The Cheer Athlete

About The Cheer Athlete

REAL talk about ways to progress in cheerleading, reduce injuries and stay healthy and fit for life. Laura Turner is The Cheer PT. She cheered thru college, while becoming a physical therapist. She has coached both high school and college. Later, her doctorate studies in physical therapy included a final project about cheer injuries and how movement screening may reduce the risk. She is passionate about keeping cheerleaders healthy so they don't lose time at school or with their friends and team. And she LOVEs seeing all the progress cheerleaders continue to make. Are you ready? Let's GO!

Publisher

Laura Turner

Category

sports

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

17 Apr 2023

Latest episode

5 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

184 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   5 Nov 2026

   Episode 181: Push-Ups Won't Fix Your Shoulders (But This Will)

   Picture pressing a heavy weight over your head. Now picture that weight is breathing. It shifts its hips, it leans, and it’s somebody’s daughter. That’s basing. So when a base walks off the mat rubbing her shoulder, or her shoulders are up by her ears every time the stunt hits the top, that’s not a toughness problem. Her shoulder is telling us something. In this episode, I cover what a base’s shoulder actually needs overhead, why “just do more push-ups” isn’t the whole answer, the red flags that mean she stops stunting and gets seen, and the two exercise pairs I use in the clinic. This one is for coaches and parents. In this episode: The shoulder as a ball on a saucer, and why the shoulder blade has to turn as the arm goes overhead Why the ribcage is the shoulder blade’s base, and what happens when her ribs flare and her back arches “Shoulders out of your ears”: the shrug, getting under the stunt, and why height differences in a stunt group matter Two bases with shoulder impingement, and a former cheerleader whose elbow pain was really a shoulder blade problem Two shoulder reaches coaches can watch at practice Overworking vs. underworking muscles in bases, using NeuroKinetic Therapy® (NKT®) Myths: more push-ups, lift heavy to hold heavy, work them until they drop, and “my shoulder clicks” 5 red flags that mean she stops stunting and gets seen Two exercise pairs: prone prop with neck motion + lats, and a chest/biceps stretch + I’s, T’s and Y’s Mentioned in this episode: FREE Control Check (5 control exercises, 2-page PDF): https://ltthecheerpt.com/control-check-8880 (https://ltthecheerpt.com/control-check-8880) Before You Tumble (wrist episode): https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Ifc0pEJajz3TcYjSBWbZ8?si=9uQUulXORrKNcOaJEmWWng (https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Ifc0pEJajz3TcYjSBWbZ8?si=9uQUulXORrKNcOaJEmWWng) Join the free Facebook group, Mat Ready Cheer Athletes with The Cheer PT: https://www.facebook.com/groups/healthycheerleading (https://www.facebook.com/groups/healthycheerleading) Connect with Laura: https://LTTheCheerPT.com (https://LTTheCheerPT.com) Research and resources referenced: Shields BJ, Fernandez SA, Smith GA. Epidemiology of cheerleading stunt-related injuries in the United States. Journal of Athletic Training. 2009;44(6):586. https://nata.kglmeridian.com/view/journals/attr/44/6/article-p586.xml (https://nata.kglmeridian.com/view/journals/attr/44/6/article-p586.xml) San Juan JG, et al. Comparison of the traditional and modified push-up plus. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2015;16:23. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4327800 (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4327800) Kathy Dooley, Immaculate Dissection David Weinstock, NeuroKinetic Therapy® (NKT®) Gary Ward, Anatomy in Motion Gray Cook, Functional Movement Systems (“perfection before progression” is my phrase for his idea of not adding strength on top of a movement that isn’t working) The thumbnail was created with AI. The cheerleaders shown are not real people. This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. If your athlete has pain, see a physical therapist or healthcare provider.

2. 

   29 Oct 2026

   Episode 180: Wrist Pain Relief Exercises for Cheerleaders Do These 3 Before You Tumble

   "My athlete's wrists always hurt. What brace should I buy?" I see that question in cheer mom groups all the time. But wrist pain that's always there, or keeps coming back, isn't something to brace and push through. It's something to look at. In this episode, I cover why cheerleaders' wrists hurt, the red flags that mean "stop and get her seen," and three moves to do before she tumbles. I also share the story of a 12-year-old soccer player whose knee pain kept coming back, and why that story is the reason I take "it keeps coming back" so seriously. This one is for coaches and parents. In this episode: - Why her wrists work like feet in cheer, and why wrist pain is usually a load problem, not "weak wrists" - How stiff shoulders and a rounded upper back push more load onto the wrist - The knee pain that turned out to be a hip problem (SCFE), and what it teaches us about the wrist - The snuffbox, the scaphoid, and why early X-rays can miss a fracture - 6 red flags that mean she stops tumbling and basing and gets seen - Why tape and braces don't fix why it hurts - The suction cup cue for every time her hands hit the mat - 3 moves before she tumbles: open books, inchworms and scapular CARs Mentioned in this episode: - FREE wrist handout, Before You Tumble: Wrist Prep & Red Flags: (https://drive.google.com/file/d/19oZfmre8grIrVgASPUWH4mrY2-rQBTNa/view?usp=sharing) - FREE Warm-Ups for Cheerleaders (PDF + YouTube playlist): (https://link.srvcsndr.com/widget/form/FyIfD6K3dlzwSG2R6aUf) - Join the free Facebook group, Mat Ready Cheer Athletes with The Cheer PT: (https://www.facebook.com/groups/healthycheerleading) - Connect with Laura: ( https://LTTheCheerPT.com) Research and resources referenced: - DiFiori JP, et al. Wrist pain in young gymnasts: frequency and effects upon training over 1 year. 2002. https://www.orthobullets.com/Evidence/12435656 - Wrist pain in adolescent artistic gymnasts: a systematic review. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine. 2025. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23259671251395329 - Jacobson BH, et al. Injuries in college cheerleading. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2005. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/39/4/237 - Back handspring biomechanics in young female gymnasts. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine (PRiSM abstract). 2026. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/reader/10.1177/2325967126S00218 - Gymnast's wrist: a retrospective series. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6446364 - Scaphoid stress fracture in a gymnast. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3504270 - Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) overview. REBEL EM. https://rebelem.com/slipped-capital-femoral-epiphysis-scfe This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. If your athlete has pain, see a physical therapist or healthcare provider.

3. 

   22 Oct 2026

   It’s Not Episode 179: Your Back Why Stretching Won’t Fix Back Pain in Cheer & Tumbling

   Her X-ray was clean. Her MRI was clean. Her back still hurt. If your athlete's low back hurts every time she arches or lands, the first thing most of us say is "go stretch it out." But tumbling back pain usually doesn't start in the back. In this episode, I share the story of an athlete whose back took the hit for her upper back, her shoulders, her hamstrings and her landings, and why she never fully made it back to competing. This one is for coaches, and for the parents listening too. In this episode: Why the low back ends up doing most of the work in a back walkover or back handspring What a "broken back" (spondylolysis) is, and why a clean scan doesn't mean she's cleared Why stretching her back won't fix it, and what she needs instead 4 things coaches can start at the next practice: ask, watch for the rainbow vs. the hinge, listen to the landing, and build it into practice 3 exercises I used with my athlete: toe-touch progression, open books and inchworms WFhen to modify practice, and when to send her to a PT or doctor How long it really takes to get back after a stress fracture Mentioned in this episode: FREE Warm-Ups for Cheerleaders (https://link.srvcsndr.com/widget/form/FyIfD6K3dlzwSG2R6aUf) (PDF + YouTube playlist): Join the free Facebook group, Mat Ready Cheer Athletes With The Cheer PT (https://www.facebook.com/groups/healthycheerleading) Connect with Laura: https://LTTheCheerPT.com (https://LTTheCheerPT.com) Research and resources referenced: Tilley D. Back Pain in Gymnastics – A Complete Guide. SHIFT Movement Science, 2022. https://shiftmovementscience.com/gymnasticsbackpainguide/ (https://shiftmovementscience.com/gymnasticsbackpainguide/) MacLean K. Flexibility in Gymnastics: Ways to Decrease Stress in the Low Back. Coury & Buehler Physical Therapy, 2015. https://cbphysicaltherapy.com/flexibility-in-gymnastics-ways-to-decrease-stress-in-the-low-back/ (https://cbphysicaltherapy.com/flexibility-in-gymnastics-ways-to-decrease-stress-in-the-low-back/) Hackney T. Treating a Broken Back in Tumbling Athletes. Athletico, 2024. https://www.athletico.com/2024/07/31/treating-a-broken-back-in-tumbling-athletes/ (https://www.athletico.com/2024/07/31/treating-a-broken-back-in-tumbling-athletes/) Jackson DW, et al. Spondylolysis in the female gymnast. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. 1976. Mohile NV, et al. A Review of Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. 2022. https://www.jabfm.org/content/jabfp/35/6/1204.full.pdf (https://www.jabfm.org/content/jabfp/35/6/1204.full.pdf) Masci L, et al. Use of the one-legged hyperextension test and MRI in the diagnosis of active spondylolysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2006;40(11):940. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/40/11/940 (https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/40/11/940) Grazina R, et al. Return to play after conservative treatment in athletes with symptomatic spondylolysis: a systematic review. Physical Therapy in Sport. 2019. Afonso J, et al. Strength training versus stretching for improving range of motion: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Healthcare. 2021. This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. If your athlete has pain, see a physical therapist or healthcare provider.

Who has been a guest on The Cheer Athlete

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Laura Tillman
• Laura Thornton
• Dr Laura Turner
• Laura Transue

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 58 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

92

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

60

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Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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