Sports & Exercise Injury is Caused by Imbalance

April 14, 2013

F.I.T. philosophy, “Sports do not get us in shape. In fact, sports get us out of shape,” a quote by Beryl Bender Birch, the official trainer of the New York Road Runners Club.  At F.I.T. we know this is true.

Sports develop tight muscles and create imbalance because of repetitive training and uneven use of muscle groups, or uneven use of one side of the body. Running, for instance, is great for the cardiovascular system. But it dramatically tightens the muscles at the back of the legs and does virtually nothing for the rest of the body. This intense shortening or disproportionate strengthening results in mind-boggling muscular and structural imbalance, what we call dis-function.

The harder you train, the tighter your body will become, and this is true of nearly EVERY sport and many exercise programs. One aspect of this tightening will be positive, especially if you are new to fitness or exercise. You’ll probably lose a few pounds, burn a little fat, get a little healthier, and feel terrific about yourself. Another aspect, however, will be disastrous, almost guaranteeing that if you continue training wihout F.I.T. (remember, ‘functional’ individualized training) workouts, you will likely belcome injured and have to stop exercising for a period of time, or until you take up a ‘new’ sport. This is extremely important to know – discontinuing a specific sport or exercise program does NOT fix an imbalance!

Invariably, a lack of awareness about either an existing imbalance or the need for functional training and what that entails is what ultimately leads to injury in sports and exercise. Stop by F.I.T. for an FMS – Functional Movement Screen, and let us help you get back in balance.

In good health,

Bob

Our high tech fitness industry allows us to squat, press, pull and curl without ever having to stand, hold proper alignment, balance ourselves or control our own body weight.