This Livestrong article by Amanda Capritto, CPT, CF-L1 was published on May 3, 2021 and includes some of my input on the best ways to improve your ability to get down on the floor – and back up again! Here is a brief synopsis with a link to the full article below.
Heather Jeffcoat
Is it Hard to Get Down on the Floor?
Here’s What Your Body is Trying to Tell You
Sitting on the floor probably isn’t your first choice, but sometimes you need to get down there to clean, play with grandbabies or make space for someone else to sit on the couch. No big deal — until getting down on the floor becomes too tough to manage.
You Might: Have Limited Eccentric Control
There are two phases to every movement: concentric and eccentric. These phases describe what happens to a muscle when you move it. The concentric phase involves shortening a muscle while the eccentric phase involves lengthening a muscle, Dr. Jeffcoat says.
To visualize why it’s hard to get down on the floor, picture yourself doing a squat. When you lower down to the bottom position, that’s the eccentric phase. Standing back up is the concentric phase.
A loss or reduction of eccentric muscle strength, along with joint limitations, will make getting down to the floor safely a challenge,”
Dr. Jeffcoat says. Without eccentric strength, you may feel like you always “flop” into your chair or when you get down on the floor.
To build eccentric strength and control your body as you lower yourself to the floor, try slow squats onto a chair.
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- Stand in front of a target, such as a chair or Swiss ball. Position your feet about hip-width apart.
- Lower yourself to the target on a 4-second count. If your butt touches the target before you count to four, you went too quickly. The point is to go slowly and maintain control.
- Return to a standing position in 2 seconds. Pause for 1 second at the top before descending into another rep.
- Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
If You: Feel Pain in Your Knees
You Might: Have Weak Glutes, Quads or Calves
To get down on the floor, you have to bend your knees past their usual range of motion. Your glutes, quads and calves all help stabilize the knee joint, and if those muscles are weak, you may feel pain in your knee when bending them and lowering your body, Dr. Jeffcoat says.
Strengthening those muscles helps build stability throughout the entire leg, particularly the knee and ankle. Try slow glute bridges and calf raises.
If you are finding it hard to get down on the floor and would like more great tips, click here to continue to the full article.
