Ep.#104: Valor Women's Coaching, Stronger From The Inside Out

We share how pelvic floor health, breath mechanics, and smart strength training help women move from “common” problems to real solutions. Hilary’s path from grad school to entrepreneurship shows why autonomy and recovery matter as much as reps.

• What the pelvic floor does and why it matters
• Breath work as the foundation for pressure management
• Stepwise training from table to floor to standing
• When to refer to a physical therapist
• Myths that keep women from seeking help
• Building a values-led business through self-advocacy
• How massage complements strength and recovery
• How to reach Hilary via Instagram or Facebook

www.facebook.com/valorwomenscoaching
www.instagram.com/valorwomenscoaching

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Intro

SPEAKER_00 0:00

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, welcome.

SPEAKER_01 0:13

And with me this morning is Hilary Gimbal with Valor Women's Coaching. Welcome, Hillary. Hi, good morning. Thank you so much for having me. So you have a great local business here in Auburn and Opalika, Valor Women's Coaching. Tell me about what you do and the services that you provide.

Valor Women’s Coaching Overview

SPEAKER_03 0:33

Yeah, so I'm a certified personal trainer and a licensed massage therapist. So I've been training for the past 10 years, and I recently just got a license for massage therapy in the past three years. Valor came when I moved back to the Auburn area from Nashville about four years ago. I developed a passion for women's health. It's just something that I really grew to love and it felt very like a calling to me. So right now in my current space, I offer one-on-one training services for women of all ages, as well as massage therapy. They can be done separately or combined. I always encourage a combination of both because that's how the body works, we need to exercise and recover. Yeah. And then I have a niche of pelvic floor health. So that's a lot of where the women's health tied into it. So I do offer pelvic floor health through the lens of exercise, uh, but I also do just traditional strength training, cardiovascular metabolic health.

unknown 1:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:39

Okay. Well, how did you develop this interest? You know, how did you what is your journey into this field?

From Auburn To Nashville And Back

SPEAKER_03 1:46

Yeah. So when um I went to grad school here at Auburn, um, I did my master's in exercise physiology. And uh while I was there, I was a grad assistant for the Tiger Fit Lab, which is where we did general health and fitness um testing for general population. So through that, I really got interested in working with all different types of population. Um, and I decided I wanted to pursue that and go into a one-on-one setting. So I applied for jobs all over the US at a gym called Lifetime Fitness. I had a few friends who graduated before me who told me about Lifetime, how it was a great environment for one-on-one, like they offered benefits. It's just a really good job for personal training. So I was like, great, I'm open to moving anywhere. So I applied. Uh I heard back from Nashville the day that I applied. Oh, wow. And yes, it was it was very wow. Yeah, it was very fast. Um, and I got hired. So me and my fiance at the time we moved, we packed up, moved to Nashville. Um, and there at that lifetime, I met a coach named Erica Young, who she at the time was the pre-postnatal pelvic floor specialist of that lifetime fitness. And at that time, I had never heard of anything like that. I was like, that's wild, that's crazy. Like I just went through grad school, and all I've ever learned is that, you know, pregnant people just have to be careful with exercising and they can't lay face down. That's all I've ever learned.

SPEAKER_01 3:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:14

And she was like, Well, I'm gonna teach you everything because I need someone to help me and you seem like you'd be really good at this. And I was like, okay. So she took me under her wing and showed me everything that there was pre and postnatal public floor uh for exercise. And it just something clicked, something sparked. I was like, this is amazing. Because not only are these women getting, you know, stronger, healthier, but we're seeing like real life tangible things that are happening in terms of like these women come to us saying, I can't jump without peeing my pants, I can't sneeze and not cross my legs. Right. And it's like that's not normal, you know, that's common, but it's not normal. And we can address that through exercise. So it's just like, yeah, it was like, yeah, this is great. Um, so that's really where the pelvic floor um passion uh happens. And I just grew so through that I started working with more and more women of all different ages, of all different lifestyles. And that is just where I was like, I think this is my calling. I think I'm really good at relating to women in a lot of their stages of life. Um, and I feel I can be a safe space for them. You know, I've worked with plenty of men, have no issues with it whatsoever. It just wasn't my passion. Yeah. So I decided when we moved back here that that is what I would hone in on. And I haven't looked back since.

Discovering Pelvic Floor Coaching

SPEAKER_01 4:45

Well, I love it. Tell me a little bit about some of the services you provide. Uh, you know, I mean, I don't even know. How do you what are some of the exercises you can do to help pelvic floor stuff? I mean, that's just totally foreign to me.

What The Pelvic Floor Actually Does

SPEAKER_03 4:58

Yeah. So if you think about uh the pelvic floor, a lot of people don't even know what it is. So it's the muscles at in our pelvis. Um, they act as a hammock or a sling to hold up our pelvic organs, so our bladder, uterus, rectum. Um, and they act in conjunction with our spinal stabilizers, so like our core, our chest muscles, our uh like glutes, everything, everything to wrap and keep the spine safe. So a lot of what I focus on is breath work, uh, because since the pelvic floor acts as a hammock, um, it is supposed to expand when you inhale, supposed to contract when you exhale, like a normal breathing pattern. So when people say, like, oh, I pee when I sneeze, a lot of it has to do with the proper, improper contractions the pelvic floor is going through. So I work a lot on proper breath work through exercise, how to brace, how to keep ribs and hips connected. So you're in a very solid canister, uh, no, no pressures being mismanaged. Um, so depending on like where they're at in their journey, um, either immediate postpartum or prenatal or women who've never been pregnant or given birth at all, like we we can still have pelvic floor issues, even if we've never carried a birth child, it happens. Um, so depending on where they're at, we just start very basic. We start on the table. And I'm like, okay, this is gonna seem real weird, but we're just gonna learn how to breathe properly. Okay. Yeah. Simple as just adjusting that to begin with, right? Yes, yes. And then from there is when we progress into uh from table to floor work, so getting you from the table to the floor and doing more exercise. From floor, we go to standing and learning how to breathe properly, breath properly through exercise, because pelvic floor is musculature, it works in according to the rest of our musculature. So through the lens of exercise, that's how we work on it. Um, now if I cannot address it, if it's something that's too um out of my scope of practice, I do have a physical therapist I refer out to. And I'm always happy to work with work with women to see, like, if I can't provide the service, then I want to find someone who can help you. Because at the end of the day, this is about you.

SPEAKER_01 7:08

Yeah. So you've been doing this for a while. What are some of the uh misconceptions that you've come across in this field? Uh, some myths or misconceptions that people have.

SPEAKER_03 7:19

Um, so a lot of people think I'm a physical therapist and I'm not. Um, that's a whole different side of schooling that I never went through, uh, which is why I do have a PT that I refer out to. Um, a lot of I think the biggest one that I hear is um a lot of women sometimes aren't ready to tackle these sort of issues. There's still a stigma or embarrassment behind it. Um and so I I always encourage women like when you're ready, you can reach out to me. I'm always gonna be here. But when, like for my mom, for example, I love her to death. And she's a great mom, she carried two kids, birthed us, raised us. Uh, but she will still sometimes complain to me that she pees when she sneezes. And I'm like, mom, we can fix like it doesn't have to be.

SPEAKER_01 8:09

Hey, that's what I do.

How Training Progresses Step By Step

SPEAKER_03 8:11

Yeah. But like, she's like, nah, it's all so I would say like that's one of the big misconceptions is that like it just it is the way it is. That's how it's gonna be.

SPEAKER_01 8:23

And yeah, you don't have to live like that. No. Well, part of the reason I do this podcast is to encourage people to follow their their dreams, their uh ideas of entrepreneurship, and that's something that you have done here. And always when you're setting up your own business, getting started, or even have been in it for a while, you're going to uh you know come in contact with some obstacles, some frustrations. So, what are some of the things that um either personal or business challenges that you overcame that made you as a person stronger or your business stronger?

Myths, Stigma, And Referrals

SPEAKER_03 9:04

Um, I would say most recently when I went through massage therapy school. Um, so I went through that the year of 23. Um, like I said, had my master's, had my undergrad. I've had a lot of education. I'm very, very thankful for it. Um, going into this, I was really expecting more. And I guess that could have been on me just from expecting so much out of it. But um it did not live up to my expectations in terms of the education. And I found myself teaching myself a lot. Um, that could have been for a multitude of reasons, but it was very challenging getting through that year. Uh, being told that we're you know, we're being prepared for this national exam. You're gonna like you're totally gonna ace it. And I passed my exam. Um, but on the first try, thankfully. But I remember getting to the exam and thinking like I don't feel prepared, yeah at all. Um, so it was a lot of self-teaching, but honestly, what that taught me is that I'm my biggest advocate, that if I want something, I gotta go out and get it. And I can't rely on a lot of other people, which is, you know, that's okay. But yeah, that's why I I feel I can encourage other women to do the same. Like a huge part of my business is building autonomy. That if I want you to be confident in yourself, and I want you to be able to go out and advocate for yourself in any means, shape, or form. And I feel like a lot of that came from my schooling. Yeah. So because, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 10:42

It was tough, but I made it through, and here I am. Yes. So tell me a little bit about yourself. Uh, what do you want to do for fun when you're not working on your business?

SPEAKER_03 10:53

Um, so I'm married, my husband's name is Ryan. He and I are best friends. We do everything together. Um, it's kind of like a running joke, like we went to grad school together, we went to massage therapy school together, we run our businesses together. So he and I spend a lot of time together, and thankfully, we enjoy the same things. Um, we love to hike, we love being outside. Uh, we have three fur babies, Lucy, Nova, and Abi, and we love spending time with them. Um, we we're a little bit of a nerd and we play video games uh together. Um, I also love going to a coffee shop and you know, putting myself in a little corner with a cup of coffee and reading. Yeah, I find it's just so peaceful. I enjoy quiets. Um, and I also love to exercise. So that is a that is a means of me to well, that's very good.

Building A Business Through Challenges

SPEAKER_01 11:46

You love to exercise when you actually teach it. So it's good to love what you do, right? Yeah, it is. That's very important.

SPEAKER_02 11:52

Yeah, that's that's who I am.

SPEAKER_01 11:54

I'm very much up. Uh, what is one thing you wish people knew about Fowler women's coaching that they may not realize? Um that I am my business.

SPEAKER_03 12:09

Um, what you see is what you get with me. Um, I will be, I am here for you 100,000 percent. If you're, you know, if you go to another gym and we've worked together before, but you're suddenly so overwhelmed, you can text me and I will I will text you back and I will help guide you through things. I I'm a bit like this is a very as soon as you say it's personal training, it is a very personal relationship that I build. It is more than just a transaction. Um, I truly like to get to know my clients and know everything about them because that way I can help them better. Uh so it is that was the that is the if there's one thing I could tell other people is that I'm not gonna be just your trainer, I'm also gonna be your friend, if you'll allow me. Yeah. Um, but yeah, it's very personal.

Life Outside Work And Values

SPEAKER_01 13:04

Well, I think that's uh, you know, when you when you start your own business and you're in business for yourself, it really is a part of you. And I find that that's that's very common among um business owners, is uh when you do business with local people that own their own businesses, it's their heart, right? It is your heart, and you're gonna get good service. And so I like that. That is uh that is uh um a very valuable thing that you provide for people. So, how can people find more about you? Where do they go? Phone number, things like that.

SPEAKER_03 13:39

Yeah, so we I do not advertise to the public right now. I really prefer word of mouth or referrals. So I have people reach out to me through my Instagram or Facebook. Um, DMs is always great. From there, uh, I ask if we can set up a phone call, uh like a little discovery call and go from there. Um, I have given people my phone number or I have my clients give my phone number out, which is totally fine as long as you know it's not a complete random, never met the come stranger. Um, but yeah, that's I would say through my Instagram or Facebook is the best way to reach me, either my personal or my uh business. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 14:17

Yeah, absolutely. Well, thanks so much for being with me, Hillary. I've enjoyed learning about you and your business and wish you the best of luck in your venture. And thank you so much for providing the service for the women of Auburn and Opalika.

SPEAKER_02 14:31

Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me. This was so much fun.

Closing And Local Shoutout

SPEAKER_00 14:35

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast Auburn. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpauburn.com. That's gnpauburn.com. Or call 334 or do that forward.