The Get Healthy Tampa Bay Podcast

E141: Emily Stein on Active Isolated Stretching, Body Rolling & Foot Fitness for Mobility

• Kerry Reller

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Welcome to the Get Healthy Tampa Bay Podcast with Dr. Kerry Reller! This week, I am joined by Emily Stein, a mobility and flexibility specialist and owner of Roll for Fitness in Tampa. In this episode, we explore Active Isolated Stretching (AIS), Yamuna® body rolling, and foot fitness, discussing how these tools improve posture, relieve pain, and support overall movement. Emily shares insights into helping clients with back issues, sciatica, fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s, and even menopausal changes through stretching, fascia release, and strengthening techniques. Tune in to learn practical mobility tips you can try at home to feel stronger, looser, and more aligned.

Emily’s love for movement began at age three in a toddler dance class and grew through gymnastics, dance, and yoga. She founded Roll for Fitness to help adults improve flexibility, ease stiffness, and reduce pain through personalized and group stretching. Based in Tampa Bay, Emily combines Active Isolated Stretching (AIS), Yamuna Body Rolling (YBR®), Mat Pilates, and yoga to enhance mobility, prevent injuries, and improve flexibility and strength.

00:28 Introduction and Emily’s background
01:47 What is Active Isolated Stretching (AIS)?
03:50 Fascia release vs. traditional stretching
06:31 Understanding the stretch reflex
07:42 AIS compared to static and dynamic stretching
10:21 Why stretching and mobility get overlooked
12:05 Chronic conditions: fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s, sciatica
14:01 Menopause, pelvic floor, and relaxation benefits
16:42 Foot fitness, balance, and gait awareness
21:34 Simple at-home posture and mobility tips

Connect with Emily
Social Media Links: www.rollforfitness.com
IG: stretchwithemily
Facebook: rollforfitness

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Kerry:

Hi everybody. Welcome back to the Get Healthy Tampa Bay podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Kerry Reller, and today we have a very special guest, Emily Stein, joining us from Tampa. Hi Emily. Thank you for joining us.

Emily:

Hi, Kelly.

Kerry:

Um, That's okay. Everybody does it. No worries. So tell, why don't you tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do so our listeners can get to know you.

Emily:

So my name's Emily Stein. I am the owner of Role for Fitness. And a little bit about me besides my fitness background. I've always been an active person, so I've been doing like dance and yoga and movement. So it was never like being like a super, like, even though I'm a personal trainer, like being like a gym person was not like my thing, like all day long, like working out and being fit. Like I grew up in an active family, but really the passion has just been helping people like move and connect more with their body. And so I, I'm a mobility and flexibility specialist and I use three things in my practice. Active, isolated stretching, Yamana Body rolling Pilates work, as well as Yamana Foot Fitness. And so my passion is really helping people connect from the ground up. So helping them with their posture, their feet, their flexibility, their back issues, as well as the strength training, because you can do a co I do a combination of personal training work as well as the flexibility and stretching work.

Kerry:

Yeah, I mean, I can already see myself needing these things as I sit up trying to sit up straight around my today, so this is great. So you, you were active obviously growing up and stuff, so that's how you kind of got into

Emily:

Yeah. I was put in a, I was put in dance class when I was, when I was little and I never really made it to the dance team, but I still find ways to take dance breaks throughout the day. I know people do that sometimes. It's, it's actually really good to just, for your body, just to kind of, even, even ong and simple things just to kind of like shed moving around. We just, we weren't meant to sit all day.

Kerry:

Yeah, unfortunately that's how society

Emily:

and it's, and it's okay and it's okay if you have to do that, but have tools that you can use throughout the day to like help you with make the day better.

Kerry:

Yeah. So in your business, you know, roll for fitness is what you said, right? How do you use these, I guess, stretching and other modalities? Like, so basically you mentioned something called active isolated stretching. Can you tell us what that is? Who's it for and

Emily:

Yeah, so active isolated stretching was created by Aaron Mads and he is a registered kinesiotherapist, and it's actually a modality that works your neuro neuromuscular system. So it's about stretching and like reciprocal inhibition so the muscle doesn't go back, the muscle doesn't get stretched past the stretch reflex. So it's just really good. A lot of times when I was doing my rolling on clients, if they were really tight, I would do the rolling first and, and then I would do the stretching. So I just got kind of really interested in wanting to perfect it. So went to Sarasota. This is kind of for COVID and went to the clinic and started meeting with other practitioners and, and getting really good at it. But I realized that you can't stretch tight fascia. And so the, so people that come to me and say like, I'm really tight, like if I work with people'cause I have a to do space in my house, but I also like work on people in their homes. If I, if I'm stretching someone and I'm stretching their hamstring, for example. They're like super tight. I'm like, I'm having, I'm putting you on the ball. Like you can't, it's, it's bone stimulation and like the foam roller kind. The foam roller has its place, but it doesn't really get to muscle tendon, and in bone it's kind of superficial. It's good to kind of like use it as like a, if you need it, but the Yamana ball balls just really like help with your posture and they've, there's no studies behind it, but women can improve bone density'cause you're you're weightbearing on a ball and getting on the floor. So what I see a lot with clients now is that they can't even get on the floor and hold themselves up. Like you can do all the squats and all the weights you want, but if you can't balance and stability, it's like it's lost. So that's kind of my, like what I've seen

Kerry:

so why is rolling, you know, kind of good for you? Then what does that do for your muscles and tendons?

Emily:

It just helps elongate your muscles and tendons it's really just for relaxation. Like I'll put it like behind my back if I'm just looking for a little bit, a little bit of support. Just, it helps to stimulate your central nervous system, but it's a tool. It's like using like a bolstering yoga or using a block in your knees or you're in a class and you're using something to support you. So like if you're in yoga and you're doing a seated twist, you're just using it as, as a prop. And so the, the Yamana work's been around since like the nineties, and I did the training back in 2014. It's just, it's just new, like small ball therapy. Like there are other like, yoga, tuna balls and other modalities out there. But the Yamana work is really like it's just, I won't call it revolutionary, but it's just very niche and unless you, like, are in a studio or you're somewhere in California or somewhere where it's, where it's gotten popular, but the stretching work is the, there's a stretching and the strengthening work is really what makes it hold. I have clients that say that they're competitive. Like, Hey, I'm gonna, I'm gonna do some rolling work and then I'm gonna stretch you and then go back on the ball and see if it got better, be improved. And some people don't like doing the, the ball work'cause it's too intense and they're so tight. Majority of people that have never been on a ball before or never had a ball, like lying on it on their, on their, on their stomach, like the best way to really lower, lower back pain is putting a line on the floor and putting the ball in in your stomach and your pubic bone and rolling from pubic bone to navel and people like it's, they're scared because I'm like, well, we'll start easy. I'm putting you on the softest, the softest gold ball so that, yeah'cause people are tight. It's, and herniated, a lot of people have, have been in car accidents they've herniated discs. So I always ask people, like, I always start with the ba I call'em the, the, the baby. A baby people. Until they're, until they're ready to like,

Kerry:

So you mentioned something called the stretch reflex. I haven't really heard of that. So can you explain that a little bit and how that you know, is involved

Emily:

So like when you're stretching something and you like say I'm stretching my arm, for example, and I feel like I'm hitting that point. Okay, I'm stretching here, so it's two seconds. So I'm holding this here and then I release it, bring my arm up, come up and release like you don't stretch past to where hurts. People stretch too long and so

Kerry:

I've heard other people say the opposite, stretching.

Emily:

Yeah, well, I, I, everyone, everyone is different. People want to, people wanna do what they wanna do, but just the way, the way I was taught and even for myself when I'm holding a stretch and I feel like, okay, I'm good. I don't wanna, I don't wanna hold it. Like a lot of people like,'cause I think it's almost like yin yoga.'cause in yogas a lot of times the postures are held for longer. And so it's fine if someone wants to hold it for longer. But I won't like advocate for holding a stretch for more than two seconds. That's just for what I was taught. But everyone can do what they,

Kerry:

So a stretch reflex is not an actual reflex, but it is, you know, the, the, the idea of not really going past to

Emily:

yeah, yeah. That's from, from what I was taught. If I'm, I'm if I'm incorrect, then,

Kerry:

Yeah. So how does AIS or the active isolated stretching differ from typical stretching that people do before and after their workups?

Emily:

So it's typically,'cause you know how there's, there's dynamic and there's. Static dynamic and static stretching. So the difference is that the dynamic stretching of it is more is more active. And so there's dynamic, there's static and there's ballistic. So what makes it different is that when you're assisted with someone, so when I'm stretching someone, like if they're doing it themselves, I, they lift their leg up and I assist them at the end. So it gives them like practitioner assisted stretching. So it's just. Each time you move your arm or you move your leg, you get a little more. So when you do the two second hold, it takes longer. So say you do four reps, so if you don't have time to do eight, 10 reps in, in a, in, in a stretch, do four. Do three. Like, I'm like, if I'm tight, I'm gonna just fight. I'm somewhere, I'm gonna put my leg, extend my leg, like on my car seat and just like reach my leg out and, and just reach. And then I'll be okay. I'm good. Even taking like two minutes, like just, I know people are busy and they just the time. But like that's what I, so AIS really is just about active, isolated, isolating the muscle. So there's probably 50 different stretches. Like I have my og like stretching bible that Aaron Mattes wrote. There's probably like more than 50 stretches in the book. And they, and he has books that he sells to like everyday people, but he has all the exercises and there's a protocol, so there's the piriformis stretch, there's the a abduction, there's the straight leg hamstring and bent knee hamstring. There's all these different muscles. And I've done the, I've done like seminars myself and I go to Sarasota. They just haven't, I had, I've been to seminars with Aaron Mattes and I learned from him. And so there's basically different, different stretches for different angles. Like, you'd be surprised. There's the IT band, there's the abduction, there's, I call, my favorite stretch is call, I call it the big three. And I'm, I have to, it's a workout because you're lifting someone's leg up the table, you're lifting it across this way. And so it's almost like you're doing like, like, you know how you lower, lower and lift your legs, but I'm having people like, it's a workout because, hey, can you lift your legs for me? But it helps the people that have like bad, have sciatica or the back so. And I have a belt, so I have a table and I have a belt, and you lie down and I put the belt on and it's just, it's a, people get to do a session. They're like, they're sweating because it's releasing a lot of the stuff releases toxins is, you know, from being a medical doctor, when you out, you do something, you're releasing like toxins because your body's, it's good to sweat. Like, that's what I mean by the, the a IS work. There's different like angles and there's different like protocols for each, each part of the body.

Kerry:

Why do you think stretching and mobility are often overlooked during traditional training?

Emily:

I, I think they're overlooked because the time or people think they just don't have time for it or they it just, they, they just don't think it's important. And may it's, and it's okay, like they don't. But I'm just seeing, I just hear of like injuries and I hear people like hurting themselves, like in the gym and they're doing something and I don't know, at the time. If you can take 10 minutes out of your training session or 10 minutes out of your day to just do something, I don't, I don't know. I don't know why I've, I see

Kerry:

you're right. I think.

Emily:

It's time. Like we all have time, I know you could, people watch TV or they, they scroll, I call it stop your, like, oh, you, you can scroll and it's funny, you could scroll and, and just put a ball in your chest. Not saying you would do that, but it's just like we live in a very tech, we live in a technology world, so it's just like, if you're watching tv, you can work on your feet. If you're watching tv, you can, you're somewhere and you can take your equipment out, you can do something. So it's, I know it's time, but it's just I guess it's personal choice.

Kerry:

Yeah. So what type of clients do you see? Like what kind of patients come to see you?

Emily:

So it varies. I've had people that have come to me in the past that are just, they're dealing with back problems, and I've had a couple more men coming to see me because they just, their hips, they need to stretch, that they need to improve mobility and I see with everyone i've worked with athletes worked with youth tennis players i've worked with mostly like women that have, like people that have had sciatica or I have, I've had a climb of Parkinson's, but right now I'm really looking to grow and, and connect more with people like in the community that want, like someone to keep them accountable and to teach them how to stretch properly. Yeah.

Kerry:

So patients or people living with like chronic conditions like Parkinson's you mentioned, and

Emily:

yeah. Fibromyalgia. Yeah. And a lot of these things I've realized some things like even like fibromyalgia and even arthritis, there, there can be flareups. So I'm really conscious, I'm conscious of when people do something and it's, you can only roll for a certain amount of time if you have fibromyalgia because there's,'cause you have flareups. Or even like hypermobility. Like, but the thing is the isolated strengthening work. It is good because you can stretch but you have to strengthen. So I do like strength work. I don't just do stretching work'cause there's, there's the I active isolated strengthening work that involves resisting my, like I'm resisting you without even using a weight without, if you've done like where you like test

Kerry:

Mm-hmm.

Emily:

arm strength. I do that with people

Kerry:

Yeah.

Emily:

even. And then the mat Pilates work, which I'm people like to do as well, so.

Kerry:

How does like stretching and body rolling help those kind of patients specifically?

Emily:

I think it, if someone, well, one of the last, the person I had fibromyalgia, she instead, it just helped her like make, I guess not just the flare ups, but it just helped with her nervous system. It just helped with regulating her symptoms like. So symptoms didn't go away, but it helped, like when I had my client that had people that have Parkinson's, it's, it's the issues in their feet. So the foot, the, I use these things called foot wakers and they simulate the nerves in your feet. So when you're standing on something and you're using something to balance. For people that have had back problems, like they're good, they're just good, or at least as they've helped with.

Kerry:

Interesting. Okay. You also mentioned something about like the, the balls would help, like relax and things like that. And we were talking before we were recording about like menopause and things like that. How can those things be used to help those kind of patients? And maybe you messaged also the pelvic floor.

Emily:

well just wanna show you. So these little yamana balls. So I typically, when I,

Kerry:

describe that because we, not everybody's watching right.

Emily:

so yeah, so basically, so basically.

Kerry:

bowling balls.

Emily:

So, so, so it's there, there there're six to 10 inch balls and, and they, the gold ball's about six inches. So it's, it's sphere. So you know how your, your, your hip is like a hula hoop and so anything you can do to simulate your hips or to simulate the bone helps improve the tissue. So women that have had like say, drop drop bladders or their. It's a tissue. So when you work on the bone, you're strengthening the tissue. Say if you're working in your adduductors or in your hips. So with just, with menopause in general, it's just moving float. It's moving fluid around. Like I'm a woman who still gets her cycle and it helps to, to just keep the fluid moving and keep for energy flow. And yeah. I personally, like, I've had a couple clients that have, that I've had that have that, that have been post menopause. And I just say it just makes them like, I feel more relaxed and just gives their body like a sense of like restoration. So I haven't, yeah. Yeah.

Kerry:

in menopause and things like that, that the pelvic floor be, can be coming tightened and even, you know, because perhaps there's, you know, pain down there and usually because the tissue is changing and things. Like that when there's no estrogen to it. So something like the ball, like you're saying, can really help that, relax that pelvic floor and perhaps help people to not have, you know, even constipation and things like that.

Emily:

Yeah, absolutely. And I, I've noticed that even myself when I've done the, when I've done rolling work. And I'll roll in my, I'll take the ball and I'll put it in my pelvic, pelvic floor area and I'll notice that, okay, I'm going to the bathroom'cause it does help with, it helps with digestion and anyone that has like nervousness or anxiety or just wants to go to sleep at, wants to go to sleep better or they. And a lot of women, like are concerned about their neck. And so a lot of this work is really good just for like lengthening all, all of your tissue. And I have a tool that I use for people that have TMJ and women that want like a natural, like facelift. So I have this other method called face Fall where I show you how to work on the, you can simulate the bone muscle of the bone in your face with a ball. So it's another training. I Something else that I learned a couple years ago, and you can use a ball and you can kind of like you show. I'm basically just showing you how to using the, it's acupuncture points. So a lot of this work is basically we're working the meridian lines of your body. So we work from origin of insertion. So it's kind of like where it all comes

Kerry:

Tell me more about the foot thing. You were mentioning that with your Parkinson's patients, how, what is this foot specialty that you do?

Emily:

So if I could find the, if I could find the book. I have it in my, where is I finding it? Where are you? I have a let's see. I'm trying to figure out where it is in here. I have it in my book somewhere, but, so it's, I know you physically can't see it, but I have these foot wakers and they're kind of these gold nobbies and you stand on them and there's a, like a 10, 15 minute exercise you do using them and you just like breathe into the wakers and you just, it allows you to kind of connect with your body. cause your foot is your foundation, like we use our feet every day. We walk around on them and so. The big thing with Parkinson's is that helping them with balance and stability, so there's like a, you start just by standing on them, moving their feet move, shifting weight, breathing in, shifting weight from one foot to one foot, and then there's this, and then there's, and then you have people that have like plantar fasciitis or people that have a flat feet or issues with the arches. So I did a three day training, like just with feet, like on them. Like it's intense, but they feel good. But it's most times when I have people using the foot wakers, I tell people, wear wear socks or put, or I'll put a towel over them cause they, they're these hard little nubbies, but they, and you can also use'em, you can also use'em on your hands. Like you wanna strengthen your hands. I'll do like downward dog, like with the, with, with the, with my hands.'cause it's like a nice, it's a sensory and tactile and people like, like that kind of, they like to be able to have something to, to touch. So

Kerry:

Yeah, so it's like a hard surface that they,

Emily:

It's a hard Yeah. And even in Florida, like with the balls, you can't bring'em outside. Like they're like,

Kerry:

hmm.

Emily:

yeah, it's, it's, you can, but you gotta be careful.'cause they're made with the material. All the balls are made with PVC. I don't know. I don't know what the foot makers are made out of, but they're it's a hard like tool you use and so they're just, they feel good. They're like, first time it's like, go on'em for five minutes. So the thing with the foot breakers is that it's called, I do this thing called a walking test where I look at your, I look at your gait and I teach you like, this is how, like, watch how like you walk and you drop your, take your foot, you drop your fifth, your fourth, or your third, second, first toe. And Parkinsons is an isolated thing. Like I haven't really like, touched that in a while. I think it's some of the support in that area. I wanna connect with them, but it's, it's a little bit of a tricky community to connect with.'cause a lot of times it's just like insurance companies and their doctors and, but I like to help'em. But some of the support groups are a little more, I wanna connect with'em, but it's a little more of a,

Kerry:

Well, we've had some people who work with a lot of Parkinson's patients on the podcast that you could help and connect

Emily:

Yeah, absolutely.

Kerry:

Yeah, tell me, tell me about like what are the, some of the biggest transformations that you've seen with your clients? You can

Emily:

I've, I've, I've seen someone that, this was years ago and he unfortunately he passed away, but he was a stroke victim and this was like, this was like five, 10 years ago. God bless his, his peace. But um, he I worked with him for like an hour and then I noticed that he regained like full strength in his body. So he, he was a stroke victim and I worked on him for like an hour and then I gave him a break, but he gained regained mobility. But other biggest thing is I had a client who. It was like working a desk job and obviously it's, we have to, it's part of what we have to do, but he, he had really bad feet and his hip, his hip mobility was awful. I would say typical like 10 sessions. So it's not gonna just get fixed in one session. It takes like time to learn routines and. Work kind of thing. So I would say that's the biggest transformation is just even people that I've worked with like virtually, like you can do it, but just seeing people, like if they do the work themselves, I have clients come to me like, yeah, like they're, you get flexibility if you're doing work on your own.

Kerry:

Yeah.

Emily:

want you to come back. So it's, I'm, I'm the one thing, I'm really good. One thing, the assisted stretching this as much. I love, I love doing it on people. The Aaron Mattes work. It's just, people just have very, if I have a guy, five people coming to me that, that are really tight or they're like a really strong person, I'm protecting myself because I'm like small and that I have a guy coming to me that's like, say 200 pounds. I'm like, okay, lemme figure out I, me figure out how I'm gonna do this. Because some people come and they're really tight

Kerry:

Mm-hmm.

Emily:

stretching people that I've never stretched before, and they're like. So it's, it's gotta tell, I I'm communicating to them, Hey, I'm showing you the stretch. I need you to lift your leg for me. So it's biggest transformation is just seeing people like even they've never heard this stuff before and they're like, like, how? I've never heard this before. I'm like, well, like, well, you should be more people should be aware of this, of this work. Yeah.

Kerry:

So if someone is like listening today dealing with tightness, back pain, or foot pain, what's one like simple stretch or body awareness tip that they could try from home?

Emily:

Just the, like, if they're, if they're sitting in a chair, just bring their like shoulders back and just squeeze, bring your shoulders back and like squeeze your shoulder. So you're lifting your chest up and you're squeezing your shoulder blades together. Someone taught me this. It's actually in my field'cause my posture hasn't always been the best. And then the other thing is when understanding people like, or even. Like, don't lock your knees when you stand.'cause people will stand with their legs locked. And I've seen it like a lot with people and like, I know what I, I get, I, we all, we all have habits. I used to do it all the time, but let's just have a bend in your knee. I have to remind myself, don't lock your knees. so

Kerry:

good tips. Yeah, my mom always told me the the standup straight one. That's

Emily:

yeah, because we always, like, I realize we're, we're so, so we've become, I don't know if it's us or if it's our bodies, we just.

Kerry:

I have terrible posture.

Emily:

you have terrible posture?, well, maybe, maybe you need me, so

Kerry:

Well, one thing you know, I think making sure people have more postures, we don't wanna have that like hump

Emily:

no. And so the big, so that is, so that, that is actually the best thing is honestly, like most people, if you have, if you have a ball or if you have, like if you, I know listeners probably can't see this, but if you have a ball and you can put it like behind, like your back. Use it while you're at the com. I know they're, they're dark. Sorry, I'm saying them, but they're behind my, in between my shoulder blades. And so if you can just sit at the computer and you're just using them behind your back, so it's like ergonomic support. So it's just like, why not? Like, or get a pillow. So the other posture shift is if you, if you're a chair, make sure the chair fits you, make sure the chair like supports you. Or have a put a pillow if you don't have a ball. That felt good.

Kerry:

Yeah.

Emily:

That did. Yeah. It always feels because it, it, it's warmth. It's the, it just, that's my tip is just like have something behind your back or with a pillow or a bolster or something to support your, yeah,

Kerry:

What if someone is kind of on the fence about trying, stretching as part of their wellness routine, what would you say to encourage them?

Emily:

If they're on the fence, go online and they, they're curious like, I'll, I'm, I'm, I'm doing like, I'll do like a 30 minute like demo, like I'll just say, Hey, come over for a 30 minute demo. But it's, I'm not, I, I usually charge like half. Like a session like, Hey, if you wanna come over for a demo, but 30 minutes goes is my fast. So if they're curious and they're not sure, like I do, I do offer like 10% off the first session.'cause my normal session rate's like 85 an hour, but I'll, I'll do it for like 70 just to kind of like them a try because everyone has to pay for their coffee and all of their things. And if they're curious about it, just I do post like on my YouTube channel, but the best way is just experience it. They're curious, just like they do a virtual session with me. I do like sessions with people virtually where I don't use equipment where they can just like, I can show them some stuff, but the best way is really is to experience the the work in person. That's my

Kerry:

Good. So if people wanna work with you, how can they find you? Where can they

Emily:

So my website is roll for fitness.com. They can contact me at my, my website. And then Emily Stein. That's my that's my, on my Facebook page. And then it's emily@rollforfitness.com.

Kerry:

Yeah, we can put all that in the show notes.

Emily:

you have all the steps though.

Kerry:

Perfect. Well, awesome. Well, thank you so much for your time today and sharing all your expertise with our listeners and everybody next week for next week's episode. Thank you.

Emily:

Thank you. Thank you, Kerry.

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Dr. Kerry Reller

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