Thus far, I have written about stability and how control over one’s body can help maintain balance and sharpen your movements throughout the day.
Then I covered mobility and its importance to allow you to move freely and efficiently throughout your daily routine.
Today, I will be writing about power. Power is defined as the ability to develop force over a period of time. (i.e., Power = Force x Velocity).
This formula shows us two things:
• Power can be increased by increasing force (strength)
• Power can be increased by increasing velocity (speed)
People tend to stop participating or significantly decrease their participation in activities that involve moving quickly. This results in a loss of the ability to generate power in our day-to-day lives. This formula becomes particularly important as we move from our teens, twenties, and thirties into mid to later life years.
For example, as we grow older, we perform less power-based activities:
• We sprint less. We jump less, hopscotch less, run up fewer stairs.
• We don’t train or play sports that involve quick movements.
Research shows a strong correlation between power output and an individual’s ability to walk, rise from a chair, get out of bed, prevent a fall, or climb a flight of stairs. And although strength and power are connected, they are different aspects of health and fitness, and each needs to be addressed for optimal performance.
At Goodemote Physical Therapy, we take a more comprehensive approach and address all “Fitness Foundations,” including stability, mobility, strength, and power. Conditions such as sprains and strains, osteoarthritis, tendonitis, post-surgery, etc., all require each aspect of fitness, including developing power, to ensure we help our patients achieve
optimal results.
Here are four essential facts about power to consider while training fitness:
Power declines faster than strength
Many gym-goers will train strength, but fewer train power. We simply lose control due to less incorporation into our weekly routine.
Power directly impacts our balance
Power has a significant role in balance. How quickly and forcefully we move after losing our balance determines whether or not we fall.
Power improves by training it
We must incorporate training power in our daily/weekly routines to improve our ability to produce force quickly. There needs to be an appropriate amount of stimulus or stress added to your body to improve. Unfortunately, performing low-load activities (i.e., walking, dancing, stretching, jogging) do not enhance power.
You can improve power at any age
It is never too late to work on power to help improve your daily activity. At Goodemote PT, we will perform a comprehensive assessment and create an individualized routine based on your abilities and goals.
If you have not been power training regularly, it is essential to get a guide. Some people will wonder if power training will hurt their joints or if it is dangerous in some way. Our team at GPT will modify exercises to make them power movements. We will ensure you are safe and under control.
Here are a couple of examples of modifications to safely make an activity a power movement by increasing velocity:
Speed Intervals: For those who walk or run daily, add some power into the mix by speeding up for timed intervals.
For example, while doing your regular walk or run, speed up the pace as fast as possible while maintaining control. The interval should be between 5-20 seconds to start. After the sprint, go back to your normal rate or slightly slower for 30 seconds to a minute. Repeat this 5-10 times every other day you walk or run.
Pool Jumping: The pool is a great place to work on jumping as it provides buoyancy, creates some resistance via water, and is safe if you lose your balance.
Start by getting in about chest-deep water and jumping in place for 10-20 repetitions. Then, while jumping in place, go lower into the squat position and throw your arms up over your head for 10-20 repetitions.
Next, start jumping forward (imagine over a shoebox) 5-10 times. You should take 20-30 second breaks between each change in movement. Or try to jump up and down on one leg.
If you don’t have access to a pool, we can help you at our office by showing you modifications to ensure you can perform them safely at home.
The fitness foundation of power is often overlooked, but you need to move efficiently and quickly throughout the day. The bottom line is power helps us walk better, balance and react more effectively, and move faster! It is crucial to train power 2-4 times per week and easily add to your regular fitness routine.
In my final article in this series, I will be going over what I believe to be the most fundamental fitness principle for living a longer, higher quality of life…strength training.
At Goodemote PT, we are here to help you feel good again! We work with individuals recovering from injury to help improve their quality of life and fitness. We offer virtual therapy and post-PT programs to help you address any fitness goals you have!
Dr. Robert Rehberger PT, DPT, OCS, is a physical therapist at Goodemote Physical Therapy. He is a Board-Certified Orthopedic Specialist and a Board Certified Spine Fellow. Call 518-306-6894 to set up an appointment with one of our highly trained PTs. You can also find us at GoodemotePT.com.
