Category Archives: load

When It Becomes Sensory

Feels

In my athlete days, which ended about 15 years ago, the goal was to NOT feel and just complete the tasks put to paper.  It was something I was given or sought out — “more” was agreed upon by all… Read more ›

Christine
awareness, brain, control, coordination, developmental, environment, identity, learning, load, Mental, mobility, motor control, observe, pain, pelvic floor, perspective, Physical, physical education, pressure, problem solving, relationships, school system, spine, stability, technique, tension

A Twisted Trail

Screenshot 20240514 123309 Studio

The first post in this series asked if a pigeon toe was friend or foe.  It is certainly a strategy, an adaptation that has a purpose.  For me, my half with the pigeon toe also carried my biggest problems, particularly… Read more ›

Christine
abduction, acl, ankles, arches, balance, bladder, calf, coordination, core, down leg, fifth metacarpal, first metatarsal, foot, hamstrings, heel, hinge, hips, knees, load, pees, pelvis, rotation, shins, squat, technique, tension, tibia, toes, up leg

A Different Way to Use, Train, & Treat the Knee (Part 2)

Knee2

In part 1, I suggested that using the knee as gas instead of brakes could help free up the knee for motion and elicit the hips and ankle-foot as stabilizers.  For folks with chronic pain, however, their nervous system likely… Read more ›

Christine
acl, ankles, compression, coordination, feet, hamstrings, heel, hips, learning, load, motor control, motor learning, movement, pain, pelvis, posture, pressure, problem solving, technique, tension, tibia, toes

To Twist or Not To Twist

Twist

Torsion.  We all have it: a particular line of twist running through our carriage, gripping us in a certain way and keeping us upright.  Each fold and joint tells its story, whether you realize it or not.  It’s how we… Read more ›

Christine
compression, control, coordination, core, down leg, extension, feeling, flexion, hamstrings, heel, hinge, hip extension, hips, joints, knees, load, locomotion, Mental, mobility, motor learning, movement, neck, observe, pelvic floor, pelvis, perspective, posture, power, pressure, problem solving, reflexes, relax, ribs, rotation, spine, sprint, squat, stability, technique, tension, tibia, toes, up leg, xiphoid

Why the Bricks Are Genius

Bricks

While walking through the streets of Europe last Spring, Adarian Barr wondered why his feet felt so good.  He traced it back to the cobblestones.  The lift, the variability, the multiple points of potential folding.  This was the impetus behind… Read more ›

Christine
Adarian Barr, ankles, arches, feet, fifth metacarpal, foot, gravity, isometric, joints, load, motor learning, movement, pinky, rotation, shins, squat, stability, technique, tension, tibia, toes

Suspension & Compression

Suspend

This piece serves as the follow up to How To Push Down.   When we are talking about compression, we are also talking about tension.  It is the interaction of these two push-pulls that creates suspension.  Otherwise everything would collapse. … Read more ›

Christine
Adarian Barr, arches, balance, compression, coordination, core, extension, feet, flexion, gravity, hamstrings, hinge, hips, joints, knees, load, pelvis, posture, rotation, shins, spine, squat, tension, xiphoid

A Path Towards Harm

Eggsmash

Some context.  I have been learning to be sensitive to signals of and mitigate pain for about a decade now.  My training revolves around feeling things out, noticing any off-ness, spending some time and attention there, and finishing the session… Read more ›

Christine
anxiety, assessment, compression, connection, feeling, feet, foot, glutes, hamstrings, heal, knees, learning, load, Mental, pain, pelvis, perspective, power, problem solving, reflexes, shortfoot, squat, stability, tension