What is bipedal movement and why is it so important?
We as a society no longer move our bodies as we are meant to. A huge number of people spend the majority of our day in an office chair at a desk pecking away at a keyboard, then moving to our cars after work where we sit in traffic on the way home, only to then get home and sit to watch our favorite tv show before we lay down in bed to end our day. All to repeat this monotony day in and day out, for years on end… Its no wonder we are in so much pain on a daily basis. For this reason, it is important to understand some of the basics and beginnings of how we as a species are meant to move!
It has taken millions of years for humans to develop the ability to stand and walk on two feet. This ability is one of the main features that sets us apart from most other species on the planet. Bipedal movement is a type of movement involving the two rear limbs of a body, i.e… our legs, for standing, walking, running, and jumping. But why is bipedal movement so important and how is it relevant to physical fitness and performance?
Bipedal movement is vital to how we do—well—pretty much everything. In short, its a more efficient way of moving in a manner that allows us to complete the complicated tasks that we are meant to perform. Basic activities such as running, jumping, to more complex tasks like grabbing a plate out of the dishwasher and putting it away. Our bodies are meant to stand upright and perform these movements. This leads us to why so many people in todays society are in so much pain caused by the environment we have created for ourselves. Sedentary lifestyles are largely to blame for our imbalances which cause a large number of our common ailments. However, its not just a sedentary lifestyle that can cause these problems.
The fitness industry today is enormous. There are dozens and dozens of different fitness trends these days including; traditional weight lifting, power lifting, functional fitness, Crossfit, Zumba, Yoga, Pilates, etc… the list goes on and on. When we take a closer look at how some of these different brands of fitness actually impact our bodies, we can begin to formulate an idea of why so many “fit people” are still in so much pain. Functional Fitness is one of the brands of fitness that is extremely well suited to preventing injury and preparing our bodies to complete these daily life tasks. Furthermore, functional fitness and bipedal movements go hand in hand. Rotational exercises and lateral exercises are fantastic movements that should be incorporated into every training program.
In short, bipedal movement is one of the basic features that makes us humans. To better train our bodies to our maximum potential and minimal pain, functional fitness should be at the forefront of our fitness regimen. Train smarter in order to train harder. Train your body in the three dimensional world.