A couple weeks back I was having a conversation with a client when the topic of sports came up. This client was talking to me about some of the moves her sport was requiring and how she was finding it difficult to do the moves. While we discussed the role that Muscle Activation Techniques® (MAT®) and personal training at Muscle Activation Schaumburg can play in helping her achieve her goals, we also had to discuss some of the realities that her anatomy may be applying to the situation, as well. The great thing about this discussion is that it is applicable to everybody who plays sports, not just her. So, if you participate in sports, take heed. This post is for you.
One of the realities that you must succumb to when participating in sports is what the requirements of the sport are compared to what the structure of your body allows for from a joint motion perspective. Certain sports have joint motion requirements as part of the rules and regulations of the sport. Sports such as gymnastics, figure skating, martial arts, and powerlifting all come to mind in this instance.
The reason I bring these sports up is because they all have moves, tricks, or events that have clearly defined joint angles that have to be achieved – squatting below parallel, feet all the way turned out, head touching the knee, etc. All of these are examples where the legitimacy of the move or your score associated with the trick is in part dependent on your ability to move your body into these relatively extreme positions.
Here’s the problem with that – I don’t know of a single sport that was ever created based on what the normative standard of joint motion is. Rather, most sports are created based on what “the best” or “the prettiest” or “the most aesthetically appealing” would be. Granted, there needs to be some baseline by which scores and points are awarded for these seemingly subjective sports. However, because the status quo of sports tends to be set at a relatively extreme scenario, it means that the vast majority of us are going to be unable to safely participate in said sports.
In the short term, this may not be an issue. But, if we continue to participate in these sports for the long term, we can start to run into tremendous joint issues.
Don’t believe me? Check out these pictures from PaulGrilley.com. There you will see some examples of the wide variety of formations our bodies’ bones can take. While most of us may have femurs and a pelvis, I don’t know exactly how your femur is shaped or how your pelvis is built. And it is this not knowing that makes it incredibly difficult to say 1) whether or not a sport is appropriate for you and 2) whether you should even attempt to squat below parallel, turn your hips all the way out to 90 degrees, or do the splits.
Speaking from the perspective of somebody who grew up playing a wide variety of sports, I can say for certain that I did not receive a full body x-ray assessing my skeleton prior to beginning my athletic endeavors. It was much more of a case of “try as many sports as you can and see which ones you are better and like the most”.
Fortunately for me, those two criteria fell hand in hand, and I was able to play basketball through college. Also fortunate, standing at 6’4”, my structure was well-suited for basketball. Most of us can understand that no matter how much I would like to be 6’8”, my structure was just never going to allow for it. However, we fail to make the same connection when trying to squat below parallel or do the splits.
For many of us, we will try a variety of sports and, over time, if the requirements of the sport do not agree with our structure, we end up dropping off. It will hurt too much or start to become far too difficult for us to keep up with those who are actually built for the sport. While dropping off at some point can be a good thing, if we drop off too late, it can come at a cost. By repeatedly putting ourselves in the positions that are being required of the sport, we can start to stress the passive structures of our bodies – our ligaments, joint capsules, cartilage, and even the bones themselves. Sometimes this can be an issue in the short term if there is an immediate trauma such as an ACL rupture or labral tear. However, this ends up being most often an issue over the long term with repeated low-level stresses through these tissues.
The classic example of this is plie position in figure skating or ballet where the athlete’s feet are turned out 90 degrees to their body. The problem I have with this position is this: I have been assessing people’s bodies for over seven years now and not once have I ever seen somebody have 90 degrees of hip external rotation. Not once, in hundreds of participants.
Now, admittedly, I have not assessed any Olympic gold-medal athletes, but the fact still remains – not everybody who is doing this motion is an Olympian. What this means is that the vast majority of people who are doing this motion are getting as much rotational motion out of their hip as they possibly can, and then they are getting even more through either their SI joint, their knee, their ankle, their foot, or some combination thereof. And, if they are doing the move with only one leg, they are likely getting motion out of their lumbar spine, as well. Which means, over time, each of these areas gets stressed, little by little, creating a bigger and bigger concern for future injury, both traumatic and chronic.
Unfortunately, by the time these other areas become symptomatic, it is often too late. The structure has already been stressed to the point of injury.
Now, there are three things you can do with this information. First, you can say, “I appreciate you telling me this, but I really don’t care. I love doing the sports I do and I want to keep doing them even if they are hurting me.” That is your choice and I will respect it.
Second, you can say, “I don’t want my structure to get injured any more than it already has so I am going to stop doing all of these sports immediately.” Again, it is your body and your choice.
Third, you can say, “I really enjoy the sports I do BUT I don’t want to get hurt. What can I do to help mitigate the stresses on my body?” This is where we can start to help you at Muscle Activation Schaumburg.
There is one main thing you need to focus on if you find yourself in category number three, and that is to progress and maintain the health and function of the muscular system. As I have talked about in other posts, one of the main jobs of the muscular system is to help mitigate the stresses that are going through the passive tissues of your body as well as to protect those tissues. At Muscle Activation Schaumburg, we have two ways of helping you keep your muscular system operating at its highest level.
The first is through Muscle Activation Techniques® (MAT®). MAT® is a systematic approach to identifying and addressing muscular compensations and inefficiencies. Think of it like a tune up for your body, much like you get your car tuned up. This process looks to see where you have muscles that are too weak, and as such are causing other muscles to have to overwork and tighten up. By getting the muscles that are underperforming working better, it can alleviate the stress of the overworked muscles, allowing your joints to become more stable, more mobile, and your muscles to be working as they are supposed to work. To find a certified MAT® practitioner in your area, click here.
The second option is through strategically designed, internally focused resistance training. Now, a lot of times this gets confused with lifting weights, but this could not be more misleading. The goal of this type of exercise is to challenge very specific parts of your body in a manner that is custom-built for your body, with the sole focus on improving the function of your muscles, not on moving the weight. Every client that we have come into Muscle Activation Schaumburg always says how this type of exercise doesn’t feel anything like what they have experienced before. Even our most seasoned weight lifters are impressed by how focused and specific the exercises are. This is a vital part of making sure your body is prepared to handle the challenges you will be putting into it with the sports you are playing. To find a list of exercise professionals who can create exercise in a similar manner as us, click here.
The reality of sports is that there may be unintended consequences from doing these activities if you are putting your body into positions that are not cohesive with your joint structure. While this may abide by the rules and regulations of your sport, it likely does not abide by the rules and regulations of your body. As such, you have to take care of your muscular system to help minimize the potential damage and risk of injury while doing these sports.