The Basis For Exercise Prescription

Watching how someone moves is the foundation for diagnosing what is wrong. Most approaches prescribe exercises based on the location of the pain. This may seem right, but to have lasting results, we must address the underlying movement patterns causing the discomfort. By movement patterns, we mean everyday activities, the way we sit, the way we stand, and (most importantly) the way we walk. Both strong and weak components are evident by how we move.

A walk favoring one side will build up that side, while making the other side weaker. This lop-sidedness might be seen in the back and legs, even in the muscle-mass of those parts. If someone holds an arm and shoulder up high when they walk, this would cause shoulder and neck stress, as well as stress for the heart.

Everyone has weaknesses. By weaknesses, I mean sooner or later something will go wrong and cause problems in health. Health problems built up by weaknesses will be different for different people. They might come out as back pain for someone. They might come out as headaches, fatigue, or pain in the side for someone else. At any rate, built up weaknesses will come out as a limit to activity or to energy in some physical way. Those limits are developing now, even if we are not aware of them. 

Imbalances in movement from years of bad movement habits cause certain weaknesses. Exercises that address these weaknesses and bring about change in the movement may not completely bring the body around to the place it ought to be. Nevertheless, such exercises targeting the weaknesses may prevent the body from getting worse and creating greater problems. Such effort can even bring about complete relief from pain.

Observing one’s walk will reveal a large number of problems. For example, a tight arm swing or little arm swing will reveal a tense shoulder. If the shoulders are uneven, or there is a slight tilt of the head, this results in a weak shoulder. Dipping to one side after the foot has landed produces a kind of cross-lateral torque. The above bad movement habits may not seem that important, but they can lead to problems later on. 

These problems could take the form of bursitis, neck pain, or heart problems. Such problems may seem dormant now, although effects like stress, fatigue, or less body function might be felt now. These might be considered subtle but important limitations. The big point to appreciate is that weakness is revealed in everyday movement. Our everyday movement patterns, particularly the ways we move that are not in alignment, will reveal both current and potential health problems.

For example, a heart problem is usually only experienced when a person is older and has difficulties. However, the potential for such health problems is shown now by one’s everyday movement patterns. If you could prevent serious health problems from occurring in the future, would you at least try the exercises? I would hope the answer to that is clear.

For help in selecting the best exercises for you, schedule a 1-1 coaching session at www.painalleviated.com

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