When we are training or exercising, individual’s today are often working harder to become stronger and healthier. Many join boot camps, gym classes, sporting clubs to help increase mobility, cardiovascular endurance, power, general strength and overall well-being. What many don’t realize is that completing these types of exercises requires competency with basic functional movements, which many don’t present with.
What we see with these individuals is a compensatory pattern around pre-existing injuries, poor movement patterns and not strengthening areas that require ‘strengthening’. Despite many of these individuals being fit and health and completing a variety of fitness ‘style’ classes, injuries will often present if these fundamental movement patterns aren’t identified and addressed. No matter who they are everyone has a weak link and this is commonly associated with functional and physical restrictions.
As you can see the risk of being reinjured is due to the following risk factors.
1. Previous injury
2. Body asymmetries
3. Motor control
4. BMI
5. Being stupid
Therefore a prescreening prior to commencing any strength and conditioning or rehabilitation program needs to be complete to identify the body’s limitations during basic functional movements. Sadly this isn’t the case with many therapists and exercise specialists. Studies have come out showing that tightness and weakness of a specific muscle group had no bearing on injury rather injury was due to left and right strength and mobility asymmetries.
Your Central Physio Bayswater therapist will be able to assess your movement patterns in multiple directions where a weak link can be identified, allowing your rehabilitation program to concentrate on the right areas. If these deficiencies aren’t addressed this will lead to compensatory patterns, which in turn leads to a decrease in performance and increased risk of injury.