One of the biggest misconceptions I see every day is people avoiding movement because theyâve been injured. Their knees hurt, so they stop getting down to the floor. They hurt their back lifting something years ago, so they never pick up anything heavy again. Some even stop bending or moving their spine entirely because it hurts. But avoiding movement often makes things worse, not better.
Avoiding movement leads to weakness, which leads to more pain. Many donât realize that movement, when done correctly and progressively, is usually part of the solution â not the enemy.
Hereâs the thing: if you stop using something, why would your body bother to adapt or improve? It wonât. Think about it like this: If youâre not great at mental math, would you get better by never practicing? Of course not. Thatâs just common sense. If big numbers overwhelm you, you start with smaller ones. If youâre learning a new language for work, you begin with basic grammar and vocabulary. And if youâre new to computers, you wouldnât jump straight into coding, right? Movement works the same way â you start where you are and build from there.
So why donât we apply that same logic to movement and exercise? Instead, so many people just accept that they âcanât do it anymoreâ and never try again. But hereâs the truth: you might be holding yourself back with a belief that isnât even true anymore.
I recently saw a video of someone sharing their physio experience. He originally got injured doing squats, which is why he started seeing a physio. Iâm not sure if he used weights or not, but he was upset that the physio had him do squats in their very first session. And honestly? That didnât surprise me â because thatâs exactly what I would have done, too. Any good physio would.
Itâs the same as guiding someone to start with smaller numbers in math, basic words in a new language, or simple computer tasks like opening a file. We assess where youâre at and figure out what the real issue is.
If someone struggles with squatting, deadlifting, or bending over, I have them do exactly that â because most people donât actually know what they can and canât do. They also have no clue about load management, which is one of the biggest things I teach. That, and pain management.
A lot of people donât lift heavy enough to actually build strength and resilience. On the other hand, some go too heavy, which doesnât give their body the chance to adapt properly. Itâs the same as learning â if I keep repeating the same basic words, I wonât improve. But if I jump straight to overly complex words Iâll never use, I wonât get better either.
Then thereâs another key factor: our expectations. Proper load management helps us challenge them. If your brain has learned that certain movements cause pain, it will expect them to hurt again â even if they donât have to.
Thereâs a great example from a physio I really admire â he specializes in back pain and patient communication. I see cases like this all the time, but he summed it up perfectly.
He once had a patient with a two-year history of low back pain. She was athletic and used to training. He set up an exercise with a light kettlebell placed at an elevated height. He asked her to lift it using her usual deadlift technique and rate her pain on a scale from 0 to 10 (0 = no pain, 10 = severe pain). She rated it a 3 â not a big increase in pain, but enough to notice. Interestingly, 3 was also her pain level at rest.
Then, he asked her to describe her lifting technique â what mental checklist she followed while performing the movement. After listening, he suggested she try again, but without bracing her core, just letting her body move naturally. He explained that her body already knows how much tension it needs for that weight.
She lifted the kettlebell again, and when he asked if anything felt different, she said it was a lot more comfortable â her pain dropped to just 1 out of 10.
After watching that video, I started applying the same principle â not just in my own training, but also in how I guide patients. And the results speak for themselves.
There are a few key things happening here. First, her initial lift was a positive movement experience because she used a light weight. Her brain had learned to expect pain increase, but that didnât happen this time. I see this often, especially with patients going through psychosocial rehab.
Second, itâs possible she was bracing her abdomen too much and overcompensating, instead of trusting her body to move as it should.
Third, that one successful rep helped build her confidence â not just in the movement itself but in the whole process, allowing her to start trusting her body again.
Many people get frustrated or angry at their bodies for not performing the way they want. But you canât fight against your own body. Think about it: if a child is scared to cross the street, you wouldnât shove them out there. Youâd gently take their hand and help them face that fear, giving them the confidence to overcome it. The same applies to our bodies â we need to guide and support them, not push them away.
We use load management to help unlearn pain and build confidence. This way, we teach your body that certain movements or exercises are safe. Once that safety is established, you can gradually increase the challenge â either by increasing the range of motion (lowering the weight closer to the ground) or adding more weight. But remember, this process takes time. Give your body the time it needs to heal, and it will.
Now that we understand why movementâand managing how we approach itâis so important, letâs put these ideas into practice.
đ§Ș Letâs Experiment
Mastering load and pain management takes time,
but itâs the key to lasting progress.
Expectations can hold us back more than our bodies do. Avoiding certain movements or exercises wonât help you get stronger or more confident. To truly improve, you have to face those challenges â the right way.
đŻ Try This:
The next time you feel afraid of a movement or a challenge, lower the threshold. If you have pain while lifting, reduce the weight. If bending over feels scary, just bend a little. If your knee hurts while walking, shorten the distance. From my own experienceâand that of my patientsâI can tell you this approach really works. Sometimes our minds play tricks on us, so we just have to be trickier.
đ§ Final Thought:
It wonât happen overnight, and there will be setbacks. But if you shift from fighting your body to guiding it patiently and consistently, youâll build the strength and resilience to keep moving forward â for good.
Keep it simple, stay curious, and keep learningâyouâve got this.
Take care,
Carina đŠ