I see people in my practice all the time who tell me they’re always getting injured and feel trapped in a revolving door of injury after injury after injury. They usually feel hopeless that they’ll ever break free of this vicious cycle. Understandably, this is an immensely frustrating experience. It is often helpful to know …
Running is a complex movement involving coordinated action at many joints throughout the body. In addition to strength, endurance, and motor control; runners must have the prerequisite mobility. While the average person may not be able to identify the specific nuances of faulty running mechanics, most can tell when someone has especially good running form. …
The psoas muscle comes up frequently with my clients. It may not be as well known as some other muscles like the pecs or hamstrings, but this low key muscle plays an essential role in movement and stability. Due to its attachment points, it can be involved in issues involving the hip, pelvis, and lower …
Now that you’re an expert on how knee mobility affects squat form (you did read this already, right?), let’s dig into stability at the knee joint. Since the muscles that cross the knee joint primarily exert force in only one plane of motion (the sagittal plane), the side-to-side (a.k.a. medial/lateral) stability must come from the …
Squat Form Deconstructed Part 4 – Knee Stability Read More »
This installment in the Squat Form Series will focus on mobility at the knee joint. Squatting with good form requires mobility into both flexion (bending) and extension (straightening) at the knee joint. In this article, I will describe the anatomy of the knee joint, the biomechanics as they relate to squat form, common limitations to …
Starting from the ground up, this installment in the Squat Form series will focus on the ankle. In order to squat well, you must have adequate mobility and stability at the ankle to create a stable base to work from. Lots of people I see who have trouble squatting lack these necessary prerequisites at the …
Squat Form Deconstructed Part 2 – Ankle Mobility Read More »
Most people have at least heard the term “rotator cuff” at some point. If you’ve ever rehabbed from a shoulder injury, there’s a good chance you’ve even done exercises targeting it. Despite this general familiarity, most people don’t have a good understanding of what the rotator cuff actually is OR what purpose it truly serves …
Paddling is an essential skill for surfing, but many beginner, intermediate, and even advanced surfers struggle to improve their surf paddling or feel held back by injuries and pain. The fact is, many surfers lack the prerequisite mobility and strength to paddle without placing undue stress on the back, neck, and shoulders. When paddling, multiple parts …