Transformer

The ability to absorb and release energy seems to be fundamental to movement and maybe life on a grander scale. Our environment provides the resources necessary to shuttle around different forms of energy, giving us redundant systems to ensure energetic demands are met. We all have certain tendencies, ones that have been successful in our movement endeavors, however if we lose our ability to creatively solve problems and develop new tendencies we can get in trouble.

Imagine a slingshot, the initial elastic stretch is what provides the potential and when we let go of the rock the return of the sling to its original shape propels it.

Let’s use sprinting as an example. From the moment we initiate our plyo-step we are utilizing the ground to return energy we initially applied. Absorbing that energy as efficiently as possible provides the raw materials for producing force to run fast. The absorption factor is based on our own bodies, and how well they alter their shape to accommodate the energy supplied. In real-life terms, we need tissues to bend and stretch like rubberbands to then release and propel us forward.

 Once we have the absorption factor in place, the transformation on our part begins. The shape we attained by absorbing the ground’s energy then returns to original form-factor which is the release needed to move us forward. Imagine a slingshot, the initial elastic stretch is what provides the potential and when we let go of the rock the return of the sling to its original shape propels it.

Sprinting is one example of how we transform energy into something useful for ourselves, however this mechanism can be applied at all scales. Whether we are squatting, pushing a sled or swimming this principle holds. We need the ability to change shape and absorb energy before releasing it. Should that characteristic become limited or deficient we must rely on a form of compensation to get us where we want to be. That can be a dicey situation if it persists, requiring we learn how to move differently, and that is where a movement professional comes in handy.

Austin Ulrich, Physical Therapist