Principle # 5 Variety and Consistency
Although there are NO bad movement patterns there are overuse injuries and patterns if done with enough load, volume, torque or on top of other complexity will lead to destruction.
The only real way to solve overuse injuries or repetitious movements is to stop moving, right? Well, in a world where non-movement doesn’t mean death – than, yes. In the Real world movement is life, so finding ways to move with variety is a key element in assuring injury prevention.
Now if you don’t do this often enough it won’t prompt any change and can even make things worse. Consistent practice will allow a conditioning to the pattern and reinforce the systems necessary for the pattern that needs to be performed.
Performance
- The best way to check your posture is to receive a comprehensive postural evaluation from an exercise professional or physical therapist. These healthcare professionals are skilled at evaluating and treating postural problems.
- To determine if a professional evaluation may be necessary, you can evaluate your own posture to some degree. For this, you need a wall and a full-length mirror.
- To check for normal curves of the spine:
- Stand with your back to a wall, heels about three inches from the wall. Place one hand behind your neck, with the back of the hand against the wall, and the other hand behind your low back with the palm against the wall.
- If there is excessive space between your back and the wall, such that you can easily move your hands forward and back more than one inch, some adjustment in your posture may be necessary to restore the normal curves of your spine.
ACTION STEP: Move in a variety of patterns, practice walking like a duck, crawling like a lizard, jumping like a frog, rolling like a crocodile, running like a cheetah….there are so many ways to move and none of them are wrong when it comes to exploring your natural talents.