Interference

“What activities should I avoid?” I receive this question from patients quite often. It is a legitimate question that deserves careful consideration, and the answers tend to be dependent on the context of the situation. One answer I typically provide is to avoid bilateral symmetrical exercises, meaning movements that involve two legs or two arms moving together.

Walking is a foundational movement for all of us. We begin at around one year of age, and if we’re lucky we never lose the ability to do so. The primary mode of walking is by literally putting one foot in front of the other. The arms follow suit, although they are delayed due to their proximity to the ground. This means that each side of our body is geared toward moving independently from the other. This pattern persists across all body regions, but that is a topic for another post.

Now consider this in the context of a fitness regimen. Many activities programmed in a typical training session involve both the arms or legs acting together and moving in the same direction. This is counter to our architecture. Moving in this way allows for a tremendous amount of force to be applied to an object. A heavy deadlift will not move if you are using only one leg, however if longevity is the intention, shifting away from this mindset may be useful.

My advice at the beginning of this post now comes in to play. Reducing the number of exposures to high forces, via symmetrical activities, allows for a greater range of movement. Single arm or single leg activities frees up one extremity to move independently. This promotes the mobility needed for most people to stay healthier, longer. When working with patients this is our target, moving with fewer limitations. Participating in exercises that involve two limbs moving together under high pressure increases your constraints and interferes with our objective.

Austin Ulrich, Physical Therapist