Back in Control: live back-pain workshop with Gabriel Van der Veer, PT

Everyone gives you the same answer...

Tight back? Stretch it.
Stiff hips? Stretch them.
Sciatica flaring up? Stretch again.

It feels good for a day. Then it's right back.

So you stretch more. You get adjusted. You rest. And the same pain keeps showing up when you walk, garden, travel or try to work out.

Your back isn't tight. It's unstable. That tight feeling is your muscles holding on, because nothing deeper is holding your pelvis and spine steady. Stretch it or crack it, and it grabs right back. That's why the relief never lasts.

Why it keeps coming back

After months or years of pain, your brain loses its clear picture of your lower back and pelvis. The deep muscles that should hold you steady switch on late, or not at all. Your back didn't wear out. It lost touch.

Almost everyone over 50 has some wear on their MRI, and plenty of them have no pain. What changes how much it hurts is how well you control your back. And you can't control what you can't feel.

The method: Feel → Control → Strength

This is how you go from wobbly to solid, one step at a time, in this order:

1 · FEEL

Find your back again

Small, quiet moves that wake up the feeling in your pelvis and deep core, so your brain knows where your back is.

2 · CONTROL

Learn to hold it steady

Breathe out, switch on the deep muscles, and keep your pelvis still while your arms and legs move. This takes the load off your back.

3 · STRENGTH

Then build it up

Add strength at the right dose, so that steadiness holds when you carry groceries, garden, hike or lift.

Most exercise plans jump straight to step 3. That's why strong, active women can still get stuck. In the workshop we start at step 1, together.

Gabriel Van der Veer's lumbar spine MRI, 2024 — This is my spine. MRI, 2024

Strong is not the same as controlled

I'm Gabriel Van der Veer, a physical therapist for more than 12 years, and an Olympic weightlifting champion for more than a decade.

In 2024 my MRI showed severe foraminal stenosis and dehydrated discs. The surgeon wanted to fuse my spine.

Me. The guy who lifted for a living. That broke me. Because it meant strength wasn't the answer. Strength doesn't equal control.

Once I rebuilt my control from the inside out, my leg pain went away and I cancelled the surgery. Today I'm running again.

I'm not perfect. I still get some tingling down my right leg now and then. But the leg pain is gone, and I walk, run and train.

Now I can't unsee it. Most of the active, fit women I work with aren't weak. They've lost the feel for their back, and the control went with it. That's what I want to help you get back.

Got my free 15-minute routine?

That's step one: feeling better.

Step two is keeping it, so it doesn't come back in a week. That's what I teach live in this workshop: feel first, then control, then strength, at the right dose for you.

What you'll learn in 90 minutes

Gabriel Van der Veer, PT, demonstrating a bird dog

Why your back feels tight when it's really unstable, and why stretching and adjustments keep wearing off
A simple self-test that shows where YOU are losing control, so you stop guessing which exercises are yours
FEELHow to find your pelvis and deep core again, the first step most plans skip
CONTROLHow to brace before you bend, so lifting, carrying and gardening stop flaring your back
STRENGTHThe 7 moves I use myself, after a surgeon wanted to fuse my spine, and how to make each one harder as you get stronger
How to stay in the sweet spot, so you build up without flare-ups
Live Q&A: bring your questions about your own back

Yes, teach me how to keep it ($27)

Live on Zoom · Recording included · First 5 get VIP

VIP: the first 5 to join

In the workshop you learn to test yourself. The first 5 people who join also get me to check it for them, as their physical therapist:

After the workshop, you film 3 simple moves on your phone. I'll send you exactly which ones.
During the week, I watch every video myself and look for your weak points.
Then the 5 of us meet on a small group call. I show each of you where you're losing control and exactly where to start.

Only 5 spots, because I review every video myself. When they're gone, they're gone. Included in the $27.

This is for you if...

You have sciatica or SI joint pain, and you're tired of it deciding what you can do
You're already active, or you want to be again
You've tried stretching, adjustments, physio or rest, and it doesn't last
You're willing to do 15 minutes a few times a week

This is NOT for you if...

You're looking for a quick fix with no effort
You had back surgery recently and haven't been cleared by your doctor
You have new leg weakness, numbness in the groin area, or loss of bladder or bowel control. See a doctor right away.

Same fix, three different women

"I honestly thought my back pain was just going to be there forever. Now it doesn't decide my day anymore."Carla, my wife

"Dancing was my whole life, and my back took it away. Now I play in a touch football league with no back pain. Next I want his ankle and foot program."Joselyn, Germany · coached online

"I'm active and strong, and my hip pain still kept coming back. Once I learned to control my pelvis, my hip calmed down and I got back to training."Lorena, my sister-in-law, Minnesota

I want results like theirs ($27)

90 minutes with me, live

Questions people ask me

I can't make it live. Is it still worth it?

Yes. Everyone who joins gets the recording, so you can watch it when it suits you and pause to do the moves with me.

I've never used Zoom. Will I manage?

Yes. After you join I'll email you a link. You click it at the start time and you're in. You don't need a camera on, and you don't need to talk unless you want to.

I'm over 60. Is this for me?

Most of the women I work with are 50 and up. Every move starts easy, and I show you how to make it easier or harder for your body.

I've tried physio, chiro and stretching. Why would this be different?

Those mostly loosen things up or move things back. That can feel good, but it doesn't teach your back to hold steady. In this workshop we go in order: first you feel your pelvis and deep core again, then you learn to control them, then you build strength. The first two steps are the ones that usually get skipped, and that's why the relief keeps wearing off.

I have stenosis or a disc problem. Can I join?

Most likely, yes. I have stenosis myself. Every move starts gentle, and I show you how to make it easier or harder for your body. If you have new leg weakness, numbness in the groin area, or bladder or bowel changes, please see a doctor first.

How do I get the Zoom link?

Right after you pay, you're registered. I'll email the Zoom link to the email you use at checkout before Saturday.

Back in Control · live on Zoom

Saturday, November 21 · 11:00 AM (GMT-6)

We go live in

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$27

A single 1:1 consult with me is $67. In this workshop you get 90 minutes with me, the recording, and the first 5 also get a VIP assessment. All for $27.

Live on Zoom, 90 minutes. Recordings included: can't make it live? You get the replay.

First 5 to join get a VIP assessment

Save my spot ($27)

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Optional at checkout: the Printable Routine Guide, $9All the moves from the workshop on paper, with how many to do and how to make each one easier or harder. Stick it on the fridge so you don't have to remember. Add it at checkout if you want it.

See you there,
Gabriel Van der Veer, PT