Ahhh yes, range of motion. For some, that of Gumby. For others, a stone statue. In Dr. Colin’s third installment of “Respecting your Capacities”, he addresses how range of motion specifically can impact our strength, as well as endurance capacities. 

If we constantly train with poor range of motion around a joint, we almost always have to call on muscles beyond the joint in training in order to complete the skill. That recruitment can lead to compensating, which can lead to poor movement patterns and, inevitably, injury. However, recruiting other muscles isn’t always bad, as long as quality form is used in the process. In fact, outside muscle recruitment can actually help delay muscle fatigue. 

“Chronically working outside our active range will result in permanence of the compensation pattern that is utilized to achieve the task, and this compensation will eventually become the only option. If we move in one pattern we are using the same tissues ad nauseam leading to fatigue in that pattern and further breakdown of the movement. Adequate active range of motion affords us movement options, meaning we can load a variety of tissues and delay fatigue induced breakdown.”

If you don’t know if you are compensating on a regular basis or not, check out the rest of Colin’s blog on the issue. He’s included multiple videos that will allow you to assess active and passive ranges of motion for your shoulders, hips, and ankles. Check it out, try it out, and help your body out by pinpointing some of these problem areas. 

Thanks for the knowledge, Colin! Now hop on over to his blog and get working on that ROM.