The body is like a machine: why it is so important to move correctly (and you don't)

What it feels like to move with minimal effort

To clearly explain why you need economical movement, here is a quote from Moshe Feldenkrais's book Awareness Through Movement: 12 Practical Lessons. The author compares the human body to a machine.

An efficient machine works in which all parts are precisely aligned with each other, everything that needs to be lubricated is lubricated, the rubbing parts fit tightly to each other without gaps and without dirt. Energy is not wasted on useless movements that take it away from the required work.

Moshe Feldenkrais

The most effective movements are those that are devoid of random, unnecessary actions. By eliminating excess stress, you begin to move as easily as possible.

It is important to learn how to turn movements that require effort and tension into good movements, that is, movements that are above all effective, as well as comfortable and easy.

To better understand what is at stake, check it out for yourself. Try two simple tests to see if you can move economically and efficiently.

Test yourself for driving economy

Stool test

Sit on the edge of a chair with your fingertips around your neck and try to stand up. Is your neck tense? Try standing up again, leaving your neck relaxed. Happened?

Getting up from the chair does not involve the muscles in the neck, but they automatically tense. This is the very unnecessary movement when you spend energy on something that actually requires very little effort.

Try to track at what point the neck tightens. My tension increases when the body moves forward, and the chest hangs over the legs. To make sure that this tension is unnecessary, I tried to relax my neck in this position. I managed to do it.

This means that you can get up without straining your neck muscles while lifting from a sitting position. It's just that we are used to doing this, so it's rather difficult to retrain.

Weighing test

There is another good test from Feldenkrais's book for which you need a mechanical scale.

Sit on a chair and put your feet on the scale. Now try to stand up as lightly and smoothly as possible. Most likely, the scale arrow will first go beyond your weight mark, then roll back and after a few hesitation will take the desired position. If your movement is smooth and efficient, the arrow will slowly reach your weight mark, but will not go beyond it or wobble.

Tightening muscles, improper movement patterns, poor posture all become habitual and are perceived as normal movement and posture. However, upon closer inspection, it turns out that this is not the case. You waste a lot of energy on useless movements, the muscles are in constant tension, and the body takes an unnatural position.

How do I change this? Start by observing yourself more often.

Watch yourself every free minute

To correct a wrong position, you must first notice it. How often do you pay attention to your posture? Do it now.

Most likely, you will find hot spots where they should not be. Check shoulders. Most often they are pinched and raised. Then pay attention to neck. Is it tense and forward?

Check muscles of the face. Most often, they relax only in sleep, and we do not notice how during the day the face freezes in a gloomy mask. What about lower jaw? Is she too tense? Maybe you should ease the tension a little?

Get in the habit of assessing your body position and muscle tension throughout the day.

Pay attention to your body and try to relax any muscles that are unreasonably tense at the moment. This will be your mini-meditation throughout the day and a great opportunity to increase your efficiency in movement. Following the relaxation of the body, mental stress is also relieved.

If you get used to paying attention to your body, you will be able to do it in any circumstances, including in stressful situations. Evaluate how you move when you are afraid, upset, or aroused after a fight or argument in a raised voice. Try changing your body position in this situation. You will see how the psychological attitude also changes.

Look for How to Optimize Traffic

Any movement that requires effort from you can be optimized and made lighter.

The human body is designed in such a way that the main effort is performed by the wide muscles located closer to the center of the body: the gluteal muscles, the muscles of the thighs, back and abdomen. Due to them, we walk, run, lift weights.

If lifting weights the main effort is on the gluteal muscles and the muscles of the hips, you will not tear your back and will be able to lift more weight.

To do this, keep your back straight, pull your pelvis back and do a good squat while lifting. If you try to lift weight with the muscles of your arms and back, it will end badly for your lower back. Even in martial arts, a good punch is possible only with the participation of the hips. If you isolate the thighs, you will not get a hard hit.

Do not forget that you need to learn how to move correctly: lift weights, walk on hills and carry heavy objects in outstretched arms so as not to damage yourself.

Paying attention to your body and remembering the mechanics of movement, you can independently search for how to do something simpler and easier, how to connect large muscle groups to the movement and take the load off smaller ones.

Here's an example from real life. I am walking with a winter stroller with runners that do not have an adjustable handle. Since I am quite short, this handle is too high, so my hands get tired all the time. I began to look for a better position to take the load off my arms, and I found that if I lower my shoulders and move them forward a little, as well as stretch my arms forward, the load is removed from them.

I push the wheelchair with the force of the body, that is, I use the same large muscles due to which I walk, and my arms simply transmit the force without straining.

This applies to any movement that causes muscle fatigue. Let's say you are carrying a box, your hands get tired. Try to hug her against you. So you take the load off your hands and transfer it to the large muscles that are ready for this.

Explore the movement. If you are uncomfortable and uncomfortable, do not give up trying to make something easier. You can avoid injury and train yourself to move correctly.

Watch your breath

Speaking of movement, one cannot fail to mention breathing. It directly affects how you move, how flexible you are, and how well you can perform an action.

Develop a diaphragmatic breathing habit - it's not that hard. Watch yourself and try to breathe from your belly. This is human breathing, and soon you will get used to it.

In addition, breathing is involved in the formation of the emotional background and mental reactions. It instantly reacts to anxiety, fear, stressful situations, but it can also restore calmness if you control it. You can provide yourself with a comprehensive calming effect and train yourself to breathe correctly by saturating the body with high-quality oxygen.

If you are interested in the topic of proper economic movement, read Moshe Feldenkrais's book Awareness Through Movement: 12 Practical Lessons.

It clearly and simply explains the connection between movement, emotions, feelings and mind, and provides exercises that will teach you to be friends with your body and do the usual movements easier and easier.

Movement is life. Life is a process. Improve the quality of the process, then you improve life itself.

Moshe Feldenkrais