The Benefits of Structural Integration for Special Populations: Athletes
Perhaps more than any other group of people, athletes demand a tremendous amount from their bodies when it comes to intensity, frequency, and performance. It’s no wonder that a growing number of athletes – ranging from recreational sports enthusiasts and weekend competitors to professional players and Olympic contenders – are choosing to incorporate Structural Integration into their ongoing healthcare regimen as a way to condition and repair their bodies. The high level of physical agility, strength, stamina, and endurance required of these individuals on a regular basis makes them perfect candidates for the strengthening and restorative benefits of Structural Integration.
We can apply what we know about the foundation of Structural Integration– that a body in proper alignment functions properly – to come up with its logical opposite: a body out of proper alignment does not function properly. This physiological reality is the basis of the many different ways in which SI addresses athletic-specific needs.
One of the first things that athletes who use Structural Integration will tell you is that it enhances their performance. This occurs for several reasons. For one thing, a properly aligned body requires less energy to do the same amount of work; this results in an athlete who does not experience fatigue as quickly, which in turn increases his endurance. For another thing, muscles that have been freed from overcompensating for one another (as they tend to do when the body is out of alignment) can become stronger as they perform their intended tasks; this results in optimum muscle performance, and ultimately in increased strength.
Similarly, many of the other results of Structural Integration that we’ve discussed in previous articles translate directly into athletic benefits. Deeper, more expansive breathing becomes increased breathing capacity. Increased flexibility, balance, and coordination are obvious boons to any athlete, but they also translate into an improved range of motion. Increasingly upright posture can translate into a stronger stance. And all of these benefits can result in increased grace and agility.
A second category of athletic benefits from Structural Integration involves injury. Prevention and recovery are two sides of the same coin. When the body is in appropriate alignment, it is less likely to move in an inappropriate way that may result in an injury. If the athlete does become injured – through impact or from a fall, for instance – correct alignment will allow the body to heal more quickly and efficiently, because each region of the body will be doing its job appropriately.
Some benefits and hazards are sports-specific, and, by focusing on a particular body part or region, I can assist the athlete in optimizing his performance and in preventing injuries that are more likely to occur in his sport. For instance, the work I do in the fourth session results in runners having increased stride length and balanced arches of their feet; this results in increased speed and a more comfortable, less injury-prone gait. In another example, a third of all golfers will experience injury as the result of repetitive swinging, bending, and stooping; I can help the golfer prevent this type of injury by ensuring a correct relationship between pelvis and spine, and by optimizing his range of motion.
A third, less obvious, category in which athletes experience benefits from SI is mental advantage. As I’ve mentioned in earlier articles, one of the advantages of SI is decreased stress and anxiety. For an athlete, this can be a huge advantage in competition. Add to that the knowledge that his body is functioning at its best, and the athlete is more likely to approach any activity or competition with confidence.
Through enhanced performance, prevention of and recovery from injury, and an increased mental advantage, Structural Integration provides athletes with a broad range of benefits. In the next article, we will examine how Structural Integration benefits yoga practitioners.
