Dr. Press is now certified as a National Academy of Sports Medicine Corrective Exercise Specialist!

What is Corrective Exercise?

Corrective Exercise is defined as:

“… the systematic process of identifying neuromusculoskeletal dysfunction, developing a plan of action, and implementing an integrated corrective strategy. This process requires knowledge and application of an integrated assessment process, corrective program design, and exercise technique.” (Clark, Lucett, & Sutton, 2014)

Why Corrective Exercise?

The corrective exercise procedure provides a framework for addressing musculoskeletal imbalances and injuries that most people experience due to their lifestyle. It allows us to address these issues in some cases (and ideally) before they become major problems (i.e. injuries), or in many cases, after someone has experienced an injury, in order to rehabilitate it.

What Is Involved In Corrective Exercise?

Begins with a movement assessment. A movement assessment is a series of movements that you will perform, that allows us to determine which muscles and tendons may be overactive and which are underactive (sometimes referred to as “tight” and “weak”).

After determining which muscles are problematic, a program will be constructed that will consist of 4 components:

1. Inhibition: This can consist of foam-rolling, massage, or active release with the goal of decreasing the tension in an overactive muscle. See an example here.
2. Lengthening: Once a tight muscle or muscle has been inhibited, stretching can begin. This will either be static stretching or assisted stretching, with the goal of lengthening tight, short muscles.
3. Isolated Strengthening: Next, the inhibited muscles will be targeted for activation exercises to increase their strength and force.
4. Integration: Finally, you will be given a series of functional movement exercises to integrate the movements of the specific muscles that were creating the dysfunction.

The last step will be explaining the procedure to be followed at home, between visits.

Make An Appointment!

Corrective exercise is an excellent way to address many of the aches and pains of modern life. Do you work at a computer? In a warehouse? Do you spend a lot of time in the car? it  can help prevent imbalances before they become major problems. It can also help stop major problems from getting worse. Call (201) 569-1444 for an appointment today!

References:

Clark, M., Lucett, S., & Sutton, B. (2014). NASM Essentials of Corrective Exercise Training (First Edition Revised). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.