This week we want to highlight MAT® Headquarters very own, Megan Leyba! Megan was the second person to be MAT Rx Full Body Certified (behind Greg Roskopf). Megan teaches all levels of our education program and has led courses at Broadview College. We asked if she would spend a couple of minutes with us talking about her experience as an MAT Certified Specialist, here are her responses:
Interviewer: Hey-o and good morning, let's start with the basics, where did you graduate from college, Megan?
Megan: I graduated from St. Mary's University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and later received my Masters in Health Fitness Management from Globe University in 2012.
Interviewer: Isn't that the same year you graduated from the MAT Masters program?
Megan: Haha ya, I took the MAT Specialist Program in 2008 and became a Master Level Specialist in 2012.
Interviewer: Impressive that you completed both of those Masters programs in the same year Megan. How did you know that MAT was the right healthcare career for you?
Megan: Hmm well I think it all starts with when I dislocated my knee cap at 15 years old. I grew up as a competitive softball player and after that injury, I had a hard time finding an effective therapy. After months of trying different modalities, I discovered Muscle Activation Techniques. For the first time since my injury, I was pain-free, had no swelling, and was back to full competitive play! From then on, I knew that MAT® was going to be my career. Watching my teammates through college get hurt and have to stop playing softball helped reinforce that I was doing the right thing. I was excited to learn how I could help not only athletes, like myself but everyone!
Interviewer: That's a really neat story, Megan! Can you give us a breakdown of a day in the life of an MAT Practitioner?
Megan: Well, my days are pretty fun. I have clients booked on the hour and I get to hang out with my clients and help them all at the same time. I love this job because you really get to know your clients and they become friends. So, getting to catch up is a huge perk. But, with each client, I talk to them about how their body has been feeling since our last session, what activities they have done, and what they plan on doing in the immediate future. From there, they get on the table and we go through the MAT process. At the end, I have them walk around, see how they feel, and talk about things to pay attention to in the next week. Then, I take notes, fill up my water bottle, and start with the next client!
Interviewer: So do you get enough breaks to eat lunch or snacks throughout the day?
Megan: Oo good questions, I personally don’t schedule a lot of breaks into my day because I like to get home to my kids, as they are still quite young. I would rather work through it than take any breaks. So, simply, no. And I get made fun of for it by the other practitioners in the office. However, I have gotten really good at getting a snack in between clients. Also, sometimes with traffic people run a little late so I can usually get a little bigger of a meal in then, pretty much I just make it work.
Interviewer: Ok so now that we know how you fuel yourself, I am curious how you keep track of each clients' progress, do you take notes after each client?
Megan: Absolutely! I have to know how they feel coming in, what we worked on, and how they feel leaving. It helps me to see patterns in their behavior and their muscular system. I look back on my notes a lot. It took me a couple of years to really find a note system that works for me. It is a really important step of this job, especially as your schedule fills up!
Interviewer: Makes sense! So then what is your favorite muscle to work on?
Megan: Hmmm, that is a good question. I think it depends on the day and my mood! Sometimes I would rather treat trunk muscles like TVA (transverse abdominis), but other days I want to work on hip muscles like rectus femoris. Then, on some days when I want to challenge myself, I get excited if I get to work on cervical muscles – those guys can be tough because they are so tiny!
Interviewer: Haha! How do you like to spend your time outside of the MAT world, with all the clients, teaching, and research?
Megan: I spend it with my family. My kids are 5 and 7 and are just getting into sports which is really fun. We have a boat so we spend a lot of time in the summer fishing and swimming as a family. We are also lucky that my parents and in-laws live close by so we get to spend time with the grandparents as well. I am also a big crocheter - Ha hmm is that a word? I am busy crocheting in the evenings!
Interviewer: Wow! I love hearing that you work with your hands outside of the office, that's incredible! Well, thank you for taking the time to talk with us, Megan!
Megan: Yes of course! Thank you!
Stay tuned for more spotlights!