Dr. Arianne Missimer, DPT, RD, IFMCP is a doctor of physical therapy, registered dietitian, mindfulness and somatic practitioner, and one of fewer than 2,500 Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioners worldwide. She is the founder and CEO of The Movement Paradigm, where she integrates functional medicine, holistic physical therapy, and nervous system regulation to help people thrive.
Dr. Missimer a TEDx speaker and is also a STRONG Fitness Magazine columnist and cover athlete. She has been featured on ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, named a Main Line Today Power Woman and Health Care Hero, and recognized nationally for her contributions to nutrition and sports medicine rehabilitation. A cancer survivor and advocate for whole-body wellness, her mission is to inspire people to uncover root causes, reclaim resilience, and rise to their fullest potential through mindset, nutrition, and movement.
Women Fitness President Ms. Namita Nayyar catches up with Dr. Arianne Missimer an exceptionally talented and accomplished, a doctor of physical therapy, registered dietitian, mindfulness, a cancer survivor, and somatic practitioner. Here she talks about her ‘The Movement Paradigm’, fitness regime, diet, hair & skincare and her success story.
Namita Nayyar:
Your expertise spans functional medicine, physical therapy, and nervous system regulation. How do these disciplines influence your own health and fitness routine, and what unique practices do you combine?
Arianne Missimer:
I approach my own health the same way I guide my patients—through an integrative, functional medicine lens that always asks why and addresses root causes. That means consistently evaluating my nutrition, labs, sleep, movement patterns, and stress physiology to create alignment.
My fitness routine reflects this philosophy. I strength train and powerlift four days a week to build resilience and capacity. I complement that with aerial arts like Lyra, bodyweight strength, Animal Flow, and fascial tensioning to cultivate adaptability, flow, nervous system engagement, and most importantly, play. For cardiovascular health and regulation, I integrate running, paddle boarding, and walking in nature.
Just as importantly, I weave in mindful movement, meditative practices, restorative sleep, and intentional nutrition. The result is a practice that doesn’t just focus on performance—it supports long-term vitality, adaptability, and whole-body health.
Namita Nayyar:
As a cancer survivor, how did your approach to fitness and wellness evolve during and after treatment? Are there specific practices you prioritize now to build resilience?
Arianne Missimer:
During treatment, I adopted the philosophy that guides my practice today: mindset, nutriton, and movement. Even while undergoing chemotherapy and proton therapy, I trained for American Ninja Warrior and later competed on the show four months after my treatment ended, proving to myself the power of resilience. Post-treatment, my shift was toward understanding trauma, nervous system regulation, and emotional health — areas often overlooked in conventional medicine.
Functional medicine science helped me heal my gut, reduce inflammation, and restore energy. Movement has always helped my through life’s biggest challenges. Now, I not only prioritize movement but also nervous system practices, integrative nutrition, airway health and sleep, knowing resilience must be built across physical, biochemical, and emotional domains.
Namita Nayyar:
How do you integrate nervous system regulation into strength training, movement therapy, and functional medicine — both for yourself and for your patients at The Movement Paradigm?
Arianne Missimer:
Every movement I do—whether it’s a heavy deadlift or a bodyweight flow—is grounded in mindfulness and intention. For my patients, the first step is awareness: understanding their autonomic state. Are they in fight, flight, freeze, or safety?
Functional medicine gives us the lens to connect physiology—gut health, hormones, inflammation—with nervous system regulation. Healing is only possible when the body feels safe. That’s why I integrate breath work, vagus nerve stimulation, and somatic awareness into strength, mobility, and movement training.
The science is clear: adaptability is the hallmark of health. My role is to help patients learn how to regulate and adapt—so stress becomes a catalyst for growth, not a pathway to breakdown.
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