Why is movement education imporant?
Getting a basic understanding on how your body currently moves and the concept of stronger more efficient movement is instrumental in gaining strength and managing day-to-day aches and pains. Whether you are trying to reach new goals, hit a new PR, advance your skills in your sport, or just go through life generally pain-free you’ll benefit from education.
Minor adjustments may make you more comfortable if you deal with pain in various situations, while also further advancing you towards your goals. Solving a pain point is not as simple as massaging or stretching an uncomfortable area, but you can learn tips and tricks that will allow you to target the origin spot of the pain. The more tools you have, the easier it is to manage discomfort and have more continuous growth towards your goals.
When you learn more about how you should be moving, you should also begin to understand how different movements feel. When you can recall different feelings it is easier to pull them into more challenging moves, strengthening everything as you go. This is an aspect of the mind-body connection - imagine it as a constant conversation between your head and your body that you need to learn as a new language.
Get an idea of what you should be working on to improve your general alignment, strength, and comfort. Learn the fine details of movement to get the most out of what you are doing, just powering through anything without intention will either get you hurt or you'll eventually plateau.
Needing corrective exercise does not mean there is anything wrong with you! It is just a method to move stronger and more efficiently, allowing you to manage discomfort and achieve your goals. From first grade or earlier, we as a society tend to sit a lot more - this impacts your movement pattern which compound on top of each other over time. It is not your fault your movement patterns are not “ideal,” it’s hard to have neutral alignment with the way we live our lives in today’s world. It just makes it that much more important to work on these corrective movements that can counteract these positions.
The more you understand about your body, the faster you can make progress. If you are working with a massage therapist, physical therapist, Rolfer, personal trainer, yoga teacher, chiropractor, another movement professional, or going to group classes, understanding how your body works will help you optimize the results from each session. The more you understand the concepts of general movement, the more you can translate progressions across activities!
