Body in Alignment

You know, the older I get, the more interested I am in figuring out how to optimize my body for the years ahead – particularly, since “bad knees” run in my family. I also find that watching people try to walk and “get about” while shopping or waiting for a plane also inspires me to stay on task to re-balance my muscles and get more mobile. I so don’t ever want to deal with a joint replacement and know oh so well that there are plenty of examples of how crickety life can get and how glitchy muscles and joints can become.

So, my age-old pattern of walking on the edge of my feet and launching off my pinkie toe – rather than launching forward from the full-width of my foot and the pads under all five toes – forced my muscle structure to shift and cope with a less than stable situation AKA my habit was like pushing forward from a thin skate’s blade vs. launching forward from the full width of a plow blade.

I also noticed that running on the edge of my foot in a “skate-blade fashion” also meant that my muscles’ firing patterns got wonky! and my movements became more crickety than strong and smooth.

Here is the biggest marker of the wonky patterns that I’ve worked diligently to change:

• The outside of my calves were over-developed compared to my inside calves – Which means that I propelled forward with only 1/2 of my muscle resources and power!

• My outside hamstrings were also over-developed compared to my inside hams – Which means that I was more likely to turn my foot outward and run more “duck-like” increasing the wobbliness of my run and the likelihood that I would continue to push-off my pinkie toe rather than the full-width of my foot.

• With that duck-like push-off tendency, I was also more likely to end up with an over-active piriformis which means that I would occasionaly end up with my little bouts of sciatica.

• So, with my calves and outer hams overactive, the rest of my muscular chain also became overactive – Which means that I ended up with a locked-up hip, a shorter gait, AND my favorite low back aches and discomforts – sarcasm, I assure you!

My pain and discomfort was further complicated by a head-on auto accident and so now I had an extra incentive to figure out how to get my muscles re-balanced and feeling Happy Again!

Re-setting that alignment has definitely given me greater stamina and strength for my run!

Understanding the how-to’s became my quest – ultimately, with great results and the inspiration that carries me forward in my practice and the system that helps my clients succeed with a focus on the following:

• Muscle Strength

• Range of Motion Limitations

• Functional Muscle Team Imbalances

In turn, we’ll work together, with orthopedic/ sports massage to Find & Unwind any Compromised Muscle Mechanics (“CMM”) and Reset & Reactivate those CMMs so that they become Optimal Muscle Mechanics (“OMM”):

• Balance Muscle Tone
• Improve Muscle Firing Order
• Facilitate Muscle Balance Re-alignments

Next, we’ll work together with Corrective Exercise to re-wire and ingrain your newly reset Optimal Muscle Mechanics to:

• Reinforce muscle system realignments
• Create balanced strengthening
• Reinforce new muscle firing orders