MUSCLE MEMORY
The human body is an amazing organism. We have the ability to actually train
ourselves to be different. We can be stronger, faster, leaner, more powerful, or
more functional. What happens when you do your posture program or any other
activity? How do our bodies change?
The answer has been written about in volumes, but the concept is really not that
complicated. And it’s something that you’re probably at least somewhat familiar with.
It’s called muscle memory. Knowing about muscle memory will enable you to design
and implement a more successful program and achieve better results.
When you perform a movement, any movement, your body records what you do
and tries to adapt so that it’s easier to do that movement next time. For example, if
you run around the block as fast as you can everyday for a month, that run will be
easier by the end of the month than it was when you started. The reason is that
your body is more efficient. It wants you to be good at the things you do, so it
remembers and gets better. Again, it’s more complicated than that, but you don’t
really need to get too technical.
The concept of muscle memory applies to posture. If you’re crouched over a
keyboard all day, how much harder will it be to raise your arm over your head than
if you were a construction worker? Look at kids on the playground. They can swing
on the monkey bars effortlessly. How many adults do you know who can hold their
entire body weight with one hand on a bar? Not many, right? It’s not that adults can’
t do this, it’s that they don’t. Muscle memory works the other direction, too. If you
don’t use it you lose it.
Getting functional doesn’t mean just going out to the playground and playing. Most
adults are too far gone for this to be beneficial, especially if they have been sitting
for years or even decades. We need to first put the body back into a position to be
able to stabilize itself. Once this deeper core stability is re-established, we can
continue to develop functional strength by participating in activities that resemble
children playing.
This is when exercise gets fun, because there are no limits. Everything becomes a
workout. You can go to a park and create obstacles to swing on, climb, jump over,
crawl under, or hang from. Broaden your idea of fitness and get off the treadmills,
stair climbers, ellipticals, and all that other stuff that are not only boring but also
ineffective.
By changing how your body is programmed, you change its memory. It will start
becoming good at functional movements. You will enjoy a greater quality of life, less
pain, and you’ll be happier. I have also found that when I am active with my
functional workouts, my body tends to want healthier food. It’s a win-win cycle, with
your body getting perpetually healthier by using the concept of muscle memory.
In health,
Chris Janke
Do you have a question about posture, fitness, function, or nutrition? E-mail your
question to me and the answer might be in the next newsletter.
chris@FSTworkout.com
The human body is an amazing organism. We have the ability to actually train
ourselves to be different. We can be stronger, faster, leaner, more powerful, or
more functional. What happens when you do your posture program or any other
activity? How do our bodies change?
The answer has been written about in volumes, but the concept is really not that
complicated. And it’s something that you’re probably at least somewhat familiar with.
It’s called muscle memory. Knowing about muscle memory will enable you to design
and implement a more successful program and achieve better results.
When you perform a movement, any movement, your body records what you do
and tries to adapt so that it’s easier to do that movement next time. For example, if
you run around the block as fast as you can everyday for a month, that run will be
easier by the end of the month than it was when you started. The reason is that
your body is more efficient. It wants you to be good at the things you do, so it
remembers and gets better. Again, it’s more complicated than that, but you don’t
really need to get too technical.
The concept of muscle memory applies to posture. If you’re crouched over a
keyboard all day, how much harder will it be to raise your arm over your head than
if you were a construction worker? Look at kids on the playground. They can swing
on the monkey bars effortlessly. How many adults do you know who can hold their
entire body weight with one hand on a bar? Not many, right? It’s not that adults can’
t do this, it’s that they don’t. Muscle memory works the other direction, too. If you
don’t use it you lose it.
Getting functional doesn’t mean just going out to the playground and playing. Most
adults are too far gone for this to be beneficial, especially if they have been sitting
for years or even decades. We need to first put the body back into a position to be
able to stabilize itself. Once this deeper core stability is re-established, we can
continue to develop functional strength by participating in activities that resemble
children playing.
This is when exercise gets fun, because there are no limits. Everything becomes a
workout. You can go to a park and create obstacles to swing on, climb, jump over,
crawl under, or hang from. Broaden your idea of fitness and get off the treadmills,
stair climbers, ellipticals, and all that other stuff that are not only boring but also
ineffective.
By changing how your body is programmed, you change its memory. It will start
becoming good at functional movements. You will enjoy a greater quality of life, less
pain, and you’ll be happier. I have also found that when I am active with my
functional workouts, my body tends to want healthier food. It’s a win-win cycle, with
your body getting perpetually healthier by using the concept of muscle memory.
In health,
Chris Janke
Do you have a question about posture, fitness, function, or nutrition? E-mail your
question to me and the answer might be in the next newsletter.
chris@FSTworkout.com
| 341 Lafayette Street, #106 Santa Clara, CA 95050 (408) 509-3497 |
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