Why We Rarely Give Strengthening Exercises!

One thing we often get asked by new clients is ‘So what exercises do I need to do at home to strengthen X area?’. Most of the time the answer is the same. None.

Home exercises aren’t a bad thing, and everyone should be doing some form of regular exercise every week as part of a healthy active lifestyle. The issue only arises when the client thinks that doing exercises to strengthen a muscle will solve their issue.

With almost every single client we see, the problem isn't muscular, or at least not primarily muscular. This means that stretching or strengthening or whatever exercises that target the muscles aren't going to solve it. 

Most of the time, the issue is neurological in nature. Previous injuries, or years of bad habits alters our brain's perception of how our body is functioning. In the case of trauma (physical or emotional), this perception can be altered almost instantly. With bad habits, the process is usually slower and therefore less noticeable, sometimes taking years before you realise something is wrong. 

Our brain controls every single function in our body. If the brain's perception has been altered, it is no longer able to communicate with and control our body optimally. This is when we start getting changes in our posture and our function. To reverse these changes, we need to break these habits and help improve the accuracy of the information our brain is receiving from our body.  

This is why the initial chapter of our care recommendations are almost always adjustments, rather than soft tissue work or exercises. To get the most out of any exercises, your brain needs to be able to send and receive accurate signals with the muscle first, otherwise the muscle won't be able to respond in the intended way. This altered function increases the risk of injury as the body as a whole is being loaded in a way it is not designed to sustain.

As I said at the start, exercises do have a place. Once the foundation of the brain and nervous system has been improved so it is functioning more efficiently, then you can put more focus on the other tissues of the body. This is why those on memberships with us in chapter 2 and chapter 3 of care have access to GRO via our website to give them easy access to exercises to do at home.

As clinicians, we will also prescribe certain exercises to some clients too. If we do, we will walk you through what and how to do each exercise, how frequently, and why it is necessary at that stage. If you are given exercises to do at home, it's for your own benefit, not just because we want to make your life more difficult. It's incredibly frustrating to hear ‘Oh I haven't had time this week to do my exercises’, especially as we’ll rarely give more than one or two to do. 

We cannot help you more than you want to help yourself. Follow the advice given to you by your clinician, as we’re trying to help your body heal to allow you to function and feel better, enabling you to live an happy, healthy, pain free life.