224. The Recipe to Lifelong Wellbeing | Eileen Kopsaftis

Andrew Fix — Tue, 12 May 2026 12:00:01 +0000

Aging gets blamed for a lot of things that may have more to do with disuse, fear, and incomplete advice than the number of candles on your birthday cake.

Dr. Andrew Fix talks with physical therapist Eileen Kopsaftis about pain, aging, and strength through a lens that challenges the usual story of decline. Eileen questions the idea that weakness, balance issues, loss of independence, and chronic pain are simply part of getting older. Some of these changes may be common, but are they truly normal?

Andrew and Eileen unpack why pain often points to a bigger movement story. A shoulder issue may trace back to an ankle. Foot pain may connect to the hips. A limitation may have less to do with the part that hurts and more to do with the way the whole body works together.

They also talk about strength, stairs, muscle loss, and the subtle ways convenience can speed up physical decline. What happens when we stop taking the stairs? How much of aging is shaped by what we believe our bodies are capable of? This episode is a smart reminder that the body is a system, and aging can look very different when we keep building capacity instead of accepting decline as destiny.

Quotes

“You have to believe that your body was designed to perform based on how you work it, based on how you feed it, based on how you live your life.” (Eileen Kopsaftis | 16:04)
“There is a choice. If you believe you’re gonna decline no matter what you do, you’re not gonna do anything.” (Eileen Kopsaftis | 18:20)
“The human body is not designed on a cellular level to decline. When you’re doing the right things the right way, your body responds. doesn’t matter how old you are.” (Eileen Kopsaftis | 26:45)
“But as soon as that person stops having to climb stairs, they decline.” (Eileen Kopsaftis | 40:43)
“It’s important for people to remember that they’re a whole body and they’re not a body part.” (Eileen Kopsaftis | 56:37)

Connect with Eileen Kopsaftis:

Have Lifelong Wellbeing

Subscribe to Eileen’s YouTube

SideKick Tool

Movemate: Award-Winning Active Standing Board

15% off Promo Code: DRA15

20% off: ANDREWF20

Connect with Physio Room:

Visit the Physio Room Website

Follow Physio Room on Instagram

Follow Physio Room on Facebook

Andrew’s Personal Instagram

Andrew’s Personal Facebook

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The post 224. The Recipe to Lifelong Wellbeing | Eileen Kopsaftis appeared first on Physio Room.

187. Walk: Your Life Depends On It | Dr. Courtney Conley

Andrew Fix — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 12:00:16 +0000

Walking begins with the foot, and Dr. Courtney Conley shows why building strength, mobility, and healthy gait mechanics is essential for lasting wellness.

Dr. Andrew Fix speaks with Dr. Conley, the founder of Gait Happens and a leading authority on foot health, about why our feet are the true foundation of human movement. From her early struggles with pain as a dancer and triathlete to her groundbreaking work helping patients worldwide, Dr. Conley shares how shifting the focus from orthotics and surgeries to natural function and strength creates lasting results.

Together, Dr. Fix and Dr. Conley explore why toe dexterity and foot strength are vital for balance, fall prevention, and independence, and how something as simple as walking can profoundly impact physical, mental, and emotional health. With strategies, compelling research, and insights into footwear and training, this episode challenges the way we think about gait and reframes walking as one of the most powerful tools we have to protect and enhance our health for life.

Quotes

“Why are we treating the foot very differently than we treat everywhere else in the human body? We don’t talk about strength, we weren’t talking about mobility. And our feet are the first interface that we have with the ground when we move. We have thousands of sensory receptors on the bottom of our feet that are screaming for information to tell us how to move.” (05:01 | Dr. Courtney Conley)
“If you do need to have the surgery, we want to make sure that on the other end of that, that you’re doing everything that you can to not have another one of those surgeries, which means the widest part of the foot is our toes, or should be. So whoever’s listening, look down at your foot. Your toes should be splayed, they should be wide, and they should be the widest part of your foot. And there’s a reason for that, because when we’re walking, we push off of our forefoot.” (10:09 | Dr. Courtney Conley)
“There’s really great research looking at Karen Mickle’s work on the importance of toe strength and fall prediction, the risk of falls. And what they found was that a weakness in toe strength can be a very big predictor of falls as we age.” (22:37 | Dr. Courtney Conley)
“I firmly believe walking is the most underrated and easily accessible tool we all have to improve not only our physical health, but also our mental and emotional well-being—yet the majority of us, globally, are not taking advantage of it.” (44:48 | Dr. Courtney Conley)

Connect with Dr. Courtney Conley:

Gait Happens

Dr. Courtney Conley is a leading expert in foot and gait health and the founder of Gait Happens, an education platform transforming how people understand and reclaim foot function. With over 25 years of clinical experience, she has worked with patients ranging from everyday movers to professional athletes in the NBA, MLB, and NFL. Dr. Conley holds a Doctorate in Chiropractic Medicine and dual bachelor’s degrees in Kinesiology and Human Biology. Through Gait Happens, the Healthy Feet Alliance, and her global lectures, she is driving a paradigm shift in foot health, empowering individuals and practitioners worldwide to prevent unnecessary surgeries, optimize gait mechanics, and prioritize natural, science-backed approaches to foot care.