By Sandi Silagi
In February 2015, after withdrawing from a golf tournament, Tiger Woods claimed, “My glutes are shutting off.” That was the “butt” of many jokes to come, but what is the reality?
Initially, I thought, “Fire your trainer!” “Use your ground forces, use your feet!” “Channel Arnold Palmer!” But I was wrong. The chain reaction of response in his body had been disrupted by pain, surgery, and cool weather.
Any one of those disruptors is enough for the body to find inefficient workaround movement patterns. When pain is within our bodies (physically or mentally), the brain/body protects itself and finds alternate ways to move – to bypass those things that will create more pain.
Think of a freeway of smooth-flowing cars. If you get an Island Car in one lane, that lane slows down. Other cars move around it, and the next lane slows down also. The third lane, not so much, but it is more crowded.
The Island Car takes its time – usually getting to the destination, but slower, not so much power, not so much speed, and maybe with a little more pollution, congestion, or a backfire hiccup. Certainly not performance-level stuff.
Maybe the driver was at fault and had it in second gear the entire time, or had the emergency brake on. Either way, it is inefficient, causing a disruption, and we have to move around it. We get to the same place, at a different speed, and in a different mood.
Which car are you driving today? Where is your body today? Are you connected to your needs for your current daily activities? Is there ease in your movement? Are you balanced? A daily check-in can increase your body comfort, confidence, function, and performance. Making the connection between your feet, hips, and back is part of this balance. Learning how to do a quick check-in reduces injury and improves mobility and stability at all levels – including professional swing sports.
You can gain a fluid chain-reaction of response efficiently in your body with 3 simple steps: Assess, Movement, and Reassess. In 5 minutes, you can do a quick assess, a little movement/connection, and a quick re-assess to start your day. Go to www.corecentrictraining.com/blog for an audio to walk through your 5-minute assessment, or follow this guide:
Assess. In a safe space, stand with your feet hip-width apart. It is best to assess with your eyes closed if you can safely do that. Notice and identify how your weight is distributed. Do your feet roll in or roll out? Are you more forward on the ball of the foot, or on the heels?
Notice the ankles, knees, and hips. Where are you tightening (check your hips)? Can you lessen the grip of where you feel the tightness? Do you feel like distinct parts from joint to joint?
Movement. Open your eyes. Hydrate the right side of the body by tapping, patting, and/or squeezing the chest, arm, hip, butt cheek, and leg – up and down the leg (inside, outside, front, and back). Bounce both knees several times in a “bounce, bounce, and straighten” rhythm.
You just hydrated your right side. Repeat on the other side.
Connect the neuromuscular system. To find the butt-back connection, put your hands on your hips. Roll the feet in to stand on the inside of the foot. Do you feel the hips broaden? Touch your lower back. Do you feel the low back broaden? Do you feel the shoulders roll forward? Now, roll the feet out. Do you feel the hips tighten? Do you feel the back pull together and the shoulders slide down the back? This is the main highway of the chain response of the neuromuscular system that will give you power and stability.
Reassess. Stand, close your eyes again. Notice and identify how your weight is distributed. Do your feet roll in or roll out? Are you more forward on the ball of the foot, or on the heels? Has the weight distribution changed? Do you feel like distinct parts from joint to joint, or continuity?
This simple sequence, when done once every day or two, can increase awareness of your bodies’ needs and improve your sense of balance and stability. This sequence affects function and performance in basic day-to-day tasks, as well as in professional sports. It encourages the fluid fascial connection in the autonomic nervous system. It brings awareness to excess holding patterns or tensions, and allows the calming of the neuromuscular system.
Supplement your activities with simple restorative movements to enable you to move and feel better. Awareness is healing and decreases the chance of chronic pain. Address the need before the oil runs out and your car grinds to a stop!
PS: What sounded like Tiger Woods throwing a fit was actually a pinched nerve in a game that was delayed due to cold fog settling in. Tiger went on to have four back surgeries and came back to win the 2019 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. In 2021, he had yet another back surgery and continues to rebuild and come back! True grit and will to play!
Sandi Silagi is co-owner at Core Centric, where personal training, classes, and monthly workshops in Melt Method and Stability and Function are ongoing. For information, contact 206-388-8953 or info@CoreCentricTraining.com.
