We’re back with a second q&a with our resident physical therapist and Fierce Movement coach, Rachel Carter, for this week’s blog. Fierce45 is a great option for rehabbing post injury and to help you stay injury free! Find out why below…
Q: How does this method prevents injury/helps recover injury?
A: Fierce Movement employs a type of muscle activation called “co-contraction”. That means that muscles all around the joint are working at the same time as opposed to one at a time. That by nature improves the stability around your joints and makes them less prone to injury. Furthermore, because we move slowly through a controlled range of motion with very specific alignment we train our slow twitch muscle fibers to activate first and these deeper, smaller muscles provide even more stabilization to our joints.
Q: What are some common injuries you see at Fierce Movement? What are some great modifications for these injuries?
A: I don’t see many injuries caused by Fierce Movement, typically in my clinic i will clients who have pre-existing mechanical or postural issues that become exacerbated by exercise (and likely would have with any other form of exercise.). Some of these include tight and stiff upper trapezius muscles, cervical (neck) strain, and hip flexor tendonosis. Our awesome coaching staff is well educated on modifications for these injuries, so make sure you communicate with them! The best thing to do is stay in alignment and focus on the appropriate muscle activation.
Q: How can Fierce Movement be used to rehab injuries?
A: Well, I can speak from experience here- 2 years ago, I had knee surgery. I had been doing Fierce Movement for about a month beforehand. I decided to my own rehab on the machine and was back at it (with appropriate modifications) 2 weeks post-op. My strength gains amazed me — I mean, come on, this is part of MY JOB as a PT, and I was soon stronger than I have ever been in my life.
Q:What is your best advice on how to stay injury free?
A: I give a whole workshop on this topic specifically, but in a nutshell, I would say these are the most important things:
-Don’t overload too quickly. If you haven’t been to class in months, don’t expect to do 5 classes a week without paying for it. Like ANY form of exercise, you have to ease back in.
-Rest! This is just as important as any other training parameter. Your body needs time to heal and rebuild after a workout. If you do 2 or three classes in a row, make sure you take a day off following.
– Good nutrition: think anti-inflammatory eating, Whole 30, Paleo. Do your research and test it on your own body. Research is proving that eating this way dramatically improves health and function and prevents disease.
-Hydrate: 80-100 ounces of water at our altitude is a must.
-Don’t ignore a nagging ache or pain- talk to you coach for recommendations and get it checked out by a PT, chiro, body worker, etc.