Muscle Imbalance Causing Problems?
We are so excited to bring you this article by Joel Harper. Not only is he one of the biggest stars in fitness, but he’s also a great author and health expert. Check out his article on muscle imbalance and how you can avoid them! No need for the pain!
Avoid these common muscle imbalances
Do you have knee, hip, back, shoulder and/or ankle discomfort?
YES?
Well, you may have a muscular imbalance. New clients are sent to me all the time with some sort of ailment and they want to be cured without going under the knife.
I don’t blame them and most of them don’t need to. Why? Because their muscles are throwing them out of balance and are causing their problem. Your discomfort is just a symptom of an underlying muscle imbalance.
My goal is to get to the root of the problem and fix it.
The Causes:
1) One-sided activities – Such as a pitcher in baseball, who uses one side of his body extremely different than the other. Also, you may simply sit crooked all day long at your desk and lean towards one side more than the other.
2) Sleeping on one side all night long and not rotating sides.
3) One leg is longer than the other.
4) One muscle is stronger than the opposing muscle.
5) Overuse/repetitious movements.
6) Not working muscles equally and from different angles when you exercise.
7) Not stretching properly.
The Fix:
1) LISTENING TO YOUR BODY: If something is aggravating you, it is telling you that something is wrong. Find out the cause and fix it.
2) FIND YOUR WEAK MUSCLES and exercise them from every angle. Your muscles need to get worked out and they need to be moved from every single side.
3) DO IMBALANCED EXERCISES. Right arm to the left leg. This will help strengthen your stabilizing muscles and improve your balance.
4) EXERCISE THEN STRETCH. I am a big believer in proper stretching immediately following each exercise in order to create long lean muscles.
5) BE A STICKLER FOR FORM. Don’t get sloppy when you are in a hurry, as this is when you can get hurt. Make sure you are exercising correctly.
6) PULL YOUR FEET BACK FLAT. Make 100% sure that you are pulling your toes back flat and equally when exercising and stretching. Pretend they are against a flat wall.
7) ALWAYS USE THE OPPOSITE HAND. Whenever doing a one-legged stretch, always use the opposite hand to pull your toe back.
8) BE PROACTIVE. Consistently train and be mindful injured areas, so that you prevent more issues down the road. If something doesn’t feel right, listen to your body. It is speaking to you all day long.
Wrap-Up
My goal is to help you avoid these common muscle imbalance problems so you can be flexible, strong, and balanced. This way, you can use your muscles efficiently and NEVER get injured.
Joel has been featured in various publications from “O” Magazine, Esquire and SHAPE Magazine to Bottomline Health and has appeared on numerous television programs such as ABC & Fox News, Oprah, the Dr. Oz Show, Good Morning America and Access Hollywood. Joel is the creator all of the New York Times best selling YOU books workout chapters and accompanying DVDs with Drs. Oz and Roizen, and successfully created his own workout DVD series, FIT PACK, as well as PBS’ best selling DVDs, SLIM & FIT, and the currently running FIRMING AFTER 50.
Most recently, Joel Harper published his first book with Harper Collins, MIND YOUR BODY, detailing an effective approach to long-term weight loss and how a powerful mindset is the key for an optimally balanced you. Connect with him via Twitter or Facebook.
- Joel Harper: How to Fix Muscle Imbalances - November 2, 2015
