Muscle strength and body mechanics are related because they each help guide your daily movements and abilities. You can retain some body mechanics without a great deal of muscle strength, but increasing your muscle strength will also improve your range of motion. Building muscle can also help prevent injury and reduce pain caused by injuries you have already sustained. Once you know more about the relationship between muscle strength and body mechanics, you can take the first steps to improving both.
Muscle Strength
The strength of your muscles helps determine certain movements and abilities. Weak muscle tone may prevent you from engaging in certain activities, such as sports, because you are not physically capable of completing the movements required. Marilyn Moffat, author of "Body Maintenance and Repair," reports that weak muscles may also lead to injury because your other muscles are forced to compensate for the weak ones. This can put too much strain on the stronger muscles, which can lead to strains or sprains. Weak muscles can also cause fatigue because you tire more easily when you cannot sustain physical activity for long periods of time. Strong muscles help support your skeletal system so you are able to be physically active.
Body Mechanics
Body mechanics refer to the range of motions your body is able to engage in. Your body mechanics help dictate how and how well your different body parts are able to work. When you have poor body mechanics, your joints, tendons and muscles do not function efficiently. This limits your range of motion and may also increase your risk of injury. In terms of exercising, body mechanics help guide your stance, posture and execution of movements so you get maximum results without the risk of injury. Proper body mechanics can help you build muscle strength because they help you execute muscle-building movements more efficiently and effectively.
Recommendations
Muscle strength and body mechanics work together because without strong muscles your body does not work efficiently, and without proper body mechanics you cannot take full advantage of muscle-building exercises. Practice both to see vast improvements in both your strength and your ability to be physically active. Moffat notes that exercises that target your thighs, buttocks, back and abdomen are essential for building strength and improving your body mechanics. These muscle groups support your whole body and form the basis of many of the movements required in daily activity. Squats, lunges and other lower body exercises, such as running or jogging, will help build these muscles so you can improve your range of motion and your muscle tone.
Considerations
If you have limited range of motion due to injury or lack of use of your muscles, speak with your doctor before starting a muscle-building program. Once you get approval to begin strength-building exercises, start small. Use light weights and do a small number of repetitions. Gradually work up to heavier weights and more repetitions. This will help reduce your risk of injury, and will also allow your muscles to recover between workouts. If any regular movement causes you pain, see your doctor to determine the cause.
References
- Body Mechanics: Beginner's Guide to Fitness: Mark R. Hailey
- Book of Body Maintenance and Repair: Marilyn Moffat et al.
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