to help your neck get relief. Check out the details in this week’s episode! Ready to schedule your first Muscle Activation Techniques® session with us? Click here to get started: http://vagaro.com/muscleactivationschaumburg/services Would you like to have our guidance implementing the 4 Exercise For Life Principles while you workout? Join the Exercise For Life Membership for free for 30 days! Just head to www.exerciseforlifestudios.com to get started! Did you find this episode helpful? Let us know by leaving us a rating and review on the following platforms: – Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/exercise-is-health/id1330420565 – Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6H1CneHjsPiPStrAeFTP25?si=X1IuXkp0T1KCv3gCtt3j5g Want to grab a free copy of our best-selling book, “The Exercise For Life Method”? Click here to order yours while copies are still available! www.exerciseforlifemethod.com Just cover the cost of shipping and handling to have it delivered right to you. Follow us on Instagram for more exercise tips and content about MAT® here: – Muscle Activation Schaumburg: @muscleactivationschaumburg – Julie Cates: @julcates – Charlie Cates: @charliecates

May 29, 2024 • 23min
E335 - Your Feet Need To Be Mobile. Here's Why...
Get Started With Muscle Activation Techniques To Keep Your Muscles Strong & Functioning Well: http://vagaro.com/muscleactivationschaumburg/services Did you know that your feet are one of the most complex and influential structures in your body? With 28 bones, over 30 joints, and 50 muscles in each foot, there is a lot going on down there! Unfortunately, most people don’t realize how important it is that all the joints of their feet move well and all the muscles of their feet are strong. In fact, when it comes to many foot issues, one of the most common approaches is to make the foot less mobile… But this carries a whole slew of potential problems with it! On this week’s episode of the Exercise Is Health® podcast, we are diving into the feet to discuss why it is so important that your feet move well. If you have ever had any inkling of a foot issue, this conversation has information you need to hear. Check out all the details in this week’s episode! Ready to schedule your first Muscle Activation Techniques session with us? Click here to get started: http://vagaro.com/muscleactivationschaumburg/services Would you like to have our guidance implementing the 4 Exercise For Life Principles while you workout? Join the Exercise For Life Membership for free for 30 days! Just head to www.exerciseforlifestudios.com to get started! Did you find this episode helpful? Let us know by leaving us a rating and review on the following platforms: – Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/exercise-is-health/id1330420565 – Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6H1CneHjsPiPStrAeFTP25?si=X1IuXkp0T1KCv3gCtt3j5g Want to grab a free copy of our best-selling book, “The Exercise For Life Method”? Click here to order yours while copies are still available! www.exerciseforlifemethod.com Just cover the cost of shipping and handling to have it delivered right to you. Follow us on Instagram for more exercise tips and content about MAT® here: – Muscle Activation Schaumburg: @muscleactivationschaumburg – Julie Cates: @julcates – Charlie Cates: @charliecates

May 22, 2024 • 24min
E334 - 3 Surprising Truths About MAT®
Get Started With Muscle Activation Techniques To Keep Your Muscles Strong & Functioning Well: http://vagaro.com/muscleactivationschaumburg/services Have you ever learned something new that completely contradicted so much of what you believed up to that point, such that once you learned it, you couldn’t see your old beliefs the same way again? This has happened to us time and again since we started practicing Muscle Activation Techniques® over a decade ago. On this week’s episode of the Exercise Is Health® podcast, we are sharing three of the most surprising truths that we have learned since we started practicing MAT®–all of which are bound to shake up your world in one way or another. With over 25 years of combined MAT® experience between the two of us, we have seen a lot of truths come to light through the MAT® process, but the three that we share with you may be some of the most surprising and controversial. Check out all the details in this week’s episode! Ready to schedule your first Muscle Activation Techniques session with us? Click here to get started: http://vagaro.com/muscleactivationschaumburg/services Would you like to have our guidance implementing the 4 Exercise For Life Principles while you workout? Join the Exercise For Life Membership for free for 30 days! Just head to www.exerciseforlifestudios.com to get started! Did you find this episode helpful? Let us know by leaving us a rating and review on the following platforms: – Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/exercise-is-health/id1330420565 – Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6H1CneHjsPiPStrAeFTP25?si=X1IuXkp0T1KCv3gCtt3j5g Want to grab a free copy of our best-selling book, “The Exercise For Life Method”? Click here to order yours while copies are still available! www.exerciseforlifemethod.com Just cover the cost of shipping and handling to have it delivered right to you. Follow us on Instagram for more exercise tips and content about MAT® here: – Muscle Activation Schaumburg: @muscleactivationschaumburg – Julie Cates: @julcates – Charlie Cates: @charliecates

May 15, 2024 • 20min
E333 - The Muscle Issues Behind Frozen Shoulder
Get Started With Muscle Activation Techniques To Keep Your Muscles Strong & Functioning Well: http://vagaro.com/muscleactivationschaumburg/services Have you ever had a frozen shoulder? This is one of the most common shoulder issues that people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s experience, and it can be one of the most complex, as well. While many ways of improving frozen shoulder focus on improving the joint’s mobility, there is a huge role that your muscles can play in both relieving frozen shoulder and making sure it doesn’t come back. But, the muscles that may be the key to it all may not even be in the shoulder… On this week’s episode of the Exercise Is Health® podcast, we are diving into what the roles of your muscles are when it comes to frozen shoulder and how you can think about implementing these ideas to help your shoulders feel and function better. If you have ever had a frozen shoulder, listen up! This conversation will give you insights you likely haven’t heard before. Check out the details in this week’s episode! Ready to schedule your first Muscle Activation Techniques session with us? Click here to get started: http://vagaro.com/muscleactivationschaumburg/services Would you like to have our guidance implementing the 4 Exercise For Life Principles while you workout? Join the Exercise For Life Membership for free for 30 days! Just head to www.exerciseforlifestudios.com to get started! Did you find this episode helpful? Let us know by leaving us a rating and review on the following platforms: – Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/exercise-is-health/id1330420565 – Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6H1CneHjsPiPStrAeFTP25?si=X1IuXkp0T1KCv3gCtt3j5g Want to grab a free copy of our best-selling book, “The Exercise For Life Method”? Click here to order yours while copies are still available! www.exerciseforlifemethod.com Just cover the cost of shipping and handling to have it delivered right to you. Follow us on Instagram for more exercise tips and content about MAT® here: – Muscle Activation Schaumburg: @muscleactivationschaumburg – Julie Cates: @julcates – Charlie Cates: @charliecates

May 8, 2024 • 23min
E332 - It's Not Your IT Bands' Fault
Get Started With Muscle Activation Techniques To Keep Your Muscles Strong & Functioning Well: http://vagaro.com/muscleactivationschaumburg/services Have you ever had an IT band issue? Maybe your IT bands are chronically tight. Or maybe you have even been told you have IT band syndrome. Or maybe you have had some pains down the side of your legs towards your knees… Despite how your IT bands may be feeling, what you have been told about it, or how many other people want to blame your IT bands for any physical issues you have, the truth is, it is not your IT bands’ fault. There are some very specific reasons why your IT bands may be feeling how they are, and on this week’s episode of the Exercise Is Health® podcast, that is exactly what we are diving into. We are pulling back the curtain on what may be causing your IT bands to feel tight or painful and laying out specific steps you can take to help. If you have ever had an IT band issue, listen up! This is not the common advice you are going to hear from a traditional therapist. Check out all the details in this week’s episode! Ready to schedule your first Muscle Activation Techniques session with us? Click here to get started: http://vagaro.com/muscleactivationschaumburg/services Would you like to have our guidance implementing the 4 Exercise For Life Principles while you workout? Join the Exercise For Life Membership for free for 30 days! Just head to www.exerciseforlifestudios.com to get started! Did you find this episode helpful? Let us know by leaving us a rating and review on the following platforms: – Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/exercise-is-health/id1330420565 – Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6H1CneHjsPiPStrAeFTP25?si=X1IuXkp0T1KCv3gCtt3j5g Want to grab a free copy of our best-selling book, “The Exercise For Life Method”? Click here to order yours while copies are still available! www.exerciseforlifemethod.com Just cover the cost of shipping and handling to have it delivered right to you. Follow us on Instagram for more exercise tips and content about MAT® here: – Muscle Activation Schaumburg: @muscleactivationschaumburg – Julie Cates: @julcates – Charlie Cates: @charliecates

May 1, 2024 • 24min
E331 - The #1 Thing Dentists Can Do To Keep Their Hands & Neck Feeling Great
Get Started With Muscle Activation Techniques To Keep Your Muscles Strong & Functioning Well: http://vagaro.com/muscleactivationschaumburg/services Dentists–do your hands and neck feel like they are wearing out on you with all of the reps you are putting on them day after day? These two areas are far and away the top areas of complaint that we hear from dentists all the time. Maybe you’ve tried everything you can think of to get your hands and neck feeling better, and are even considering surgery to try to fix what you are feeling. If this is the path you feel like you are going down, we want to tell you about something that can completely change all of that for you. On this week’s episode of the Exercise Is Health® podcast, we are discussing at length the number one thing you can do to keep your hands and neck feeling great. This thing has already helped so many dentists, and we would love for you to find out about it so it can start to help you, too. Check out all the details in this week’s episode! Ready to schedule your first Muscle Activation Techniques session with us? Click here to get started: http://vagaro.com/muscleactivationschaumburg/services Would you like to have our guidance implementing the 4 Exercise For Life Principles while you workout? Join the Exercise For Life Membership for free for 30 days! Just head to www.exerciseforlifestudios.com to get started! Did you find this episode helpful? Let us know by leaving us a rating and review on the following platforms: – Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/exercise-is-health/id1330420565 – Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6H1CneHjsPiPStrAeFTP25?si=X1IuXkp0T1KCv3gCtt3j5g Want to grab a free copy of our best-selling book, “The Exercise For Life Method”? Click here to order yours while copies are still available! www.exerciseforlifemethod.com Just cover the cost of shipping and handling to have it delivered right to you. Follow us on Instagram for more exercise tips and content about MAT® here: – Muscle Activation Schaumburg: @muscleactivationschaumburg – Julie Cates: @julcates – Charlie Cates: @charliecates

Apr 24, 2024 • 21min
E330 - 3 Big Mistakes With Postural Exercises
Get Started With Muscle Activation Techniques To Keep Your Muscles Strong & Functioning Well: http://vagaro.com/muscleactivationschaumburg/services Do you do exercises to try to improve your posture? While these types of exercises are popular in many circles within the fitness industry as well as with different types of therapists, there are some big mistakes we see people commonly making with these exercises. Unfortunately, making any of these mistakes doesn’t just lead to feeling achy or sore; these mistakes could actually be the reason why you aren’t seeing any difference in your posture with the exercises you are doing. On this week’s episode of the Exercise Is Health® podcast, we are unveiling what these mistakes are and what you need to do to avoid them. If you are trying to get better posture but feel like your efforts are leading you nowhere, this episode is for you. Check out all the details in this week’s episode! Ready to schedule your first Muscle Activation Techniques session with us? Click here to get started: http://vagaro.com/muscleactivationschaumburg/services Would you like to have our guidance implementing the 4 Exercise For Life Principles while you workout? Join the Exercise For Life Membership for free for 30 days! Just head to www.exerciseforlifestudios.com to get started! Want our guidance helping you workout during the month of May? Sign up for the “Pumped & Powerful” One Workout Away Challenge that starts on April 28! Go to www.exerciseforlifestudios.com/owa to get registered! Did you find this episode helpful? Let us know by leaving us a rating and review on the following platforms: – Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/exercise-is-health/id1330420565 – Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6H1CneHjsPiPStrAeFTP25?si=X1IuXkp0T1KCv3gCtt3j5g Want to grab a free copy of our best-selling book, “The Exercise For Life Method”? Click here to order yours while copies are still available! www.exerciseforlifemethod.com Just cover the cost of shipping and handling to have it delivered right to you. Follow us on Instagram for more exercise tips and content about MAT® here: – Muscle Activation Schaumburg: @muscleactivationschaumburg – Julie Cates: @julcates – Charlie Cates: @charliecates