Regress to Progress - Scapular Stability & Hip Mobility

In this essay I want to cover two important joints that are heavily affected by a sedentary lifestyle, the shoulder blades (scapular) and hip joint. Please note, it’s important to consult with a doctor if you are having recurring pain. It is best to have a thorough evaluation by a professional before proceeding with a fitness program.

Train smarter not harder. Some can intellectually understand but do not know how to apply this thought to their own fitness program.

For those who are hitting plateaus (a.k.a hitting the wall), coming back from an injury, training with joint pain, working the same routine for over 3 months, frustrated or just not seeing results- I have one thing to say “Regress to Progress”.

Nothing will change, specifically your results, if nothing changes. This is the time to step back from your routine and ask “Am I choosing quantity over quality of form?” For example, it’s counterproductive to keep increasing your jogging time knowing your knee knocks while running. Then, after the run you wonder why your knee hurts.

Another example is the aspiring weekend power lifter. This person will continue to increase the weight in their barbell bench press despite pain in their shoulders (rotator cuff) and neck strain.

Then comes the inevitable, despite using every pain medication on the market, he or she is unable to do their routine due to an injury and unbearable pain. What happened?

You chose quantity over quality of form. Granted, you are not an fitness professional, however pain/discomfort is a red flag from the brain signaling something is WRONG (and please stop).

You are limiting your potential by not taking the time to improve your weakest link. Our society is primarily sedentary at work, home and leisure. It is well documented that a sedentary lifestyle, especially one that has you in front of a computer for long periods of time, will affect your posture, joint mobility/stability due to overactive tight muscle.

I call this P.M.S, praying mantis syndrome. Basically visualize a praying mantis in a cubicle and place a keyboard underneath its claws and it looks very similar to someone in front of a PC ( add a wig if it helps with the visual). In this position we have the following; tight hip flexors, tight hamstrings, tight calf, overextending back and hip extensors, rounded shoulder, tight biceps and forward leaning head.

The only difference is that nature designed the praying mantis to be in that position; it is unnatural for human to be in a sedentary position for long periods of time!

Over time a muscle imbalance will develop in the calves, hips, legs, shoulder blades, shoulders’ and arms to name a few. The extent of the muscle imbalance will be contingent on past injuries, repetitive movement and other physical activities. Many injuries occur due to overactive muscles affecting reciprocal inhibition of the antagonist muscle.

To make matters worse, without knowing any better, you repeatedly strengthen these overactive muscles at the gym via machines or group classes. Overactive muscles will affect the joint range of motion, mobility or stability depending on the joint.

Let’s use the knee joint as an example, tight hamstrings and calf muscles plus zero glute activation will affect this joint stability (not to mention your low back health).The analogy is driving a Porsche with 1 out of 4 shocker absorbers working properly. This car was designed for performance and speed, just like you. However, its system is compromised because you did not take the time to check/replace the shocks, and anyway the car looks good so why stop cruising? It’s just a matter of time until the car will slow down and come to a halt.

Our bodies have a primal survival mechanism for self preservation. Its first line of defense is to signal our consciousness with pain. If our ego or ignorance overrides the pain then the body will compensate, e.g. development of a muscle imbalance. If you continue to train without reprieve then you are more likely to get injured, e.g. ACL tear, herniated disc, rotator cuff strain.

There is no silver bullet when it comes to correcting muscle imbalances. There are always a number of variables contributing to the problem and some we cannot change, e.g. working with a PC. What we can do is integrate some exercises that will promote balance.

First scenario, for years you noticed that your knees knock when you run (aka valgus knee) and recently you have been getting pain below and above the knee cap. It is worth mentioning females are more likely to have valgus knees due to the female anatomy. Nature designed women to have wider hips than men. This creates a greater “Q” angle which is a measurement along the tibia, femur and ASIS of the hip. Research shows that the greater the angle, the more likely you are to have an injury IF you do not address the muscle imbalances. One more note, regardless of the gender, if you are sitting most of the day, your running mechanics may be compromised.

Usually the biggest contributor to knee pain is the hips. Ankle mobility, flat feet (over pronation) can also be a factor but for this essay I will focus on the hips.