Back On Track With Corrective Exercise

Back On Track With Corrective Exercise

Bent over a crumpled female athlete crying on the ground, I said, with an assertive tone “ you need to stop crossfiting, it should not be painful.” Then I got a plastic bag and ran outside and put some snow in it so that she could ice her back.

This athlete soon became my first corrective exercise client and my dear friend. She has helped me develop a keen eye and a dedication to form and correct movement. From that day on I dove into learning more about how to help people correct their imbalances and bad biomechanics.

My new passion for form and correct movement became a curse. I would watch CrossFitters move, picking out weaknesses and improper patterns. I saw so many clients that should not have been doing what they were doing. It truly opened my mind to form leads function and one of my many Swagarisms of “ just because you can do it, does not mean you should”.

I will introduce my crumpled female athlete, Carina Huggins. She had been a CrossFitter for a year before she fell to the pain.  Her problems were vast from a motor vehicle accident she was in two years prior to CrossFit. From the accident, she had developed problematic muscle imbalances and extensive compensations. Carina had multiple pain areas and structural imbalances. Her road to corrective movement was going to be long, so I sat down with her rehabilitative team and made a plan.

Pain management was our first battle and EDCUATION on what she needed to be doing to stop this pain.

Education was a big part of the first months with Carina. She is a very intelligent person who wanted to know what we were doing and why. So we needed to educate her and inform her every step of the way.

This is now a philosophy that I maintain for all my clients. If you take the time to educate them as to how and why you are doing things they are more likely to succeed. However, it is a choice. Many people want the quick fix the magic pill. Sorry to say, but there is no pill or magic when it comes to Corrective Exercise. It is a long process.  It takes time and hard work, discipline and attention to detail. It takes motivation and internal strength. This lends to another Swagarism “Rome was not built in a day.”

Coach Swagar