What are the Right vs. Wrong Movements?

Who is right and who is wrong in the world of movement? 

“Neutral pelvic tilt is always best.”
“Pelvic position doesn’t matter.” 
“There’s no correlation between posture and pain.”
“You must fix your posture, or you will always be in pain.”
“Your knees shouldn’t pass your toes.”
“Your knees SHOULD pass your toes.”

It can be very overwhelming for someone new to these topics. When you’ve been in any industry, profession, or social group long enough and have learned much about a topic, you begin to form your own opinions.  

Your knowledge will come from your educational background, your former careers, your work experience, the things you read and listen to, the conversations you have with others, and your own experiences. People new to a topic tend to repeat what they’ve learned from experts, rather than truly understanding the nuances. This is where social media can become a subpar place to learn information.

People like black-and-white ideas. “X is bad for you” is simple. It’s easier to understand, and faster to comprehend than a lengthy explanation that dives into all the variables and ultimately says, “it depends.” The reality is that with most things, the answer is that it depends. 

For example, I’ve heard quite a few physicians say, “Crossfit injures people.” While this statement is true, it does, and so does walking. Anything can injure somebody. Inactivity can injure people. So a statement like that is not particularly helpful and certainly does not account for the many details that go into deciding if Crossift is appropriate for an individual. The reality is, it depends. It depends on the participant, their history with exercise, their preferences, the gym they join, the specific coaches they work with, the modifications offered, their confidence and ability to modify exercises appropriately, etc.  

I’ve heard people say that posture doesn’t correlate with pain based on research. Well, it’s not that cut and dry. There is also research that shows that it does. “The research shows…” is a nuanced statement in and of itself. What research? Conducted by who? Paid for by who? What was the sample size? Was it a specific population or a general population? You get the point. The details matter, though. For some people, posture doesn’t correlate with the pain. For some, it does. We see first hand that in the hypermobile population, it matters.

Some will claim that pelvic position doesn’t matter. They say that there is no perfect position. While it’s true that there is no perfect positions, it’s also true that people benefit from understanding various pelvic positions, paying attention to theirs, and making adjustments to improve how they feel and function. Pelvic position impact the ability of your diaphragm and pelvic floor to work together to manage intraabdominal pressure and create stability. Pelvic position matter in pregnancy and in childbirth. Big blanket statements about topics aren’t a true reflection of the situation.

So what do you do if you are new to a topic and trying to sift through all the conflicting information available? 

First off, find a reputable source of information that pertains to your situation. Professionals have various areas of expertise. Look for someone who specializes in your specific area of need. If you are hypermobile and looking for a training program, for example, find someone who, at a bare minimum, understands hypermobility and the system implications. Ideally, you would find someone who specializes in hypermobility. Same idea with disc herniations or chronic pain. 

Understand that when there are two different viewpoints on a topic, it’s likely that both are partially correct. The truth often lies somewhere in between. The algorithms that so much of our lives run on- literally any electronic or media you access- prefer bold statements. They favor click-bait opinions that will trigger responses and arguments from people. So consume your media through the lens of knowing that it’s likely not completely accurate or it’s reporting on a topic through one very specific lens. Hopefully, it’s not leaving out important details, but often it is. Attention spans get shorter and shorter, and as a result, important information is left out. 

The holy grail is if you can find a professional who specializes in the topic you are seeking help for AND who has personally experienced that thing. Sometimes someone will specialize in a topic because it’s something they’ve been impacted by either through family or themselves. I’m going to use hypermobility as an example again. There are some very knowledgeable experts on hypermobility and connective tissue disorders. The ones I’ve seen who have it themselves are able to relate to, connect with, understand, and advocate for their patients in a way that others cannot or do not have the drive to. You can learn a lot through traditional education, but personal experiences teach things in a way that you will never learn from a textbook, lecture, or seeing someone else’s experience. 

If you are struggling with disc herniations, disc bulges, chronic pain, hypermobility, diastasis, pelvic floor dysfunction, labral tears, impingement, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, tendonitis, bursitis, or joint pain, we’ve got you covered with any of our programs!

We have personal experience with all of those and a lot more. Having Ehlers-Danlos syndrome has meant that we have experienced and navigated MANY injuries over the years. Those experiences, combined with our knowledge and experience of anatomy, biomechanics, kinesiology, strength training, pilates, nursing, and coaching tens of thousands of people around the world for almost a decade, have qualified us to be incredible guides to others who are seeking comprehensive treatment to overcome pain.    

Are you ready to take ownership of your body and overcome your pain? With over 100 5-Star Reviews and a 30-day money back guarantee on our programs, you can enroll for no risk! Try our Limitless or Hypermobility program! 

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Katie at Whealth