Q&A With Dr. Shannon Ritchey, PT, DPT

One of my goals in 2020 was to add more variety to my blog! I know most of you love recipes and that is probably most often the reason you come to the blog, but there are so many other things I love learning about, and want to share with you this year! One of ways I wanted to incorporate some "new" into the blog, was to host a couple of guest blog posts.

I met Shannon two years ago when I started working out at Fusion Fitness. She quickly became my absolute favorite instructor due to not only the fun, light hearted energy she brought to her classes, but the way she explained what we were doing, and why it was beneficial to the movement of our bodies (what I now know, was the physical therapist in her!).

Keep reading to find out more about Shannon, what she does, her wellness tips, and where you can follow along with her on IG.

What is your degree, and what made you decide to pursue this degree?

I have a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy. I started teaching yoga in college and became fascinated by how the human body moves. I loved helping people experience the change that occurs mentally and physically through movement. I decided I wanted to learn all I could about how the body functions and moves.

What are you currently doing in North Carolina?

I moved to Durham, NC with my husband who is pursing his MBA at Duke. It’s always been a goal of mine to have my own practice. I have a vision for what I want to create, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to build from a clean slate. I started a cash-pay physical therapy practice called Levo Wellness. I’m learning so much about business, marketing, and networking. I absolutely love it.

Favorite Fusion class/favorite thing about teaching Fusion?

I miss Fusion SO much. My favorite class was Barre. I love using the barre as leverage to focus on specific muscle groups like glutes and arms. As instructors at Fusion, we were given freedom to create classes that were authentic to us, yet with the common thread of a fun, positive, and challenging environment. I loved how Fusion always bolstered up their instructors and clients. I started teaching there while I was in PT school, and I felt like I had an avenue for sharing what I was learning with my classes. Fusion was always extremely supportive and encouraging along the way.

Things you miss about KC?

Many of my people are in KC. I have a huge extended family; my mom is one of seven and my dad is one of nine. My cousins are some of my best friends. I badly miss running into friends and family literally everywhere I went.

Your personal favorite workout?

Slow resistance training is definitely my favorite. Whether it be barre-type classes, Pilates, yoga, or lifting weights, I think resistance training is the best workout for longevity and health. Resistance training is VITAL to incorporate into your routine. If you only pick one way to exercise, it should be that.

Tell us about Levo Wellness!

Levo Wellness is the name of my LLC. Levo means “elevate.” My vision for Levo is to create individualized programs for people to recover and stay fit and healthy, while not breaking down their bodies. Everyone knows exercise is important. But what people don’t realize, is that exercise can make or break you. I see so many people who think they are doing their body favors by exercising in ways that are actually setting them up for serious long-term joint damage. One of my missions is to teach people how to exercise around chronic pain, and guide them to strengthen their bodies without irritating their joints. Currently, I am seeing one-on-one clients using all hands-on manual work. But my vision is to create a scalable platform that will give people resources to exercise in ways that are healing, not harmful.

What do you hope to pursue with your IG account/why did you start/where did you get the idea?

I am finding that there are so many “givens” in the fitness world that I think could be doing people more harm than good. My goal with IG is to help educate and empower people to take a closer look at their exercise, so they can move in ways that benefit their bodies.

How do you start your day?

I LOVE to sleep in, so I usually sleep as long as I can (8-9 hours almost every night). I do intermittent fasting, so coffee and water only in the mornings. I always start my day with a cup of coffee, and blend in 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. It makes a frothy delicious latte, and it doesn’t break my fast!

What do you think are the three most important aspects to living a healthy lifestyle?

My values when it comes to health are simple. Sleep, nutrition, and exercise. Sleep and nutrition are hugely important, but not necessarily within my scope. When it comes to exercise, my advice is simple. First, do not move in ways that flare up your body. Even small pains are warning signs from your body - listen! Second, mix up the way you move. Motor learning is something we neglect as adults. Using your motor learning cortex is important for joint and brain health. Mixing up your routine and learning a new movement can also help avoid the overuse wear-and-tear that joints experience from repetitive movements. This is why I love group fitness. You watch your instructor perform a unique movement, then your brain has to search to figure it out in your own body. It helps wire new connections between the brain and the body. Lastly, as mentioned above, resistance training is KEY. Unfortunately, cardio alone is not the long-term solution for joint health.

Any health/wellness/fitness "myths" you'd like to shed light on/bring truth to?

There are definitely some philosophies in the fitness world that I’ve grown away from. I’ve been in the industry a long time, and I know it is well-intended. But standards like “no pain no gain,” are philosophies I no longer support. I think our bodies are much smarter than we will ever be. Our bodies give us signs before serious damage happens: tweaks, soreness, swelling, pain. These are all signals from our nervous system cueing us to pay attention, and the “no pain no gain” philosophy indicates that we should ignore these small signals. The issue is that these small signals can add up to irreparable damage. I can’t tell you how many clients I have with serious joint damage that have been exercising with a “I can push through” mentality. It was years of the “no pain no gain" philosophy that got them sitting on my table complaining that they can no longer lift their leg to put their shoes on.

Is PT important only when you're experiencing pain?

This is a great question. Traditional PT is focused on rehab, which involves working to repair damage that is already done. The goal of traditional PT is to get the patient “functional,” which is extremely important. My practice is more focused on building optimization, then maintaining that optimal state. It takes work to stay ahead of the wear-and-tear that our bodies incur, but it is SO worth it to feel like you can do everything in your life that you want to do.

What should the average person be implementing in their daily lives to stay pain free?

Two things. First, the easiest and most universal advice I can give to stay pain free is to hydrate. I advise my clients to drink 1 gallon of water a day. Your body simply cannot function optimally under dehydrated states. Your body is hands down the best healer. Better than any surgery, medicine, or therapy. If you provide it with the inputs it needs, it can do the work for you. Second, keep your body safe. Exercise can break you faster than it can make you. Listen to the little signals your body is giving you, and you can’t go wrong.

where can we find you on IG?

@dr.shannon.dpt!