OPAL Movement Therapy

02/22/2026

Are you a runner and you know you need to do strength training but you're unsure where to start? Which exercises? How many? How heavy? How often?

Join Dr. Morgan for our free Strength for Runners Webinar where you can get all of your questions answered and get coached on form and strategies for strength exercises tailored to your running goals.

Come prepared to learn, ask questions, and move!

🗓️ Thursday, March 5th
🕡 6:00PM-7:00PM (CT)
💻 Virtual | on YouTube Live

Optional equipment: dumbbells, yoga mat, looped hip band if you have it. (and no worries if not, we can always challenge you with bodyweight!)

Click the link in our bio or head to OPALMovementTherapy.com/events to register today! 📲✨

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02/22/2026

Dr. Morgan will die on the hill of the glute bridge!!🍑🔥

It’s not just a beginner exercise - it’s the same motion we use in standing for deadlifts, RDLs, squats, lunges, etc!

For glute bridges, we start by creating a little abdominal tension and pushing the floor away so the glutes lift us up. At the top, the hips and spine finish in line.

As you lower down, the hips hinge and bend. As you come back up, the hips drive you into extension.

That pattern is the same whether you’re lying on your back or standing with a bar in your hands!

If the bridge isn’t clear, the body will borrow somewhere else once the movement gets harder - like during an RDL or deadlift.

That's why Dr. Morgan is sooo picky and glute bridges! We’re not chasing height, we’re teaching the body where the work belongs.

Good foundations make the complex lifts safer and stronger!💪

Want to move better for life?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call by clicking the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📲💻✨

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02/21/2026

Did you know that we accept HSA & FSA at OPAL?🤔

If you have HSA or FSA funds through your employer, you can use them to pay for in-person and remote sessions at OPAL!

Your HSA/FSA funds may be delivered monthly or in a lump sum for the year. Either way, we offer packages, monthly memberships, and payments plans that allow you to take advantage of these benefits!

Ready to move better for life??💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call today through the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📱💻✨
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02/21/2026

A lot of people think they should feel RDLs behind the knees... but the main work should be in the hamstrings and glutes!

If you mostly feel calves or a stretch behind the knee, you’re probably rocking your weight back onto your heels. That loads the nerves down the back of the leg more than the muscles.

You might even have been told “keep your weight in your heels”, but in an RDL, that shifts your center of gravity and changes the exercise.

Instead, keep pressure through the whole foot! 🦶

One easy way to check is to watch your toes.
If they lift during the hinge, you’re balancing on your heels and using the wrong muscles.

Try gently squishing your toes into the floor as you hinge. You’ll usually feel the glutes and hamstrings pick up the work right away.

We’re not chasing the biggest stretch - we’re teaching the right tissues to do the job.

Want to move better for life?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call by clicking the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📲💻✨

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02/20/2026

4 Exercises to Help You Stop Slamming Your Knees Back on RDLS🦵🔥

One common RDL mistake is slamming your knees backward. It looks small, but it changes the whole movement!

When the knees get pushed back, your weight shifts into the heels and you start to feel like you’re falling. When that happens, your back tightens to catch you, and now the lift turns into a back exercise.

The body is borrowing motion from the knees and ankles instead of letting the hip do the job.

Practice these 4 exercises to improve your hip hinge so that your hips do the work in your RDL:

◾Kneeling Hip Hinge
◾Hip Hinge Progression with a Bench/Chair
◾Hip Hinge with a Stick
◾Dumbbell RDL

Need more help?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call through the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📱💻✨

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02/20/2026

One common RDL mistake is sending the shins backward. It looks small, but it changes the whole movement!

When the knees get pushed back, your weight shifts into the heels and you start to feel like you’re falling.

When that happens, your back tightens to catch you, and now the lift turns into a back exercise.

What’s happening is the body is borrowing motion from the knees and ankles instead of letting the hip do the job.

In a RDL, the goal is simpler: the hip moves back while the rest stays quiet!

Keep your pressure balanced through the foot and let the hips travel behind you. If the shins slide back, the load moves to the wrong place.

We’re not trying to go lower - we’re trying to put the work where it belongs!

Want to move better for life?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call by clicking the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📲💻✨

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⌨️ Drop a comment or question
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02/19/2026

Dr. Evan & George are hitting the books this afternoon to learn more about boney anatomy and how we can better support our clients! 🦴💙

At OPAL, we are obsessed with continuing our education and staying up to date so that we can continue to teach & empower our clients.

02/19/2026

A lot of kettlebell RDLs turn into a back exercise without people realizing it.

You hinge down and your back starts it… THEN the glutes join. Or you stand up and the back lifts before the hips finish.

One easy sign: your back shape changes during the rep.

Instead, think about creasing at the hips and sending them back while your spine stays quiet. Your glutes may be a little late to the party, and your body will borrow from whatever moves easier -- usually your back.

So give the hips time to move the load! The kettlebell will want to pull you down on the way back, so tune in to control it. Then push the ground to come up and let the hips move forward to bring you upright!

If you feel yourself cheating, try a few reps without weight.

May the hip hinge be with you!

Want to move better for life?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call by clicking the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📲💻✨

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⌨️ Drop a comment or question
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02/18/2026

"I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Morgan Riggins and OPAL Movement Therapy.

Even though I live in Michigan and she’s based in Texas, she worked with me remotely to get to the root of my knee issues. Through thoughtful assessment, expert guidance, and a personalized plan, she helped me not only return to running but do so pain-free.

Thanks to Dr. Morgan, I crossed the finish line at the Chicago Marathon without any knee pain. Something I truly didn’t think was possible.

If you're dealing with pain or looking to achieve a physical goal you’re not sure is possible, I wholeheartedly recommend working with her. The time I spent with Dr. Morgan was absolutely worth it and I’ll forever be grateful she helped make my marathon dream a reality."

Want to work with us?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call and work with us anywhere in the world by clicking the link in our bio or visiting OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📱 ✨

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02/18/2026

Hey Facebook fam!

Are you not sure whether you should use dumbbells, kettlebells, or a barbell? If you’ve ever felt unsure about which weight to grab at the gym, our new video breaks down the differences!

Dr. Morgan explains how each weight works, how the weight is distributed, and how to choose the right option based on your goals and experience level.

Give it a watch, send to a friend, and as always, leave us a comment if you have any questions!💙

Not sure whether you should use dumbbells, kettlebells, or a barbell? Each tool has its own advantages, and choosing the right one can make strength training...

02/18/2026

Do your hips have to stay level during step-ups? 🤔

Not always! Your height, hip mobility, and the height of the step all influence what’s possible.

On lower steps, you can usually place the foot, lean forward, hinge, and push while keeping the hips level.

But on higher steps like stairs, curbs, or getting into a truck - you may need a small hip drop just to get the foot up. Then as you push through the leg, the hips level back out.

So the drop itself isn’t the problem... What we want to train is control!

If you can keep the hips level, we want to build that strength and coordination. And when the environment requires a drop, your body can handle it instead of compensating somewhere else.

Our goal is to prepare you for real life moments!

Want to move better for life?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call by clicking the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📲💻✨

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⌨️ Drop a comment or question
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02/17/2026

Step-downs can be difficult to do well because of how gravity assists to pull you down, and they can be aggravating for those with knee pain because of how it is easy to just buckle at the knee to come down.

If you are doing step-downs with an aggravated knee, or are just needing to step down from a curb, stairs, etc., we recommend getting your hip and ankle more involved with the movement. This is similar to step-ups! Both step-ups and step-downs present opportunities to get all three areas of the leg involved (hip, knee, and ankle)!

You can get your hips more involved by hinging at the hips to start and gently pushing outward to help stay stacked with the hip external rotators.

You can get your ankles more involved by allowing the shins to track forward without picking the heel up early (ankle dorsiflexion motion). If your ankle is feeling stiff, then it may be beneficial to do some dedicated ankle mobility exercises before doing a step-down to make these feel better!

Try these tips out and let us know how your step-downs feel in the comments!

Want to move better for life?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call by clicking the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📲💻✨

💙 Like if this was helpful
⌨️ Drop a comment or question
🌍 Share with the world
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📲 DM us for a FREE Discovery Call
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