Movement Matters
Imagine you slam your finger in a cupboard door.
Yeah, we’ve all been there.
Too excited for your 7pm bowl of cheerios and then BAM.
(I’m not advocating cereal for dinner, but I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been there too. The struggle was real.)
Well, what’s the universal reaction to this extremely un-fun experience?
(…aside from the obvious blasphemy)
You shake it around. You rub it. You move it.
What you most certainly DON’T do is stand perfectly still, staring at it, doing nothing. That would be weird.
The instinctive movement response to pain is your nervous system using a powerful tool known as pain gating. By moving or rubbing the area, you stimulate non-painful sensory input, which literally "closes the gate" to some of the pain signals going to your brain.
Why does this matter?
Because when people get injured or decide for whatever reason to take time off training, they often stop moving entirely. And ironically, this can make things worse, not better. It causes tissues to weaken, joints to stiffen, and the nervous system to become more sensitive. Which means the exact same activity that felt fine a few weeks ago might now feel painful.
All because your system adapted… to inactivity.
Movement is more than just breaking a sweat, getting a pump or hitting a PR. It’s crucial sensory input that modulates pain and keeps us movin’ & groovin’ pain free.
So my message to you this week is simple:
Find ways to always keep moving. No matter what. Just like shaking your finger after the cupboard door slam, the right kind of movement is literally a natural pain-killer.
Yes, you may need to modify certain activities, and you may need to dial it back temporarily if you’re going through a flare-up. But don’t stop entirely.
And if you’re unsure about how to modify something, shoot me a comment below or reach out using the contact forms throughout this website. My promise to you is that if you’re invested enough in your own health to do that, I’ll be invested enough in return to give you a detailed breakdown of the approach I’d take, if I were in your shoes.
Hope to hear from you!
