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Victoria Cotten

@100.percent.cotten

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• Future DC • Holistic Health & Evidence-Based Movement ✨Let’s get healthy✨

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Before I was a Chiro Student, I was a victim of my own posture. I spent years lifting heavy while stuck in Anterior Pelvic Tilt (APT), and it eventually led to the back injury that changed everything for me.

When your pelvis tilts forward, your erector spinae and hip flexors become short and overactive. This forces your lumbar spine into excessive extension, literally jamming your facet joints together and leaving your discs unprotected. When you add a heavy load on top of that? Something eventually has to give. For me it was my lower back. Part of my recovery process now is teaching my spine to go back into neutral position. This includes isolating exercises where I practice tucking my tailbone (laying down, then progress to standing), as well as glute bridges while keeping the tuck. Try these out and let me know if it helps! #fyp #fitnessadvice #backhealth #futurechiropractor #biomechanics by @100.percent.cotten

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8 months ago

Most people treat back pain by stretching what’s tight, but they’re missing the real culprit, instability. The Paloff press has been my favorite exercise to implement to work on my deep core and deep back muscle muscles. Build a spine that’s built to last! #backhealth #futurechiropractor #fypage #fitnessadvice #ﬁtnesscoach by @100.percent.cotten

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8 months ago

Dead hangs are great for creating a tension like force on your lumbar spine. This isn’t a solution for everyone’s back pain, but can help a lot of people.

I find scapular pulls to help elevate my shoulders after sitting and studying all day. It helps engage your lower trap fibers and serratus anterior muscle to pull your scapula (shoulder blades) down.

Clinical Note: this is not for everyone. If you have an active shoulder injury or sharp, radiating pain when performing these exercises, I’d recommend you skip the hanging!

#fitnessadvice #backhealth #futurechiropractor #backhealth #ﬁtnesscoach by @100.percent.cotten

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7 months ago

Our body is designed to work together and our hips are no different! To understand how your hips move it’s important to understand the type of joint: ball and socket. Your hips are built to rotate!

To perform the hip airplane:
1️⃣ Hold onto a wall or squat bar for stability
2️⃣ Extend one of your leg straight out while keeping the other leg planted into the ground.
3️⃣ Slowly rotate your pelvis “open” toward the ceiling, then return “closed” oward the floor.
✨think about moving your pelvis around your standing leg✨

Try this move before your next squat day and feel the difference!

#hipmobility #fitnessadvice #backhealth #ﬁtnesscoach by @100.percent.cotten

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7 months ago

Here is a realistic $80 food hall, that will feed me and my daughter for the week. I legit do not like spending money, and grocery shopping is a necessity, so I try to be smart with what I spend! I used to spend hours prepping meals, but now I just like to have a general idea of what I’m gonna make, and figure the rest out later. It’s a crazy world, but I’m just living in it.

#healthadvice #groceryhaul #organicfood #weeklymealprep #mealplanning by @100.percent.cotten

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7 months ago

Most people think “core bracing” means sucking their belly button to their spine. This is a recipe for instability and we don’t want that!

If you want to prevent injury and lift heavy, you need Intra-Abdominal Pressure (IAP).

Bracing = Injury Prevention + More Power.

Think of your torso like a soda can. If the can is empty, it’s easy to crush. But if it’s sealed and pressurized, it can support a massive amount of weight.

Follow me for more evidence-based tips to build a back—and a body—that don’t crack.

@drinkolipop bc y’all are my favorite

#fitnessadvice fitnessadvice #futurechiropractor #backhealth #fyp #biomechanics by @100.percent.cotten

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8 months ago

✨Have you ever been trying to focus, but your brain feels like it’s screaming at you? ✨

You’re staring at the same page for 20 minutes, your heart is racing, and you just can’t settle in.

That’s your Sympathetic Nervous System (Fight or Flight) taking over. When you’re in this state, your brain is too busy being stressed to actually learn or recover.

My go-to focus hack: 60 BPM music 🎧🧬

Through a process called Cardiac Entrainment, your heart rate naturally tries to sync up with the rhythm of what you’re hearing.

How it works:
A steady, slow tempo triggers your Vagal Brake. This signals your Vagus Nerve to “brake” your heart rate, shifting you into a Parasympathetic state (the “Rest and Digest” mode).

What I listen to:
• Somatic Beats: Specifically designed for body regulation.
• Lo-Fi Study Beats: Usually sits right in that 60 BPM sweet spot.

#fitnessadvice #vagusnerve #futurechiropractor #healthadvice #nervoussystemhealing by @100.percent.cotten

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As a chiro student, my most recent fascination has been with Cranial Nerve X—The Vagus Nerve.

Think of the Vagus nerve as the “superhighway” for your parasympathetic nervous system. When this nerve is firing efficiently (high Vagal tone), your body is able to:

✅ Lower your heart rate
✅ Improve digestion
✅ Reduce systemic inflammation
✅ Transition from stress to recovery

The best part… it’s simple to activate. By exhaling twice as long as your inhale (like the 3:6 method) you are telling your brain “ok we can relax”.

The possibilities to use this tool is endless. During a stressful drive home from work, in between a heavy lift, or during an intense study session. A simple practice with great effects.

#vagusnerve #fitnessadvice #recoverytips #sciencegirl #stressmanagement by @100.percent.cotten

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8 months ago

You don’t need to “isolate” your glute minimus.

It literally doesn’t function in isolation.

The glute minimus sits deep to the glute medius.
They share similar attachment points.
They co-contract during hip abduction and pelvic stabilization.

So when you’re walking, running, lifting, doing single-leg work: they’re working together.

Trying to hyper-focus on isolating a deep stabilizer muscle misses the point.

Train patterns.
Train stability.
Train strength under load.
#fitnessadvice #glutetraining #ﬁtnesscoach #biomechanics #anatomy by @100.percent.cotten

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8 months ago

The RDL is one of the most effective movements for your posterior chain, but in my opinion, one of the easiest exercises to get wrong.

As a Chiropractic student, I was determined to make sure I wasn’t doing this exercise correctly, not only for my gains, but for my spinal health.

1️⃣ Lock in your lats. See how I pull my shoulders back and down before I start? This tightens the thoracolumbar fascia, creating a natural support system for your spine.

2️⃣ Keep the bar close. Look at the side view, the bar stays glued to my shins. This is physics 101, the further bar drifts away from you the heavier it feels for your spine.

3️⃣ The horizontal hinge. I’m not leaning over, I’m pushing my hips back. I like to imagine I’m closing a door with my butt.

4️⃣ You have to start with a solid foundation- whether you lift barefoot or in flat shoes, you want to have a stable base.

#fitnessadvice #backhealth #futurechiropractor #romaniandeadlift #biomechanics by @100.percent.cotten

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8 months ago

If you want a bulletproof spine, you have to talk about your Lateral Anchors. As a chiropractic student and avid gym goer, I see most people only focus on the front “six-pack” muscles (I’m so guilty of this!), but neglect lateral stabilizers.
Why I love the side plank: you get to work your abs while also recruiting a powerhouse trio:
1️⃣ The Quadratus Lumborum (QL): Anchoring your hip to the side of your spine.
2️⃣ Internal Obliques: The deep stabilizers.
3️⃣ External Obliques: The outer bracing layer.
If you want a healthier back that won’t buckle under a load, add these to your weekly rotation! #backhealth #fyp #futurechiropractor #fitnessadvice #fitnesscoach by @100.percent.cotten

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