Resolutions With a "Why?"

Earlier today at my gym I witnessed a man in his 50's working out with a trainer.  He was performing goblet squats with overhead presses using a kettlebell.  It appeared that the trainer was timing his client to see how many repetitions he could perform in a set period.  After a few reps, I heard the trainer say, "Come on.....I want your hips to bend more.  I want you butt down by your knees when you squat."  His client dutifully pressed on, no questions asked.

It's the beginning of a new year, and with that comes the inevitable spike in resolutions to get in better shape.  I'm all for that.  But the purpose of this post is to remind you that it's perfectly okay to ask your trainers, "Why" when they ask you to do a specific exercise.  After all, you're probably paying anywhere from $60-150 a session for the privilege of having someone make you sweat.  Don't be afraid to question the exercises you're asked to perform though.  In fact, I would think that the first thing that a good trainer would ask his/her client prior to commencing a program would be, "What are your goals?"  I would also hope that the trainer would put their new client through some sort of movement assessment prior to working them out, in order to determine that individual's red, yellow and green lights on the road to improved fitness.

I have no idea if the trainer in the above situation had already screened his client.  Perhaps he knew that his client possessed the requisite ankle, knee, hip and spinal mobility and motor control to squat deeply.  But if not, then asking him to "get deeper" in his squat with a weight in his hand doesn't make much sense.  Perhaps a better approach would be to work on a competent squat technique with no load first, and then load it up once that's achieved.  My guess is that it's the rare client who would stop to question their trainer.  The reasons for this may be myriad:  1) The trainer is the expert, and therefore "knows best"; 2) The client's ego drives them to finish the task, no matter what; 3)  The client is paying by the hour, and doesn't want to take time to discuss the "why".  These are just a few reasons why a trainer/client relationship may not reach it's full potential.

Again, I'm all for folks resolving to improve their levels of fitness.  But I also want people to do what's best for them, rather than simply following the latest exercise flavor-of-the-month trend.  It's your body, your time, and your money, and you should always feel comfortable asking the "experts" tasked with keeping you healthy, "Why?"

Prayers at Disney World

Over the past week, I have been fortunate to enjoy some fun times down in Disney World with my family.  There is nothing better than to see the smiles on the kids' faces derived from all the rides and characters.  It also hasn't hurt being down here during a week in which New York endures another deep freeze!

From a professional perspective, I enjoy being at a place like this for all the great people watching.  I have witnessed all sorts of body types, gaits, disabilities and ages wind their way through the various parks.  It's like a big, free laboratory.  So while my wife and older kids waited on long lines, I willingly offered to wait with my one year old so that I could just observe.

One thing that I witnessed yesterday got me thinking.  I passed three people who were knelt down in prayer while people passed by all around them.  I would guess that these three folks were in their 50's.  Each of their positions demonstrated full ankle, knee and hip mobility.  I didn't stick around to watch them get up from the ground, but my guess would be that they could do so with ease.

Seeing these people in prayer made me wonder if there is sociological difference in the prevalence of back pain.  I wonder about people who never stop practicing the task of getting up and down from the floor because daily prayer requires them to do so?  I wonder about people who never stop squatting, because squatting is how they eat or go to the bathroom?  I am curious if these people experience the same high incidences of low back pain as do typical westernized folks, ones who spend most of the day sitting?

Years ago, my grandmother fell and fractured her hip.  She spent 24 hours on the floor before my aunt discovered her.  As is the case with many such injuries with the elderly, my grandmother's hip fracture was the beginning of her physical demise, from which she never fully recovered before ultimately passing away.  Now, I'm not saying that my grandmother would have been able to stand up on her own to get to the phone with a fractured hip.  But I would bet that had she been asked to get down to and back up from the floor on her own the day prior to her fall, it would have been impossible.

So, here's a little test for you.  Grab two minutes of free time today and try getting down on the floor.  Then try getting back up.  Did you struggle?  Was it harder than you thought?  Did you find yourself having to use your hands to push yourself up from the floor?  Did you find yourself reaching for some external support to assist you (e.g., a piece of furniture)?  Where you able to get up with equal ease to both sides, or did you notice an asymmetry in the ease of the task?

For many of you with a million things going on in your life, I'm sure getting up from the floor is the last thing you are concerned about.  But if you practice this simple life skill now while still able, then one day when called upon, your body will be there to respond.  Just think of it as an investment in your physical future.