Linebackers and Ballerinas

Movement is idiosyncratic and every person creates motion differently. There are two primary strategies to work within as a human being. There is the grind your way through it, and there’s the glide. Each strategy can be useful or limiting depending on the circumstances.

The linebacker moves kind of like a refrigerator. They create wide turns and typically do not appear to be the most graceful individuals in the room. When an activity requires a refined touch, they are not your first choice. That being said, if you need to move an actual refrigerator, they may be the first person you call. A linebacker has a tough time in activities like yoga, but they can out deadlift almost anyone in the gym.

Ballerinas are on the other end of the movement continuum. They glide around almost effortlessly. They are the ones in the front of the yoga class making everyone in the back wonder what they are doing wrong. A person of this structure may not be the person you call if you need bodies for a powerlifting competition, but if you’re going dancing this is your person. They do not move much weight, but they can stop on a dime, turn, and change direction faster than any linebacker ever has.

We all fall in to one of these categories. There are nuances that require a longer conversation, but ultimately, we use one of these strategies to move. Every client or patient has a structure that will predispose them to be more effective in one of these arenas. Planning interventions or coming up with a program that takes these differences into account may be a more effective way to get them where they want to be.

Austin Ulrich, Physical Therapist