I recently came across an article in the Washington Post regarding Millennials and why they are experiencing so much hip pain.
Before I even read the article, I knew what the answer was: Bad Hip Mobility, Lack of attention to fundamental mechanics, poor flexibility, and too much impact with too little strength.
The most popular workouts these days for millennials are those that are strenuous and promise quick results. High intensity workouts are the name of the game: CrossFit, Powerlifting, Barre, Spartan Racing, Strongman, Bodybuilding, and the list goes on.
Was I right? Yep. Here’s a quote from the article:
Shane Nho, an orthopedic surgeon at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, recalls a spike in hip, shoulder and knee injuries as CrossFit gyms sprung up several years ago. These days, he said, patients are coming in with hip ailments from high-intensity interval training, even some barre classes.
“We probably see at least a couple patients a week with injuries related to those types of intensive classes,” Nho said. “The types of workouts these guys are doing . . . they’re doing it at all costs, despite poor form, mechanics, fatigue or their actual baseline level of conditioning.” (Washington Post Dec 2016)
People like these workouts because they’re challenging, they get you in shape quickly, and they are more interesting than 45 minutes on the elliptical.
You have to get in shape to do these workouts
The issue is that most people have no business doing these types of workouts because they are not in shape to do them.
Huh? Don’t you do these workouts to get in shape.
Nope.
It’s like I used to tell people who wanted to run half marathons and marathons. You don’t run to get in shape. You get in shape to run. Very few people have cardiac events during races. What happens to most people is that they get some type of musculoskeletal injury. So much of that could be prevented if people worked on their hip mobility, strengthened their butt muscles, worked on their foot and ankle mobility, and worked on their overall flexibility.
Train like an athlete
I started my fitness career working at your typical Big Box gym where most clients want to lose weight or general fitness. At the time the trends went from functional training (think stability balls) to high intensity training.
Shows like the Biggest Loser showed overweight people cutting massive amounts of weight while doing very intense workouts on treadmills, bikes, and jumping around. Clients came in wanting these types of workouts because this is what they thought they needed to do to get in shape.
My training philosophies completely changed when I worked at the Sports Club LA. Having the chance to watch elite athletes train, let me know that training for function and performance is a completely different game than those who are training to take pictures on social media.
Athletes spend so much time working on mobility, flexibility, and connective tissue work. It wasn’t uncommon to see huge basketball and football players in the Pilates Studio or working it out on foam rollers.
Physical Therapist Karena Wu who is quoted in the article encourages her clients to attend Yoga or Pilates Class for Flexibility Training.
“Flexibility is critical in trying to prevent injuries,” she said. “The body has a tendency to overemphasize larger muscles because they are easier to activate, so sometimes they get a little overused and smaller stabilizing muscles get underused. You create an imbalance.”
If you want to lose weight, then start at the beginning
When I worked as a trainer in big box gyms, most weight loss clients did not want to bother with fundamental mechanics. They did not want to work on their mobility and flexibility. They wanted to sweat and do intense exercise because they believed that was how they would lose weight.
What they did not realize is that they were not ready to do intense exercise. Being overweight is already taxing enough on the joints! Impact, combined with poor mobility, strength, and flexibility would just be a recipe for disaster long term.
How vindicated did I feel when I saw the big athletes doing the same single leg deadlifts (for glute, ankle strength, and balance) on the same Airex pad that I had my clients doing?!
So what should you do?
Start at the beginning.
The foundation of your training should be proper mechanics, mobility, and flexibility (especially the hips which is the powerhouse of your training)
As you progress along, then add in more high intensity activities if you wish, but vary your training. I can’t say this enough. You should not be doing high intensity activities every single day of the week or if you are, it should only be for short cycles. Your body needs to rest and recover to get stronger.
But what if I’m very overweight and need more intense exercise
Done properly, mobility, flexibility, and mechanics work is not easy and you will work up a sweat if that’s what you’re after. I encourage you to stop looking at exercise as a means to burn calories and start looking to exercise as a gauge of your performance and function. Are you moving better? are you able to get to the next level?
I would never encourage someone to go from sitting to the stands to all of a sudden taking up an exercise regimen that is meant for someone who has been training for years. They just aren’t in shape for that. You must be patient with your progress. As long as you are improving your performance and adjusting as necessary, you will see progress.
Do you really want to risk joint degeneration and not being able to move well for the rest of your life because you want a quick fix result?
Most of the athletes you watch with the ripped bodies have the genetics for that body type (because a lot of athletes are not ripped to the bone) and they have been training for YEARS. You will not get a super ripped Crossfit physique in 12 weeks. You must be patient with your progress.
Get a Professional opinion
I got injured a few years ago and it was because I was not training properly in my integrated style as I had previously. It was all high intensity cardio and weights. I wasn’t focused on flexibility and mobility and I ended up straining my low back extensor.
After that, I decided to go back to my integrated style of training working in mobility, flexibility, balance, power, strength, conditioning, etc. and I have not been injured since.
It’s the same way I teach my clients. We focus a LOT on hip mobility because that’s the power center and if your hips are mobile you can engage the butt a lot more during exercise which will give you more bang for your buck.
I do offer customized programs and if you are interested, then please contact me: geneva@fiercelyfitlifestyle.com
Athletes are concerned about performing at their highest level and function for their chosen activity.
You are concerned with performing at your highest level and function for your lifestyle!
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