Body Mechanics
Learning your body’s
proper mechanics will help prevent “over use injuries” for a life time.
Many of my clients whether they are young or old have “over use injures” to their joints, muscles, and
ligaments. I help my older clients develop muscles around these areas and injures,
in many cases, to keep them from pain or surgery. Also, I educate my older clients
on how important flexibility is in these areas as well. Education about body mechanics to our younger generation will prevent
suffering from“over use injuries” for their life time.
The human anatomy
is an amazing structure. The bones and joints plus the muscles and ligaments
have a very specific range of motion. If bones, joints, muscles develop in a unbalanced way either from an injury, poor development from birth, or lack of proper strength training,
the body will compensate for that usually in a way that puts a strain on the rest of the body. When I assess the fitness level
of my clients I can usually tell by just having them walk, stand front/sideways/back ways, what kind of injuries or where the unbalances are occurring. The unbalanced body mechanics
I see frequently are in the feet/ankle, cervical/lumbar, and shoulder area. The
“over use injuries” from these unbalances usually occur in the ankle, knee, hip, and lower lumbar region. These
injuries and unbalances can cause a host of other related problems that involve nerves and ligaments.
The knees are usually
a problem area. This area is made up of mostly ligaments and joints that connect the upper and lower leg. The knee’s
function, (which is a ball and socket joint), along with the muscles and ligaments, extends the lower leg or flexes it. It
does not have the structural capacity to lift or endure repetitive heavy weight in the wrong range of motion. Your upper legs
and glutes have large strong bones and muscles for a reason as well as the large bones in the heal of your feet. They are the weight bearers you should count on when you perform any task that requires movement in your
legs such as walking, running, bending, standing even going up and down stairs. Letting your knees protrude over your toes
while you are lifting the weight of your upper body, compromises the integrity of your knees, especially if you are overweight. The same is true for the shoulders, hips,
lower lumbar and cervical spine regions of the body since they also have their specific range of motion and points of weight
bearing. This is exactly why you see more knee replacement, hip replacement/fractures, shoulder/rotator cuff, cervical/lower
lumbar surgeries, today. If you learn the simple rules of body mechanics and apply them to not only exercise but also everyday living, you will be amazed that a balanced body is a happy healthy injury free productive body!
www.pamelapainter.net Condensed version from Pamela’s Book “Stick
to the Basics!” Have Pamela speak about “Body Mechanics” at
your next function. Contact her at either her website above or fitnesstogo@hotmail.com
