By now some of us are back on the couch having scrapped our New Year’s resolutions to get in shape. But those of us who are still neck deep in it, maybe you’ve got your workout routine down, you’re doing exercises for your back and biceps, chest and triceps, glutes, and abdominals. But where is all of this taking you?! It depends on your goals. If your goal is to look good in a bathing suit, then this might be the way to go. It might surprise you to learn though, if your goals are to get stronger, become more athletic or better at your sport, have a more limber and mobile body, or to prevent injury – this type of exercise regimen won’t do much to achieve those goals.

Doing bicep curls supported on a bench may not translate to when you’re playing with your kids.

Our bodies are meant to move, and they’re meant to move in all directions. Many workouts we see in the gym or in the media are only utilizing what’s called the sagittal plane, i.e., movements that occur front to back – like squats, lunges, bicep curls, bench press, running, cycling, rowing, etc. Our bodies can move in three planes: the sagittal plane as mentioned above, the transverse plane (rotation), and the frontal plane (side to side, think jumping jacks). Think about all the things we do on a daily basis; the body moves most often in a combination of all three planes in our everyday life. Have you ever seen anyone do a proper squat to pick up a pencil off the floor?

Simply doing lunges with weight won’t necessarily help you reach for that shot in your pickle ball match

If we only do strengthening activities occurring in the sagittal plane (like running, cycling, or gym exercises that are one dimensional), what happens when we do move outside of that plane? There’s a good possibility of injury. If we’re only doing exercises like bicep curls, triceps presses, bench press, squats, etc. we’re really only improving …. at those exercises. The brain and the body understand movement, they need more than just muscle contraction in a singular plane of motion. The more we can move and strengthen the body in all three planes of movement (and their combination), the stronger and more athletic we’ll be, the less likely we’ll be to get injured or have a bad fall, and the more mobility we’ll have.

Even if you love running and cycling – we hear you! – harnessing all three planes of motion will build strength, power, and injury resilience to be able to run or cycle faster and more efficiently. Here at Beacon PT, we are here to support you in figuring out how to move in this way, and in living a lifestyle that works for you and reaching your fullest potential and your goals. Please reach out and let us know how we can best support you in your journey to feeling and moving better!