The Hidden Science of Moving in 3D

Have you ever caught yourself wondering why tying your shoes feels like a chore some days? Or why you feel oddly stiff just reaching behind you to grab something from the backseat of your car? If so, you’re not alone. Our bodies are designed to move in multiple planes, not just forward and backward. Yet many workout routines and daily habits reinforce a limited range of motion, ignoring the three-dimensional movements our joints and muscles crave.

Today, I’ll explore 3D movement, what it is, why it matters, and how you can incorporate it into your routine to improve flexibility, reduce pain, and boost overall functionality. I’ll explore the signs that you need more three dimensional exercises, the science behind multi-planar motion, and practical tips for integrating these movements into your daily life.

Why 3D Motion Matters More Than You Think

The phrase “3D movement” might sound a bit technical, but it simply means moving in three main planes:

1. Sagittal Plane (Forward and Backward)

   
   

   Examples: Walking, running, doing forward lunges.

   
   

2. Frontal Plane (Side-to-Side)

   
   

   Examples: Side lunges, lateral raises, or even shuffling sideways in a sport.

   
   

3. Transverse Plane (Rotational or Twisting Movements)

   
   

   Examples: Woodchoppers with a medicine ball, rotating your spine to pick something off a table behind you.

   
   

Real Life Demands 3D Motion

Consider your daily tasks: You reach up to place dishes in a cabinet (shoulder flexion), bend sideways to pick up a suitcase (lateral flexion of the spine), or twist to look behind you when backing out of the driveway (rotation of the torso). These everyday activities rely on a combination of planes, often simultaneously. If your workout program focuses solely on, say, squats and push-ups (which are mostly sagittal plane), you miss out on crucial angles of movement that keep your body balanced.

Research from the American Council on Exercise suggests that training across all three planes can significantly reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries. Why? Because when your body is strong and flexible in every direction, it’s better prepared to handle unpredictable or awkward movements—like catching yourself if you trip on a curb or turning quickly to avoid a bump in a crowded space.

Telltale Signs You’re Neglecting 3D Movements

Tight Hips During Yoga or Stretching

If you notice that any side-bending or hip-opening pose is a struggle, it’s often because you rarely move laterally in your day-to-day routine.

Difficulty Bending or Reaching

Basic tasks like fastening a seatbelt or picking up an object from the floor shouldn’t feel like major challenges. If they do, it may indicate your body isn’t used to rotating or bending side-to-side.

Shoulder Stiffness

Overhead reaching can highlight tightness in the shoulder girdle. If you can’t raise your arms without arching your lower back, there’s likely a limitation in your shoulder rotation or scapular mobility.

Unpacking the Science: Fascia, Joints, and Neural Pathways

Beyond just muscles, consider fascia, the connective tissue that weaves through your entire body. Anatomy Trains, a concept popularized by Tom Myers, reveals that our body is interconnected through various fascial lines, which wrap around the torso and limbs. These lines facilitate rotational movement, allowing you to twist, pivot, and bend in complex ways. If your fascial network is stiff or underused in certain planes, you lose fluidity in those directions.

Joint Mechanics

Your joints, like the shoulders, hips, and spine, are built to move in multiple directions. For example:

• Shoulders can flex, extend, abduct, adduct, internally rotate, and externally rotate.

• Hips have a similarly wide range of motion, critical for daily activities like walking, squatting, or climbing stairs.

• Spine has joints that allow flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation.

Ignoring any plane of motion leads to underuse, which can result in stiffness, pain, or a higher risk of injury when you suddenly require that range of motion (like when you slip on ice and twist unexpectedly).

Neural Adaptations

Your brain and nervous system also adapt to your patterns of movement. If you rarely practice lateral or rotational motions, your neural pathways for those actions get weaker. This is similar to how you might forget a language you seldom speak. Regular exposure to 3D exercises keeps your nervous system prepared to coordinate and control your body from every angle.

The Risks of One-Dimensional Training

One common scenario is the “forward-only” workout routine: running, cycling, and front-facing strength movements. While these activities can be great for cardiovascular health and muscle development, they don’t address lateral or rotational strength.

• Imbalance and Overuse Injuries: Repeatedly doing the same motion (running forward) can overload certain muscle groups while neglecting others, leading to issues like IT band syndrome, shin splints, or hip impingements.

• Limited Functional Strength: Real life rarely happens in a straight line. Without training in multi-directional strength, you’re more likely to get injured twisting or bending in daily tasks.

• Plateau in Performance: Athletes often plateau when they ignore certain planes of motion, missing out on potential strength gains and improved coordination.

How to Start Moving in 3D

1. Incorporate Multiplanar Exercises

• Side Lunges: Stand with feet hip-width apart. Step out to the side, bending one knee while keeping the other leg straight. Push back to the center and repeat on the other side. This targets the outer hips and adductors in ways forward lunges don’t.

• Woodchoppers: Using a cable machine or a resistance band, start with your arms diagonally overhead and pull the cable down across your body in a twisting motion. This engages the obliques and challenges rotational strength.

• Curtsy Lunges: Step one leg diagonally behind you and lower into a lunge, mimicking a “curtsy.” This exercise works smaller stabilizers in the hips and legs.

2. Explore Rotational Flexibility

• Spinal Twists: Sit or stand with a tall posture. Gently rotate your torso to one side, focusing on your spine’s mobility. Pause and breathe, then rotate to the other side.

• Shoulder Dislocates with a Band: Hold a resistance band or PVC pipe with a wide grip at waist level. Keeping arms straight, slowly lift the band overhead and behind you. This movement helps open the chest and shoulders, encouraging a fuller range of motion.

3. Don’t Neglect the Frontal Plane

• Lateral Raises: Stand with dumbbells at your sides. Lift your arms out to the sides until they’re parallel to the floor, then lower them slowly. This strengthens the medial deltoids, which often get overlooked in front-dominant workouts.

• Side Planks: Traditional planks are great, but side planks target the obliques and the lateral stabilizers in the hips. Try holding a side plank on each side for 30 seconds to start, then build up.

4. Slow It Down

As highlighted in yesterday’s post, slower, controlled movements help you focus on technique. When introducing 3D exercises, move deliberately to ensure you’re not compensating with momentum or twisting incorrectly.

5. Incorporate Unstable Surfaces

Exercises on a balance board automatically recruit more muscles in three planes. Just be cautious and start with simple movements (like standing or performing a slight knee bend) before progressing to dynamic exercises.

Practical Applications: 3D Movement in Daily Life

• Picking Up Heavy Objects: Instead of bending forward with your back, you might shift one foot back and rotate slightly. This ensures your hips and legs share the load, reducing stress on your spine.

• Carrying Groceries: Alternate which hand holds the groceries or carry bags in both hands but occasionally shift them side to side. This small variation trains the body to adapt to different planes of load.

• Improving Posture at Work: Incorporate periodic twists and side bends at your desk. Even a simple seated spinal twist can keep your torso mobile and reduce stiffness.

A Real-World Example

LH, 38, was an avid runner who specialized in half-marathons. She ran daily but rarely did cross-training or strength work. Over time, she developed hip pain and had difficulty turning corners or making sudden lateral movements. After consulting us, Linda added flow, lateral lunges and rotational core exercises into her weekly schedule, slowing her overall speed work to accommodate these new drills.

Within eight weeks, LH noticed several improvements:

• Reduced Hip Pain: The combination of lateral and rotational exercises relieved tension in her hips and stabilized the muscles surrounding her pelvis.

• Faster Cornering: She discovered better agility and control when running around tight corners, thanks to improved lateral stability.

• Increased Mileage Confidence: With stronger hips and a more balanced approach, Linda felt more secure adding extra mileage to her runs.

Her story highlights how 3D training benefits even those who perform well in a single plane (like running) but haven’t trained laterally or rotationally.

Research Supporting the 3D Approach

• Study in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy: Demonstrated that multi-planar training can significantly lower the risk of ACL injuries in female athletes by strengthening the stabilizing muscles that support the knee in rotational movements.

• Review in the Strength and Conditioning Journal: Emphasized that tri-planar exercises improve neuromuscular adaptations, promoting better coordination and balanced strength across the entire kinetic chain.

• Data from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM): Shows that athletes who train in multiple planes tend to perform better in agility and reactive drills, underscoring the functional benefits of 3D movement.

3D Movement for a More Functional Life

Moving in 3D is about training your body to handle everyday tasks and unexpected moments with ease. It goes beyond just looking good in a mirror or hitting personal records in the gym. It’s about cultivating a body that can bend, twist, reach, and rotate without limitation or pain. Whether you’re an office worker, a weekend warrior, or an older adult wanting to maintain independence, integrating multi-planar exercises will enhance your range of motion and reduce the risk of injuries.

Here’s a quick recap of how to get started:

1. Identify weaknesses in certain planes (e.g., lateral or rotational).

2. Incorporate multi-planar exercises like side lunges, woodchoppers, and curtsy lunges.

3. Slow down to master the movements, focusing on form over speed.

4. Stay consistent and gradually progress.

5. Observe improvements in daily life, whether it’s less pain, better balance, or improved athletic performance.

   
   

If you’ve been feeling stiff, off-balance, or just plain frustrated with limited mobility, consider that the culprit might be a lack of 3D movement in your workout and daily habits. By addressing every plane of motion, you’ll unlock a more agile, resilient, and confident body ready to tackle whatever life throws your way.