In her early 20’s, Christian had chronic knee pain for 2 years. Over time, the physical pain turned into mental pain and ultimately into soul pain because she – a competitive cross-country and track runner – had to stop running. She tried various pain-relief methods and nothing worked. As an Exercise Physiologist, she decided to focus her entire career on understanding and eliminating chronic pain. Christian has been pain-free now for over 12 years, she runs regularly and works with clients to help them be not only pain-free, but unstoppable too!
Now, with over 17 years of experience working with clients, Christian Cruz, MS, EP-C is a chronic pain exercise physiologist and is the creator of From Suffering to Unstoppable: The system to understand, eliminate and prevent chronic pain. From Suffering to Unstoppable is a unique and comprehensive system that helps chronic pain sufferers interrupt their pain patterns and achieve a higher level of healing, functionality and living. Her system specializes in helping clients reprogram sensory and neural pathways, release tightness, realign posture, reactivate muscles and re-educate movement mechanics. She takes clients who are currently experiencing pain and works to reduce or eliminate it and creates a customized program to reach their goals of muscle toning, increased strength, flexibility, balance, power, movement efficiency and improved overall health and fitness. Christian’s holistic, comprehensive and natural approach of treating the whole person leads to faster and longer lasting results. She loves to coach and mentor her clients to inspire them to higher living.
Christian and her husband co-created Cruz Country Fitness and Physical Therapy’s Group Experience, a group health and fitness training program that merges principles and practices of physical therapy, exercise physiology and personal training into the only group program of its kind. The Group Experience focuses on safety, support, collaboration and pain-free results. She also co-created with her husband the Cleanse and Renewal Program.
Christian holds a Master of Science in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology with a concentration in Clinical Exercise Physiology from the University of Florida. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Exercise Physiology and completed double minors in Chemistry and Psychology from the University of Miami. She is a Certified Exercise Physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine and has specialty certifications in Active Isolated Stretching, Myofascial Release, Soft Tissue Release, and Pre- and Post- Natal Corrective Exercise. She is a Running Coach, a Body Map Coach and a Mind Map Coach. She is also an expert among experts: as a Master Instructor at Equinox Fitness, she trained and taught other personal trainers. She was even voted Teaching Assistant of The Year at The University of Florida for her methodology in weight training, conditioning and jogging. Christian also worked with high-risk cardiac rehab patients to strengthen their hearts at the Baptist Health Cardiac & Vascular Institute.
Christian inspires and teaches audiences about the root causes of chronic pain and the often simple solutions that can alleviate it. She speaks at hospitals, rehab facilities, universities, fitness studios, health conferences, and anywhere people who are interested in health and fitness gather. In addition, Christian hosts educational events at Cruz Country Fitness & Physical Therapy several times a year.
Christian has been married to Armando for over 12 years and together they have 3 children.