Photo by Jordan McQueen on Unsplash
Have you ever tried to do something and feel like there is a limitation?
Like reaching up to grab something from the top shelf or every time you want to play the game of putting on your shoes without sitting down first, that’s one of my personal favorites.
Fixing a limitation that is caused by a lack of mobility, reaching, or a lack of stability, not being able to put your shoes on, falls into this category of exercise called “Corrective Exercise.”
The goal of corrective exercises is to improve upon existing movement patterns or unlock new ones that were previously not accessible due to a lack of mobility and/or stability.
By addressing the limitation, you will be able to move more freely, be less likely to rely on compensation patters, and ward off injury.
Upper Body Movements
Shoulder External Rotation
We lose shoulder external rotation over do to life actives like working on a computer all day or driving.
By maintaining external rotation, you will prevent yourself from getting shoulder pain in the long run.
Thoracic Rotation
Similar to the above we lose thoracic rotation to do a lack of using it. By maintaining thoracic rotation, we rely less on our lower back for rotation and let your thoracic spine do what it is good at, rotation.
Lower Body Movements
Hip Flexion
A lack of hip flexion will prevent us from being able to bend down or adequately move our legs during a normal walking cycle.
By maintaining hip flexion, we will be making sure the hip is doing the work and not other parts of the body like the lower back.
Lower Body Stability
We use lower body stability anytime were in a split stance, like walking. When we can’t stabilize, that puts us at great risk of falling, or if you are an athlete, it prevents you from making quick decelerations and cuts, which will hurt your performance and lead to possible injury down the road.
Corrective exercises are not the sexiest of exercises but they will allow you to do what you want to do for longer. Preventing you from losing precious movements and protecting you from injury.
Your Fitness Sherpa,
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