Let’s start with a clunky analogy.

As you probably know, your car has a suspension system comprised of springs and shock absorbers. If it didn’t it would shake itself, and you, to pieces in fairly short order. When you go over a bump in the road, the springs compress (storing energy), then quickly rebound to their original length (releasing the energy), putting your wheels back on the road. But if you only had springs, your car would literally bounce along. It would be uncomfortable and unsafe. Fortunately, car manufactures fit shock absorbers, which dampen the spring compression and rebound, dissipating some of the energy, and allowing you to drive smoothly and safely down the road.

Your body works – or should work – in a similar way. When you stand up, sit down, squat, walk, run, or play just about any sport, you have internal springs and shock absorbers which enable you to move efficiently and safely.

And like with a car, we have to make sure our springs and shocks are working optimally. If they’re not, we waste energy, move poorly, and risk injury.

In this week’s video, I demonstrate a simple exercise for priming your springs and shocks to better manage the vertical forces you encounter in your daily movement and your training. If you want to move better and address or prevent injury, this is for you. Do it for a couple of minutes daily for general maintenance, and use it to prepare for any sort of training or sport.

(Hat tip to Joanne Elphinston Movement Systems for this one).