movement
By Lisa Greco
Strength + Movement Coach + Holistic Health Coach
Movement - the act of changing physical location or position.
Movement is task specific. When we decide to do something like walk or pick up an object off the floor, a signal goes from our brain to our body communicating what needs to happen and the rest is out of our control - hopefully.
When we are young we don’t think about how to move. It just happens, no pondering needed. However, as we age we think before we make any sudden moves. It might sound something like this (insert expletives where needed), “be careful, don’t bend your knee it’ll hurt; wait, don’t use that arm, use the other one”.
These behaviors limit the ease in which we move. Looking on the bright side, we WILL accomplish the task at hand, however the body will take the path of least resistance, like water running down stream. It will run over and around the rocks and eventually get down to the bottom. Task complete! Think of your knee and shoulder like the rocks and boulders in the stream.
It’s pretty impressive what the body can accomplish despite all it’s uncomfortable-ness. But there is one problem, these paths of least resistance are inefficient movement patterns. They are not bio-mechanically correct or effective. Over time moving inefficiently can take a toll on your body and before you know it you will have chronic pain and stiffness. (Bring on the sounds of getting on and off the couch). At some point you will prefer not to move too much or too fast. Studies show that a person in their 70’s will move half as much as they did in their 40’s. As the population grows old it moves less which in turn leads to skeletal issues, metabolic dysfunction, obesity, and eventually to early mortality.
So now that you’re feeling pretty shitty about your potential future let’s end this on a high note.
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE! Everyday you have the opportunity to change your trajectory. It’s your choice.
I am a strength + movement coach. I work with clients to uncover dysfunctional movement patterns and help restore proper function through FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT and MOBILITY TRAINING.
All my classes incorporate FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT, MOBILITY TRAINING, cardiovascular training and strength training.