In this post, we discuss why exercise names don’t matter and why force is the critical factor—especially if you’re in pain or recovering from injury.
What image springs to mind if I say the word Pilates?
What about weight training?
Or yoga?
Each form of exercise probably conjures up unique and very distinct images in your mind.
If you were going to a yoga class, for example, you’d have a pretty clear idea what to expect.
This is not the way your body experiences these forms of exercise however, and may not be the most helpful way to think about them.
Especially if you’re in pain or trying to recover from injury.
Force is what your body responds to
Whilst language can help us categorise different forms of exercise, your body is responding to something more primitive — force.
Force, and how it’s described in physics, can usually explain why a particular exercise causes you pain, or why something that seems relatively innocuous to the casual observer creates issues for you.
When names, categories, and the marketing are stripped away, force is the most fundamental aspect of exercise and what your body ultimately has to respond to.
Labels can lead to confusion
This is not how most people think about exercise, however—even health care professionals.
And this can create confusion and unnecessary issues for the people they serve.
It’s what leads to statements like:
Pilates is good for back pain.
Swimming will help joint pain.
Running is bad for your knees
Whilst these statements might be true for some people, for others they won’t. And what usually explains the difference is an understanding of force.
Summary
The next time somebody recommends a particular form of exercise, or discourages another, bear this in mind:
The name of the exercise is irrelevant, the forces involved are what matters.