Pain Free Pedaling: Efficiency vs. Effectiveness – Who Wins?
“Efficiency is the foundation for survival. Effectiveness is the foundation for success.” – John C. Maxwell
In non-philosophical terms, sure you can ride super fast – for a while – but athletic longevity requires a little personal insight. The goal of (most of) our clients isn’t world domination at the Tour, but simply the capacity to train consistently without pain or injury.
Objective self reflection – serious thought about one’s own actions – then the ability to change said behavior, is more of a skill and challenge than a sufferfest endurance event. I, unfortunately, can relate to the mindset that I just need to work a little harder or tweak this one thing on my bike to resolve some form of pain.
Just because something feels normal doesn’t mean it is good for your body...
The first part to moving and feeling better is simply the acknowledgement that we can all improve and physically reorganize how we perform exercises, pedaling dynamics, and even mundane, daily movements.
That, like I mentioned, is the hard part – change. We are naturally programmed to move in the path of least resistance. We develop patterns of movement and know nothing different, until, for some esoteric reason, I “suddenly” have this pain. “For. No. Reason!”.
In the age of Velociraptors, efficiency was a key to survival. It’s still essential today, but unfortunately, efficiency doesn’t equate to longevity. That is part of my job as a physical therapist – help people understand that at some point, the metaphorical bill comes due for everyone. But there is a reason for pain. While pain and injuries are commonplace, persistent pain doesn’t have to be.
We had this cognition as toddlers where innately, we recognized that there were more effective means of moving around (or we were just motivated to get up on two legs because the floor at home was disgusting). Either way, pain or limited ambulatory capacity means it is time to check in with our innate consciousness and make some changes. Luckily, there are physical therapists around these days to help you. That’s just part of what we do daily at Physio Room. Help people recognize that subtle changes can often make a significant difference. We instill that awareness to help you reorganize how your body moves through the world and establish a new normal – one without pain.
What you can do on your next ride..
I challenge you, just like I do my clients, to go on a quick journey of self-discovery. Take a couple of moments of focused attention, and see if you notice any difference between how you push on each pedal. Tune into the pressure applied through the bottom of each foot. How about each hand? Assess the difference when you are fresh vs fatigued. These are customarily undervalued techniques to easily improve pedaling dynamics and make riding more comfortable. We will take deeper dives into pedaling nuances in subsequent editions of Pain Free Pedaling. Please feel free to send me your thoughts and/or questions.
Until Then,
– Dr. Tim
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