HEALTH
Fitness
This definition seems less than
progressive, and a little too exclusive,
particularly when we think for a
minute about the style of ‘athletic’
training that is surging in popularity
all over North America. The top entry
on Urban Dictionary is more inclusive
and democratic: ‘An individual who
participates in sports, characterized by
dedication, focus, intelligence and work
ethic’. The co-founder of Nike goes
one step further and preaches that: ‘if
you have a body, you are an athlete’.
Fitness facilities all over the world are
catering to the ‘everyday athlete’.
Functional fitness and movementbased training (which includes
moving the body in three dimensions)
have been shown to improve
strength, mobility and overall fitness
with far greater gains than from
cardiovascular and weight machines.
Movement-based training is exactly
what the Human Performance Centre
at White Oaks specializes in. The
HPC is a 3,500 sq. ft. turf room that
houses ‘athletes’ in every sense of
the word. In this space, athletes
are developed and trained at many
different stages throughout their
athletic journey. From Atom level
hockey players, to Olympic wrestlers,
to weekend warriors looking to improve
their overall health and wellness - in
the HPC, we work with them all!
This style of training can be adapted
from high intensity to low intensity,
from a fast to a slow pace, and from
using added resistance (dumbbells,
kettlebells, etc.) to simply using
body weight. Functional movement
16 | whiteoaksclub.com | spring 2016
training programs influence ability
to perform daily tasks, and for an
athlete, allow them to build up a
structural tolerance toward specific
movements during competition.
For example, think of a 55 year-old
male hauling a bag of cement out
of his trunk while renovating his
basement. The ability to control the
forward flexion, rotation and torque
of the hips (without injury) can be
tolerated if he has trained and is
adapted to such movement patterns.
Another example would be a 16 yearold hockey player who gets checked
into the boards at an awkward angle.
If the athlete is not structurally ready
to take on such force, he could be in
serious trouble. Functional training is all
about adapting the body structures for
performance in everyday life, or in sport.
The success of the athletes that we
see in the HPC relies very heavily on
strength and conditioning training.
The mantra we use in order to enable
an athlete to progress is: mobility,
stability, strength and power. This
sequence allows the athlete to adapt
and improve with a heavy focus on
‘prehabilitation’ or injury prevention.
The training facilities in the Human
Performance Centre at White Oaks