Be Like Water

We are primarily comprised of water, the extent to which this is the case remains a debate. Some experts like Gerald Pollock suggest that molecularly, we are ninety-nine percent water. Regardless of the percentage, the majority of our body is made from this miraculous material with unique properties. Appreciating this and developing a greater understanding of how water behaves has been neglected by most movement specialists despite the pivotal role it plays in our daily lives.

Nearly all of our joints are comprised of synovial fluid, which is primarily water. It ensures that bones do not touch and that they remain buoyant with respect to each other. It also does not behave like some other fluids in that it alters its behaviors depending on the stress of the environment.

An example would be a drop from a box versus a slow tempo split squat. In the box example, the rate at which force propagates through the system is much more rapid and leads to greater viscosity of the water within us. The tempo-based split squat requires more time, allowing tissues and the water within them to alter their shape and move where needed. Pressures and volumes are in flux for different periods of time, providing us with numerous options for movement.

We all know water is wildly important in our physiology, but understanding it’s characteristics and how it influences movement is very much underappreciated. The versatility we all posses is in no small part due to water. Taking the time to further examine how it behaves and the influence it has over our hydraulic-based movement may make us better practitioners.

Austin Ulrich, Physical Therapist