I was first introduced to Crossfit almost 2 years ago, from a fitness enthusiast perspective, my interest was immediately drawn in. What i appreciated, was and is, their definition of fitness, "An increased work capacity, over broad modal and time domains". Basically meaning, having a capacity to perform well in many different activities, over varying time durations. To be good at a wide range of activities (gymnastics, weightlifting, cardiovascular events), the individual must possess a number of physical skills.
Crossfit, identify 10 physical domains of fitness, that are fundamentals for being Fit (based on their definition of fitness): cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, speed, power, agility, co-ordination, balance, accuracy, and Flexibility/Mobility.
Flexibility/Mobility is a massively important element in fitness, and is a common precursor to injury. Lack of compliance in soft tissue structures (muscles/tendons/joint capsules), can lead to injury, when trying to perform movements, that push past plastic limits (causing adaptive changes). This is seen in sprinting, racket sports, field sports, and other such sports. If soft tissue structures, and joints, become stiff, sporting performance suffers, as reduced range of movement, leads to reduce power production. This is commonly seen in Squatting - with stiffness in hips and ankles, and subsequent inability to control spinal midline in the descent of the squat, which leads to a poor bar path, decreased power output, and decreased ability to perform well.
Flexibility/Mobility for a lot of people is an untapped source of performance gains. It is also a fantastic fix for musculoskeletal pain, and a standard prescriptive treatment for all my patients. Flexibility/Mobility work is not just stretching, it is also self massage, for example, using a lacrosse ball for gluteal tension release, this will assist with hip rotational gains.
Being Flexible/Mobile, is an important physical skill to master, takes time and hard graft, to reap the rewards, but overlaps in to Performance - Squatting a PR, and Pain Management Strategies - Reducing muscle/joint related Lower Back Pain.
Don't forget to add me to your google+ to be notified instantly of new posts.
No comments:
Post a Comment