What’s the difference between a professional athlete and a weekend warrior? A lot, but one of the biggest differences is in the technique or skill of movement.
Just watch the next tennis or golf tournament on television, and you’ll see that the players’ swings are very smooth. Many professional golfers are overweight, but even they still have smooth swings. What about race car drivers, basketball players or world’s-strongest-men contestants? Let’s take it a step further and ask, what about accountants, financial advisers and business owners? What about mothers, teachers and coaches?
It all comes down to technique. The ones with efficient methods see the best results. I’m not trying to tell you how to raise your children, but I do hope that you see my point. Whether you’re sitting at a desk all day or running a marathon, executing proper technique is so important for your body to stay healthy and be more productive.
One argument I’ve heard is, “I just want to burn more calories, and if I’m using more energy because of my poor technique, then I’ll get a better workout.” There are a couple problems with this approach.
The first is the risk of injury. Poor technique yields more stress on the body, which leads to faster breakdown. This effect is multiplied the harder that person pushes him or herself in that poor technique. Let’s take running, for instance. If you’re running with poor form and try to run faster, then you’re just doing more damage.
A second problem is that the person with poor form is not getting a better workout. A swimmer with poor technique who tries to go really fast will just struggle the whole way and become frustrated because the person in the next lane looks like they aren’t doing anything and moving twice as fast.
The person with good technique can train more often at higher intensities and also will recover much faster. The person with poor technique who works out at higher intensities most likely will be watching from the sidelines with an injury eating potato chips and drinking a soda.
Just remember that correct technique in the execution of life is so important. This applies to athletics, jobs, social situations and pretty much everything.
There are many factors to success, but if you’re patient and learn proper technique when it comes to your fitness, then you will be putting yourself in a great position to see lasting results. You may need some help with this, so just ask somebody who knows what they’re doing.
— Dr. Bob Wilcher is a chiropractor and personal trainer in Santa Barbara. He owns Killer B Fitness, a personal and group training studio also located in Santa Barbara. Contact Wilcher at www.killerbfitness.com or 805.448.2222.