Let’s get something straight from the get go…
Your body needs to compensate.
Now, we know you have been told that compensation is a bad thing. We know you have seen that therapist or trainer who told you to do specific corrective exercises to get rid of compensations you have. We know you have been led to believe that every ache and pain you get while walking or golfing or living life is a result of compensation.
But you know what??
You need to compensate.
Here’s why.
When your body compensates, it is figuring out the most ideal way for you to do whatever it is you are trying to do (walk, golf, mow the yard, etc…) based on the current status of your body.
This is often different from the most ideal way without regard to the current status of your body.
Let’s explain with a non-body example.
Let’s say the most ideal way for you to get from your home to work is by taking the interstate. Big roads. Fast speed limit. You can get there quickly with few turns.
But, one day the road goes under construction. Everything goes down to one lane. It is bumper to bumper, start and stop the entire way to the office.
On the way home, you decide to take the back roads. They aren’t as fast as when the interstate is clear, but they are much faster than when the interstate is under construction. This now becomes the most ideal way for you to get to work given the current status of the roads.
In this example, you are compensating for the interstate being under construction by taking the back roads. Not perfect, but better than the alternative of sitting bumper to bumper on the interstate.
Your body works in a similar way. It has its ideal way of doing things, and then it has various compensations to help you still get the job done.
If you weren’t able to compensate, there would be a serious threat to your existence. Can you imagine not being able to walk just because you weren’t able to do it perfectly?
While walking with a limp may not be ideal, it is certainly better than the alternative.
So your body needs to be able to compensate, and you want to be able to do it well. The better you can do it, the more issues you can overcome faster and with fewer setbacks.
So how can you give your body more options to be able to compensate better and better?
The thing we have found to work the best is Muscle Activation Techniques®, also known as MAT®.
Muscle Activation Techniques® is a process of identifying muscles that are inhibited or not working well and then “activating” or getting those muscles working better. As a result, your body has more options of muscles to use at any given time because more of your muscles are working how they are supposed to.
In other words, your body has a greater ability to compensate, which for you means you have a greater ability to do what you want in life with fewer issues developing.
Being able to compensate really well is one of the biggest differences between people who are high-level athletes and performers and those who get tweaked picking up a bag of groceries.
If your body has fewer muscle options to work with when doing a task, there are fewer opportunities for your body to figure out how to troubleshoot anything that goes awry. And, it is more likely that the muscles you have that are working well get overloaded faster because more of the workload and stress get placed on them.
If you find yourself constantly tweaking or straining things in your body every time you try to exert yourself, that is a clear indication that your body does not have enough ability to compensate for muscles that aren’t working properly.
Muscle Activation Techniques® can identify exactly where those issues are, what muscles are affected, and then address those muscles directly, helping them to function better and giving your body more options to compensate.
At Muscle Activation Schaumburg, we have been specializing in helping our clients with Muscle Activation Techniques® since 2011 in Schaumburg and throughout the Chicagoland area. As two of the most highly trained practitioners in the world, we have vast experience helping people of all ages and physical abilities live a life without muscle tightness, muscle pain, and injury.
We have been trained in the highest levels of MAT®–including MATRx, MATRx Stim, and MAT® Athlete–and are the most highly-trained practitioners in the Chicagoland area.
Having the ability to compensate well is one of the most important things you can develop to ensure long-lasting physical freedom doing all the things in life you enjoy the most, and Muscle Activation Techniques® is a crucial part of helping you do that.
To try out Muscle Activation Techniques® for yourself, click here to schedule your initial consultation and assessment.
We can’t wait to see you on our MAT® table soon!
In strength and health,
Julie & Charlie