Nine people out of ten are right-handed. The lefties of the world often adapt because everything from bicycle gears to zippers are made with righties in mind. Accommodating the right-handed population is detrimentally ingrained into society. Right-handed individuals not only favor the right digits but the entire right side of the body. This leads to a weaker left muscle group from head to toe and eventually pain all around.
Symptoms and Conditions
Many symptoms common in today’s population come from right-side dominancy. However, since right-side dominancy is often touted as superior to left-side dominancy this sneaky culprit is overlooked. Lower back pain, sciatica and hip bursitis are just three reasons to strengthen the left side of the righties in the world. All three of them are caused by the dominant right side over compensating for the weaker left side.
Lower back pain could be the result of underdeveloped muscles supporting the spine. Sciatica relates to the sciatic nerve that runs from the lower back into both legs. The particular issue arises when strain is put on this nerve and pain will develop from the lower back into either leg accompanied by numbness or tingling. Thirdly, bursitis of the hip from overuse of the hip joint causes inflammation of the bursa sac. All of these conditions can be prevented by strengthening the left side of the body.
Correcting Bad Habits
During correctional therapy for these issues, the right-handed individuals will focus on left-sided strength training exercises. However, letting right-sided habits lead to therapy is not the only option. Good posture will significantly lessen the strain on your body. Equalize your weight when standing so that the left side can learn to fend for itself. Focus on sitting straight with your body weight centered on the buttocks and feet flat on the floor. Leg crossing can lead to more weight on one side then the other and thus strain on those muscles.
Add strength training the weaker side to a work out regime. Stand on the left leg alone until it begins to tire. When this becomes easy, add a pad or pillow to challenge the weaker muscles further. Lastly, training the brain to focus on the weaker side will allow strengthening to become second nature. Count the number of left sided steps taken up a flight of stairs or in everyday walking. This will strengthen the neural connection to the left side of the body. These simple changes will lead towards a more balanced lifestyle and less pain down the road.