"Body Mechanics"
Today, I'd like to talk about body mechanics as an idea for everyday health management. In simple terms, it's understanding how the body moves. Based on the movement of joints and muscles, we understand the mechanisms of movement in various parts of the body and their interconnections with other parts. This helps optimize each individual's maximum physical performance, a concept relevant not only to athletes but also to the general population.
Let's consider the movement of the lower body using "running" as an example:
What are the main parts necessary to create the movements required for running?
- Ankle
- Knee
- Hip joint
What are the movable directions of each joint?
- Ankle: up and down, side to side
- Knee: forward and backward
- Hip joint: 360 degrees
Which muscles create this movement?The movement of bending and straightening the knee is primarily created by the quadriceps and hamstrings. When running, bending the ankle, bending the knee, bending the hip joint, and accumulating power at a certain point, then kicking out in the opposite motion.
Understanding such concepts helps grasp body mechanics, knowing which part of the body is used how during necessary movements. With this understanding, instead of resorting solely to traditional rigorous training after failure in a match, one might consider correcting the parts of the body that might have caused the failed movement.
Though the discussion might have become a bit complex, ultimately, as presented in this column, I believe focusing on targeted maintenance is an effective approach to reliably resolve issues. By clearly identifying problem areas, even longstanding issues have a high potential for improvement. Dismissing problems due to age is nonsensical from a body mechanics perspective. Hence, I will continue to propose simple and effective ideas in the future.
"TAD's Exercise: Massage Technique for Stiffness between Wrist and Elbow"
Several muscle groups attach from the elbow towards the wrist. By pressing deeply with the thumb in a crosswise manner across the arm, you can locate stiff, cord-like areas. Massaging along these tense muscles (from the elbow towards the wrist) or using pinching motions to relieve tension can alleviate wrist and elbow pain effectively.