I know many of our clients, and myself included, love to be outside playing sports like tennis, or golf. Many love to spend time gardening – another passion of mine… I can spend hours working in my backyard.
All that requires a lot of rotational movement.
So today I want to start a series of newsletters talking about seven movements that any human body should be able to perform efficiently if we want to have a long functional life doing the things we need, love, and want to do for as long as possible.
These seven movements are Squat (SIt to Stand), Lunge, Push, Pull, Hinge, Rotate, and Anti-Rotate.
Let’s start with Rotation.
At the gym, we often perform exercises in straight lines, like lifting a bar straight up and down, such as biceps curls, or chest press, right? Our feet are generally even and parallel. All that is great, but it is certainly not enough, since we do not move like that in real life – just straight forward/back and up/down. Usually, we are on one foot and moving to the other, or we are in a split stance – and rotating through the hips, shoulders, and thoracic spine. It is the rotation that is too often neglected in workouts. And as we age, we need to give attention to our rotation and other mobility issues. Most people exercise to enjoy their favorite activities – as I mentioned earlier… such as tennis or golf – but also the challenges of daily life – such as carrying and putting away the groceries. That means rotation, rotation, rotation. We are not kangaroos! Or mummies walking stiffly straight ahead. Even as we walk, our hips and shoulders (both ball and socket joints, and the shoulders being the body’s most mobile joint) should be rotating, swaying back and forth. If they are not, our gait might mirror that of a mummy. That is not a good look. It is not efficient. And it causes more physical problems down the movement line. Every joint in our body requires both mobility and stability. Some are meant to be more mobile than stable, others more stable than mobile. If they are too tight to either stabilize or move, other parts of the body will chip in, causing stress or injury.
At Fit Factor, we make sure we always include rotational movement into our client’s workouts. They are fun and efficient. Think slamming a medicine ball from one side to the other as hard as you can. It is a great stress reliever!
Come talk to us about rotational movements. We will show you some essential exercises to keep you doing the things you love.
Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? I promise you it is.
Stay tune for the next chapter… Anti-Rotation.
916 NE 20th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33304
Phone: 954-522-5250 Email: info@fitfactortraining.com
