the mechanics of movement

Biomechanics is the science of movement. In biomechanics, we understand how muscles, ligaments, tendons, and bones work together to move. Did you know:

• Muscles have an optimal length-tension called resting length. A muscle that is either short or long create less force or what some perceive as weakness. Chronically short muscles generate tension, while chronically long muscles create instability.

• Ligaments have an optimal length-tension too. However, unlike muscles, ligaments are non-contractile and therefore cannot shorten like a muscle. As a result, repeatedly lengthening ligaments beyond their resting length is another way we create instability or what we also call hypermobility. This lengthening happens when you “rollover” or sprain your ankle —ligaments lengthen like an overstretch rubberband.

• Tendons operate much like muscles and ligaments with an optimal length-tension. Tendons connect muscle to bone and are contractile. A tendons works to regulate the transference of force. Like muscles, chronically short or long tendons impair are impaired in their ability to transfer or absorb shock leaving bones and joints vulnerable.

• Bones create structure for our skeleton and protect our organs. Like all things in nature, we all come with some variations. Bones with more of a curvature can create extra mobile joints or hypermobility. Hypermobile joints have the ability to move past neutral or a stacked position which creates changes in the alignment of our structure.

• Joints are where two bones meet. They are the axis of motion.

Together, working as a system, they allow us to crawl, walk, run and jump. In motion, our system becomes a series of levers. For example, when we bend our elbow, the elbow joint is the axis of motion, our biceps create a force, lifting the load of the arm bone. When we walk, our hip is an axis of motion; our hip flexors (iliopsoas) create the force to lift our leg (load).

One way muscles and tendons maintain their resting length-tension is by maintaining efficient bony alignment. Bony alignment is the position of one bone in relation to another or a group of bones in relation to another group —like the hip and the pelvis or the ribcage and the pelvic girdle. 

Efficient alignment “achieves maximum force with minimum wasted effort.” Efficiency isn’t proper or correct; it’s smart, it’s sustainable. And we need sustainability because movement is how we explore the world.