Adaptations, for better or worse?
3-min read
We are an adaptive species. In fact, many species on this planet have the ability to adapt to a range of environments and challenges, but no species on this planet has been able to adapt in such a broad manner like we have. It’s a gift.
Our bodies are built to adapt to our daily movements in an attempt to make those movements easier to do over time. Even our brains are wired to make a repetitive task easier over time. Think about that for a second. All we need to do is commit to consistent repetition of something and that thing will become easier to do. What an incredible ability Mother Nature has gifted us with!
However, this gift can work against us. An obvious example would be developing an unhealthy addiction. Something we’ve all experienced on some level, whether that be with food, drugs, video games, social media, the list goes on. And we all know that to break that addiction requires focused, consistent effort.
With physical movement, this same downward spiral can happen without us even being aware. If we move through our day with poor form, our bodies are adapting to that poor form which may be wearing away at a joint, ligament, tendon, etc. In an attempt to make a movement easier, our bodies can actually adapt in the wrong direction and develop misalignments that cause long term injuries.
BUT, just as with breaking an addiction, we can break that cycle with focused, consistent effort.
This is where your exercise routine comes in. It’s an opportunity to balance out your body with better form, BUT you need to make an effort to continue to utilize that form in your daily life. If your form is poor in your workouts, it’s not going to be much better in your daily life. This is the reason I focus on teaching my clients proper form in their workouts before we get into testing their strength levels. I want them not only to be safe in their workout, but to learn better ways to move their body throughout the rest of their day.
This is the biggest way to prevent developed injuries as you age. Most neck, back, and joint pains come from misalignment developed through poor movement patterns. Simply by correcting the way you move in your daily patterns can prevent most of these issues.
Whether your goals are athletic, cosmetic, or simply overall health and wellness, the form you use in your exercise routine is not meant to be a one time thing. Squats are how you should be standing up and sitting down. Lunges are how you should be climbing stairs or hills. You perform a single arm row every time you open a door. And though you might not be doing crazy push-up torso twists in your daily life, if you can do that with good form then you are opening up your body to do a wide range of other dynamic motions better, and simple motions easier, in your daily life.
Our bodies are adaptive systems. So let's tap into that and make them as efficient and long-lasting machines as possible.
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