You mentally motivate yourself, lace up your tennis shoes, stretch it out and step onto the treadmill, ready to start your run. However, within the first 10 minutes your body isn’t cooperating. The aches and pains start creeping up on you. No matter what the activity, a lot of people experience knee, back, hip or foot pain.
So what do they do? They take pain meds. Use heating pads or try icing the trouble areas. Some people switch their routines, swapping their morning bike ride for laps at the pool. In any case, these are all temporary solutions. The only way to truly fix the underlying issue is to understand what’s causing the symptoms you’re experiencing.
It’s all about balance.
There are many potential causes for the joint pain people experience during workouts, but most of them have to do with improper alignment. When you have imbalance in the lower back or hips it can cause rotation in the knees and/or feet.
As a result, your body is dealing with more than just gravitational stress whenever you partake in a physical activity. The additional stress of things not being properly aligned exacerbates the pressure, making any joint discomfort worse. In other words, it’s not something you want to let go untreated.
It’s worth a closer look.
Want to recognize telltale signs of any imbalance that may exist? Here are a few simple tests that only take a minute of your time:
1. Hips – Look in the mirror and put your hands on your hipbones. If one is higher or lower than the other, you most likely have an imbalance in the lower lumbar of the back.
2. Toes – Stand with your feet about 6 inches apart and look down at your toes. Are they pointed outward instead of straight in front of you? If yes, there is a good chance your pelvis is not properly aligned.
3. Knees – This test also starts by standing. Your legs should have a little bit of space between them. Now look to see if your knees are facing forward. If you have knock-knees (facing inward) or are bow-legged, these can be indicators of a hip dysfunction.
Don’t change your activities – change the treatment.
When it comes to getting the most out of your workouts and exercising safely, it goes beyond having the proper form or choosing the right type of activity. What’s more important is that certain parts of your body are aligned the way they should be. This is what will ultimately allow you to lead a healthy, active lifestyle without the joint pain.
Many people who experience discomfort when working out will trade running or high impact sports for alternatives that are considered to be “easier” on the body. However, this doesn’t solve the problem – it is just avoiding it.
A true functional practitioner won’t tell you to change your workout routine. He or she will work with you to evaluate the cause, providing treatment that can serve as a long-term solution instead of a temporary fix. If having to forego certain activities makes you unhappy, determining the cause of your symptoms is the first step toward being able to exercise however you see fit.
More about Dr. Chad Cohoon
Dr. Cohoon is not only your Functional Healthcare provider in Frisco, Texas, his practice is the flagship Functional Health Center in America. Dr. Cohoon has been providing an alternative to traditional healthcare since 1995, having impacted the lives of thousands of patients from all over the country. A severe asthma sufferer as a child, Dr. Cohoon decided early on that something different should occur with healthcare, and he wanted to be a part of it. Read More