The Clothes Make the Man

“The clothes make the man” is a phrase that has been in existence for centuries. It appears in diverse places as Latin writings by Erasmus in the 1500s, literary greats Shakespeare and Mark Twain and even 20th century movie titles.

Is it true? Are we ultimately judged by our appearances or is there something deeper that serves as a more meaningful measuring stick? Fashion changes radically by season, let alone many generations.

It is no wonder that watching people today it’s common to see more attention paid to the outfit than what is moving inside of it. People are physically more out-of-touch with themselves as ever before. We spend on average more using mobile technology than even just a decade ago. But could something even simpler be a part of the mix as well?

The fitness gurus at CrossFit weighed in on this topic – inadvertently. Not about color matching or collar sizes, but unwittingly shed light on what was right in front of us. What they found in their soon-to-be rapidly growing fitness facilities was that people habitually bent from the waist, not from the hips.

They saw how dysfunctional people’s movement was, including a great many people had completely lost touch with how to use their hips. Instead of bending at the powerful hip joints, they were leaning forward or squatting down from their low back. As if they were their belt.

In other words, in executing a weightlifting maneuver, they would forget to use the most powerful area of their body (the power generated around their hip joints) and in place would put more wear and tear hinging at their lower spine. Another very tough of the body, but not one that likes to fill in for big movers like the hips. And this exact same thing happens constantly in day-to-day life, not just moving barbells at the gym.

Think “lift with your legs, not with your back.” While everyone knows the phrase, spine-related problems are the number one cause of disability. Plus plenty of more grief besides.

Is it possible that the origin of this sort of trouble is that we’ve gotten so focused on the endless options available in modern life and have forgotten some of the most basic activity there is – how to move? More than likely.

The solution? It starts with recognizing that people often have trouble knowing what these parts actually are – let alone how they should move. And why should they – who is teaching them?

At the chiropractor, take a minute to look at the charts and models, look at the anatomy. Ask questions. Because if you want to function properly (i.e., be healthy), having your chiropractor is critical – how can you keep your body functioning with almost no role models on how they work? Don’t settle for just the surface appearance of good health. Use chiropractic care as part of your strategy to function and thrive – from the inside-out.