Health & Fitness
Let Go Of The Handles - You Could Be Hurting Yourself
We're at the gym to become stronger and healthier, but what if "how" we are exercising is causing us to age quicker?
The other day I was training at the Palm Harbor, YMCA and saw multiple people "holding the handles".
What I'm referring to is when people are on the treadmill or eliptical machines and they hold the handles while they are training. And many hold the handles the entire time they are on the machine. But, at what cost?
As a healthcare provider helping patients with balance issues, "holding the handles" is one example of how we negatively influence our body's ability to relate to gravity, self regulate and self heal. We are bipeds and walk on two feet and are supposed to swing our arms as we walk.
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As we step forward with the right foot, the hips rotate to the right, so our left arm swings forward and the shoulders rotate to the left. This is a very imporatant movement called "cross crawl". My wife, a doctor as well, and I can frequently identify incorrect muscle activation and bio-mechanical dysfunction by changed, decreased or no arm swing.
Another example is the use of walkers. Absolutey, they should be used to be safe and to prevent falls. But, all too often, the person with the walker is not doing everything they can to improve their balance and not rely on the walker. Prolonged, repeated use of walkers can alter how a person walks along with a decrease in their ability to balance.
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As a person progresses from walking on two feet to two feet and a cane and then two feet holding and pushing a walker with four more feet touching the ground, their body adapts and degenerates. Its called plasticity, which basically means adaptation of nerves, muscles and soft tissues. Plus, the walker causes the person to not swing their arms at all and take smaller, shuffling steps.
So, if you have to hold the handles for safety, absolutely keep doing it, but add balance exercises so that eventually you can let go. And if you are on the treadmill or eliptical to improve your health, why not let go of the handles, maximize your workout and train your balance at the same time.