Importance of muscle balance for fitness

Yesterday, I talked about one of the limitations of getting fit.  You might be working harder than you need to because you are focusing on the wrong thing! 

Today, I want to look at another problem with an "un-balanced" body: you may be storing up problems for later on!

Do you know how you move? 

For instance, stand up with your feet about hip width apart and your feet parallel.  Now gently bend your knees.  With your knees bent, look down at knees.  Are they pointing out towards your 2nd and 3rd toes.  If they aren't doing this, then over time you may be stressing your knee joint. 

The fact that your knees aren't tracking "correctly" does not mean that there is anything necessarily wrong with your knees.  It is an indicator that the joint isn't balanced.  How can a joint be "unbalanced"?  Joint balance is dependent on the muscles that control the joint.  If one muscle is stronger than another it will alter the movement of a joint.

Returning to your knees, there are a number of muscles that affect tracking.  There could be a lack of balance in your quadriceps (your quads comprise 4 muscles).  One of these muscles maybe pulling more than the others so it disturbs how the knee moves.  Your ITB band maybe tight, again affecting the tracking of the knee cap.

Of course, there could be tightness in the hip or even in the ankle that will affect how the knee moves.   You probably won't feel this tightness.   (We now veiw the body as a fascial network where "stress" is felt throughout the body!)

So part of your "check-up" before you start your get fit plan should include a  bodywork session that re-balances your body.  Start you get fit plan with a balanced body and you will be giving yourself a head start!