By: Anthony Campo
As a person goes through life, eventually certain movements might become painful. The factors that most often contribute to pain during movement are:
Improper Mechanics
Muscle Imbalance/Weakness
Injury
In the past, some people have adopted the principle that any movement that causes pain should be completely avoided. This idea will often compound the problem and lead to further pain, dysfunction, and injury. Instead of stopping the movement all together, identify which factor is the cause of the pain. Once those are identified then do the following…
Improper Mechanics – Learn the proper mechanics and how to repeat them consistently
Muscle Imbalance/ Weakness – Learn to train imbalances so that the proper muscles are used during functional movement
Injury – Learn how to modify the movement so that it is possible to continue to move without further injuring the area
Take Home Points
* By stopping a movement completely, it will not only reduce mobility for that specific movement, but will also have a trickle-down effect to other areas of the body further damaging mobility.
* Learning proper mechanics can help reduce pain and injury, which will help to maintain mobility for as long as possible.
* Continued movement will help to increase metabolism throughout the body, which is imperative for overall health and body composition.