Become more aware of how your body moves, how it’s stacked, and how effortlessly it moves, as this awareness is the beginning of change and leads to improved breathing, digestion, and overall health.
To initiate any change in your body or movement, you must first notice what is happening and what isn’t, as awareness is the fundamental starting point for progress.
Ensure your head is properly ‘on right’ and effortlessly perched on top of your spine, as a forward head position limits movement, restricts joint rotations, and negatively impacts overall body function.
Correcting your head position improves the body’s internal ‘plumbing,’ allowing better blood flow, metabolic waste removal, and air circulation, making all movement easier and more efficient.
Understand that the area where you feel pain or experience an injury is often not the true source of the problem, requiring a broader investigation to find the root cause.
When experiencing pain, understand that the site of the symptom is not always the site of the problem, and investigate the underlying reasons for the pain rather than just treating the symptom location.
View pain as a communication from your body, indicating that the painful area is likely doing too much work and asking for relief or for other body parts to share the load.
If an activity like running causes pain, the solution isn’t to stop the activity entirely, but to stop performing it in a way that is ‘mean’ or harmful to your body.
By learning about your own body and its movements, you gain control to navigate challenges and make physical tasks as easy as possible, preventing unnecessary difficulty.
Instead of pushing through pain, pause, walk, and use a pre-identified ‘go-to’ movement or stimulus to address fatigue or discomfort in a specific body part, allowing you to recover and continue without further injury.
Before running, engage in a brisk walk for 7-15 minutes (rule of thumb: 10 minutes) to divert blood flow to working muscles, which is the most effective way to limit injury risk and enhance enjoyment.
Recognize that intense exercise requires a minimum of 48 hours for muscle fiber recovery, and for some individuals, it can take up to a week, so plan training to avoid cumulative fatigue.
When preparing for an event, it is always better to be slightly under-trained than even minimally over-trained, as starting fatigued can lead to injuries and hinder performance.
Challenge the misconception that running is inherently bad or not for you if you experience pain; instead, believe that with proper learning and addressing underlying structural, biomechanical, or form issues, almost everyone can run pain-free.
Recognize that running injuries often stem from pre-existing, unnoticed inefficiencies in walking mechanics that become problematic when the intensity of running is added.
View running as a valuable teacher that can reveal underlying imbalances or inefficiencies in your body, providing an opportunity to identify and address the root causes of pain or limitations.
Stand in front of a mirror to observe if one shoulder is consistently higher than the other while standing, marching, or trotting, as persistent asymmetry indicates an underlying issue affecting shock absorption and propulsion during movement.
If you notice shoulder asymmetry, test the ease and quality of overhead arm movement for both shoulders, as this can help identify which side is restricted, even if the asymmetry itself doesn’t pinpoint the problem’s location.
If a muscle, like a hamstring, is in a chronically lengthened position due to postural asymmetry, stretching it further might exacerbate the problem; instead, focus on correcting the underlying alignment to allow the muscle to shorten and function optimally.
Refrain from carrying items like phones, water bottles, or sticks on only one side of your body while moving, as this asymmetry will negatively affect your overall movement patterns.
If you must carry items while moving, either carry them symmetrically (e.g., two bottles) or place them in a pocket or bum bag close to your core to minimize their impact on your movement.
If carrying a phone, place it in a tight pocket on your upper thigh rather than on your upper arm or in your hand, as the thigh’s density and proximity to the core minimize its negative influence on movement.
When carrying a phone or other item, observe if one shoulder elevates, as this indicates an imbalance that reduces shock absorption on one side and overloads the other, impacting propulsion.
Pay attention to how your body parts, like your arms, move even when you’re not carrying an item or looking at a watch, as repetitive actions can imprint motor programs that lead to inefficient or asymmetrical habits.
Understand that the body ‘keeps the score’ and can maintain compensatory shapes or movement patterns long after an injury or surgery, which can contribute to recurring issues if not addressed.
Instead of viewing a challenging event as a failure, reframe it as an opportunity for self-discovery and growth, recognizing that learning about your resilience and potential can be more valuable than achieving a specific time goal.
Embrace challenging or ‘bad’ experiences in movement or life as profound learning opportunities, as they often reveal more valuable insights than smooth, successful ones.
As your awareness of your own body’s movement grows, extend this to observing others’ movement with curiosity rather than judgment, seeking to understand the underlying reasons for their unique patterns.
Recognize that improving movement efficiency and body stacking has systemic benefits beyond just physical performance, enhancing breathing, digestion, internal fluid flow, and overall health and longevity.
To achieve fluid movement, foster balance in the body and system, and integrate the action of movement with the thoughts and feelings associated with it, connecting these elements to deepen awareness and facilitate lasting change.