Most have been told there are certain exercises or movements that should be avoided due to risk of injury. Things like "never squat with your knees past your toes." or "never round your back with load/weight."
I'm here to tell you as a movement professional, who has worked with countless athletes and people recovering from countless different injuries, there are NO bad movements, only bad movers.
If you have pain while squatting or lunging with knees over your toes you may lack the adequate ankle, knee or hip mobility/stability to perform this movement pain free. Don't chalk this up to simply a bad or dangerous movement. It's just bad and dangerous for YOU in this current moment. Assess your mobility/stability and begin to break the movement down. Maybe it's simply your ankle mobility that's limited. Focus on improving your ankle mobility and then readdress the movement once better and more adequately prepared.
Click link to find out if YOU have adequate ankle mobility and how to improve on it.
One movement may be bad for YOU, but not bad for ME. It's all about training and proper preparation. If you lack the strength, stability or mobility to perform a certain movement it is likely a bad movement for YOU. However, if I have the necessary mobility, strength and stability then it is likely not a bad movement for me at all. Any movement you neglect to train, but life can put you in is an injury waiting to happen. For instance, if you never train your deep squat or lunge with knees over your toes, yet your life demands you perform these movements and you aren't prepared for it, you will end up injured. This means you must prepare yourself to tolerate and thrive with that movement as to avoid injury in your everyday life.
A movement or exercise is only bad for YOU, if you are not prepared for it. We must perform the necessary training to prepare for whatever life may throw at us. This is how we train for life. This is how we avoid injury. Not by avoiding and being fearful of movement.
I see this often in my physical therapy field. Many therapists avoid movements as it may risk injury for the patient. However, not preparing the patient for life and whatever may be thrown at them is an even BIGGER risk of injury.
Your training should prepare you for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you may face in your life. This is what true training, and the Path 2 Self Movement Academy is all about. Preparation for YOUR life so you can thrive pain free.
Lets no longer fear movement, lets not fear certain exercises or strength training. Lets train mindfulness and understand that no movements can be fully avoided, so lets ease into them at your own pace, meet yourself were you're at and work to progress every day.
If you have pain with certain movements, activities or exercises this is your body communicating to you that YOU lack the structural foundation to perform that which you are asking of your body. This leaves you with two choices; stop doing that exercise, activity or movement. Or perform the necessary training inputs to prepare for that given exercise, movement or activity. I certainly recommend the latter approach.
Click the link for more in depth explanation.
If you feel unsure where to begin, feel free to reach out to me and we will get you in for a movement assessment and begin the journey to help you thrive in your environment pain free.
Train intentionally, not habitually.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are not to be considered as medical advice, only opinions through one's own lived experiences.