A Tailored Exercise Experience: How Movement Analysis can help create your perfect exercise program!

Ok we have all done it. Jumped straight back into exercise after doing nothing for a long time and jumped straight into the latest challenge or fad or latest fitness franchise. Maybe you have grabbed a freebie exercise program online and just gone for it? Exercise is exercise, hey? Not hard to do? And then, after only a few weeks – we injure ourselves, don’t recover between exercise sessions, nothing feels right; and we wonder why. Sound familiar? If this is your experience, then maybe it is time to get some professional help and start at the very beginning. And the very beginning is movement analysis.

What is Movement Analysis?

Movement Analysis involves observing, measuring, and evaluating your different movement patterns. It's not just for elite athletes; it's for anyone who wants to move better, feel better, and build a solid foundation for exercise and reduce the risk of injury.

It typically involves assessing various components like posture, joint mobility, muscle strength, and movement patterns. It's like a comprehensive "health check" for how you move.

Why Movement Analysis is Crucial for returning to exercise? The Risk of "Just Doing It"

Jumping into an exercise routine without proper analysis is kind of like driving. You may come from a regional area and need to drive around one of capital cities and you don't have a navigation app or map —you might get somewhere, but that somewhere may be somewhere else entirely different!

Think of a Movement Analysis as your map – the map that can provide invaluable insights into what your body needs. It can help tailor exercise programs that not only meets your fitness goals but also addresses any other challenges you may have with movement. And best of all – it gets you there without injury! It identifies problem areas

Movement Analysis tells your body's story.

Pain and restriction is generally likely to be caused by muscle imbalances, restricted joint mobility, poor posture.. Movement analysis can help you work out where it is going wrong. The things that are behind those nagging aches and pains you might have dismissed as “I am getting old – it is to be expected”.

And once these problem areas are identified, then you can be prescribed with tailored exercises that can be included in your overall exercise program to get rid of them. This ensures that you're not just exercising; you're exercising smartly.

What is the main benefit? Injury Prevention

The biggest advantage of Movement Analysis is injury prevention. When you identify problem areas and muscle imbalances, as I mentioned before, specific exercises can be included in our program to help you prevent injury. This is something to think about, especially as your body changes through menopause and beyond. After all – who has the time and money to spend waiting six weeks to heal from doing something that your body shouldn’t have been doing! Just because you aren’t an Olympic athlete, doesn’t mean to say that you don’t want an exercise routine you can stick to and get the most out of.

________________________________________

Case Studies: Real-Life Examples

Sallys Story.

Sal trained with us for a few years. She struggled with knee pain – that came about from degeneration of the knees. When she started with us, we looked at how she moved – because the last thing we wanted was to injure her further and for her to be in more pain than she needed to be. We identified that she could benefit from building up the strength in her glutes and hip flexors which would change the way she moved, and in turn take some of the pressure of her knees. She had exercised for many years struggling with it and had stopped exercising at all when she came to us.

Now she understands what was happening to her body, she took the steps to help herself and so far has avoided knee surgery and can exercise to her greatest capacity.

Kari’s Story

Kari is a cancer survivor who when she came to us, was in significant pain and had a distinct lack of movement– which she solely put down to her medications. However, she also worked at a desk for extended periods of time. By looking at how she moved, and building her program around movements to build her flexibility and joint mobility, six years on, she has come a long way with her movement and often comments on how she needs to maintain certain exercises to keep her moving well and how she notices it when she doesn’t do them.

________________________________________

How to Get a Movement Analysis

Firstly, you can’t really do a movement analysis on your own. Movement Analysis isn't something you can do from watching a YouTube video. You will need to book in with a Physio, Exercise Phys or a PT who is trained in performing movement analysis. They have the capacity to help you build a solid program that addresses your limitations and allows you to go ahead with the exercises you can do. To be honest though, you may want to spend some time working with them to make sure you have the movements correct and get your movement reassessed regularly until you have built up a strong foundation.

What can you expect?

You expect a series of tests, exercises and observations that can involve anything from visual assessments and getting you to walk and perform different exercises all the way though to video analysis, and specific strength tests, and mobility assessments.

Move Smarter, Not Just Harder

While we think exercise is just exercise and you just need to jump into it, as we age we don’t recover as fast, we can do more damage – such as tears and strains and even breaks, so taking it back to the beginning and understanding how you move and what to do about it and how a tailored exercise program can serve you better, you can significantly impact how you feel and function, and how to include sustainable exercise into your life for the long-term.

Want help with your exercise program, you can book a call with us today, and we would be happy to help!

ACTIONABLE TAKEAWAYS

-------------------------------

1. Consider Movement Analysis

If you're serious about improving your health and fitness, consider getting a Movement Analysis. It's an investment in your long-term well-being.

2. Consult Professionals

Don't try to analyze your movement patterns yourself. Consult professionals who can provide an in-depth, tailored analysis.

3. Be Open to Change

Based on your Movement Analysis, be prepared to make changes to your exercise routine. It might be challenging at first and fly in the face of your social media and past experience says for you to do, but it's worth it.