Zebra Talks: Living Your Best Bendy Life

Running and Hypermobility with Kate Bochnewetch

Zebra Talks: Living Your Best Bendy Life

Show Notes

In this episode of Zebra Talks, host Dr. Libby Hinsley is joined by Dr. Kate Bochnewetch, a physical therapist and run coach, to discuss running with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD), and other chronic illnesses.

Kate shares her personal journey with hypermobility, POTS, and chronic migraine, and how these experiences influenced her approach to training runners with similar conditions. Topics covered include the importance of a gentle, conservative, and health-focused training plan, the role of strength training, managing stress, and the selection of appropriate footwear.

Kate also offers insights into pacing and mental preparedness, emphasizing the need for individualized care and flexibility in exercise routines. Listeners interested in learning more about Kate's work can find her on Instagram at @the_running_dpt or visit her website at therunningdpt.com.

Highlights of this episode include:

00:00 Introduction to Zebra Talks 00:35 Meet Kate Bognawicz: Physical Therapist and Coach 01:36 Kate's Journey with Hypermobility 03:30 Challenges in Traditional PT Practice 06:34 Approach to Running Training for EDS/HSD 08:20 Indicators for Running Readiness 10:07 Debunking Myths About Running with EDS/HSD 14:31 Strength Training for Joint Stability 16:51 Running Progression Timeline 22:04 Managing POTS in Running Training 24:14 Footwear Recommendations 27:08 Run-Walk Approach and Stress Management 32:18 Conclusion and Contact Information

More from Zebra Talks: Living Your Best Bendy Life

Jun 8, 2026

Host Dr. Libby Hinsley welcomes Jennifer Parkinson, a certified functional nutrition practitioner and founder of EDS Nutritionist, who supports people with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, MCAS, and POTS.

Jun 1, 2026

Host Dr. Libby Hinsley welcomes physical therapist Dr. Laura Glazebrook to discuss scoliosis, especially its overlap with hypermobility. Laura shares her own history of rapidly progressing scoliosis, undergoing a spinal fusion at age 11, and later realizing she likely falls on the hypermobility spectrum.

May 25, 2026

Dr. Libby Hinsley welcomes menopause specialist and nurse practitioner Vanessa Weiland, founder of Phases Clinic and creator of Bendy Menopause, who also has hypermobile EDS and MCAS.

May 18, 2026

Host Dr. Libby Hinsley interviews Abbey Phillipson, a classical Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) advocate and Paralympic strength and conditioning coach at the University of Michigan. Abbey shares her experience with early signs, diagnosis via genetics (COL5A1), and serious complications of Classical EDS.

May 11, 2026

Host Dr. Libby Hinsley interviews pelvic floor physical therapist and author Dr. Amy Stein, founder of Beyond Basics Physical Therapy. Stein discusses the strong overlap she sees between hypermobility and pelvic floor dysfunction (estimating about 70% of her patients), including patterns of pelvic floor gripping used for stability, pelvic pain, prolapse, hernias, constipation/IBS symptoms, possible pelvic congestion, and bladder, bowel, and sexual dysfunction across all genders.

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