There is a time and place for sacrificing health for performance. As a physical therapist I tend to view the movement world through a lens that is attempting to restore motion, in favor of longevity. That means often avoiding the activities that reduce producing high forces, speeds or extreme ranges of motion. That being said, I have worked with a substantial number of high-level athletes, and they are most interested in how to get better at their sport. They want to maximize performance, often at the expense of long-term health. In that case, and in many others, compensations or sacrificing overall health are acceptable trade-offs.
I often write about improving some form of movement capability. That capability, in most of my clients, requires altering some constraint. It could be applying one, removing one, or simply changing one. Increasing performance is no different. In fact, applying a constraint to maximize performance can be a useful strategy. The thing we should come to terms with is that by maximizing performance, we are making a sacrifice of something else. If we elect to top out on our barbell back squat, then one potential outcome is that we develop greater lower back stiffness. In some cases, this is desirable and a useful adaptation that leads to accomplishing our goals. The powerlifter is, in fact, seeking this change. However, if a client is coming to see me for lower back pain, stiffness is not an element we are looking to increase in the spine.
A world-class sprinter is not in the market for maximizing hip range of motion. There is an optimal amount of hip mobility that runner needs, however if we were to expand or compress that range we may steal from performance. Too much motion slows them down, and too little doesn’t allow for maximal acceleration.
On the flip side, the average Joe may be having difficulty squatting down to play with his children due to limited mobility. If we can increase his available range of motion, then that task becomes easier. Greater motion improves performance of the salient task in this case.
Movement capabilities are context oriented. There is a time and place for sacrificing some capabilities, in favor of others. We must be clear on what our intentions are and what we may be trading off in the process.
Austin Ulrich, Physical Therapist
