Dr.Cindy K Tan
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Precision Nutrition Coach Level 1
About Me
As long as I can remember I loved all things movement, nutrition and health. I played collegiate DII Women’s Tennis for the University of California, San Diego. After playing tennis for 18 years, I set down my racquets. Now a days, you can find me at the beach playing beach volleyball with my husband.
In 2015, I received my Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Azusa Pacific University. After graduating, I continued my training and completed an extensive one year mentorship with Coury and Buehler Physical Therapy.
In addition, to advance my skills I have two certifications: Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, focusing to help athletes get fit for their sport and to prevent injuries and Certified Nutrition Coach, as a way to incorporate holistic healing.
Currently, I am expanding my studies at Talbot School of Theology focusing on my Masters for Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. I believe true healing occurs when you heal the body, mind, and soul.
I also teach as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Azusa Pacific University. I love teaching but my favorite part about being a professor is the time I get to spend with my students. They are so fun and they crack me up!
After spending six years focused on Outpatient Orthopedic Physical Therapy and 2 years in Home Health Physical Therapy, I refocused my role as a Health Coach and created Vertical Movement, an online experience to help women who struggle with food and body image.
Having a past of struggling with my body image and food, I understand the struggle.
Since I was 13, I found my identity in my body. Having competed at a high level of tennis until I was 22, I had the safety net of exercising hours a day, burning all the calories I consumed. However, as I grew older and my metabolism slowed down, I no longer could depend on my metabolism and an active lifestyle to keep my weight down. After graduating college and no longer playing tennis hours a day, I slowly started gaining weight.
As a result, I found myself obsessing over eating “healthy”, counting calories, and going overboard with exercising. I was trapped in an endless cycle of dieting, over exercising, losing weight, binge eating, and gaining weight. My mind was constantly thinking of food and exercise.
After a decade of learning more about nutrition, the body, the mind and the soul, I learned the balance of living an active and healthy lifestyle while enjoying food and life!
With my background in physical therapy, nutrition, and soul care, I want to help other women find the freedom that I discovered.
Mission
Vertical Movement’s mission is to love people by providing quality care that will help women who struggle with food and body image to improve their overall health and quality of life through nutrition, movement and lifestyle coaching.
How many of us actually live our lives freely? Little do we know, the world we live in has us wrapped around its finger. Society hardwires us to want to live to please society, always seeking the approval of others. Whether it be with our jobs or with our appearances, we let the pressures of life tell us how to live. Some of us let our jobs lead us down a road where our health is prioritized last, only realizing years later the toll it took on our health. Others let the body image standards of society tell us we need to look a certain way, only feeling satisfied with life on days we look "good". In the end you will find, you never really lived.
Life is so much more! We all have a purpose in this world, one that God has given each and everyone one of us. It is our responsibility to take control of our health so we can take the focus away from us and focus on living life for something greater.