I was up at the local park recently training some clients, enjoying some of the recent gorgeous ‘winter’ weather. Another trainer (who shall remain anonymous) was training at the same time and I could not help but notice that one of their clients (a relatively young lady) had a very distinct forward running style.
On closer examination, looking at this client undertake basic movements such as squats and lunges, it was clear that this running style most likely reflected issues with their hips and/or weakness in their glutes and hamstrings. The result was that excessive weight and pressure was being placed on their knees when running and undertaking these basic everyday movements.
When it became clear that the other trainer had not picked up on this, I weighed up whether for the clients sake I should go over and let the trainer know of this issue. I was torn because if allowed to persist, in most cases this movement pattern would result in the client experiencing knee pain and, eventually, chronic arthritis in the knee joints. Often such clients end up seeing a physio or other allied health professional where significant money is spent by the client to address the symptoms of the poor movement pattern, potentially without sufficient focus on fixing the actual underlying cause of the pain. As a result, further recurring pain is usually experienced down the track.
When I approached the trainer and let her know what I had observed, the client immediately noted that she was already feeling pain in her knees. Not only was the trainer unaware of the movement issue, but they were also unaware that their client was already suffering from pain (there was clearly no check in with the client before or during the session as to how the client was feeling). Given the client was already experiencing pain, they should not have been given some of the exercises they were (especially lunges) as this would only serve to exacerbate the issue.
For me there were a few lessons to be garnered from this. The first is it reinforced that everyone is different. The way we move is subtly different, with these differences in posture patterned into our brain based on our own past experiences. The jobs we do, our hobbies, past injuries, our susceptibility to stress and a myriad of other factors all condition our posture and the way our bodies subsequently complete everyday movements and tasks. These differences need to be taken into account when developing programs for each and every client.
Second, it illustrated to me the importance of a trainer undertaking regular movement appraisals on their clients (at least annually) to assess whether the client has any restrictions, weaknesses or other issues that need to be accounted for when developing a training program for that client.
Thirdly, it reminded me that personal trainers need to not only think about helping their clients achieve their goals in the short term, but in doing so must also be mindful of ensuring that we leave clients in the best state to maintain a healthy body and lifestyle for the rest of their lives. This means not only being aware of movement restrictions, issues or injuries clients have, but also ensuring that these become part of the focus of training sessions so that they are addressed, improved or properly rehabilitated. Doing so will ensure that poor posture or movement patterns will not become ingrained, and instead proper movement patterns can be restored and in doing so alleviate the chances of chronic issues such as arthritis developing down the track.
This is why at Be Your Best Health and Fitness every client who participates in one of our group sessions or individual personal training undertakes a movement appraisal every year to assess their current physical capabilities. Any issues are then incorporated into their own specifically tailored program. The focus initially is on avoiding exercises that would exacerbate the issue while improving flexibility of the muscle or joint where this is required before the muscles can then be properly strengthened through targeted exercises to ensure that a better movement pattern can be attained. Regular fitness tests are also undertaken to track progress in alleviating these issues.
Do you suffer from knee, back or shoulder pain?
If you suffer from knee, back or shoulder / neck pain, and are interested in addressing the underlying causes so you can live pain free and in doing so be the best version of yourself, email us at [email protected] for an obligation free complimentary consultation and movement appraisal. We are ready to help you become YOUR BEST YOU!
