A Different Kind of Thanks

This Thursday was the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States. It is quite possibly my favorite holiday, being completely centered on family, friends, and an amazing meal. Most importantly, the holiday reminds us to appreciate the things we have, when so often in our culture the emphasis is on the things we want.

I love what I do for a living. As a personal trainer, not only do I get to take part in helping people transform themselves and regain their confidence; but I am also consistently reminded about how precious our bodies and abilities are. So whether your Thanksgiving holiday is over, or even if you do not count that among the holidays that you celebrate, be thankful for the ease of movement that you have.

Take the time to say thank you to your body by practicing those movements. Take it through its full ranges of motion. Focus on doing the things that you want to be able to do later in life. Many of my clients are initially motivated by an illness or the results from a medical exam, and are frustrated in the beginning of their new fitness routine due to the difficulty they have with basic movement skills. Months later, as the reprogrammed movement patterns become ingrained; they begin to not only appreciate the confidence they have, but also to appreciate that the practice itself is the key to retaining those abilities.

The primary emphasis of your thankful practice should always be functional movement. The ability to move correctly and without pain will allow you to practice as often as the demands of your schedule allow and your goals require. Incorrect, or dysfunctional, movement increases the risk of injury and leads to a cumulative injury cycle that will be a painful obstacle that you may not be able to overcome.

Pain is your body's way of communicating with you. It is a warning that you are performing the movement incorrectly. A knowledgeable personal trainer, chiropractor, or physical therapist can help you discover and correct whatever movement dysfunction that is causing the pain. If you are doing this for the first time, consult your medical professional before you begin. Start slow enough that you can register any pain (which is very different than fatigue or burn) within a movement.