Different Is Just Different, NOT Wrong

Today I had an awesome conversation with a client.

I asked her to do a squat and she told me it was really difficult because she couldn't keep her knees from going over her toes. I asked why it was so important that her knees did not go over her toes. Her response was, well, that's what I've always been told!

Why do we always think different is wrong? I am sure the person who originally told her not to let her knees go over her toes, had great intentions, the kindest purest of intentions. But if putting your knees over your toes allows you to get more range of motion and feels safe and comfortable, does that not just promote versatility? Does that not just promote strength in a different direction?

Being different doesn't mean we're wrong. It just means we have to find another way. Innovation and changing things is how we have progressed through society in almost every aspect of the world. If we weren't scared to be wrong, and try new things, nothing in this world would ever have changed. Without trying new things, we would not have found all the things we have in front of us today.

It's okay to be wrong. It's okay to try something that may feel a little bit different. It's okay to learn from our mistakes. It's okay to change what you have always known and try something different to get a different outcome.

So today when you head to the gym, or you go to do an exercise, try it differently and see how it feels in your body. And if it feels good, maybe keep doing it that way. Maybe different isn't wrong.

Nicola Robertson

Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist