Freedom of Movement is Possible. (Once we know how to get there.)

In order to do a Deep Squat like I am doing above, you can assess what needs work by getting an Overhead Squat Assessment.

A Balanced Overhead Squat

It’s strange to imagine that there is so much we don’t understand about our own bodies even though we are walking around and living in one! One thing that is very interesting about the body is it wants to serve us and do what we ask it to do. On a structural level- that means your body will do everything it can to move as you intend it to be moved even if you can’t make that move in an efficient or healthy way. 

Say I ask my friend to do an overhead squat for me. If her ankles are tight, and her glutes are weak, and her shoulders are internally rotated she will still find a way to do the squat as best she can. Her body will “borrow” flexibility from other areas that are not intended to be her main squatting muscles. While these unconscious choices will get my friend into a squat, they won’t be healthy or “posturally correct” choices.

Synergistic Dominance is when muscles that are supposed to be the “helper muscles” (synergists) are doing the main work for the muscles that are supposed to be doing the lions share of the work (prime movers.) Synergistic dominance causes all sorts of postural patterns that make us tight, in pain, and unable to move in a healthy and “normal” way. 

I see people all the time who want to be stronger and more fit, but often people don’t yet understand that in order to get more strong and fit, we need to learn how to move correctly. It’s easy to go to a gym and start lifting weights- but it’s never going to truly help us until we begin to learn how to move effectively by addressing our tissue imbalances. 

The good news is training our nervous system and tissues to move correctly is absolutely 100% possible. And once you learn, you will never forget. You will gain freedom of movement and your body won’t need to make bad choices for you ever again!