Roll to Improved Athletic Performance
It doesn't matter if you're training
for sport, sit at a desk all day or are a busy stay at home parent,
our muscles are working non stop, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Athletes strive to repeat the same motion over and over again, with
improved efficiency. After all practice makes perfect...but practice
also creates asymmetries that can lead to altered movement patterns
and inhibition. Sitting at a desk all day answering phone calls,
sending emails and filing paper work may seem like a low intensity
activity for the body, but think of all the postural muscles
activated and the kyphotic or slouched position we work in all day.
This causes certain muscle groups to work in an overacted position
thus lengthening and weakening the antagonist groups. (Just think of
the tightness and stiffness you feel after sitting at a desk for a
prolonged period of time and you can relate.)
Over a prolonged period of time
trigger points or small nodules, develop within muscle tissue as a
result of overuse, repetitive movement, acute trauma and
inflammation. Trigger points can lead to a decrease in neural drive
to the innervating muscle which in turn leads to decrease in function
and altered movement patterns as the body tries to find the path of
least resistance. When synergists and stabilizing muscles are called
upon to carry out a work load greater than their design, additional
complications can surface.
Trigger
point release therapy like Self Myofascial Release, can lead to
improved recruitment patterns and return to normal function and
eventually improved performance.
An
easy example of the body compensating for overactive muscles and
altered recruitment is during a squat. If there is excessive exterior
rotation of the lower leg, excessive flexion at the hips or plantar
flexion at the foot/ankle, there may be various movement impairments
present restricting the body from proper movement patterns. If there
is a restriction in the foot/ankle complex, for example, the body may
compensate by turning the feet out during the eccentric phase of
the squat or if the cue “keep your feet straight” is said, there
could also be a forward lean during the eccentric phase. If your
personal trainer or coach doesn't address this issue, the body will
either stop once the impairment restricts movement or will cause
excess exterior tibial rotation in order to allow the squat to
continue. Proper evaluation and implementation of Myofascial Release,
lengthening and strengthening exercises will help alleviate this
impairment and correct inhibition leading to improved performance and
motion free restriction.
Check
out the links below from top Strength and Conditioning Coach, Joey
Greany, on foam rolling and a great visual demonstration of muscle
adhesion and trigger points.
For
more information on Joey, check out www.joeygreanypersonaltraining.com
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