Garrett Plumley Coaching

This outdoor gym has become a special place for me. In the winter of 2021 I had been fighting pneumonia for close to 2 months and the constant coughing eventually herniated a disc in my back.

(Connective tissues exist through out the body…and for me hEDS has manifested as a back that has been prone to spasms and herniations most of my life.)

This herniation took me out. I was unable to walk, move, or get out of bed for the first 4 days. I didn’t sleep much during that time, as every single breath made me cough and every cough gave me excruciating pain. It was my dark night of the soul, and I slipped into a debilitating depression where I questioned many things, including the value of my own life. (This heavy and perhaps something I’d like to share more about I as get braver sharing stuff like this on social media.)

Very long story short. I took me over a year to build up my ability to walk without pain for more than 10-20minutes. There were many days where I needed to rest the entire day after those walks, and many days I wasn’t able to do them, and I had to practice compassion for the frustration, disappointment, and grief that accompanied those days.

This outdoor gym is about a 20min walk from my house. I can now walk there regularly and very slowly over time have continued adding more sets and exercises to my workout while I’m there. This has taught me a lot about the power of incremental change over the long haul, and trusting in the process in spite of the outcome on any given day.

My function and endurance have continued to grow as I slowly reconnect and develop a new relationship to my bendy body, and I am grateful for the initiatives of the NAC who built this accessible outdoor community gym space. Especially on sunny spring days like today!

If you read this far thank you!

What is EDS? The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are a group of 13 heritable connective tissue disorders. The conditions are caused by genetic changes that affect connective tissue. Each type of EDS has its own set of features with distinct diagnostic criteria. Some features are seen across all types of EDS, including joint hypermobility, skin hyperextensibility, and tissue fragility.
The 13 types of EDS are:

Arthrochalasia EDS (aEDS)
Brittle Cornea Syndrome (BCS)
Cardiac-valvular EDS (cvEDS)
Classical EDS (cEDS)Classical-like EDS (clEDS)
Dermatosparaxis EDS (dEDS)
Hypermobile EDS (hEDS)
Hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD)
Kyphoscoliotic EDS (kEDS)
Musculocontractural EDS (mcEDS)
Myopathic EDS (mEDS)
Periodontal EDS (pEDS)
Spondylodysplastic EDS (spEDS)
Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (vEDS).

May marks the beginning of Ehlers-Danilo Syndromes awareness month! Hi, my name is Garrett and I was diagnosed with hEDS this year. is to help shine some light on this often misunderstood condition this month and moving forward! I’m really looking forward to connecting with other folks in this sphere from around the world and right here in Ottawa Canada! 🦓❤️

Happy Father’s Day you handsome devils 😘

Don’t stop now! Getting 1% better everyday IS the way you create life changing results!!

In this video we add a traditional hamstring stretch to the mini wow floor routine, but with a little something extra! I also discuss how to NOT stretch those muscles, which is almost more important...

Hamstring stretching for relaxation - mini wow #5 FREE *MUST-HAVE* RESOURCE for folks with sensitive backs.I’ve created a step by step mini-course that takes the guesswork out of strengthening your core and ...

Do you love watching TV on the floor yet??!?

Maybe not yet...Sitting on the floor can be a real challenge, and in fact even a workout! But try this yoga pose for tight feeling hips!

In this video I show you how to get started sitting on the floor for a couple of minutes a day. The benefits are sneaky, but you’d be surprised how much sitting on the floor is it’s own practice and is great for your hip mobility!

See you down there!

90 90 pose - mini wow 4 - Do you love watching TV on the floor yet??!? FREE *MUST-HAVE* RESOURCE for folks with sensitive backs.I’ve created a step by step mini-course that takes the guesswork out of strengthening your core and ...

Foam rolling the quads is pretty EPIC at the best of times…

In this video I give you some guidance on how to get the most out of this potentially game changing tool! The benefits of foam rolling or ‘Self Myofascial Release’ are numerous and it works on so many levels! I find myself rolling more and more to relax my nervous system if I’m feeling anxious or can’t sleep.

Let me know how it goes and if you want more information on this topic!

Foam rolling the quads - mini wow 3 - so EPIC!!! FREE *MUST-HAVE* RESOURCE for folks with sensitive backs.I’ve created a step by step mini-course that takes the guesswork out of strengthening your core and ...

In this week's video I teach you how to make tiger claws with your hands to impress your 3 year old! No, it just seems that youtube picks the best thumbnails for my videos lol!

Windshield wipers have been a staple for me for a long time! If you’ve been having success habit stacking watching TV and doing the previous video’s exercise - the couch stretch - almost everyday, then it’s time to see if you can start getting a little more time on the floor while you consume delicious television!

The goal for the mini wow videos for the rest of the year will be to build up the amount of time you spend on the floor! It’s a great place to go for a couple minutes a day!
🦁🦁🦁

Windshield wipers - mini wow 2 - glorious floor stretch /movement for tight hips and sore back FREE *MUST-HAVE* RESOURCE for folks with sensitive backs.I’ve created a step by step mini-course that takes the guesswork out of strengthening your core and ...

🤦 Sorry team, re-posting with the video link this time...

There’s no shame in enjoying some couch time at the end of the day. In this video I talk about the concept of ‘stacking’ movement to activities you already do daily… even couch based activities
Stacking is a simple way to harness the quiet magic of consistent daily actions, our daily promises to ourselves! Check out this video to learn how to do the always epic couch stretch!!

Couch stretch for achy backs and tight hip flexors - mini wow #1 FREE *MUST-HAVE* RESOURCE for folks with sensitive backs.www.garrettplumley.com/safe-startI’ve created a step by step mini-course that takes the guesswork ou...

Hey Team!

Who's got two thumbs and made this video for you on how to start exercising when your burnt out from stress and pain??? THIS GUY

I’ve also created a FREE step by step mini-course that takes the guesswork out of strengthening your core and that you can do in just 5-minutes a day if you're looking for more!🥰

Find it here ⬇️⬇️⬇️
www.garrettplumley.com/safe-start

https://youtu.be/RMV3pG3UtV8

How to exercise when your exhausted from stress and chronic pain: Compassion & a daily promise FREE *MUST-HAVE* RESOURCE for folks with sensitive backs.www.garrettplumley.com/safe-startI’ve created a step by step mini-course that takes the guesswork ou...

Garrett Plumley Coaching updated their website address.

I'm curious, have you ever been told that your back pain is "all in your head" and were made to believe that that is somehow your fault and that you're making it up? If so I'd love hear it in the comments.

I too have been dismissed from many doctor's offices for not having anything 'wrong' with my back, or my knee, or my shoulder, etc... and it creates a whole new level of misery and hopelessness that often feeds chronic-pain making it worse.

This is extra frustrating since this aught to be good news for many folks! The pain is not a result of massive tissue damage, or a bad back, but often from a threatened sensitized nervous system, which is awesome because the brain is so easily changed (relatively speaking).

In fact the next big step in healing for many folks with chronic back pain is to appreciate how much mental health and one's beliefs around pain and their body do influence pain. But doing so knowing that this is not your fault and that your pain is real and valid.

Research in this area is offering true hope for chronic pain sufferers. This latest research is just so exciting!

Conclusions and Relevance Psychological treatment centered on changing patients’ beliefs about the causes and threat value of pain may provide substantial and durable pain relief for people with CBP.

Let me know if you like more resources on this topic!

Does your neck get really tight or tired when you're doing core work like crunches? I've been learning more about tongue posture and I've been testing this stuff out with myself and my clients this month and it has already proven to go a long way in reducing these symptoms! Have you tried doing before?! It's worth a go - let me know if it helps!😜

Mewing 101 | How to keep correct tongue posture to lift up the face & grow the face forward 5 Tips to make the tongue suction on the palate easily possible.0:00 Intro #1 4:10 #2 5:02 #3 5:24 #4 5:42 #5 6:12 ♡FREE downlo...

I’ve read a lot of self help books over the years, and this book is in the top 3 for sure! It’s rare to find a book that presents a full road map to mind body healing while at the same time gives so many actionable tools! So many game changers in here for me - I highly recommend!

Officially double vaxed and rocking my bandaid - I’m still honing my selfie skills…

Thank you front line workers and the scientists who are working hard to make this happen! Both times were smooth and easy! I’m a grateful fellow!!

Core @ 4pm today will focus on some great ways to create stability in your sacrum! If you've got a nagging SI joint lets work on that together! I'm really enjoying having a dialogue with the folks coming out to the live classes, so let me know if there's stuff you'd like to explore together in a future class!🤓

Sign up for a zoom link at www.garrettplumley.com! All classes are pay what you can!

Anxiety is one of the most contagious human emotions, but so is calm. Here is a humble offering to help spread a little calm during this recent stay at home order in Ontario. 🥰❤️ Feel free to spread some calm by sharing this with anyone you feel might benefit from it!

If you can afford to please consider making a donation via e-transfer to [email protected]

More live and recorded classes at my website www.garrettplumley.com

Resources and inspiration for this class:
1) Eric Franklin's book 'Relax your neck and liberate your shoulders' - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/274725.Relax_Your_Neck_Liberate_Your_Shoulders
2) Brene Brown - podcast episode on Calm - https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-on-anxiety-calm-over-under-functioning/

#ContagiousCalm - 50 min Gentle Yin Yoga for Neck/Shoulders/Hams Anxiety is one of the most contagious human emotions, but so is calm! I wanted to do my part to spread a little calm during this recent stay at home order i...