How we Live
Effects how We Move by Professor Phil Ross,
M.S. CPT
Health, fitness, physical
activity and exercise cannot and should not be separated in my estimation. The
relationship between exercise physiology on the aforementioned is one of mutual
effect. What happens to the body’s seven systems; cardiovascular, respiratory,
digestive, skeletal, nervous, muscular and endocrine (Bryant and Green, 2012)
are inseparable from what a person does in the realm of health, fitness and
physical activity. Consider how blood flow is increased and more capillaries
developed to deliver nutrients to the cells through exercise and physical
activity. Proper diet and nutrition also have a profound effect on the health
and repair of tissue. This is simple one aspect.
There are many aspects to
consider when it comes to health, physiology and exercise. Exercise physiology
is an overwhelmingly indispensable component in relation to overall health with
vast amounts tentacles reaching many areas of life. In America today, we have
an obesity epidemic, with 37.5% (World Health Organization, 2011) of the
population being termed obese and over 65Þemed as overweight (Robert Wood
Johnson, 2016). From 1991 to the year 2000, the obesity rate rose from 20
percent to 25 percent. 2006 witnessed only Mississippi
and West Virginia
with rates above 31 percent. Currently, the rate is almost 38 percent with 8
percent termed as morbidly obese. This epidemic is of epic proportions. This is
not only an American issue. Worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980
and 10 percent of the world’s overall population is obese (World Health
Organization, 2011). The state of obesity is the United States of America is at
epidemic proportions. According to the statistics provided by Robert Wood
Johnson (2016), “Adult obesity rates now exceed 35 percent in four states,
30 percent in 25 states and are above 20 percent in all states. Louisiana has the highest adult obesity rate at 36.2
percent and Colorado
has the lowest at 20.2 percent. ”A full 66
percent of American adults are overweight and nearly 35 percent fall into the
obese category (Martin, 2010). Many people rightfully fixate on these
statistics when considering the health of a society. Even though the obesity
statistics are staggering and lead to many other ailments; diabetes,
hypertension, heart disease, depression, to name a few, there is another
element. How a person moves.
There are many facets of
exercise physiology as it relates health, fitness, physical activity and
exercise. As stated previously, the obesity issue in America is at epidemic proportions
and is growing worldwide, but I’d like to address another issue that is closely
related and, I believe, a contributing factor to the obesity issue. How people
move. How people move is tantamount to their physical activity and overall
health. If someone is experiencing pain, their impetus to engage in physical
activity is affected. The major joints in the human body favor either stability
of mobility.
Certain joints of the body prefer stability and others favor mobility. Here’s a
rundown from the ground up of the joints. The joints that favor stability are
the foot, knee, low back and scapular region. Those that flourish in mobility
are the ankle, hip, thoracic spine (middle back) and glenohumeral joint
(shoulder) (Green
2014). The
joints need to do what they are designed to do, if not asymmetries and injuries
occur. Here’s the double whammy, not only will the misaligned joint be
affected, but the ones both above and below will as well. For example, if a
person has tight hips, their hip movement is compromised, but the movement
forced to take place in other parts of the body, namely the knee and/or the low
back, the stability favoring joints above and below. This creates instability
of these joints resulting in pain and anomalies. Many people have low back
pain; they may stretch their backs, get chiropractic adjustments or take as
many pain pills as they wish, however the issue is still not being addressed.
The origin of pain may lie in the hips being tight and immobile and/or
hamstrings being too tight. The individual may also have immobility issues with
their thoracic spine, aka T-Spine, where this region is not strong enough or
mobile enough for the subject to move safely. Are the erector spinae and the
multifidus muscles (muscles that connect the vertebra) strong and engaged? How
about the rhomboids, trapezius and other muscles of the scapula, are they
developed and does the individual know how to keep them engaged? On many
occasions, issues of the low back lie in the areas above and below. Addressing
the strength and flexibility on these major joints often has a significant
effect upon relieving back pain.
This is where exercise
physiology comes in. Move with purpose and in a fashion that promotes proper
alignment, symmetrical patterns, and flexible, mobile and stable joints in
accordance with their design. The better that a person is able to move; the
easier it is to become healthy, active and engage in physical exercise.
References
Bryant, Cedric X., Ph.D., FASM and Green, Daniel J. Essentials
of Exercise Science for Fitness Professionals. (2010, 2011, 2012) American
Council on Exercise. ISBN 9781890720315. 4851 Paramount Drive, San Diego,
CA, 92123
Green , Daniel J., Project Editor. ACE,
American Council on Exercise (2014). ISBN 978-1-890720-50-6. American
Council on Exercise Personal Trainer Manual, Fifth Edition.
Martin. (2010). Statewide Physical Fitness
Testing: Perspectives From the Gym. Research Quarterly for Exercise and
Sport, 81(2s). doi:10.5641/027013610x13100547898112
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2016,
November) "Obesity Rates & Trends." Obesity Rates &
Trends: The State of Obesity.
N.p., n.d. Web. http://stateofobesity.org/rates/
World Health Organization (2011). Obesity
and Overweight. www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/
