Why do I keep getting injured when I exercise? Why can’t I lose weight? Why doesn’t my body change with all the “healthy” stuff I’m doing?
In a nutshell Fundamental, Functional and Primitive Movement Patterns is your answer. What does that mean exactly? As human beings we have 7 primitive movement patterns ie. Rolling over, bending forward, bending backwards, crawling, kneeling, hinging at the hips and squatting. If any of these movements are out of sync or abnormal in any way, you’re going to get hurt…even if you’re doing exercise that is good for you.
Think of it this way: a brand-new car is being driven on a brand-new road with brand new tyres, a full tank of petrol, the alignment is spot on, the most sophisticated navigation system in operation and it has just come out of the car wash. All sounds good right? Sounds like you’re in for a smooth journey. The problem is the driver is 7 years old, is 4 foot tall and to reach the pedals he can’t see where he’s going…nor does he really know what he’s doing and why he’s there in the first place!
So if you take this into your life and analyse your approach to your health goals, does it sound familiar? You’re eating the right foods, you’re training 3+ times per week, mixing cardio and resistance training, maybe even a bit of interval training, you take a multivitamin and take the occasional yoga class too…sounds good right? It’s great, just like the car, but if the underlying fundamentals and your understanding of movement is not developed or coordinated and you’re having to borrow from other areas of your body to keep unrelated areas in motion then you might be safer eating donuts and sitting on the couch.
For all of us, if we can’t successfully navigate our way through our 7 primitive patterns then we shouldn’t be engaged in sport or exercise that challenges those patterns…often with added weight or resistance.
Do the following two tests and see how you do. These will give you a very basic idea of how well you’re doing. If you fail at these then you really should get screened and address your movement disorders.
Test 1: Roll-Over
Lie on your back. Pretend your lower body is paralyzed. Lift one arm and point it to the sky. Cross that arm over your body and lead your rolling movement with your head (look in the direction you are moving) and your arm. DO NOT use your lower body in any way to help you roll or to gain momentum in the roll. Do this on both sides. This is a very basic version of the roll-over but will give you an idea of your movement.
Failure to perform this most basic movement is indication of movement disorder at the most basic level and would require a more thorough investigation.
Test 2: Squat
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and keep your toes pointed forward. Do not stand like a ballerina with your toes pointed outwards. Squat down keeping your upper body upright. Squat so that your hip drops below your knees while you stay flat footed and your toes remain pointed forward. Toes pointing out, knees caving in, heels not firmly planted on the ground and/or bending over at the waist and not remaining upright indicates either hip, knee, ankle or spine movement disorder or all of the above and would require a more thorough investigation.
For a more thorough look at your movement patterns and to work on corrective strategies and movements to restore proper motor control and coordination, pay us a visit or give us a call on 021 785 4855 to make an appointment for assessment.
