Let’s dive into the Why behind compensations.
So what do you teach? Pilates, cardio, boot camp, weight training, HIIT, TRX, Yoga, pole dancing, dancing of any kind or are you a sports coach?
If you are any of the above, then you will know that safe and efficient movement is vital for a healthy body LONGTERM right? We also know that each exercise form can be predisposed to certain injuries.
Have you noticed that as people reach the age of 50 or above, many of their ailments start rearing their ugly heads? Have you noticed that it is often those people who are very active in their lives? Very sporty or exercise-conscious. Why?
Because whilst they thought that they were ‘looking after their body’ they were actually destroying their joints, ligaments and cartilage.
Yes…those super healthy folks are now super broken folks. Yikes!
Not all of them but a huge percentage of them. Let’s summarize:
- Running – bad knees, hips and backs
- Rugby – bad EVERYTHING
- Swimming – bad shoulders
- Hockey – bad knees and backs
- Dancing – bad knees and backs
- Yoga – weak joint stability due to hyper-mobility
- Gym – bad shoulders, spines and knees
- Speed walking – bad hips and knees
- Squash – bad ankles and knees
- Cricket – bad shoulders
- Cycling – bad backs, knees and necks
Oh my goodness…so what the hell are we meant to do?
It is simple…keep doing the above but incorporate cross training that focuses on muscular balance and alignment and DO NOT COMPENSATE.
Just from creating a repetitive recruitment pattern in the sports above, you will be creating a huge amount of compensations during daily functional movements or even cross training.
We have to be aware of the compensations that occur in each joint when the appendages or spine are set in motion. If we are unable to identify these compensations, then we will inevitably be setting ourselves up for chronic injury over time.
If you are teaching any of the above sports or form of exercise….then it is VITAL that you are 100% aware of body compensations and WHY THEY OCCUR? Not just that they occur...WHY DO THEY OCCUR FOR THIS SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL?
Now we are talking client specific training for longevity.
Some examples:
- What if your client is performing a TRX plank but you know that they have tight hip flexors and weak lower abdominals. Do you know how to address this in the plank? Do you know what the plank will look like? Do you know how to prevent the compensations from occurring?
- What if your client is performing deep hip flexion but they are a posterior tilter and cannot get a full concentric contraction in their hip flexors. Do you know why?
- What if your client is performing deep hip flexion but they are an anterior tilter and cannot get a full concentric contraction in their hip flexors. Do you know why?
- Do you know why some feel their glutes firing perfectly and others do not? Do you know how to target them for that individual?
- Do you know why one glute will fire better than the other one?
- Do you know why a lateral pelvic tilt will cause a client to anteriorly tilt their pelvis in hip abduction?
- Do you know why thoracic back extension is always predominated by lumbar back extension and why the client cannot feel thoracic back extension? Do you know how to cue this besides…keep your pelvis in neutral? Where will the correction come from?
- Do you know what the perfect cues are for hip disassociation besides maintain a stable pelvis and a strong core?
- Do you know why a client is unable to activate Serratus Anterior effectively.…but not a general assessment….that specific client?
- Do you know why Piriformis syndrome occured in your client? Not a general reason but the specific reason for this client?
- Are you able to assess knee placement issues versus hip and ankle alignment?
……and the list goes on and on.
All of the above must make sense and we must be able to answer these questions with conviction through understanding the body as a whole and on an individual basis.
The real Longevity of our body lies behind NO COMPENSATIONS and understanding the REASON BEHIND ALL COMPENSATIONS.
Have you ever watched some videos on exercising your abs or back and you want to cringe? Why? Because the demonstration is so poor that you can see that whoever chooses to COPY THIS VIDEO is going to HURT THEMSELVES.
Creating quality training is what being a MOVEMENT TEACHER is about.
Making a positive difference in all aspects of the body…inside and out!
If you are struggling with this then look at the ‘Why behind compensations’ course from Of-CourseOnline.…it is going to plant that seed of Pure, Safe and Efficient training and teaching for you and your clients or patients!
