Once Inspired

Posts Tagged ‘Muscle Activation’

Runners are generally known to have stiff feet, hence their inability to swim (You can read more about foot flexibility and swimming here).

I used to run in full on motion control Adidas throughout school, until I eventually developed chronic compartment syndrome. I them had the operation, known as a bilateral subcutaneous fasciotomy which releases the overdeveloped muscles by cutting the fascia/sheath which encases them. Part of the reason for this is a muscle imbalance due to the raised heel on the common running shoe most of us know. Since my operation I have run in shoes with nothing more than a 4mm heel-forefoot drop; the Saucony racing flats and more recently the Saucony Kinvara.

The Development of Engineered Running

Intro

During physical activity our neuromuscular pathways play a major role in alignment, movement, postural support and also responsiveness or “muscular awareness”.

Certain patterns are impressed on the motor coordination centre as a result of stimuli, be it physical trauma and injury, emotional trauma, or new and desirable learning through training or simply as part of natural progression as we favourably adapt to our environments.

Post injury, dysfunctional movement patterns impressed on the neuromuscular pathways during the time of injury results in definite dysfunction and pain. This is known as sub-clinical injury and although there is no longer any physical tissue damage, pain and inefficiencies still exist. These ergonomically inefficient use patterns inherently affect our energy levels and general state of well-being.