<h2><b>What is Biomechanics?</b></h2>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Biomechanics is mostly considered a complex subject. Those who study biomechanics at university usually find it the most challenging of subjects to learn. In this blog I’d like to remove some of that challenge or at least reduce it &amp; explain to you how you can become a specialist in this subject without going to university...like me!</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s the study of human movement, the body’s ‘mechanics’ if you like. Some will argue that it is an outdated way of looking at the body since it’s far more complex than simply the mechanical aspect of levers &amp; pulleys.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">I would agree that it can be extremely complex AND I’d also agree that we must consider so much more than simply the ‘mechanical’ view of our clients body and movement.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">However this method allows us to begin to appreciate the body to a deeper level from at first a simple application of basic rules of movement. This I have found, and still do find, is a brilliant system to utilise even when it comes to appreciating all the nuances of our clients bodies.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">So when we study biomechanics we must always keep an open mind to the complexities of variants that will very likely influence our clients movement quality. Anatomy and movement educators will encourage discussion throughout our education programmes with a layered approach to deepening our understanding. There are  few layers to get through and much of that is in the application process which is why practice is key. The more bodies you watch, analyse and monitor, the more you learn and by the way that learning never ends. Every clients is a new subject, a new set of variants and a new way of watching movement and all that contributes to it.</span>

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<h2><b>Different Types of Biomechanics </b></h2>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">This is one way we could differentiate how we look at &amp; understanding anatomy &amp; movement in our clients; </span>

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<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Extrinsic Biomechanics</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is the study of looking at a movement, seeing the angles in the joints, the movement performance &amp; also maybe measuring them- force, angles, speed etc </span>

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<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Intrinsic Biomechanics</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is considering what is going on inside the body that influences what we see extrinsically. Ie the use of the logic of anatomy, ideal muscle lengths &amp; actions, nerve ranges, pure joint ranges &amp; how each individual substructure &amp; area of the body contributed is required performance </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Sounds complicated? </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ok ok ok let me give you the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">spectrum</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of biomechanics …..</span>

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<h3><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Complex Biomechanics </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">- this could be interpreted as the study of forces, vectors and 1st/2nd/3rd class levers and often requires video analysis most probably at uni or in a lab.</span></h3>
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<h3><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Simple Biomechanics </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">- this might be interpreted simply as the hip should flex &amp; extend, the thoracic spine should rotate etc</span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s start at the simple end so I can explain how movement practitioners like you and I are already specialists in biomechanics </span>

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<h2><b>Bad Technique or Problem Biomechanics? </b></h2>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Your new client is on time &amp; the consultation went as expected …. wants to get fit, lose some weight &amp; has a bit of low back pain. </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">You warm them up &amp; you notice one shoulder seems higher than the other, one foot flicks out a bit &amp; they look rather round shouldered.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">So you decide you want to see the quality of their movement without weights first to be safe &amp; so ask them to show you some body weight squats </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">The look on their face offers you some early indication that even this might be challenging for them so you take them over to a rig to hold onto or maybe position them to just do a bodyweight squat to a box/bench </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Their reticence is confirmed when their knees cave in, upper body folds forwards, neck retracts and extends, feet seem to be pointing almost to 9 &amp; 3 o.clock!....</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">You swap places to demonstrate but when they try again it’s not much better, in fact possibly worse </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">You verbally cue “</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">knees out, back up straight, eyes forwards</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">”</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Nope...still no good…</span>

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<h1><strong><i>PAUSE &gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</i></strong></h1>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Right let’s stop here for a moment &amp; try to understand this very common scenario we all seem to experience at some point in our careers, and sometimes very often...weekly...or even daily!</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">1). You did a biomechanical assessment by watching the squat. This is subjective but extremely relevant for understand their ranges, coordination &amp; control in a fundamental movement required for ADL</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">2). You evaluated the risk &amp; feel you want to reduce it</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">3). What you evaluated was their </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">extrinsic biomechanics </span></i>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">4). At a Uni you might include mathematical equations of force production &amp; optimal joint angle requirements to reduce risk &amp; optimise performance etc - but this client really doesn’t need all that - they just want to move well enough to lose weight </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">5). So let's now consider their </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">intrinsic biomechanics</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> …...myofascial, neural and skeletal systems…</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Is it their pelvis, spine, shoulders?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Is it their muscles, nerves or the joints?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Are they just really bad at the technique or maybe they’re just not ready to squat?</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">BUT at this point you might be starting to think…..</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">“</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Well where do I start?”</span></i>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Where is the problem coming from?”</span></i>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">“How would I know?”</span></i>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">“How do I help her when no amount of coaching improves technique &amp; I'm worried I might hurt her in the process of programming exercises?”</span></i>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">“What system can I follow to address her limitations without worrying about if I’m doing the right thing?”</span></i>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Am I really qualified enough?” </span></i>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Do I need to refer her to a clinician first?”</span></i>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I feel like I am guessing here!”</span></i>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I really feel like I don’t know what I’m doing!!”</span></i>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">If you have ever thought any of these things then well done….it demonstrates you care! Also the next step, which is really important, is finding solutions to each of your questions, starting with “</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">how can I help this client right now?”.....</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">keep it simple!</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Then look for education that will give you new tools and skills to fill these gaps and answer these questions just like Sam did ….</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Here Sam shares his experience of gaining a deeper level of understanding his clients bodies…..</span>

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<h1><a href="https://youtu.be/UFkDTq2bZAw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong><em>CLICK HERE TO WATCH SAM'S VIDEO....</em></strong></a></h1>
Email rachel@biomechanicseducaton.com to enquire about the final places remaining this year on our workshops!