Steph Curry and Why We Should Focus on A Whole Body Approach to Fitness
STEPH CURRY AND WHY WE SHOULD FOCUS ON A WHOLE BODY APPROACH TO FITNESS
Most of you probably know who Steph Curry is, but for those who don’t, Wardell Stephen “Steph” Curry II plays for the Golden State Warriors. He is known for his agility on the court and is the undisputed king of three-point shots.
But just a few years ago, Steph was spending more time on the bench than on the court. Ankle injuries in the 2011-2012 season allowed him only to play 26 of 82 games. Curry’s future in the NBA was in question, but then he experienced a miraculous turn around: the next season he played 78 games of 82 games, and the following season he managed another 78 games. This past season Steph led the Golden State Warriors to their first NBA Championship since 1975, playing 80 out of 82 games and earning himself title of 2015 NBA MVP! Steph continues his streak into the current season and he looks to be leading the Warriors to their second consecutive NBA Championship.
How did such an amazing turn around happen? There was no single silver bullet that turned around Steph’s career: it took a multi-disciplinary full body approach. There was some major damage to the ankles that required some surgical intervention and he did have to go under the surgeon’s knife. He also started wearing a specialized ankle brace. These were no doubt essential to his recovery, but the most important piece of the puzzle came when the Golden State Warriors hired Keke Lyles as the new Director of Performance. Lyles did a FULL BODY ANALYSIS of Curry and realized that his ankle problem was not really an ankle problem at all: it was a hip problem! Full body movement analysis revealed that his hip was not providing his ankle the support and stability it needed. In short, his ankle was trying to do the work of his hip. Curry then engaged in a rehabilitative program that allowed better hip integration into his movement. His amazing success is a testament to the efficacy of the full body approach.
We can learn a couple things from this super star’s example.
1) First, you need to have a good health team
There was no one intervention that saved Curry’s career. It was a combination of surgery, orthotics, refined exercise protocols, and hard work.
2) Second, the site of the pain and the source of the pain were not one in the same.
Whether you seek performance or wellness, the body demands a holistic approach. When we deal with problems in isolation, we often miss issues of interdependence – a weakness in one area of the body can manifest itself as pain or dysfunction in another part of the body.
Full movement screens are thankfully now becoming more and more common, but it is not yet a universally adopted practice in the fitness industry. Here at Perform For Life, we use a customized full body approach that combines several movement screens including the Functional Movement Screen, Selective Functional Movement Analysis, and the NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist. Additionally, all of our trainers utilize the static postural assessments developed by the CHEK Institute. These tools allow our movement specialists to get a global view of the body, and better design and prioritize your movement prescription. To schedule a full body movement screening and get started click HERE!