[New post] How the Human Movement System Works in You
Life Loves Movement posted: " Isolation. Unfortunately, it is a word that has become too common over the last couple years. The government has made us stay away from each other in all facets of life. While isolation can have a few benefits, long term survival of humans relies upon co"
Isolation. Unfortunately, it is a word that has become too common over the last couple years. The government has made us stay away from each other in all facets of life. While isolation can have a few benefits, long term survival of humans relies upon community involvement for strength and stability. You may think the human body also operates in isolation with being able to spot reduce fat, only use one muscle for an exercise, or an injury affecting one part of the body. The truth is, like the human race, the human movement system is interdependent.
The human movement system consists of three main parts: the nervous system, the skeletal system, and musculoskeletal system. As I type this blog, all three work together just so my fingers can hit the right keys to create the words you are reading. If one of the trinities does not work properly, who knows how long and what I may type in the blog!
The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) defines the human movement system as the collective components and structures that work together to move the body: muscular, skeletal, and nervous systems. The key words in that definition are "work together". The nervous system does not work in isolation to the muscular system. Nerve impulses fire from the brain for muscles to contract as a unit, with the bones providing structure and leverage to pick up a pencil. If something malfunctions in either of the three systems, you can't pick up the pencil.
Do you know someone who had a stroke? Their nervous system does not function properly allowing them to walk, talk, and/or have use of a limb. They didn't break their leg or tear a muscle, yet walking is difficult. All three must be operational just to walk, a basic human function and need. Physical therapy has to retrain the muscles to work with the nervous system, which takes time. This example plays itself out many times with injuries to all three components. Everything must work in harmony for a person to do life.
When people begin working out for the first time, their nervous system does not know how to stabilize and control free weights. The movements are awkward, and the weights are all over the place as they struggle to lift them. It is not until around four weeks that a newbie's nervous system adapts to controlling the weight and lifting it in proper form. At this point, a person thinks they are stronger, when really, it's the nervous system that is finally used to the movement. After four weeks, true strength gains begin, and muscle growth occurs. This aspect of working out surprises people because they don't realize how important the nervous system is to lifting weights.
Have you sustained an injury that didn't heal properly? Your body compensates by rewiring the neural pathways in your brain to do the same activities with other muscles. Over time, this rewiring can cause new injuries because muscles are doing a job they aren't meant to do. Using the low back for lifting heavy objects off the ground instead of your quadriceps and glutes, is an example of this. Your low back becomes primed for an injury and chronic pain because it is forced into roles meant for other muscles. This cascading effect is called the cumulative injury cycle, and effects millions of people daily.
Breaking a bone and straining or tearing a connective tissue also contribute to damaging the human movement system. Your muscles atrophy in the area restrained by a cast or brace and have to be strengthened again. Your nervous system hasn't fired in the injured area while it's been in a cast, so coordination and agility of the injured area isn't what you thought it would be at first. There is a learning period for the muscles, bones, and nerves to work together again. The best part of the human movement system is it's resilient. You do recover from injuries back to fully operational in that area. Proper care and training is required to do so, and the period of time varies depending on the injury.
As a Corrective Exercise Specialist, I work with people who have movement compensations from injuries and overuse. Overuse is sitting hours at a time in front of a laptop, that means you! To find out more about what I do, order my book The Athlete in the Game of Life, available at mattpeale.com. You will get an appreciation of what's happening to your human movement system and how I can help you recover to be at your physical best!
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