09/20/2021
In my first BloogE, which is more sophisticated than a blog, we talked about previous injuries and identifying them when you are considering starting a training regimen. In this BloogE, we are going to discuss how to do everyday life correctly… What does that mean? Well, many injuries occur not necessarily while lifting but rather start in the most simple of tasks that we preform throughout the day I.e. walking, going up and down stairs, sitting down, or bending over to grab something. On average, people walk around 3,000-4,000 steps a day and people bend forwards over a 1,000 times a day. Take 4,000 steps and 1,000 forward bends a day and you have 6,000 reps!!! Imagine lifting and doing 6,000 reps of a lift wrong, even if it’s an easy lift. 6,000 incorrect movements a day add up to a large chance of injury.
So let's get to the point; take your walking posture for example. Do you walk with your toes pointed in towards the midline of your body? This causes an over use of the quad and adductor and an underuse of the glute, hamstring, and abductor. Your glute and muscles near the hip are the stabilizer for the knee; so how is the knee going to be stabilized if the quad is pushing you forward as you walk instead of the hamstring and glute pulling you forwards?
Do you have lordosis (a more pronounced curve in the lower back) or an exaggerated Kyphosis (too much forward bend in the thoracic (upper) spine)? These two signs of poor posture can lead to a slew of problems when just walking or sitting! Irritated nerve root, budging disk, loss of cartilage, reference pain, nerve entrapment, difficulty getting a full breath... like I said, bad news bears.
How do you fix these problems? Get a trainer who knows what he is talking about.
If you have been walking, sitting, or squatting with poor posture for 40 years it’s going to be a matter of reps done correctly before you can overcome a lifetime of bad habits. Like anything, if you are motivated enough and are persistent, you will overcome bad habits.
Food for thought, try standing up as tall and straight as possible. Squeeze your glutes and tuck your hips so they are directly under your legs. You want your hips neutral and not too far into lordosis (butt sticking out backwards), yet not too far into kyphosis, (where your hips are in too far causing your back to round like a cat stretching). Now that your hips are stable, straighten your upper back so you are as tall as possible. Tuck your chin, so you are looking directly forwards, not up or down. Take 10 deep breaths, starting in your lower stomach, filling your lungs completely. Practice this every time you are walking until it is natural, it will help…
If this seems relevant to you but confusing please call 216-309-5781 or visit us at virtualtrainingonline.com and ask how we can help you!
