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Q | I have been reading a lot about functional exercise to reduce my chance for injury and to make myself stronger. I am a 20 year old male who participates in intramural soccer and basketball. What can I do to ensure the exercises I am doing are right for me? |
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| A | Functional exercise and core strengthening are hot topics among exercisers and exercise professionals. It is thought that muscle imbalance and improper form and technique may lead to microtrauma. Microtrauma is cumulative strain/stress to the body, joint, muscle group or tendons, which is abnormal and although not pathologic at the moment, is dysfunctional. Continuing to feed muscular imbalance with wrong exercise choices or improper technique may lead-in your case- to making yourself stronger in the wrong muscle group for you. For example, abdominal exercises are great for preventing and treating low back pain, however overactive abdominals without balance on the backside can create movement problems. Remember, the purpose of the ÒcoreÓ is to activate and stabilize so the arms and legs have a stable base. In your case, a physical therapist educated in functional movement and its impact on athletic performance would be a good source of information to evaluate you and review your exercise program for deficiencies. At Corvallis Sport and Spine Physical Therapy, we focus on functional movement and its affect on the body including athletic performance. We understand that although something may not be pathologic or be causing you pain at the moment, you may have some underlying imbalances that may be causing microtrauma and may rear its ugly head in the future. |
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