Context Matters

Something that we see a lot in the clinic / gym / studio, especially in people living with pain - is the same movement pattern repeated in all different situations.

For example - strongly bracing their torso - keeping their back straight and rigid just to bend down and pick up a shoe from the floor.

While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the movement itself - is that amount of muscle tension required for that specific task???

The human body is amazingly versatile and adaptable, and context matters when it comes to movement.

Some of the factors that effect your movements include….

The nature of the task

- Is there a heavy load involved that you need to push / pull / pick up?

- Is it a movement you repeat often?

- How long will you hold the position for?

Are you familiar with the task?

- Have you done this task before?

- How did it go? Have you previously been injured performing this task?

- Do you always do it this way? Are you able move differently if you need to/try?

If every time to lean down to the floor you activate the same amount of muscle fibers, and create the same amount of rigidity in your spine as if you were about to deadlift 80kg from the floor….you are not creating an ADAPTABLE SYSTEM, and may run into trouble down the road.

If you squeezed your fist at 100% power for hours a day - you would probably get a sore hand, and have some difficulty spreading the fingers wide in the opposite way eventually.

The same principle applies for the rest of your body, including the muscles that move and support your spine.

So if you know that you are someone that holds a lot of tension during the day, see if you can start to notice WHEN. And then ask yourself….is this NECESSARY FOR THE TASK AT HAND?

Noticing is one thing, changing it is something else all together. As a lot of my clients say……”but HOW???”

More on that another time…..

xx

AOK