YOU MUST START BY BEING BALANCED

Pete McCall, Fitness Expert with the American Council on Exercise, explains that “progressing to resistance training before addressing muscular imbalances may actually worsen any existing dysfunctions and could lead to long-term injuries.” Your body craves stability and balance. It makes your nervous system feel safe and preps your body for performance.

This may be one reason why stretching for over 60 seconds before exercise has been suggested to decrease performance; it takes away the tightness or feeling of safety/stability from the body. I talked about this a bit more in a former audio post: http://bit.ly/1ytjX36 (I hope you’re as entertained listening as I am making these soundbites! Corny, I know.)

What does this mean in simple, relatable language? It means that if you have an ache, pain or imbalance in your body, it’s not wise to ignore it or to “power through it.”

I can’t tell you how many stubborn people I’ve had to turn away from bootcamp classes. I’ve seen people limp during warm-ups and argue, “Oh no, I’m cool. I’ll be fine.”

One man in particular, who I turned away from bootcamp, later confessed to me that he was coming to work out against doctor’s orders. He was slated for knee surgery in a few short weeks! I expressed sympathy for what he was going through but not without telling him that he better have a medical clearance before I let him come back to class. I can play bad cop all day long…

If you’re dealing with physical ailments on a regular basis then consult a professional. Learn how to get your body feeling balanced and comfortable day-to-day before going after heavy weights or intense exercise goals. Your body will thank you for it!

Yours in health and wellness,

Maggie

References:

https://www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/684/ace-integrated-fitness-training-ift-model-for