| As you know, the path to weight loss in rife with | | | | walking from behind, or to have a trained professional |
| many stumbling blocks. Life stresses, boredom, lack | | | | watch you and make the necessary adjustments. |
| of motivation, lack of time, incorrect information, all | | | | These adjustments are typically small, and the |
| of these things can deter progress. For the most | | | | problem is not difficult to fix once it is identified. |
| part, these things are preventable. However, one | | | | - ANTERIOR TO POSTERIOR BALANCE: This |
| hurdle that many people view as not preventable is | | | | basically means front to back balance. Looking at |
| injuries. We tend to assume that getting injured is | | | | your body from the side, imagine a line that begins at |
| just one of those things that can happen, and is sort | | | | the top of your head, passes through your shoulder |
| of inevitable. Often, when it does happen, we feel as | | | | hip, and down to your heel. This line should divide |
| though there is nothing we can do. This is frequently | | | | your body in half, making it equally balanced on both |
| the point that most of us will give up. Although we | | | | sides of the line. Essentially, it should look as though |
| may ask ourselves what went wrong, often, we are | | | | you are standing at a ninety degree angle, and not |
| at a loss as to why the injury happened. While we | | | | leaning forward or backward. As you walk and run, |
| may have some ideas, such as not stretching | | | | the point at which your foot first contacts the |
| enough, not warming up properly, or just an accident, | | | | ground should fall directly on this line. That is to say |
| one of the things we fail to consider is our | | | | that your foot should hit the ground directly under |
| biomechanics. | | | | your head. While at increased speeds, such as when |
| Biomechanics basically means the mechanics of how | | | | sprinting, you may be leaning forward, your foot |
| we move. Looking at the body as a machine, | | | | should continue to contact the ground directly in line |
| biomechanics studies whether or not all of the parts | | | | with your head. If you lean forward, for example, |
| function properly. Essentially, do all of the muscles | | | | your foot would contact the ground further forward, |
| work they way they are supposed to? Inherent in | | | | and vice-versa if you are leaning backward. |
| this question, is a framework for understanding the | | | | Whatever the case may be your head and foot |
| way a human body moves most efficiently. Within | | | | contact should always remain on a vertical line, so |
| this framework, there are a couple of key elements. | | | | that connecting the two points that they make |
| The theory is that when each of these things is | | | | would create a ninety degree angle. When this is not |
| achieved, the body will move as efficiently as | | | | the case and the person tends to lean forward with |
| possible, and risk of injury will be significantly | | | | the head leading the point of contact of the foot, |
| decreased. Further, with a failure to achieve these | | | | there is more weight displaced on the anterior |
| things, the risk of injury increases. With greater | | | | portions of the body. An imbalance such as this |
| deviations from these things, the risk of injury | | | | predisposes the person injuries such as patellar |
| becomes larger. Clearly then, injury prevention is | | | | compression, shin splints, and strains of the erector |
| dependent on understanding this framework and | | | | spinae muscles. When the opposite is the case, and |
| thereby decreasing risk as much as possible. So let's | | | | the person lean backward with the point of contact |
| take a look at what these factors are, and how we | | | | of the foot in front of the head, there is more |
| achieve them. | | | | weight displaced on the posterior portions of the |
| - MEDIAL TO LATERAL BALANCE: Basically this | | | | body. This imbalance can cause injuries such as stress |
| means side to side balance. To understand this | | | | fractures of the lower leg, heel bruising, hip |
| concept, imagine a line drawn down the center of | | | | compression, and arthritis of the ankle, knee, and hip. |
| your back, beginning at the top of your head, down | | | | Again, preventing injuries then depends on maintaining |
| you spine, continuing through the center of your hips, | | | | correct anterior to posterior balance. Assessing this |
| and ending right in between your feet. Looking at | | | | for yourself will also require the use of a videotape, |
| yourself from behind, your body should be equally | | | | or a trained professional to make the needed |
| balanced on both sides of this line: that is to say that | | | | adjustments. Similar to medial to lateral balance, these |
| the line divides your body right in half. As you stand, | | | | adjustments are usually minor and the problem is |
| walk and run, your body should then stay equally | | | | quite fixable once they are made. |
| balanced on both sides of this line and at no point | | | | So the next time you head out for a walk or run, |
| appear to be leaning to one side or another. | | | | they probably will be many things on your mind. |
| However, this is hardly ever the case. Most people | | | | Maybe you are even going out to "clear your head". |
| will have a preference for one side or another, and | | | | However, one of the last thoughts you probably |
| will appear to be leaning slightly as they stand, walk, | | | | want to have is of an injury. So take a moment to |
| and run. An example of this is the person who wears | | | | think about whether or not your body is truly |
| the tread on one shoe slightly more than the other, | | | | balanced. Are you leaning to one side or another? Are |
| or tends to bump into one side rail on the treadmill | | | | you leaning forward or backward too much? When it |
| more than the other. When this is the case, the side | | | | comes to biomechanics and injury prevention, what |
| that the person tends to lean toward will bear more | | | | often begins as a small problem, leads to a larger |
| weight than the other side, adding more load to the | | | | problem, and potentially a setback. What is important |
| foot, knee, and hip on that side, thereby predisposing | | | | to remember is that, in terms of correcting things, |
| that side of the body to increased injury risk. Sciatica, | | | | small changes can have dramatic effects. As long as |
| iliotibial band syndrome, and lower back strain are all | | | | you are paying attention to your biomechanics, it |
| examples of poor medial to lateral balance. The only | | | | doesn't take much to remain injury free, and well on |
| way to assess your medial to lateral balance is to | | | | your way to healthy weight loss. |
| either have someone video you standing, running, and | | | | |