The Benefits Of Nonlinear Training

“Stand up tall”. “Point your toes forward when you squat”. “Keep your back flat”.

Each of the above are cues that either I was taught in school or have been coached to adopt over my primary years and adulthood. I left physical therapy school believing that I needed to also have individuals move with these cues in mind in order to prevent injury.

I just posted on my Instagram not too long ago about how beliefs can be modified as time goes on and this scenario is a prime example of this happening. I have been practicing for 5 years now. Depending on who is reading this, you may believe that I am still inexperienced overall or you can appreciate how life experiences and circumstances could lead to change. In my experience, most of you are the latter. 

Challenging my current knowledge base has always been a priority. Being content with what I know has never been my demeanor. From taking courses with instructors coming from different worlds of movement, beginning capoeira and learning more about how the brain and body are interconnected, I no longer use the dated cues listed above that have been held onto for decades.

Look at the world. Think about the demands of our lives. Also think about how the demands of our bodies can change any given second. Take, for example, grocery shopping. There is an item that you want on a shelf slightly above eye level, but far toward the back and just behind a stack of products that the stocker conveniently left in your way. In order to retrieve the item, a bit of contortion and involvement of multiple body segments may be required. If you only trained your ability to reach for objects directly in front of you, your body might not permit you to reach for an object at a distance while also tucked behind another object.

If you cannot relate to this example, think about going rock climbing. You could be someone who can bang out 20 pull-ups at the gym. Now, try to pull yourself up with your right hand extended overhead and fingertips barely hanging onto the small boulder. It is likely that you will struggle unless you also train single arm pull-ups with your fingers in a claw shape.

And, unfortunately, this is when injury can occur; when our bodies are not prepared for a load or activity.  

This is why I enjoy training capoeira and take as many movement courses as possible. The more choices we have to maneuver a specific obstacle, move at a certain angle or speed, etc., the better our chances of succeeding at any given task. I am not saying that everyone needs to train a martial art, gymnastics or other forms of movement requiring highly complex movement patterns, but challenging your brain and body to be one with various angles, loads and speeds can allow us freedom to transfer between environmental contexts with less difficulty. 

So next time somebody tells you that you need to avoid bending forward, bend forward with a twist and rock side to side and then transition into a handstand! Note: this is a playful demonstration of the point I am trying to make; which is that movement is great! Avoiding the exploration of many different types of movement hinders your ability to perform in unfamiliar environments or under unusual physical demands.

Feel free to reach out with any questions or comments about this post.