Redefine Strength,
Rediscover Joy!
At Flow State we focus on building a relationship with our bodies that is rooted in compassion and trust. Join us, online or in person, for training customized to your movement needs and goals.
What if we Could use
movement as medicine?
Too often, we use movement and fitness as a form of self-punishment - internalized diet culture, capitalism, heteronormativity, and white supremacy. We can use movement for liberation, pleasure, and healing.
Hey! I’m River (they/them). I’m a queer, enby, adhd, sports kid who loves to move. I am a fun-loving, knowledgeable coach, deeply dedicated to understanding your unique movement needs, goals, and curiosities.
I am the child of two physical therapists and practically grew up in their clinic in Maryland. After an 8-year career as a teacher and youth program director, I have returned to my roots of sports and strength training. I care deeply about your safety, stability, and ability to access pain-free movement that brings you joy!
I grew up in competitive sports, played D1 lacrosse, and know what it feels like to have a toxic relationship with fitness. I survived eating disorders and abusive coaching, and slowly built a movement practice that nurtures & heals instead.
I love working with people from all levels of experience! From beginners who just want to build a foundation and start a movement practice to athletes looking to develop speed, strength, and skill for their sport.
I will support your movement goals. I will challenge you outside of your comfort zone. I will hold space for the parts of you that are uncomfortable. And I will invite you again and again back into compassion and play. There can be pleasure in rigor if we are brave enough to ask the bullies in our minds to step back and appreciate play.
Meet your coach
Methodology
We access flow state through the ability to feel sensations in our bodies, understand each joint’s capacity and limitations, and move in ways that build resilience, strength, pleasure and joy.
Alignment & Core
With every client, I focus on core, breath, and alignment work for spine health. If we start to train on top of an asymmetrical pattern, pelvic tilt, or spinal compensation, we are headed in the direction of injury. This work gives each client a foundation of core strength, breath control, and body awareness that will keep you safe as you explore movement, strength training, and play.
This work is informed by Postural Restoration, and in-depth assessments are available in partnership with Pelvic Floor Therapist Elvalina Howard, OT.
Joint Mobility & Care
Each joint has a job! Often some of our joints are stuck and stiff, while others are hypermobile. This codependency causes compensation and injury. Our goal is to teach each joint how to access (and expand) their full pain-free range of motion. We will also train compensating joints to be stable. This gives us freedom of movement, and reduces risk of injury when doing complex or multi joint movements.
This work is informed by Functional Range Conditioning and through my mentor Al Herring at Queer Garage Gym.
Strength & Conditioning
As we establish alignment and joint control, we will begin training toward your movement and strength goals. This will look different for each client. I work with clients at all levels of experience! From beginners who want to build a foundation and start a movement practice to athletes looking to develop speed, strength, and skill for their sport.
I coach in partnership with Laura Barito at Aperio Human Movement, who specializes in coaching hypermobile and neurodivergent folks!
Services & Pricing
Everyone deserves to move and be moved. Our sliding scale ensures that your path to wellness is accessible. Choose the rate that respects both your journey and your means.
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As a new client, you will join me for three 50-minute sessions where we lay a foundation. Each session will have a focus: alignment, joint mobility, and strength training. Once completed, you may choose your own adventure! Take the tools you learn into your life or sport, join your local gym, or come and join me for another training package.
Click here for more information & sliding scale rates.
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A customized Strength and Conditioning plan is meticulously tailored to your unique body and movement goals. This comprehensive program enhances both anaerobic and aerobic conditioning, significantly improving your cardiovascular health. Expect to achieve an improved range of motion, better posture through spine-focused conditioning, and healthier joint mobility. Furthermore, the training goes beyond physical strength and muscle development; it delves into refining your neural recruitment, patterns, and control, leading to improved posture, balance, coordination, and overall health.
I offer one-on-one coaching both in person and online. I am located in Louisville, KY but also train clients from all different time zones and locations.
Click here for packages and sliding scale rates.
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I offer two small-group packages:
(1) Dog Pack - Circuit Style Interval Training - Full body strength and cardio training in my garage gym. Each workout is unique, supporting goals for general fitness, strength, and joint health. There is a maximum of 8 participants for each workout.
(2) Alignment - Three weeks of intensive training alignment on your pelvic tilt, rib cage mobility, and spinal health. We meet 2x per week and train in specific techniques for neuromuscular reeducation, breath flow, hamstring/core strength, and rib cage mobility. This training gives you a foundation for correcting posture and tools to limit chronic pain and prevent injury.
Move & be moved •
Move & be moved •
Hear it from the pack!
“My workouts with River are dynamic and fluid with my needs and goals. They are the perfect balance of body centering, play, strengthening, and stretching.
I enjoy the queer, body-positive movement space they offer. I love that it connects me with my body in ways I have always wanted in athletic training. River gives me the right amount of challenge with mindful guidance
Their training has helped my nervous system regulate and connect to my muscles and joints in supportive, engaging ways that I haven’t reached before.
I feel like I am able to feel safer moving my body and they have helped dissolve the separation of my mind and my body so that I see them now more as a collective power I have access to use in fun and beautiful ways.”
Jordan L. | Personal Training
“Dog pack workouts have been a great way to add a consistent weekly workout to my routine!
I like that each workout is different and targets a different combination of muscle groups. Dog pack workouts focus on a mixture of mobility and strength and give me access to different equipment on a regular basis. Dog pack workouts emphasize mobility at every workout, which helps me to incorporate those practices into my routine. Dog pack workouts invite me to modify exercises so that the class is challenging while also being fun.”
“River asks for each member's fitness goals and tailors group workouts to meet a variety of members goals while completing a group workout.”
Cal S. | Group Fitness
“When I first started working with River virtually, my main concerns were my posture and joint mobility. Not only has River helped me make significant strides, but the impact on my overall confidence and mental health has been profound.
Their approach to fitness is refreshingly holistic, focusing on the whole person rather than just physical aspects. As someone from the queer community, finding a coach who not only understands but also celebrates my identity has been invaluable. I recommend River to anyone, like me, seeking a queer-friendly coach It's not just about the workouts; it's about building a better, more confident me.”
Isaiah S. | Personal Training
“This is the most in tune I have ever
been with my body!”
Amy D. | Alignment Client
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Please use the green bottle of financial privilege to assess your rate. Flow State is my primary source of income, and it’s important that I respect my well-being by earning enough for my future — AND it is important that YOU respect your well-being and invest your money where it is necessary to meet your own needs and future. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
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I am trauma-informed! not an expert, but I'm always learning, very aware, and super receptive to feedback. I have my own history of trauma and have been learning somatic techniques for regulating my own nervous system for over a decade. I am aware of the traumas that emerge to consciousness during fitness that are resting in our muscles, joints, and subconscious. I would love to know how you like to be supported when triggered, and if you have any needs or boundaries I can support during our time together!
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I am certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as a personal trainer, and I am CPR/First Aid certified, too!
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I grew up dreaming of playing pro soccer, but Maryland turned into a collegiate lax player instead. I love all sports, but especially the ones where we all play as a team and chase a ball around a field/court. I am learning karate from @playfightmove, and love to dance with @queergaragegym, and play acro-yoga with @whenqueersfly!
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I chose this name because of the pleasure I find in rigor and effort; the sense of peace and bliss achieved in movement. I believe we all have the capacity to grow our access to flow state and want to teach movement as an option for my community. You can achieve a flow state by doing so many things… through art, dance, sex, music, connection, etc. Movement and fitness are what I love; they are my entry point into the flow state, and I hope to share them with you!