Although we all want to benefit from exercise training, few people will notice whether their muscles are unbalanced before exercise training. Muscle imbalance is the most potential risk factor for sports pain. Here are the reasons for muscle imbalance I sorted out. I hope I can help you.
1. Repetitive movement
Repetitive exercise is one of the most common causes of muscle imbalance. When muscles shorten, they generate strength, and if they are used to generate strength repeatedly for the same action, they may be overused and remain in a semi systolic state, which may change the position of the joint.
Performing the same actions in the work environment or always practicing exactly the same actions every time you exercise may be a potential cause of imbalance. If your work environment or training requires repetitive movements, try to identify ways in which you can make small changes to your movements to avoid imbalance.
2. Sedentary
Sitting still for a long time may lead to hip muscle imbalance. Most people spend most of their working time sitting in their seats. Imagine that when you sit down, your hips will bend, causing the muscles of hip flexion to be shortened. When the hip flexor muscle (the main member iliopsoas muscle) is shortened, it will change the way the hip joint moves. In addition, when hip flexors tighten, they reduce the activity of gluteus maximus, which is responsible for hip extension, which may also be a potential cause of low back pain.
Therefore, if you need to sit most of the day at work, find more opportunities to stand up and walk around. The purpose is to keep your joints active and avoid getting too tight in your hip muscles.
3. Long time driving
Some people have this question: look at what position your hips and legs are in when you drive? Most people will keep one leg bent and the other leg relaxed when driving, which may lead to changes in the resting length of muscles. Especially when you drive long distances, please pay attention to your sitting posture and try to keep your body in a neutral position. If you need a long-distance bus trip, please take a break, leave the driver's seat, stretch and walk outside the car, and then return to the front of the steering wheel. In addition to effectively relaxing your muscles, this can also help you boost your spirit.
4. Training on only one plane
This may also be the cause of muscle imbalance. For example, biceps flexion, sit ups and squats, which are often done by everyone, are actions that are limited to the movement in a limited linear path. Doing too many such linear path movements is also the reason for muscle imbalance.
To reduce the risk of muscle imbalance, make sure your training plan includes pushing, pulling, rotating, or lateral movement. When you know how to move and train in a multiplanar environment, you can help yourself reduce the risk of muscle imbalance.
5. Long term poor posture
This can lead to an imbalance in the upper body muscles, especially the shoulder and upper back muscle groups. Most of these bad postures are when the body is at rest, which can lead to inefficient movement patterns and increase the risk of injury. For example, the most common posture of office workers, sitting at the desk, tapping the computer keyboard or looking down at the mobile phone, will shorten the shoulder muscles and stretch the upper back muscles.
6. Wear high heels
Wearing high heels may cause muscle imbalance. People who often wear shoes with high back and low front may have some risk of muscle imbalance in their feet, lower legs, hips and shoulders because their heels are higher than their toes. When the heel is in the raised position, it is possible to change the position of the knee, the position of the thigh bone, and then the position of the spine and shoulders. High heels can also cause extreme muscle tension in the lower legs and toes. If you are a runner or dancer, you should pay special attention to the imbalance of muscle development in the calf. Moderate relaxation and compression will alleviate this problem.