Understanding Body Use During Daily Activities: Be a Better Mover

Have you ever experienced severe lower back or neck pain resulting from a simple, minimally demanding activity? Common scenarios include bending over to pick up a piece of paper, towel drying your hair, turning your head to check your blind spot while driving, or reaching into the trunk of your car to pick up a small bag of groceries. These are just a few examples of how insidious spinal pain can onset. If you have experienced this, you may wonder: why does this happen?

The answer is not always apparent. Many people immediately attribute their acute musculoskeletal pain to the most recent activity they performed. It can be frustrating, especially for those who exercise regularly or lead an active lifestyle, to experience such pain. The assumption is that being active should "bulletproof" them against any musculoskeletal strain or injury. Unfortunately, this is not necessarily the case. The reality is our bodies don’t come with an instruction manual. Many of us don’t know how to use our bodies correctly during daily activities. By "body use," I mean how we execute various daily movements, such as sitting, standing, bending, lifting, reaching, pushing, and pulling.  (Revisit the idea of body use here)  Those who possess good body use have a good sense of body awareness.

What Is Good Body Awareness?

Good body awareness is the ability to notice changes in your body’s function and structure. For example:

Do you notice how you stand during a conversation?

Do you lean on one leg more than the other?

Do you notice the impact of eating processed foods versus whole foods on your energy levels?

Do you notice the differences in your interactions with various people, such as a co-worker, your spouse, or a friend?

Having good body awareness provides the opportunity to make appropriate adjustments towards a balanced state. Imagine the benefits of managing your body’s response and interactions to subtle changes in your environment. This can help minimize or even prevent injuries, avoid regrettable remarks to friends, co-workers, or your spouse, and steer clear of eating or drinking something that may cause discomfort.

How Do I Establish Good Body Awareness?

The first step in achieving good body awareness is knowing what to be aware of. This sounds simple, but in practice, it can be challenging. Many of us develop sensory-motor amnesia over time, a condition where we "forget" how to move well. (Learn more here). This makes us unaware of how we use our bodies during daily activities. To prevent or limit this forgetfulness, it is crucial to establish a sense of structural and functional balance in your body. For this discussion, we will focus on your body’s structure and its biomechanical function.

Body awareness involves understanding the relationships and interactions within the body and between the body and its environment, such as chairs, tables, desks, and the ground. It is the capacity to know where your body is in space relative to other body parts and environmental elements.

It’s time to notice how you are using your body. Start today! and practice every day. You’ll be amazed by when happens.