The Peaks And Valleys Of Training Movement

You are putting the time and energy into learning how to move better and all of a sudden, new aches (and potentially what could be considered pain) pops up. It makes no sense, right!?!? You are doing the proper things to improve your movement patterns so you can stop being injured and yet you have more issues arising.  What gives!?!? 

Most likely this is not a bad thing.  In fact, this is probably a good thing! 

Here’s how this works… 

Your body has likely spent years, possibly decades, moving improperly due to the habits and patterns your brain has created over the years. Those improper movement patterns create a number of situations: 1) muscles that typically activate during a movement don’t do what they are meant to do, 2) muscles that typically don’t activate during a movement are activated, 3) your body moves in a suboptimal manner, creating increased stresses on the joints, tendons, ligaments, and other tissues, and 4) you are not generating as much power and speed with your movements as you could, thereby limiting your performance. 

When you improve your movement patterns you are now, 1) consistently activating muscles that haven’t been worked in a while, 2) moving in an optimal manner to decrease the stresses on your joints, tendons, ligaments, and other tissues, and 3) naturally generating more power and speed by improving how you are moving. 

And now, what you have been waiting for…why can this change create new pain if we are finally moving properly? 

With your old patterns, there were a lot of muscles that were supposed to activate more than they were.  When you begin to move properly, you begin to activate them appropriately and perhaps in a way they haven’t been worked in a long time. Along with that, your body is positioned slightly different than it is used to, which can change the amount of tension or the position of tendons and ligaments.  The new aches and pains you are feeling is simply your body adjusting to the changes of your new patterns. As you continue to reinforce the new patterns, the discomfort you are currently feeling will subside. 

Several examples I have seen in my clients or myself: 

• As running posture and hip control improved, peroneal soreness developed. 
• When learning to run with a midfoot strike, the deep calf muscles developed discomfort and tightness. 

• When the foot was learning to work again after immobilization from injury, discomfort developed in the small muscles in between the long bones of the foot, in the arch, and around in the joint of the big toe. 
• When learning how to work the shoulder blade and postural muscles, tightness and soreness were present in the upper back area. 

What issues are you finding as you are learning how to move better? Share them with me at brianne@getyourfixpt.com.  I would love to hear your story!