Good Neighbor Podcast: Orange County

Healing Through Safe Adaptive Movement For Chronic Conditions

• Rachel Fyffe & Bernadette Sanders

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What if the safest place to rebuild your strength, balance, and confidence is closer than you think? We sit down with Bernadette Sanders of The Movement Clinic to explore how adaptive movement helps people living with neurological conditions, chronic illnesses, cancer, and functional aging reconnect with their bodies and regain control. Bernadette shares how her path from professional ballet to therapeutic coaching—and her own experience with multiple sclerosis—informs a compassionate, evidence-aware approach that makes exercise feel possible again.

Across our conversation, we unpack the stubborn myth that illness means you shouldn’t move, and we replace it with a practical framework for moving wisely. You’ll hear how small, tailored steps—like seated balance drills, breath-led mobility, and joint-friendly strength—can deliver outsized gains in stability, energy, and daily function. We talk about what a “safe place to move” looks like, how to pace sessions to respect fatigue and flare risks, and why rest isn’t a luxury but a strategic part of training.

Bernadette also opens up about showing the work through simple, honest marketing: real clients, real adaptations, and steady progress people can trust. We share where to find The Movement Clinic online, how to get in touch, and a first look at a new studio opening across from South Coast Mall. If you’ve ever felt too old, too tired, or too uncertain to start, this conversation offers a grounded way forward and a mantra that sticks: move anyway—gently, wisely, and with support.

Visit: https://themovementclinicoc.com/

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with someone who needs a safer path back to movement, and leave a quick review to help more neighbors find us.

SPEAKER_00:

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

SPEAKER_02:

Well, welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Now, if you suffer from neurological conditions, chronic illnesses, and cancer, and looking to regain, regain strength, balance, and confidence through safe adaptive movement, well, you know what? This resource is way closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, Bernadette Sanders, with the Movement Clinic. Bernadette, how is it going?

SPEAKER_01:

Pretty good. Hi. It's going pretty well.

SPEAKER_02:

Wonderful. Well, you know, we're really excited to learn about your clinic. So tell us about tell us about the movement clinic.

SPEAKER_01:

Perfect. Yeah, definitely. I mean, your introduction pretty much said it all. Um, we are a place where it's a safe place for you to move. So if you have a neurological condition, functional aging, cancer, what have you, or you just need a more of a gentle approach, that that's what that's what we provide at the movement clinic.

SPEAKER_02:

Wonderful. Well, how did you get into this type of business?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, definitely. So um, goodness, this has been something I've been doing forever, it seems like. So I um actually was a professional dancer. I was a ballet dancer, and I went into um eventually teaching ballet professionally. And um at one point, I myself have I have a chronic condition, and I was dealing with that, and I got really interested in using that. Plus, I went to school for alternative medicine, and I was interested in how I could combine alternative medicine with movement um to help people feel good. So, oh my goodness, I've been doing this since the early 2000s, and it's it's been awesome. So that's how I got into it, and then eventually I'm not a California native, I've lived in other places, but a couple years ago I moved to the area, and when I moved to the area, um I began this program so um to help others with their I don't know, chronic conditions.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, right, yeah, wonderful. Now, do you do you have are there any like myths or misconceptions in your industry that you can think of?

SPEAKER_01:

Um you know, yes, definitely. There's always um, I'd say a myth that people can't exercise if they are going through a chronic condition. I myself have um multiple sclerosis, um, and that can be a very debilitating experience, but everybody their experience is different. So um I see people with all kinds of different conditions, and like I said, everybody's experience is different, but the one thing that is solid for everyone is the fact that movement helps to heal your body. Um, it's one of those key things when you go to your doctor's office, they're gonna say, you need to get into some sort of exercise or movement program, and um they're absolutely right because it helps. Um, I know it's helped me personally, and I've seen it help a lot of my clients go from a place where um they didn't feel that they could to a place that they could, could I a place where they felt like they couldn't to a place where they felt like they could. Um, so like I said, the myth is that people, because of whatever condition they're going through, may not be able to do it. So that's a myth.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, yeah. Now, you know, so we know marketing is at the heart of every business. So how are you attracting people to your clinic?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh marketing, oh my goodness, let's just say marketing. Um, yeah, I used to try to do the Facebook ads, social media ads, but I don't really find them that successful. So um I do a lot of, I might put a lot of um videos or pictures, things like that on my social media platforms. I'm on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. And um, oh yes, and LinkedIn also. I don't really do as much on LinkedIn as I should, but um, I do try to put different little um ads, well, not ads, but videos showing the work that I'm doing, showing um the different people. And the people that I'm working with that I'm showing these videos with, or even myself, they all have some sort of chronic condition or cancer or you know, something that's going on with them functionally. Um, so that's that's usually how I try to do my word of my marketing, kind of word of mouth-ish in a sense.

SPEAKER_02:

Have you ever thought of doing your own podcast?

SPEAKER_01:

I've thought about it, but I don't know. Might be a lot of work.

SPEAKER_02:

Now, outside of work, what do you like to do for front fun, Bernadette?

SPEAKER_01:

Outside of work, um, goodness, the the cliche. I like to travel, I do. Um, I also I love spending time with my family. Um, and also outside of work, I rest. Um, that I love to do because I have a chronic condition. So I give my all when I'm with the people that I work with, but when I'm able to rest and just relax, I like to do that too. So, and one of the things I love to do is to go to the spa.

SPEAKER_02:

Nice, nice. So, Bernadette, please tell our listeners one thing they should really remember about the movement clinic.

SPEAKER_01:

Um, one thing that you should really remember about the movement clinic is that we're here to help. That um even if you feel like you're older, you know, because I have some clients over 80. Um, if you feel like you're too old to exercise, you're not. Uh, and I think another thing that I want people to know is that you should move anyway. It's important to move anyway, even if you feel like you shouldn't. It's important to move anyway.

unknown:

Wonderful.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, how can our listeners learn more about the movement clinic?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, definitely. You can find us online. Um, my website is themovementclinicoc.com. Um, you can also call us. The number is nine four nine-264-1441. Um, I'm also on Facebook at the Movement Clinic OC, I believe it is, and also um Instagram at the Movement Clinic OC and TikTok. It's also the Movement Clinic OC. So those are the places that you can find us.

SPEAKER_02:

Wonderful. Well, Bernadette, I really, really appreciate you being on the show, and I wish you and your clinic really all the best moving forward.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you. Thank you for having us. Thank you for having me, rather. Oh, and can I mention I'm opening up a new space um across from so uh where is it? South Coast Um Mall in December. Okay, best of luck with that. Thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnporchcounty.com. That's gnporangecounty.com or call 714 941 862.