Meet Christina Harmon

We were lucky to catch up with Christina Harmon recently and have shared our conversation below.

Christina, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I never felt like I had a purpose until it basically slapped me in the face. Growing up, I never really felt like I had a strong calling to do anything in particular. I knew I was good at learning, and had a strong analytical mind, so it made sense to go into engineering, but I always had a feeling that something was off, and I didn’t fit in there.

During undergraduate school, I started to experience severe chronic back pain. After a year of barely being able to move, and desperate for relief, things quickly cascaded into a failed surgery with additional complications. Not only was my back pain worse after the surgery, but month after month, I also started to accrue more and more issues. First, my right hip also started hurting, then my left hip, then my right shoulder, my foot, left shoulder, knees, neck, and so on. It seemed like things just kept piling on and that nothing was improving.

I spent years (and a LOT of money) going to almost every specialist, doctor, physical therapist, etc. that you could think of. I accumulated a ton of different diagnoses (torn shoulder and hip labrums, degenerative disc disease, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, TMJ, etc.) with little to no relief or hope, and I was dismissed and labeled a hypochondriac, and many other names, by most of my doctors.

I ultimately came to the realization that I would have to learn about my body, and my conditions, for myself and become my own advocate if I wanted to heal. I am thankful for my background in engineering, research, and biomechanics as it taught me how to learn, analyze, and solve complex multisystem problems, and I utilized all these skills so seek out answers for myself.

I learned that there were many different factors that influence how someone experiences pain, sensations, and symptoms. Some of these factors were physical, such as injuries, and how the body moves. However, a lot of more important factors included nutrition, sleep, stress levels, trauma, emotions, connection with others, mindset, and other neurological factors. Sick of the traditional medical system, I sought out mentorship and education from experts in all of these fields and I started to combine methods to find some relief and break this cycle of pain.

While I wouldn’t wish these experiences on anyone, I believe it was my path to finding my purpose. I saw a lot of people stuck in this cycle of pain. I also saw how much information was out there and how confusing, conflicting, and unclear it was. Additionally, many people who experience chronic pain and medical conditions do not have the energy or time to comb through all the information that is out there, it is exhausting. From the moment I decided to take my health into my own hands, it became my purpose to teach others to do the same. My mission is twofold: First, to teach others how to build and sustain a healthy lifestyle to prevent chronic pain and disease in the first place, and second, to advocate for those who are currently experiencing chronic pain and medical conditions, and to help them break the cycle of pain so that they can live their healthiest and most limitless life.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I currently specialize in strength training and biomechanics, nutrition coaching, and somatic coaching. I work with clients with and without pain and with a wide variety of goals ranging from sports performance all the way to chronic pain relief, weight loss, building strength, and optimizing health and longevity. It is less commonly known that a lot of the principles that apply to rehabilitation also apply to performance; they are just on two ends of the spectrum. Additionally, I love collaborating with my client’s physical therapists, doctors, nutritionists, therapists, etc. to ensure they are receiving holistic, well-rounded care and programming.

I also believe that my own experience with chronic pain, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, and having to fight to regain my strength and health give me a perspective and advantage that many other coaches do not have.

A lot of clients come to me hesitant having had previous experiences with trainers and coaches. Some of their main concerns have been not feeling heard, feeling dismissed, fear of movement, and fear increasing pain (even if they have not experienced chronic pain in the past).

I believe that no one knows their body better than they know themselves. When my clients tell me something about their body, if something feels off, or they feel better with X over X, I believe them. There are a million different ways to get to the same end goal and I am more than willing to put my ego aside from what I think might be best to find what works best for each individual.

Additionally, my own movement and health limitations with almost every joint in my body has required me to become very creative with movement work arounds so that myself, and my clients, can continue to move and build strength even while in pain. I often find that not moving usually makes the problem worse. However, I meet my clients where they are at, and I also understand that where they are at can change drastically from day to day. I have noticed this is something that individuals who have not experienced chronic pain or medical conditions may not understand or know how to deal with.

Regardless of my client’s goals, I take a whole-body approach to reaching them. If my client is open to it, I love incorporating breathwork, mindfulness, and somatics into my work. Depending on my client and their goals, I also emphasize and track progress by focusing on function and what a client is able to do compared to when they first came in, mind-body connection, stress levels, energy levels, digestion, mood, etc. as opposed to hyperfixating on weight, measurements, physique, or pain levels.

While I no longer practice engineering, I still utilize my engineering mind every day and believe this also sets me apart as a coach. I program with an evidence-based approach whenever possible. I also specialize in biomechanics and integrating mobility principles into strength training. Everything I do is built off an initial assessment that will be repeated regularly to assess progress and to ensure programming is up to date and engineered specifically towards my client’s goals and needs. I also have a love and passion for kettlebells, so I like to incorporate those in when appropriate as well and love it when a client gets as much joy from them as I do.

There are several ways to work with me. I work with clients both in person and online, I also write programs for individuals who are more confident in the gym and prefer to be more independent and I coach group fitness classes.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I believe that the ability to learn, adapt, and persevere through tough times were the most important qualities in my journey to where I am today and will be the most important in where I plan to go.

My advice for others would be to keep an open mind, listen, and seek out information that contradicts your opinion. There is always something to be learned from everyone and every situation, even if you do not see it in that moment.

I would also recommend picking up a somatic practice that resonates with you. Whether it be breathwork, mindfulness, meditation, yoga, hiking, dance, etc. Something that lets you come home to your body can be extremely helpful grounding and regaining perspective on situations.

Lastly, knowing that everything will continuously be changing has helped me persevere through tough times. Nothing ever stays the same, that is a fact of life. If you are experiencing something hard right now, know that it WILL change.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

There are many books that have helped me with my own pain and that have also helped me professionally.

However, the book “The Way Out” by Alan Gordon, is one of my favorites. It is a quick easy read about a scientifically proven approach to healing chronic pain.

It is one of the books that reinforced my suspicions that the cure to my physical chronic pain might not be through a physical solution/practice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.christinaharmoncoaching.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinamharmon/
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinamharmon