Five years ago I was lucky enough to come across a treatment modality that just resonated with me. This particular treatment style isn’t necessarily a treatment style, rather, a framework to view, assess and understand the human body in a different way. 

Gary Ward was the founder of AiM - Anatomy in Motion and author of ‘What The Foot’. His book and course has basically reverse engineered how the human body moves gracefully through the gait cycle (aka walking). Through using Gary’s flow motion model we can assess a client's look at their movement and based on the flow motion model look at what they are doing well, what they lack or what they have trouble accessing. It gives you a great way to essentially interview the body assess and limitations, lack of movement or areas that move too much. 

Flow motion model breaks gait into phases: Strike, Suspension, Transition, Shift, Propulsion and Swing each of these phases takes you through a full cycle from left foot contact through to swing and back to left foot contact again. Gary broke down each phase into its mechanics and looked at what happened at each joint of the body in 3dimensions, if that sounds like a lot, it is. But through this he was able to make something very complex and mind boggling into something clean, concise and at times seemingly simple. 

As a part of his Flow Motion Model, he was able to establish 5 laws of motion that are relevant for human locomotion. 

1. Joints act Muscles React

Muscles can only shorten (concentric contraction) or control the rate of lengthening (eccentric contraction). During the gait cycle muscles will always load due to joints either opening or closing. 

2. Muscles Lengthen before they Contact

To effectively use a muscle or group of muscles in human movement you need to first lengthen it and then it will contract. Take hamstrings for example they will lengthen at heel strike and then shorten with the glute to pull the body forward and then drive off into the next stride. 

3. Everything Orbits Around Centre 

Walking and human locomotion is essential just mass management and utilising the effects of gravity. Looking from the centre there are small subtle movements and the further out from centre the more pronounced the movement. 

4. Perceived Centre Dictates Pain, Performance and Potential 

Humans are amazing at compensating. The central nervous system has control over what we experience or don’t experience. Perception of what that is is individual and what we think we are doing may be complete or may be partially complete. It’s like the quote 

“There are known knowns, things we know that we know; and there are known unknowns, things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns, things we do not know we don't know.” Donald Rumsfeld.

5. Perfection is Hardwired and Pre-Installed 

The human body has an amazing capacity to compensate, but also has an amazing potential to heal, adapt, get stronger and thrive. Put in the right conditions, environment and stressors it can do things that most people wouldn’t even dream of. Tapping into this intuitive process can have an effect of years of pain disappearing within a few sessions, unlocking new ranges of motions, freeing up ‘tight’ tissues or making movement effortless.  

These 5 Rules once experienced in your own body make so much sense. During an AiM session in the clinic I’m constantly amazed at peoples faces when you get their foot to pronate and then their glute springs to life. They always walk lighter and can’t believe what you have done to them. 

Book in for an Initial or and Extended Consult with Bayden Senior Physiotherapist and our Anatomy in Motion Practitioner 

This is Bayden. He is our friend. He could be your friend too. He’s been voted the number one Physio in Melbourne 15 years running. With a special interest in foot biomechanics, Flexor hallucis longus, powerlifting and running injuries. You should see him. You can book in here.