Heidi Overman, LMT #MT-24997, Certified Integrative Health Coach, Empty Cup Wellness
When people want to become stronger, they usually focus on the muscles they can see: the abdominals, biceps, quadriceps, and glutes. These muscles provide power, but smaller stabilizing muscles provide something equally important: support and control.
Stabilizing muscles help protect the joints, maintain posture, and keep us balanced. They work when we step off a curb, reach overhead, walk on uneven ground, or catch ourselves after a stumble. When these muscles become weak or underused, larger muscles may compensate, contributing to recurring tension, restricted movement, and joint discomfort.
Lately, I’ve been working with clients who feel they are starting from ground zero with exercise. Some feel weaker as they age. Others are returning to movement after years of illness, injury, surgery, or inactivity. Many have noticed that their balance has declined, but they do not know where to begin.
I teach these clients how to recognize their smaller supporting muscles, strengthen them gradually, and use their bodies more effectively. The goal is to build a stable foundation before adding intensity.
One challenge is that people often return automatically to the exercises they grew up doing. They try the same sit-ups, deep squats, stretches, or weight-training routines they performed decades ago. When those exercises cause pain or no longer work, they assume their bodies have failed them.
Their bodies have not necessarily failed. Their bodies have changed, and their approach to exercise needs to change too.
Your body as a team. The larger muscles provide strength, while the smaller muscles guide and stabilize movement. If the support team is not doing its share, the larger muscles must work harder.
For example, small muscles around the hips stabilize the pelvis while walking. If they are not functioning effectively, the lower back or outer thighs may compensate. Smaller muscles around the shoulder help guide the joint. If they are weak or fatigued, the neck and upper shoulders may become overworked.
A tight muscle does not always need more stretching. It may feel tight because it is weak, overworked or protecting another area. Stretching may provide temporary relief without addressing why the tension keeps returning.
Therapeutic massage can help identify areas of tension, restricted movement, and compensation. It may improve comfort, support range of motion, and help clients become more aware of habits such as raising one shoulder or placing more weight on one leg.
However, massage cannot strengthen a weak muscle. Lasting improvement may require massage combined with appropriate strengthening, mobility work, and changes to daily habits.
The goal is not to exhaust the body. It is to teach the body how to move well. Balance exercises, resistance bands, controlled step-ups, Pilates, and tai chi can help build stability.
Healthy aging isn’t about forcing your body to perform like it did decades ago. It’s about understanding the body you have today and building the support it needs for the future.
Sometimes, the muscles you barely notice are the ones doing the most important work.
If you are interested in a therapeutic massage, wellness education, facials, or acupuncture, please call Empty Cup Wellness for an appointment: 520-639-6987. Learn more at emptycupwellness.com.