Correctly Exercising

Recently, I passed the new "Corrective Exercise Specialist" certification exam through NASM (National Acadamy of Sports Medicine). A corrective exercise specialist is someone who (based on what NASM teaches):  "provides the advanced knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully work with clients suffering from musculoskeletal impairments, imbalances or post-rehabilitation concerns." (NASM.org)

All of that sounds pretty clinical, like I will be working with people coming out of the hospital or physical therapy, and to a certain degree that is what it implies. However, people who suffer from "musculoskeletal impairments" affects far more people than you may first think. For example, I personally have a few muscle impairments. I have a very tight hip flexor complex along with an overactive erector spinae that causes my lower back to arch during many squatting exercises and creates a lot of pain.

Through this course, I have found that I am not alone with my impairments. Many people tend to have lower back pain, knee pain and shoulder pain that is usually due to some type of muscle imbalance. For example, people who sit down at the computer a lot during the day may find that they tighten up their hip flexor muscles and pull their pelvis anteriorly which creates a lot of lower back pain. Also, people who run often may have iliotibial (IT) band tendonitis which causes them knee pain. With the proper stretching and self-myofascial release (kind of like a self-massage), these issues can be resolved.

Here is a simple self-assessment that you can do to see if you might suffer from a muscle imbalance. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your arms overhead like this picture:

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Then squat down like you were going to sit into a chair. Like this:

Make note of any pain, movement of your knees, hips or feet that appear out of the ordinary. When this exercise is done properly, your feet should remain straight forward with your knees in alignment with your second toe. Your lower back should remain neutral and your arms should create invisible parallel lines with your knees. It's best to have a friend check your form as you do this.

If during the squat you find that you experience any pain, joint discomfort or any movement of your posture away from the above description, then chances are, you have a muscle imbalance and you need some corrective exercise. If you avoid these issues for too long, you may end up with much more costly health problems. Many types of surgery and physcial therapy can be avoided with proper corrective exercise.

Also, please keep in mind, this simple test is not all-encompassing. A certified corrective exercise specialist or physical therapist should watch as you perform this test and help you conduct a few other assessments. Just because you may not notice anything "out of the ordinary" yourself, doesn't mean you don't suffer from muscle imbalances. For further information about corrective exercise and if it is right for you, please email me at jonathanearnold@gmail.com

"For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life" Proverbs 6:23 (NIV)