What Is a Muscle Balance? How to Fix a Muscle Imbalance with Exercise and More

You may notice your balance the most when you feel unsteady on your feet, like when you’re on a rocky boat or when you have an ear infection. However, balance doesn’t just apply to standing. Sometimes, the way your muscles work together can also be a bit uneven or out of balance. Muscle imbalances can develop when one muscle or group of muscles is stronger or tighter than others.

“It’s totally normal and common to have muscle imbalances,” says Aashini Govani, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Hinge Health. Muscle imbalances can happen to everyone and can occur all throughout the body, such as tight hip flexors and weak glutes and strong chest muscles, but weaker upper back muscles. 

“Muscle imbalances aren’t necessarily a bad thing,” Dr. Govani says. If a righty tennis player’s right shoulder is stronger than the left, it’s because that’s what gets used during serving. It's not necessarily going to cause issues with the left shoulder, and it’s what allows that person to excel at their game. 

Most muscle imbalances go unnoticed, but sometimes they can affect how you move, feel, or perform daily activities. “Changes in activity can also reveal muscle imbalances,” Dr. Govani says. For example, if you run a lot and decide to try pickleball, you may notice that the muscles in the front of your legs are notably stronger than the ones in the sides of your legs. In some instances, muscle imbalances can contribute to pain or injuries, which is common in competitive athletes, dancers, and even office workers. 

Read on to learn more about muscle imbalances, what causes them, and how to achieve better muscle balance, especially through exercises from Hinge Health physical therapists.

What Is a Muscle Imbalance?

Muscle imbalances occur when certain muscles are underused and others are overused. Imbalances can happen across the body. For example, the biceps in your right arm may be stronger than those in your left. Similarly, the muscles in your left hip may be tighter than those in your right. Muscle imbalances can also occur between the front and back of your body, meaning your chest muscles could be stronger than your back muscles, for instance. 

The most common muscle imbalance that nearly everyone experiences is related to whether you are right- or left-handed, says Dr. Govani. But that doesn’t always mean the side of your dominant hand is stronger. While you may rely on your dominant hand for fine-motor tasks, like brushing your teeth and writing, you may prefer to carry groceries or play fetch with your dog using your other hand. It’s common for one side of your body to be stronger and more stable, while the other side may be better equipped for those more detailed activities, such as using a pair of scissors.

What Causes a Muscle Imbalance?

You may not always know what causes a particular muscle imbalance. Sometimes more than one factor may contribute. 

• Repetitive movements. Doing the same motions repeatedly can cause some muscles to get stronger or tighter than others. Any activity you do regularly, like washing dishes, pressing the gas pedal when driving, playing pickleball, or golfing, can all contribute to imbalances. 

• Natural dominance. Most of the time, your hand dominance goes beyond just writing. You probably also use your dominant hand to open doors and press buttons, while your non-dominant side might be reserved for carrying a bag of groceries or carrying a child. You also have leg dominance: You tend to lead with the same foot when walking or climbing up stairs. Both hand and leg dominance often carry over to sports, like throwing or kicking a ball with the same arm or leg, respectively.

• Habitual patterns. Always carry your bag or child on the same side? Sleep on the same side? Cross the same leg on top when sitting? “These little habits throughout the day that you don’t even notice can cause muscle imbalances,” says Dr. Govani. 

• Unbalanced exercise routines. When lifting weights, many people tend to focus more on front-of-the-body muscles, like the biceps, deltoids, pecs, and abs, says Dr. Govani. These muscles are more visible and show results faster than muscles on the back side of the body or smaller, deeper muscles (think: “six-pack” muscles versus deep core muscles). But not prioritizing those deeper muscles through targeted movements can create imbalances.

• Injury or pain. When you’re injured or in pain, it’s common to adjust how you move to take pressure off the injured or painful area. This is called overcompensation — and you probably don’t even realize you’re doing it. Favoring one side of the body can result in other muscles or parts of the body working harder, leading to imbalances.

• Stationary positions. Prolonged sitting, turning your head to one side to view a screen, and putting more weight on one leg while standing can all lead to imbalances. That’s because some of these muscles are in shortened positions, which leads to tightness, while others are stretched, which can weaken them. Wearing uncomfortable shoes, for example, can cause you to subconsciously shift your weight unevenly across both feet to avoid feeling pain. As a result, this can lead to muscle imbalances in your feet, ankles, and calves.

Muscle Imbalance Symptoms

Everyone has muscle imbalances, but not everyone has symptoms. Muscle imbalances often go unnoticed until they start to cause problems. Even then, “they can be hard to pinpoint,” says Dr. Govani. Symptoms differ depending on the muscles affected and can vary from person to person. Here are some symptoms that can signal muscle imbalances.

• Differences in strength or flexibility between one side of the body and the other.

• Always feeling tight, sore, or weak in a particular area.

• Visible differences in muscle size or shape.

• Postural differences, such as one shoulder higher than the other or a forward head position.

The Importance of Exercise for Muscle Imbalance

Targeted movements can help restore balance across muscle groups, whether they’re tight, loose, strong, or weak. The best way to address these issues is to add strength or flexibility to underused and overused muscles, respectively. For instance, prioritizing single-side exercises like single-arm dumbbell rows and weighted single-leg bridges can help strengthen those muscle groups on less strong sides of the body. 

For imbalances that occur front-to-back, you may need a combination of dynamic stretches and strengthening moves to help establish balance. Doing hip flexor stretches to ease tightness in the front of the hips and squats to strengthen the glutes can help reduce muscle imbalances. 

All of these exercises target common sites of muscle imbalances in the body. By stretching and strengthening these specific muscle groups, you can promote balance, reduce overcompensation, and potentially decrease the risk of pain or injury.

The information contained in these videos is intended to be used for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or treatment for any specific condition. Hinge Health is not your healthcare provider and is not responsible for any injury sustained or exacerbated by your use of or participation in these exercises. Please consult with your healthcare provider with any questions you may have about your medical condition or treatment.

Treatment Options for Muscle Imbalances

Some muscle imbalances (like hand dominance) are unlikely to cause pain, but if you consistently feel tightness, weakness, or discomfort in a particular area, you’ll want to address it to avoid further issues. Remedies like heat and ice therapy, foam rolling, and massage may help ease muscle imbalance symptoms, but they don’t always address the underlying cause of the imbalance. Here’s how to target muscle imbalances ‌so you can prevent them in the future. 

• Physical therapy and exercise therapy. The first step in treating muscle imbalances is to identify the muscles that need attention based on your symptoms or limitations. “A physical therapist (PT) can pinpoint muscle imbalances and give you targeted exercises to address them,” says Dr. Govani. Performing targeted exercises is one of the most effective ways to address any weak or tight muscles. You can see a physical therapist in person or use a program like Hinge Health, where you may access a PT via telehealth/video visit.

• Adjust how you move. A PT can help you identify movement patterns that may benefit from a few modifications. For example, centering your computer screen on your desk can help alleviate neck pain caused by turning to one side too much. If you often carry a tote bag on one arm, try changing the shoulder you hook it on. “By taking the time to adjust how your muscles work together, you can make real progress and reduce the risk of further imbalances,” says Dr. Govani.

• Cross-train. Engaging in multiple types of exercises can help to keep the muscles in your body balanced. Running, for example, is a great form of aerobic exercise, but if you only run, that means your body misses out on key movements that other forms of exercise offer. “I encourage my runners to try pickleball or do side-to-side monster walks, because it helps them train their hip abductors and other muscles that help the body move side to side,” says Dr. Govani. “A great way to address muscle imbalance is to train muscles in different positions and from different angles.”

• Train each side separately. Compound movements like squats are a great way to strengthen your legs and glutes, but they may not be as effective if the muscles on one side of your body aren’t as strong as the other side. That’s why unilateral movements, such as single-leg squats or split squats, are key for preventing your stronger side from assisting the less-strong side. One study suggests this type of training effectively reduced muscle imbalances in soccer players. For upper body exercises, consider using dumbbells instead of barbells or machines so you can train each arm separately.

PT Tip: Mix Things Up

“Changes in your routine can help with some muscle imbalances,” says Dr. Govani. “You don’t have to make major changes, like introducing a whole new movement routine — it can be as simple as switching which foot you step with first when climbing stairs.” Another example? If you usually open up a jar of pickles with your left hand, challenge yourself by trying to open it with your right hand. “Diversify your movements as much as you can on a daily basis to help reduce muscle imbalances,” Dr. Govani says. 

How Hinge Health Can Help You

If you have joint or muscle pain that makes it hard to move, you can get the relief you’ve been looking for with Hinge Health’s online exercise therapy program.

The best part: You don’t have to leave your home because our program is digital. That means you can easily get the care you need through our app, as well as when and where it works for you.

Through our program, you’ll have access to therapeutic exercises and stretches for your condition. Additionally, you’ll have a personal care team to guide, support, and tailor our program to you.

See if you qualify for Hinge Health and confirm free coverage through your employer or benefit plan here.

This article and its contents are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or professional services specific to you or your medical condition.

References 

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