Last but not least in this soft tissue health series is a nutrient that's not often recognized as such, but when lacking, will have profound negative impact on soft tissue health even when number 1 through number 6 have been provided: complete movement.
Movement is nourishing to soft tissue in the sense that it's an essential signaling mechanism to the central nervous system to direct resources to the particular soft tissue area to deliver nutrients and provide signaling for repair, remodeling and growth. An immobile soft tissue will atrophy and degenerate regardless of how much oxygen,hydration and protein is available in the body.
There are several characteristics of movement that need to be present in order to ensure optimal soft tissue health:
– the quantity: there needs to be enough movement, frequently enough throughout the day ideally. Most patients seem to get that concept
– the range: tissues such as muscles and the tendinous junctions need to experience the entirety of their range from the most contracted state to the most lengthened state. That's often where things go wrong. There are several areas of our bodies that operate in a pretty small range of motion: our daily activities tend to have us hunched in postural stress without counterbalancing activities. Our modern lifestyle is depriving us of a lot of chores that our predecessors had to do to survive their day, and those chores had us moving in all planes. Not so anymore, so intentional full movement exercises like yoga and Pilates can fill the gap.
– The quality: the movement needs to place enough demands ( strength, speed, coordination) on a soft tissue to signal the brain to respond but not to the point of causing full blown injury
– The rest interval: the movement pattern needs to allow for the appropriate amount of rest to allow delivery of nutrients through restored blood flow, and enough time for the body to conduct the repair process from any micro damage associated with usage.
For that reason, it is important to look at your physical activity throughout a typical week, look at what your body is receiving in adequate amounts, and what it may be lacking that should be made up in formal exercise. It will be different for different individuals. Some people will have light cardio built into their day, but very little resistance activities, others will have a lot of strength requirements in their job but completely lacking in full range of motion/ flexibility of most of their joints. You will design your exercise routine to bridge the gap accordingly
