July 7, 2025 • 32 mins
What if the key to athletic breakthrough isn't training harder, but moving better? For athletes chasing performance goals, the path forward might lie in what's been there all along – your movement patterns.
From the moment we first move in the womb to our latest workout, our bodies develop unique neuromuscular highways – patterns that govern how we organize and execute every movement. These patterns become our movement signature, as distinctive as our handwriting or walking gait. But unlike static signatures, these patterns directly impact our athletic potential, either supporting or sabotaging our efforts.
This episode dives deep into how movement patterns develop, why they matter for athletes, and how addressing them can transform performance. Host Susannah Steers draws from decades of experience helping athletes break through plateaus by focusing on movement quality instead of just quantity. She shares the story of Olympic legend Michael Phelps, whose success came not just from genetic advantages but from addressing movement imbalances that threatened his performance.
For those who've hit unexplained walls in training or struggled with recurring injuries, this conversation offers a fresh perspective. You'll discover why compensations that initially help you push through challenges eventually create new problems, and how mindful movement training can rebuild patterns for sustainable strength and performance.
Whether you're a competitive athlete, weekend warrior, or simply someone who wants to move through life with less pain and more freedom, you'll gain practical insights for assessing your own movement and simple strategies to begin improving it today. The science is clear: quality movement isn't just a nice-to-have supplement to athletic training—it's often the missing foundation that determines how far your hard work can take you.
Subscribe to the Heart of Motion podcast for more insights at the intersection of movement science and vibrant living, and connect with Susannah on Instagram @theheartofmotionpodcast to share your movement journey.
Heart of Motion Podcast host Susannah Steers is a Pilates & Integrated Movement Specialist and owner of Moving Spirit Pilates in North Vancouver, BC. She is passionate about movement, about connections and about life.
Through movement teaching, speaking, and facilitating workshops, she supports people in creating movement practices that promote fitness from the inside out. She loves building community, and participating in multi-disciplinary collaborations.
Along with her friend and colleague Gillian McCormick, Susannah also co-hosts The Small Conversations for a Better World podcast – an interview based podcast dedicated to promoting the kind of conversations about health that can spark positive change in individuals, families, communities and across the globe.
Social Media Links:
Moving Spirit Pilates Instagram
Moving Spirit Pilates Facebook
Susannah Steers Instagram
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Susannah Steers (00:00):
Welcome to the Heart of Motion Podcast.
I'm Susanna Steers and I'll beyour host as we explore the
heart, soul and science ofmovement as a pathway to more
active, vibrant and connectedliving.
Nothing happens until somethingmoves, so let's get started.
Welcome to the Heart of MotionPodcast, where we dive deep into
(00:21):
the art and science of movementand explore what it really
takes to thrive in our bodies atany age and at any level of
performance.
Today, I want to talk directlyto the athletes out there.
If you love to move, whetheryou're chasing personal bests on
the trails, perfecting yourgolf swing or simply seeking
more ease in your daily life,you know that training the body
(00:42):
for performance is a journeyfilled with both exhilaration
and challenge.
We push ourselves to go further, faster and stronger.
We celebrate the wins andsometimes we have to grit our
teeth through the setbacks.
But here's the secret that sooften gets lost in the drive for
achievement Sometimes the verystrategies we use to train our
(01:03):
bodies for performance cost usin other ways.
Our bodies are brilliant atadapting, but those adaptations
aren't always in our bestlong-term interest.
We learn to compensate, to pushthrough pain, to ignore the
whispers of fatigue or imbalance, until one day, those whispers
become shouts we can't ignore.
(01:24):
Today, I want to shine a lighton the hidden stories that our
bodies carry, the movementpatterns that shape how we
perform, recover and even how wefeel in our own skin.
We'll explore why how you movematters just as much as how much
you move and how small mindfulshifts can unlock new levels of
(01:44):
power, resilience and joy inyour movement.
So, whether you're an athlete,a weekend warrior or simply
someone who wants to movethrough life with more freedom
and less pain, this episode isfor you.
Let's uncover the ways thathonoring your body's story can
help you perform at your bestfor the long run.
So we're talking about movementpatterns
(02:07):
.
The human brain organizesmovement by creating patterns
that we call on to move ourbodies every day.
These patterns allow us tounconsciously engage the chain
of sequenced muscle activationsthat's necessary to lift an arm
or turn a head or play a game oftennis.
If we had to consciouslyactivate every single muscle
required for all the movementsin our days, there would be
(02:30):
absolutely no room in our brainsfor anything else.
Our patterns begin from thevery first flow of cells in
utero.
They continue to develop as wegrow, from infancy to adulthood.
They're influenced by ourgenetics, our structure, our
emotions, our experiences, themovement of the people we hang
out with the most, the way wetrain our bodies, the injuries
(02:52):
we sustain and the ways in whichwe adapt and move through
challenges, both physical andemotional.
Our patterns aren't justinfluenced, they're influencing.
They play an important andsometimes underappreciated part
in the selection and evolutionof new movement strategies in
our bodies.
Like when we're learning a newsport, our daily habits play a
(03:16):
huge role in creating thestructure and governing the
function of our bodies, nomatter what exercises and
activities we may do tostrengthen our muscles and
improve our mobility.
Handwriting is a great example.
Most of us have had the samekind of lessons in how to shape
and space our letters, to docursive and to line things up on
(03:38):
a page, but rarely do we seetwo people with the same
handwriting.
Your writing differs from minein the amount of pressure you
use to put the pen to paper.
It differs in the size and theshape and the flow of the
letters.
Your handwriting and thepatterns you use to write are
uniquely yours and if you payattention, you might even notice
(04:01):
that your writing changes withyour moods.
The same is true of our largermovement.
I'll bet you can recognize thepeople closest to you by the way
they walk.
Before you can even see theirfaces well enough to make out
their features, you might evenbe able to tell the kind of mood
they're in.
When we do any kind of physicalactivity, our habitual movement
(04:23):
patterns come with us.
If the patterns you start withare pretty good, then your
ability to perform variousactivities or to build good
functional strength and capacitywill likely be pretty good too.
Your movement will probablyfeel fluid and efficient, strong
and clean.
But if the patterns you bringto movement challenges are not
(04:45):
so good, you might findobstacles that show up as things
like difficulty breathing,difficulty building the muscle
mass you want, or maybe buildingit in the right places.
You might struggle with injury,you might feel uncoordinated
and you might experiencemobility or stability problems.
You might fall.
Poor patterning creates allkinds of scenarios where you
(05:09):
feel like you just can't get thejob done.
So when we're exercising ortraining for something, I think
it's really important to ensurethat our movement patterning is
as clear and efficient as it canbe.
Joseph Pilates once said, "a fewwell-designed movements,
properly performed in a balancedsequence, are worth hours of
(05:32):
sloppy calisthenics or forcedcontortion, and over the years,
I've found that to be true.
If the goal is to move andperform at our best, why
wouldn't we pay attention to howwe're getting there?
Sometimes, when we're trainingfor something, an event or
performance, professionalathletic pursuit, whatever it is
(05:53):
we can be so fixated on thewhat that we're doing that we
don't pay attention to the howof what we're doing.
We focus on the stats, the reps, the load levels or the times,
and we work toward improvingthose things with energy and
drive.
These are important and they'reeasily measured.
(06:17):
I would argue, though, that howyou do these things is equally
important, and that is not soeasily measured.
But without attention to thehow, I think you're missing the
kind of work that makes you abetter athlete, the stuff that
takes you from average toexceptional, the stuff that
builds resilience, that buildssustainable strength and stamina
and serves as a powerfulfoundation for all of your
physical activities In buildingskills and capacity for athletic
(06:40):
performance, no matter whatyour discipline.
I think good quality movementtrumps mindless reps and sets
and brute force every time.
At the very least, attention tohow you move should be a
trusted companion in youroverall training arc.
I often think about OlympianMichael Phelps when I talk about
this stuff.
(07:00):
Phelps is now a retiredAmerican swimmer who won eight
gold medals at the BeijingOlympics in 2008.
Still a record for any athleteat a single Olympic Games.
As with most Olympians, thereis an element of winning the
genetic lottery in his story.
I mean, the guy is six footfour inches tall and he's said
to have the perfect body forswimming.
(07:21):
He has an exceptionally longtorso and short legs.
His trunk is the length ofsomeone who's actually closer to
about 6'8" and his legs arecomparable in length to someone
8 inches shorter.
He's also hypermobile, whichcontributed to a kind of fluid
movement in his body that washelpful for his butterfly stroke
(07:44):
, which was his best event.
But hypermobility can be ablessing and a curse when it
comes to stability and forcetransmission.
In Phelps' case, hishypermobility contributed to
that rhythmic undulation throughthe body that worked really
well for his butterfly stroke.
But at the same time, hesuffered constant challenges
with his back, even to the pointof having to withdraw for some
(08:06):
important events over his careeras a result.
Luckily, he had a team ofpeople working with him who
helped him learn to control hishypermobility, with dedicated
stability work and training toimprove his movement patterns,
along with other supports andtherapies.
Along with other supports andtherapies, with his dedicated
training and discipline, notjust in the pool but also in
(08:27):
other areas where his movementneeded support, he went on to
become one of the mostsuccessful Olympic athletes of
all time.
If he had just kept swimmingharder, Michael Phelps might not
have been able to achieve hisstunning Olympic victories.
So let's talk about thesemovement patterns.
A muscle pattern develops overtime.
When we choose a specificpattern of muscle activations to
(08:50):
do a particular task over andover again, the brain starts to
recognize that this is afrequently used path and it
begins to choose it as a kind ofdefault pattern.
The more often we use thatpathway, the more easily we can
access it in the future.
It's where that old adagepractice make perfect comes from
.
A movement that we dofrequently, like walking for
(09:13):
example, has some prettywell-worn patterns associated
with it.
It's like a neuromuscularsuperhighway, and unless you're
on tricky terrain, your walk ispretty automatic.
At this point I'm guessing Ifyou've never gone swimming
before, though, your firstswimming lessons might feel a
little less well-organizedbecause your brain hasn't yet
(09:34):
developed a good pattern for youto work with.
It's building the patterns asyou go learning, often borrowing
from other patterns you mightalready have available in your
neuromuscular library.
It's a trial and error processuntil your brain and your
nervous system land on a patternthat feels like it works for
you and then things start tosmooth out a bit.
(09:55):
Things like the length of ourbones and the relative tension
or laxity of our ligaments andconnective tissues are all
genetic factors that absolutelyinfluence our patterns.
No question.
After that, things like thetone of our muscles, our overall
health and fitness and thestate of our nervous system can
impact a pattern.
The way we train is importanttoo.
(10:16):
Are you constantly pushing yourlimits to the absolute edge,
not providing enough recoverytime?
Constantly living in survivalmode may leave your nervous
system in a state that is notconducive to sustainable gains.
But even things like ouremotions, the way we feel about
ourselves, or the situation andthe tasks we're doing, or who
(10:38):
we're doing it with, can make adifference.
Our sense of safety in the taskor in our environment can also
have an influence.
Movement patterns are like aliving, breathing archive of all
our collected life experiences.
If you ever sustained an injurythat sidelined you for a bit,
that likely plays into thingstoo.
Maybe you broke your lower legand were in a cast or crutches
(11:02):
for six to eight weeks.
After a couple of months ofstanding and hopping around on
one leg, your body probablydeveloped some new strengths and
new patterns and maybe has lostsome access to old patterns,
especially in relationship withpain.
You may find that as you getback to regular activity there
may be some kind of residualimpact in your movement.
(11:23):
The muscle mass on one legmight be smaller than on the
other.
Your shoulders and your upperback have been kind of bent
forward over the crutches for awhile, with more weight on your
arms and hands than you'dnormally have.
And did you even look at thatsituation in your post-rehab?
It takes a while to get back tofully active duty again, and
(11:43):
there will probably always belittle breadcrumbs in your
movement that show the journey.
Over the years, these thingsadd up.
You probably won't even noticethem at first, but over time the
accumulating breadcrumbs startto create a whole different
reality in your body.
The compensations you'vecreated over the years start to
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add up and maybe even glomtogether until your movement
begins to feel less and lessfree and organized.
So let's extrapolate that in ahypothetical scenario over a
number of years.
Maybe you had a knee injury inyour early years that left you
with one thigh muscle biggerthan the other.
(12:25):
Since then your thigh muscles,generally on one side, have
always felt a little like theywere a bit short and tight, but
you stretch and you don't reallynotice it too much.
Then you know you get a littleolder and the realities of
having to work for a living meanthat you're probably sitting at
a desk most of every day.
Your hip flexors arechronically tight and your core
(12:46):
is probably weaker than you'dlike.
Then maybe you had a baby ortwo and since then you've had
issues with your pelvic floor oryour core.
Perhaps you've managed toreclaim the flat belly, but you
kind of pee a little when yousneeze After the babies.
You were determined to get yourbody back in a hurry, so you
went after it hard and maybe nowyou tend to grip your ribs and
(13:08):
your butt after trying to getactive too fast without good
deep core support.
So the butt and the ribs tookover.
Now you experience maybe alittle low back pain or
stiffness, maybe a littlearthritis in various parts,
combined with the stress of allof the above.
So now maybe you notice thatyour knees don't love a deep
(13:28):
squat anymore.
You pee a little when you laugh, it's harder to twist your
spine and you're beginning tonotice that your neck is often
stiff and sore and your corewell, it's just not supporting
you the way you want.
Our bodies will give us movementonly where it is available for
us in terms of the mobility,strength and the stamina.
The problem, and the gift, isthat we are so adaptable that we
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often don't notice that we'velost movement until we try to do
something we want to do - andwe can't.
We chalk it up to injury oraging or whatever, and those
things do count.
But you might be surprised bywhat more becomes possible for
you with some attention to yourmovement.
Now I'll say this - Athletestake things to a whole new level
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.
.
Athletes have a special kind ofmindset.
I've been there and I know it.
You eat, you breathe and yousleep.
Your sport, everything in yourlife revolves around it your
body, your training cycles, yourevents.
You swallow your pain, you workthrough your challenges, you
push your boundaries until youreach the goals that you've set
for yourself.
You tap into that innerstrength and that discipline,
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that indomitable will tocontinue against all odds.
And then you set the bar alittle higher, reaching for new,
loftier goals.
It never stops.
You're always reaching forwhat's just beyond you.
But have you ever reached forone of those lofty goals and
found that it took more energythan you could reasonably have
expected it to, based on thetraining up to that point?
(15:00):
Have you worked towards newheights only to repeatedly hit
an invisible wall before you getthere Injuries, less than
inspiring performances, fatigue,pain, inefficiencies.
Sometimes these things comeabout as a result of poor
technique, inconsistent trainingor maybe insufficient recovery
periods and maybe evenmiscalculations in your training
(15:22):
.
, But but sometimes, in fact alot of time, I would say,
problems Problems come up as aresult of challenges in your
structural support.
The foundational patterns uponwhich all of your technique and
conditioning .
rests Is the architecture ofyour body, handling the load
you're putting on ?
.
Are the stresses balanced orpulling you in all the wrong
(15:43):
directions?
Are you gradually loading andoverloading your body towards
strength, strength or instead tothe point of collapse?
More is not always better.
Athletes are master compensatorsand probably have more
sophisticated and deeplyingrained failed load transfer
patterns in their movement thannon-athletes.
They make it work.
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You're used to doing whateverit takes to get the job done.
You push through, adding powerto those faulty patterns and
working around the problem.
Other muscles and tissues takeon the job and your structure
literally shifts to accommodatethe new pattern.
You don't feel it as it'shappening.
In fact.
At first your compensationmight actually make things feel
(16:24):
better, since it begins to takestress away from a problem area.
But eventually the cost of yourcompensations and structural
shifts show up as increasedenergy expenditure, reduced
efficiency and diminished rangeand quality of your movement
changes.
You have to work harder andspend more time to achieve less.
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It begins to feel as thoughyou're losing ground.
Accumulated compensations caneventually lead to diminishing
performance to a point where thestructure has trouble
compensating its way out of painor injury.
You can treat the injuries, youcan rest, but until the
underlying structural issues areaddressed you're kind of
fighting a losing battle.
Here's the thing.
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You can't erase your history.
But this kind of challenge isnot the end of your journey,
even though it can sometimesfeel like it.
Focused retraining ofproblematic movement patterns
can restore balance and unlocknew potential, as one of my
clients described it somewhatincredulously after a big back
injury she said I've got more inthe tank than I ever had before
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.
That's kind of a fun thing tolearn after what felt like a
debilitating, career-endinginjury.
Movement training focuses onfinding clear and efficient
motor control in your body tosupport your structure and move
it through space with ease, witha lot of work to do and not a
lot of time to do it in.
It's easy to get caught up inthe performance aspect of your
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sport, focusing on strength andpower, reaching for better times
, for better lines or anythingelse that makes you a beast in
your sport.
Many people forego movementtraining or restorative
exercises, thinking that theywon't get the same bang for the
buck in terms of performance.
They don't feel like they'reworking hard enough.
The only thing that will makeyou a better hockey player is
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playing hockey a lot.
It's the thing that you do foryourself, the background work
that makes you a better athlete.
That will allow you to performin ways beyond, specifically,
what hockey training can giveyou.
Retraining a movement pattern isabout reprogramming not only
the muscles and other tissues,but the neural map your brain
uses to spark your body intoaction.
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It's as much about training thebrain as it is about training
the body.
You're literally redrawing themap.
If you're used to working athigh intensity, high velocity
and heavy load, it can be hardto accept the idea that small,
specific and very focusedmovement could improve your
larger movement long enough tomake a difference, but it does.
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These days there are lots ofways to do this.
For most of my career it felt alittle like I was singing into
the wind about the power ofmovement.
Lately I see all kinds of peopletalking about training movement
in new ways.
I'm kind of secretly amused bythe fact that for years dancers
were often not seen as realathletes because of the movement
(19:15):
focus of their training, andnow there are a lot of
innovative new techniques insport conditioning that look an
awful lot like dance to me.
All that to say, if you lookfor it, you'll find a movement
training program that suits yourparticular kind of mojo.
Over the last 30 years this ishow I've typically worked with
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people to improve their movement.
First, the athlete and Idiscuss what's not working in
their world, where do theyperceive the problem to be and
maybe what feels strong.
We also talk about theirhistory in perhaps surprising
detail.
Sometimes surprising things popup in their movement.
That might be traced back toold injuries, old training
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habits and that kind of thing.
Next, I look at posture.
Posture will give you arelatively accurate reading of
where your body is wellsupported and where it's not.
When you look face into a fulllength mirror, what do you see?
Is one shoulder higher than theother, one hip higher than the
other?
Is one side of your body, fromarmpit to hip, kind of shorter
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than the other, or are youtwisted?
Is your head off to one side ortilted?
Is one knee rotated inward orboth knees knocking?
What are your feet doing?
When you look at the mirrorwith your body facing the side,
imagine a plumb line travelingdown from your ear to the side
of your shoulder, to the side ofyour hip, through your knee and
to the outside ankle bone andthen to the ground.
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Is that plumb line hangingstraight down through those
joints or are there kinks in theway it hangs?
Is your head forward of theplumb line or your shoulders
behind it?
Posture is typically observedin a static position instead of
in motion, so it's not anentirely reliable measure of the
whole picture, but anysignificant deviation from an
easy plumb line can translateinto challenges for the body in
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motion, especially where thereare several deviations that
might unbalance orcounterbalance your body.
The next step, then, is to lookat the body in motion.
This is the time for wide opencuriosity.
What do we see?
Together, we test differentranges of motion, different
loads and coordinations.
Is there adequate support forthe spine and the pelvis in
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various ranges of motion?
Is there sufficient mobility?
Are the joints stable or dothey require bracing?
Can the combination of thecentral, stability and mobility
provide effective load transferacross the body?
Is there adequate strength inthe places that need it?
Where are the gaps, theincongruities, and what might
they mean?
Lack of strength in the glute,for example, might not
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necessarily mean that weimmediately dive into glute
strengthening exercises.
First we need to know why thatglute is weak.
Then we can explore what wewant to do about it.
So once we've figured out thatthere is an issue, we can start
to work toward creatingawareness of the situation and
better control.
At this point, it's often a caseof not knowing what we don't
know.
Athletes generally feel thatthey know their bodies pretty
(22:11):
well and they do but they adaptso well under pressure that
sometimes these little issuesfester under the surface.
It might be one vertebral jointthat isn't well supported,
creating a cascade of failedload transfers down the body
when you serve your tennis ball,ultimately causing undue stress
and maybe pain in the hip.
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Maybe it's a stiff foot whichthe rest of the body has to move
around, creating compensationafter compensation up the legs
and into the body.
Each one of us has our ownunique issues.
Gaining control of these thingsmeans first creating better
access to the specific structurethat isn't supporting its load
well.
Practicing small, controlledmotions, using better imagery to
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improve our proprioception,releasing tissues that are
inhibiting our access orstrengthening weak areas these
are all strategies that can beused to increase our access.
These are not things that canbe typically achieved at full
volume, so we don't load heavy.
Instead, it's likely aboutdoing a series of gently loaded
movements, ensuring that thepatterning is good.
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Many, many, many times.
We repeat it a lot Light, andoften is the mantra here.
This phase of things might feelreally easy, or it might feel as
though you're trying to performmental gymnastics.
At first, your brain may sweat,but your body probably won't.
You may even find that it'sdifficult to feel the structures
.
You are attempting to engage.
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What you will feel, though, asyou're gaining better control,
is increased ease in performingthese simple activities.
You won't have to strategizethe movement anymore.
The movement will feel lighter,it'll feel better, it'll feel
more fluid and less dense.
You'll often get the sense thatit just feels right.
Once you've gained consciouscontrol over a new movement
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pattern in simple, low-levelactivities, it's time to up the
ante.
Now it's necessary to take thecontrol phase to a new level.
If your activities haveinvolved movements in only one
plane of motion so far, it'stime to take things into 3D.
Change direction, change level.
If you've been working withminimal loading, add a little
more.
Increase your range of motion,try some rotation, explore the
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speed with which you're able tomove and still maintain control.
But beware in this phase it isimportant to stay vigilant about
your control.
Once you get going, it's reallyeasy to say to yourself great,
I got this.
And then you dive into yourmost challenging activities
somehow, expecting your body isjust going to do the thing.
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But that's not always the case.
Gaining capacity in these newpatterns takes conscious
attention and a gradual build.
Throwing too much at it toosoon often prompts further
compensation, either with yourold patterns or with brand new
ones.
So at this stage I like toencourage people to ride the
soft edge, where they're pushingto the edge of their control,
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but not beyond it.
Once you move into efforting theactivity or bearing down to
accomplish it, you're probablyno longer working the structures
that you're intending to train.
You can't rush this phase.
It takes the time it takes.
The more consistent qualitypractice you put in, the better
your results will be and thefaster you'll get them.
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There are no shortcuts, but ifyou do the work diligently, I
can confidently say that yourmovement will improve
exponentially.
Set aside a bit of your trainingtime to work on specific
movement training tasks.
If you're beginning to learn anew movement skill, you may not
be able to sustain control inyour most challenging athletic
(25:48):
pursuits right away.
So a little bit of time to dosome movement training work
separately, gradually increasingthe demands you place on that
control, will be a good thing.
You may want to do this priorto your regular sport-specific
training to set up yourstructure for success in the
higher level activities.
You might find it's also usefulto do a little bit after your
(26:09):
high level training too, to helpyou reset and recover from any
potentially faulty loadpatterning that crept in while
you were kind of pushing youredges in those higher level
activities.
This is true while you're intransition.
That'll start to change andit'll become more automatic as
you go along.
But try both the set and thereset and see what works for you
.
(26:30):
There is no doubt that movementtraining and I include good
Pilates practice on that listthere's no doubt that it's a
positive way to boost yourathletic performance.
It supports your structure andyour posture.
It builds balance, sustainablestrength.
It enhances your brain-bodyconnection, which will serve you
for a lifetime.
It improves your nervous systembalance and your recovery.
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It increases mobility and rangeof motion.
It improves your nervous systembalance and your recovery.
It increases mobility and rangeof motion.
It reduces injury risk.
It boosts endurance andefficiency and sharpens body
awareness and self-regulation.
Overall, it provides strategiesfor daily move, not just sport,
and it integrates the wholebody for powerful, coordinated
action.
For a lot of athletes, thesupplemental work they do to
(27:15):
support their sport is like anecessary evil.
They're not fitness junkies.
They want to move and performat their best.
Good conditioning is simply oneof the many ways you have to
pay to play.
In my experience, though.
Consistent movement training ormovement practice is like a way
to come home to your own body.
Your sport requires a lot ofyou, and you probably already
(27:39):
know that what is good for thesport may or may not be
ultimately good for your body.
Movement training allows you toconnect to your own movement in
a way that brings you back toyou and helps you find ways to
navigate what you need to doboth inside and outside the
sport.
Remember that you are more thanthe discipline that you are
(27:59):
passionate about.
Don't forget to look after youin your pursuit of excellence.
So all of this might sound kindof hippy-dippy.
I am happy to report that theresearch is finally catching up
and showing the benefits ofmovement training.
Recent meta-analyses show thatcore training, including Pilates
(28:21):
, significantly improvesfoundational athletic qualities
like core endurance and balance.
At the same time, they indicatethat sports-specific effects
may vary, which to me highlightsthe need for individualized,
integrated approaches.
There's also new research intomotor synergies, which are
coordinated activation patternsof multiple muscles working
(28:44):
together to achieve a specificmovement or task effectively a
movement pattern thatexperienced athletes coordinate
their whole bodies moreefficiently than novices.
Improving performance throughintegrated movement, not just
isolated strength.
It stands to reason thatspending time on improving these
(29:04):
synergies can improve athleticperformance overall as well.
Studies also confirm thatbetter movement patterns, as
measured by things like thefunctional movement screen, are
linked to improved speed,agility, balance and lower
injury risk in athletes.
Data indicates that functionalmovement training is shown to
improve sprinting, jumping andcomplex movements, especially
(29:27):
when tailored to an athlete'sneeds.
I think all of this evidencelends some weight to the
individual approach my team andI take with everyone at Moving
Spirit Pilates.
We want to know how you move andhow you need to move, and then
we find ways to help you do itin a way that gets the results
you're looking for.
I'll pop links to some of theresearch in the show notes if
(29:48):
you'd like to have a look atthat data for yourself.
If you're listening and you'rewondering how you can start to
improve your own movement forbetter health and performance, I
want to give you a few tipsthat you can use on your own
right now.
Notice how you move in yourdaily life and in your sport.
Where are the demands?
What kinds of movement are youdoing most often?
(30:08):
What feels easy?
Where are the challenges?
Start to observe patterns.
Do you prefer to lead with yourleft leg?
Does that right shoulder keeplifting up?
Does your body shift to oneside when you squat?
Become an expert in your ownsensations.
Understand what's happeningwhen you move.
As you look to make a shift,start by making small, focused
(30:32):
changes.
Subtle adjustments make bigchanges over time.
Notice when something thatyou're experimenting with makes
it easier or harder, or maybemakes no difference at all.
Start with a baseline and thenexplore.
When you find something thatworks, then repeat it.
If it doesn't work, adjust itor get some help.
If it doesn't work, well, timefor a new strategy.
(30:55):
Remember that retrainingmovement is a process and
progress will take attention,patience and practice, but the
results can be profound and theyare lasting.
If you're struggling with amovement issue, it's often
helpful to have an outside eyeto help you identify where you
need help.
It comes back to the we don'tknow what we don't know
(31:16):
situation.
Find a movement specialist or aPilates or integrated movement
training person to getpersonalized support.
A private session, at least inthe beginning, will likely net
you the best results, becausethat's where we can look
specifically at you and not justat the whole room.
How you move matters it reallydoes, with mindful and
(31:40):
consistent practice, you candeconstruct patterns that are
getting in your way, create newones to support your best
performance and overall health.
Bringing your whole self to thetable and spending some time
exploring and playing with yourown movement is a hugely
valuable thing to do, and Ithink you'll start to feel how
powerful all this can be.
(32:02):
Your performance will improvein ways that you hadn't imagined
possible.
That's it for today, but I'dlove to hear about your
experiences.
Share your story.
You could share it on Instagramat the Heart of Motion podcast
or at the Moving Spirit, or sendme an email at sue at moving
spirit dot ca.
I think if we share ourexperiences, we all learn from
(32:25):
each other and things get better.
You know we're in this together, so until then, until next time
, go play around with yourmovement, enjoy and we'll see
you again soon.
I hope you enjoyed today'sepisode.
Subscribe and, if you love whatyou heard, leave a five-star
(32:46):
review and tell people what youenjoyed most.
Join me here again in a coupleof weeks.
For now, let's get moving.
Welcome to the Heart of Motion Podcast.
I'm Susanna Steers and I'll beyour host as we explore the
heart, soul and science ofmovement as a pathway to more
active, vibrant and connectedliving.
Nothing happens until somethingmoves, so let's get started.
Welcome to the Heart of MotionPodcast, where we dive deep into
(00:21):
the art and science of movementand explore what it really
takes to thrive in our bodies atany age and at any level of
performance.
Today, I want to talk directlyto the athletes out there.
If you love to move, whetheryou're chasing personal bests on
the trails, perfecting yourgolf swing or simply seeking
more ease in your daily life,you know that training the body
(00:42):
for performance is a journeyfilled with both exhilaration
and challenge.
We push ourselves to go further, faster and stronger.
We celebrate the wins andsometimes we have to grit our
teeth through the setbacks.
But here's the secret that sooften gets lost in the drive for
achievement Sometimes the verystrategies we use to train our
(01:03):
bodies for performance cost usin other ways.
Our bodies are brilliant atadapting, but those adaptations
aren't always in our bestlong-term interest.
We learn to compensate, to pushthrough pain, to ignore the
whispers of fatigue or imbalance, until one day, those whispers
become shouts we can't ignore.
(01:24):
Today, I want to shine a lighton the hidden stories that our
bodies carry, the movementpatterns that shape how we
perform, recover and even how wefeel in our own skin.
We'll explore why how you movematters just as much as how much
you move and how small mindfulshifts can unlock new levels of
(01:44):
power, resilience and joy inyour movement.
So, whether you're an athlete,a weekend warrior or simply
someone who wants to movethrough life with more freedom
and less pain, this episode isfor you.
Let's uncover the ways thathonoring your body's story can
help you perform at your bestfor the long run.
So we're talking about movementpatterns
(02:07):
.
The human brain organizesmovement by creating patterns
that we call on to move ourbodies every day.
These patterns allow us tounconsciously engage the chain
of sequenced muscle activationsthat's necessary to lift an arm
or turn a head or play a game oftennis.
If we had to consciouslyactivate every single muscle
required for all the movementsin our days, there would be
(02:30):
absolutely no room in our brainsfor anything else.
Our patterns begin from thevery first flow of cells in
utero.
They continue to develop as wegrow, from infancy to adulthood.
They're influenced by ourgenetics, our structure, our
emotions, our experiences, themovement of the people we hang
out with the most, the way wetrain our bodies, the injuries
(02:52):
we sustain and the ways in whichwe adapt and move through
challenges, both physical andemotional.
Our patterns aren't justinfluenced, they're influencing.
They play an important andsometimes underappreciated part
in the selection and evolutionof new movement strategies in
our bodies.
Like when we're learning a newsport, our daily habits play a
(03:16):
huge role in creating thestructure and governing the
function of our bodies, nomatter what exercises and
activities we may do tostrengthen our muscles and
improve our mobility.
Handwriting is a great example.
Most of us have had the samekind of lessons in how to shape
and space our letters, to docursive and to line things up on
(03:38):
a page, but rarely do we seetwo people with the same
handwriting.
Your writing differs from minein the amount of pressure you
use to put the pen to paper.
It differs in the size and theshape and the flow of the
letters.
Your handwriting and thepatterns you use to write are
uniquely yours and if you payattention, you might even notice
(04:01):
that your writing changes withyour moods.
The same is true of our largermovement.
I'll bet you can recognize thepeople closest to you by the way
they walk.
Before you can even see theirfaces well enough to make out
their features, you might evenbe able to tell the kind of mood
they're in.
When we do any kind of physicalactivity, our habitual movement
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patterns come with us.
If the patterns you start withare pretty good, then your
ability to perform variousactivities or to build good
functional strength and capacitywill likely be pretty good too.
Your movement will probablyfeel fluid and efficient, strong
and clean.
But if the patterns you bringto movement challenges are not
(04:45):
so good, you might findobstacles that show up as things
like difficulty breathing,difficulty building the muscle
mass you want, or maybe buildingit in the right places.
You might struggle with injury,you might feel uncoordinated
and you might experiencemobility or stability problems.
You might fall.
Poor patterning creates allkinds of scenarios where you
(05:09):
feel like you just can't get thejob done.
So when we're exercising ortraining for something, I think
it's really important to ensurethat our movement patterning is
as clear and efficient as it canbe.
Joseph Pilates once said, "a fewwell-designed movements,
properly performed in a balancedsequence, are worth hours of
(05:32):
sloppy calisthenics or forcedcontortion, and over the years,
I've found that to be true.
If the goal is to move andperform at our best, why
wouldn't we pay attention to howwe're getting there?
Sometimes, when we're trainingfor something, an event or
performance, professionalathletic pursuit, whatever it is
(05:53):
we can be so fixated on thewhat that we're doing that we
don't pay attention to the howof what we're doing.
We focus on the stats, the reps, the load levels or the times,
and we work toward improvingthose things with energy and
drive.
These are important and they'reeasily measured.
(06:17):
I would argue, though, that howyou do these things is equally
important, and that is not soeasily measured.
But without attention to thehow, I think you're missing the
kind of work that makes you abetter athlete, the stuff that
takes you from average toexceptional, the stuff that
builds resilience, that buildssustainable strength and stamina
and serves as a powerfulfoundation for all of your
physical activities In buildingskills and capacity for athletic
(06:40):
performance, no matter whatyour discipline.
I think good quality movementtrumps mindless reps and sets
and brute force every time.
At the very least, attention tohow you move should be a
trusted companion in youroverall training arc.
I often think about OlympianMichael Phelps when I talk about
this stuff.
(07:00):
Phelps is now a retiredAmerican swimmer who won eight
gold medals at the BeijingOlympics in 2008.
Still a record for any athleteat a single Olympic Games.
As with most Olympians, thereis an element of winning the
genetic lottery in his story.
I mean, the guy is six footfour inches tall and he's said
to have the perfect body forswimming.
(07:21):
He has an exceptionally longtorso and short legs.
His trunk is the length ofsomeone who's actually closer to
about 6'8" and his legs arecomparable in length to someone
8 inches shorter.
He's also hypermobile, whichcontributed to a kind of fluid
movement in his body that washelpful for his butterfly stroke
(07:44):
, which was his best event.
But hypermobility can be ablessing and a curse when it
comes to stability and forcetransmission.
In Phelps' case, hishypermobility contributed to
that rhythmic undulation throughthe body that worked really
well for his butterfly stroke.
But at the same time, hesuffered constant challenges
with his back, even to the pointof having to withdraw for some
(08:06):
important events over his careeras a result.
Luckily, he had a team ofpeople working with him who
helped him learn to control hishypermobility, with dedicated
stability work and training toimprove his movement patterns,
along with other supports andtherapies.
Along with other supports andtherapies, with his dedicated
training and discipline, notjust in the pool but also in
(08:27):
other areas where his movementneeded support, he went on to
become one of the mostsuccessful Olympic athletes of
all time.
If he had just kept swimmingharder, Michael Phelps might not
have been able to achieve hisstunning Olympic victories.
So let's talk about thesemovement patterns.
A muscle pattern develops overtime.
When we choose a specificpattern of muscle activations to
(08:50):
do a particular task over andover again, the brain starts to
recognize that this is afrequently used path and it
begins to choose it as a kind ofdefault pattern.
The more often we use thatpathway, the more easily we can
access it in the future.
It's where that old adagepractice make perfect comes from
.
A movement that we dofrequently, like walking for
(09:13):
example, has some prettywell-worn patterns associated
with it.
It's like a neuromuscularsuperhighway, and unless you're
on tricky terrain, your walk ispretty automatic.
At this point I'm guessing Ifyou've never gone swimming
before, though, your firstswimming lessons might feel a
little less well-organizedbecause your brain hasn't yet
(09:34):
developed a good pattern for youto work with.
It's building the patterns asyou go learning, often borrowing
from other patterns you mightalready have available in your
neuromuscular library.
It's a trial and error processuntil your brain and your
nervous system land on a patternthat feels like it works for
you and then things start tosmooth out a bit.
(09:55):
Things like the length of ourbones and the relative tension
or laxity of our ligaments andconnective tissues are all
genetic factors that absolutelyinfluence our patterns.
No question.
After that, things like thetone of our muscles, our overall
health and fitness and thestate of our nervous system can
impact a pattern.
The way we train is importanttoo.
(10:16):
Are you constantly pushing yourlimits to the absolute edge,
not providing enough recoverytime?
Constantly living in survivalmode may leave your nervous
system in a state that is notconducive to sustainable gains.
But even things like ouremotions, the way we feel about
ourselves, or the situation andthe tasks we're doing, or who
(10:38):
we're doing it with, can make adifference.
Our sense of safety in the taskor in our environment can also
have an influence.
Movement patterns are like aliving, breathing archive of all
our collected life experiences.
If you ever sustained an injurythat sidelined you for a bit,
that likely plays into thingstoo.
Maybe you broke your lower legand were in a cast or crutches
(11:02):
for six to eight weeks.
After a couple of months ofstanding and hopping around on
one leg, your body probablydeveloped some new strengths and
new patterns and maybe has lostsome access to old patterns,
especially in relationship withpain.
You may find that as you getback to regular activity there
may be some kind of residualimpact in your movement.
(11:23):
The muscle mass on one legmight be smaller than on the
other.
Your shoulders and your upperback have been kind of bent
forward over the crutches for awhile, with more weight on your
arms and hands than you'dnormally have.
And did you even look at thatsituation in your post-rehab?
It takes a while to get back tofully active duty again, and
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there will probably always belittle breadcrumbs in your
movement that show the journey.
Over the years, these thingsadd up.
You probably won't even noticethem at first, but over time the
accumulating breadcrumbs startto create a whole different
reality in your body.
The compensations you'vecreated over the years start to
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add up and maybe even glomtogether until your movement
begins to feel less and lessfree and organized.
So let's extrapolate that in ahypothetical scenario over a
number of years.
Maybe you had a knee injury inyour early years that left you
with one thigh muscle biggerthan the other.
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Since then your thigh muscles,generally on one side, have
always felt a little like theywere a bit short and tight, but
you stretch and you don't reallynotice it too much.
Then you know you get a littleolder and the realities of
having to work for a living meanthat you're probably sitting at
a desk most of every day.
Your hip flexors arechronically tight and your core
(12:46):
is probably weaker than you'dlike.
Then maybe you had a baby ortwo and since then you've had
issues with your pelvic floor oryour core.
Perhaps you've managed toreclaim the flat belly, but you
kind of pee a little when yousneeze After the babies.
You were determined to get yourbody back in a hurry, so you
went after it hard and maybe nowyou tend to grip your ribs and
(13:08):
your butt after trying to getactive too fast without good
deep core support.
So the butt and the ribs tookover.
Now you experience maybe alittle low back pain or
stiffness, maybe a littlearthritis in various parts,
combined with the stress of allof the above.
So now maybe you notice thatyour knees don't love a deep
(13:28):
squat anymore.
You pee a little when you laugh, it's harder to twist your
spine and you're beginning tonotice that your neck is often
stiff and sore and your corewell, it's just not supporting
you the way you want.
Our bodies will give us movementonly where it is available for
us in terms of the mobility,strength and the stamina.
The problem, and the gift, isthat we are so adaptable that we
(13:53):
often don't notice that we'velost movement until we try to do
something we want to do - andwe can't.
We chalk it up to injury oraging or whatever, and those
things do count.
But you might be surprised bywhat more becomes possible for
you with some attention to yourmovement.
Now I'll say this - Athletestake things to a whole new level
(14:17):
.
.
Athletes have a special kind ofmindset.
I've been there and I know it.
You eat, you breathe and yousleep.
Your sport, everything in yourlife revolves around it your
body, your training cycles, yourevents.
You swallow your pain, you workthrough your challenges, you
push your boundaries until youreach the goals that you've set
for yourself.
You tap into that innerstrength and that discipline,
(14:39):
that indomitable will tocontinue against all odds.
And then you set the bar alittle higher, reaching for new,
loftier goals.
It never stops.
You're always reaching forwhat's just beyond you.
But have you ever reached forone of those lofty goals and
found that it took more energythan you could reasonably have
expected it to, based on thetraining up to that point?
(15:00):
Have you worked towards newheights only to repeatedly hit
an invisible wall before you getthere Injuries, less than
inspiring performances, fatigue,pain, inefficiencies.
Sometimes these things comeabout as a result of poor
technique, inconsistent trainingor maybe insufficient recovery
periods and maybe evenmiscalculations in your training
(15:22):
.
, But but sometimes, in fact alot of time, I would say,
problems Problems come up as aresult of challenges in your
structural support.
The foundational patterns uponwhich all of your technique and
conditioning .
rests Is the architecture ofyour body, handling the load
you're putting on ?
.
Are the stresses balanced orpulling you in all the wrong
(15:43):
directions?
Are you gradually loading andoverloading your body towards
strength, strength or instead tothe point of collapse?
More is not always better.
Athletes are master compensatorsand probably have more
sophisticated and deeplyingrained failed load transfer
patterns in their movement thannon-athletes.
They make it work.
(16:03):
You're used to doing whateverit takes to get the job done.
You push through, adding powerto those faulty patterns and
working around the problem.
Other muscles and tissues takeon the job and your structure
literally shifts to accommodatethe new pattern.
You don't feel it as it'shappening.
In fact.
At first your compensationmight actually make things feel
(16:24):
better, since it begins to takestress away from a problem area.
But eventually the cost of yourcompensations and structural
shifts show up as increasedenergy expenditure, reduced
efficiency and diminished rangeand quality of your movement
changes.
You have to work harder andspend more time to achieve less.
(16:44):
It begins to feel as thoughyou're losing ground.
Accumulated compensations caneventually lead to diminishing
performance to a point where thestructure has trouble
compensating its way out of painor injury.
You can treat the injuries, youcan rest, but until the
underlying structural issues areaddressed you're kind of
fighting a losing battle.
Here's the thing.
(17:05):
You can't erase your history.
But this kind of challenge isnot the end of your journey,
even though it can sometimesfeel like it.
Focused retraining ofproblematic movement patterns
can restore balance and unlocknew potential, as one of my
clients described it somewhatincredulously after a big back
injury she said I've got more inthe tank than I ever had before
(17:28):
.
That's kind of a fun thing tolearn after what felt like a
debilitating, career-endinginjury.
Movement training focuses onfinding clear and efficient
motor control in your body tosupport your structure and move
it through space with ease, witha lot of work to do and not a
lot of time to do it in.
It's easy to get caught up inthe performance aspect of your
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sport, focusing on strength andpower, reaching for better times
, for better lines or anythingelse that makes you a beast in
your sport.
Many people forego movementtraining or restorative
exercises, thinking that theywon't get the same bang for the
buck in terms of performance.
They don't feel like they'reworking hard enough.
The only thing that will makeyou a better hockey player is
(18:10):
playing hockey a lot.
It's the thing that you do foryourself, the background work
that makes you a better athlete.
That will allow you to performin ways beyond, specifically,
what hockey training can giveyou.
Retraining a movement pattern isabout reprogramming not only
the muscles and other tissues,but the neural map your brain
uses to spark your body intoaction.
(18:32):
It's as much about training thebrain as it is about training
the body.
You're literally redrawing themap.
If you're used to working athigh intensity, high velocity
and heavy load, it can be hardto accept the idea that small,
specific and very focusedmovement could improve your
larger movement long enough tomake a difference, but it does.
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These days there are lots ofways to do this.
For most of my career it felt alittle like I was singing into
the wind about the power ofmovement.
Lately I see all kinds of peopletalking about training movement
in new ways.
I'm kind of secretly amused bythe fact that for years dancers
were often not seen as realathletes because of the movement
(19:15):
focus of their training, andnow there are a lot of
innovative new techniques insport conditioning that look an
awful lot like dance to me.
All that to say, if you lookfor it, you'll find a movement
training program that suits yourparticular kind of mojo.
Over the last 30 years this ishow I've typically worked with
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people to improve their movement.
First, the athlete and Idiscuss what's not working in
their world, where do theyperceive the problem to be and
maybe what feels strong.
We also talk about theirhistory in perhaps surprising
detail.
Sometimes surprising things popup in their movement.
That might be traced back toold injuries, old training
(19:58):
habits and that kind of thing.
Next, I look at posture.
Posture will give you arelatively accurate reading of
where your body is wellsupported and where it's not.
When you look face into a fulllength mirror, what do you see?
Is one shoulder higher than theother, one hip higher than the
other?
Is one side of your body, fromarmpit to hip, kind of shorter
(20:19):
than the other, or are youtwisted?
Is your head off to one side ortilted?
Is one knee rotated inward orboth knees knocking?
What are your feet doing?
When you look at the mirrorwith your body facing the side,
imagine a plumb line travelingdown from your ear to the side
of your shoulder, to the side ofyour hip, through your knee and
to the outside ankle bone andthen to the ground.
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Is that plumb line hangingstraight down through those
joints or are there kinks in theway it hangs?
Is your head forward of theplumb line or your shoulders
behind it?
Posture is typically observedin a static position instead of
in motion, so it's not anentirely reliable measure of the
whole picture, but anysignificant deviation from an
easy plumb line can translateinto challenges for the body in
(21:03):
motion, especially where thereare several deviations that
might unbalance orcounterbalance your body.
The next step, then, is to lookat the body in motion.
This is the time for wide opencuriosity.
What do we see?
Together, we test differentranges of motion, different
loads and coordinations.
Is there adequate support forthe spine and the pelvis in
(21:25):
various ranges of motion?
Is there sufficient mobility?
Are the joints stable or dothey require bracing?
Can the combination of thecentral, stability and mobility
provide effective load transferacross the body?
Is there adequate strength inthe places that need it?
Where are the gaps, theincongruities, and what might
they mean?
Lack of strength in the glute,for example, might not
(21:48):
necessarily mean that weimmediately dive into glute
strengthening exercises.
First we need to know why thatglute is weak.
Then we can explore what wewant to do about it.
So once we've figured out thatthere is an issue, we can start
to work toward creatingawareness of the situation and
better control.
At this point, it's often a caseof not knowing what we don't
know.
Athletes generally feel thatthey know their bodies pretty
(22:11):
well and they do but they adaptso well under pressure that
sometimes these little issuesfester under the surface.
It might be one vertebral jointthat isn't well supported,
creating a cascade of failedload transfers down the body
when you serve your tennis ball,ultimately causing undue stress
and maybe pain in the hip.
(22:31):
Maybe it's a stiff foot whichthe rest of the body has to move
around, creating compensationafter compensation up the legs
and into the body.
Each one of us has our ownunique issues.
Gaining control of these thingsmeans first creating better
access to the specific structurethat isn't supporting its load
well.
Practicing small, controlledmotions, using better imagery to
(22:55):
improve our proprioception,releasing tissues that are
inhibiting our access orstrengthening weak areas these
are all strategies that can beused to increase our access.
These are not things that canbe typically achieved at full
volume, so we don't load heavy.
Instead, it's likely aboutdoing a series of gently loaded
movements, ensuring that thepatterning is good.
(23:17):
Many, many, many times.
We repeat it a lot Light, andoften is the mantra here.
This phase of things might feelreally easy, or it might feel as
though you're trying to performmental gymnastics.
At first, your brain may sweat,but your body probably won't.
You may even find that it'sdifficult to feel the structures
.
You are attempting to engage.
(23:38):
What you will feel, though, asyou're gaining better control,
is increased ease in performingthese simple activities.
You won't have to strategizethe movement anymore.
The movement will feel lighter,it'll feel better, it'll feel
more fluid and less dense.
You'll often get the sense thatit just feels right.
Once you've gained consciouscontrol over a new movement
(23:59):
pattern in simple, low-levelactivities, it's time to up the
ante.
Now it's necessary to take thecontrol phase to a new level.
If your activities haveinvolved movements in only one
plane of motion so far, it'stime to take things into 3D.
Change direction, change level.
If you've been working withminimal loading, add a little
more.
Increase your range of motion,try some rotation, explore the
(24:22):
speed with which you're able tomove and still maintain control.
But beware in this phase it isimportant to stay vigilant about
your control.
Once you get going, it's reallyeasy to say to yourself great,
I got this.
And then you dive into yourmost challenging activities
somehow, expecting your body isjust going to do the thing.
(24:43):
But that's not always the case.
Gaining capacity in these newpatterns takes conscious
attention and a gradual build.
Throwing too much at it toosoon often prompts further
compensation, either with yourold patterns or with brand new
ones.
So at this stage I like toencourage people to ride the
soft edge, where they're pushingto the edge of their control,
(25:06):
but not beyond it.
Once you move into efforting theactivity or bearing down to
accomplish it, you're probablyno longer working the structures
that you're intending to train.
You can't rush this phase.
It takes the time it takes.
The more consistent qualitypractice you put in, the better
your results will be and thefaster you'll get them.
(25:27):
There are no shortcuts, but ifyou do the work diligently, I
can confidently say that yourmovement will improve
exponentially.
Set aside a bit of your trainingtime to work on specific
movement training tasks.
If you're beginning to learn anew movement skill, you may not
be able to sustain control inyour most challenging athletic
(25:48):
pursuits right away.
So a little bit of time to dosome movement training work
separately, gradually increasingthe demands you place on that
control, will be a good thing.
You may want to do this priorto your regular sport-specific
training to set up yourstructure for success in the
higher level activities.
You might find it's also usefulto do a little bit after your
(26:09):
high level training too, to helpyou reset and recover from any
potentially faulty loadpatterning that crept in while
you were kind of pushing youredges in those higher level
activities.
This is true while you're intransition.
That'll start to change andit'll become more automatic as
you go along.
But try both the set and thereset and see what works for you
.
(26:30):
There is no doubt that movementtraining and I include good
Pilates practice on that listthere's no doubt that it's a
positive way to boost yourathletic performance.
It supports your structure andyour posture.
It builds balance, sustainablestrength.
It enhances your brain-bodyconnection, which will serve you
for a lifetime.
It improves your nervous systembalance and your recovery.
(26:53):
It increases mobility and rangeof motion.
It improves your nervous systembalance and your recovery.
It increases mobility and rangeof motion.
It reduces injury risk.
It boosts endurance andefficiency and sharpens body
awareness and self-regulation.
Overall, it provides strategiesfor daily move, not just sport,
and it integrates the wholebody for powerful, coordinated
action.
For a lot of athletes, thesupplemental work they do to
(27:15):
support their sport is like anecessary evil.
They're not fitness junkies.
They want to move and performat their best.
Good conditioning is simply oneof the many ways you have to
pay to play.
In my experience, though.
Consistent movement training ormovement practice is like a way
to come home to your own body.
Your sport requires a lot ofyou, and you probably already
(27:39):
know that what is good for thesport may or may not be
ultimately good for your body.
Movement training allows you toconnect to your own movement in
a way that brings you back toyou and helps you find ways to
navigate what you need to doboth inside and outside the
sport.
Remember that you are more thanthe discipline that you are
(27:59):
passionate about.
Don't forget to look after youin your pursuit of excellence.
So all of this might sound kindof hippy-dippy.
I am happy to report that theresearch is finally catching up
and showing the benefits ofmovement training.
Recent meta-analyses show thatcore training, including Pilates
(28:21):
, significantly improvesfoundational athletic qualities
like core endurance and balance.
At the same time, they indicatethat sports-specific effects
may vary, which to me highlightsthe need for individualized,
integrated approaches.
There's also new research intomotor synergies, which are
coordinated activation patternsof multiple muscles working
(28:44):
together to achieve a specificmovement or task effectively a
movement pattern thatexperienced athletes coordinate
their whole bodies moreefficiently than novices.
Improving performance throughintegrated movement, not just
isolated strength.
It stands to reason thatspending time on improving these
(29:04):
synergies can improve athleticperformance overall as well.
Studies also confirm thatbetter movement patterns, as
measured by things like thefunctional movement screen, are
linked to improved speed,agility, balance and lower
injury risk in athletes.
Data indicates that functionalmovement training is shown to
improve sprinting, jumping andcomplex movements, especially
(29:27):
when tailored to an athlete'sneeds.
I think all of this evidencelends some weight to the
individual approach my team andI take with everyone at Moving
Spirit Pilates.
We want to know how you move andhow you need to move, and then
we find ways to help you do itin a way that gets the results
you're looking for.
I'll pop links to some of theresearch in the show notes if
(29:48):
you'd like to have a look atthat data for yourself.
If you're listening and you'rewondering how you can start to
improve your own movement forbetter health and performance, I
want to give you a few tipsthat you can use on your own
right now.
Notice how you move in yourdaily life and in your sport.
Where are the demands?
What kinds of movement are youdoing most often?
(30:08):
What feels easy?
Where are the challenges?
Start to observe patterns.
Do you prefer to lead with yourleft leg?
Does that right shoulder keeplifting up?
Does your body shift to oneside when you squat?
Become an expert in your ownsensations.
Understand what's happeningwhen you move.
As you look to make a shift,start by making small, focused
(30:32):
changes.
Subtle adjustments make bigchanges over time.
Notice when something thatyou're experimenting with makes
it easier or harder, or maybemakes no difference at all.
Start with a baseline and thenexplore.
When you find something thatworks, then repeat it.
If it doesn't work, adjust itor get some help.
If it doesn't work, well, timefor a new strategy.
(30:55):
Remember that retrainingmovement is a process and
progress will take attention,patience and practice, but the
results can be profound and theyare lasting.
If you're struggling with amovement issue, it's often
helpful to have an outside eyeto help you identify where you
need help.
It comes back to the we don'tknow what we don't know
(31:16):
situation.
Find a movement specialist or aPilates or integrated movement
training person to getpersonalized support.
A private session, at least inthe beginning, will likely net
you the best results, becausethat's where we can look
specifically at you and not justat the whole room.
How you move matters it reallydoes, with mindful and
(31:40):
consistent practice, you candeconstruct patterns that are
getting in your way, create newones to support your best
performance and overall health.
Bringing your whole self to thetable and spending some time
exploring and playing with yourown movement is a hugely
valuable thing to do, and Ithink you'll start to feel how
powerful all this can be.
(32:02):
Your performance will improvein ways that you hadn't imagined
possible.
That's it for today, but I'dlove to hear about your
experiences.
Share your story.
You could share it on Instagramat the Heart of Motion podcast
or at the Moving Spirit, or sendme an email at sue at moving
spirit dot ca.
I think if we share ourexperiences, we all learn from
(32:25):
each other and things get better.
You know we're in this together, so until then, until next time
, go play around with yourmovement, enjoy and we'll see
you again soon.
I hope you enjoyed today'sepisode.
Subscribe and, if you love whatyou heard, leave a five-star
(32:46):
review and tell people what youenjoyed most.
Join me here again in a coupleof weeks.
For now, let's get moving.
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