Front End Alignment

Tom Wigginton • November 25, 2013

What You and the Front End Alignment on Your Car Have in Common

If you own a car and the front end is out of alignment, how much that matters to you depends on a) if you know what that means, b) how much you drive and c) how fast you drive. Let’s break it down and then I’ll get into what this has to do with Vitruvian Fitness.

A) Basically, the wheels on your car need to be aligned so that the wheels are pointing in the same direction. Imagine trying to drive your car when the right wheel is pointed to the right when the left one is pointing straight ahead. Yes, that can happen and it’s not good. If you’re really interested, you can read more about front end alignment here.

B) If your car never leaves the garage, it probably doesn’t matter if your front end is out of alignment. Or, if you are that grandmother who only drives to the store and church on Sundays, it might not matter that much. But if you commute across town every day in rush hour traffic, those miles are definitely going to cause your tires to wear out in an irregular fashion more quickly than normal. That’s also not good.

C) If you drive a lot and often at highway speeds then, not only will you get irregular tire wear, but you might even start ruining other parts of the car. Your brakes will wear out more quickly and the suspension could break. That’s bad.

Your body is exactly the same. Park it on the couch and never move? It doesn’t matter how bad your alignment it. Occasionally go for an easy walk? Still doesn’t matter too much. But as soon as you start doing more intense activity, your body needs to be well aligned so that you don’t prematurely wear down your joints or injure yourself.

Here’s a simple illustration:

A walk requires about 30 strides per minute per leg — a jog is about 60 and a run is about 90 strides. If you’re going to run 3 miles at a 9 minute mile pace, that 27 minutes of thumping and bumping equals 4,860 impacts on your feet, ankles, knees, hips, back, shoulders and neck. If you’re not in great shape, that 27 minutes of “running” is going to feel like hell. If you do that regularly, you’re going to do way more harm than good. Your car’s alignment isn’t going to fix itself, how do expect your own body to fix itself?

That’s why every Vitruvian workout begins with soft-tissue work, movement prep and corrective exercise. Putting “fitness” on top of dysfunction is a recipe for disaster and we’d rather prevent disasters than recover from them.

Want to learn more? Ask us!

At Vitruvian Fitness, we’re building a community of stronger, healthier and happier people using functional training to improve the lives of adults of all ages and abilities.

We serve the communities of Northwest Denver, Arvada, Lakewood, Applewood, Golden and Wheat Ridge, CO.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

You might also enjoy these posts . . .

What People Really Want In The Gym

By Tom Wigginton • May 2, 2025

And How We Get You There In my experience as a personal trainer and strength coach, most people who walk through our doors don’t arrive with crystal-clear goals on their first day. They don’t know which muscles to train or which mobility restrictions to fix. They might know a few exercise names, but they’re unsure how to do them properly—or how it all fits into a bigger plan. But they do know one thing: They want to bridge a fitness gap and feel better about how they move and how they feel about themselves. Generally, people will tell us they want to be: Stronger—even if they can’t quite define that. More confident—even if it’s been a long time since they felt that way. More energetic and more at home in a body t hey’re proud of. Ask around and you’ll hear the same hopes over and over again: “I want to trim this midsection.” “I want to stop tweaking my back.” “I want to hike, bike, and ski without needing two days to recover.” “I want to keep up with my kids—or my grandkids.” “I just want to feel like me again.”

Adam Myers - Functional Strength Coach at Vitruvian Fitness

How We Train at Vitruvian Fitness®

By Tom Wigginton • April 25, 2025

The 7 Phases of Functional Strength Training That Drive Long-Term Results How We Actually Build Strength That Lasts You probably know that showing up at the gym with no plan is a recipe for frustration. And you know that real change—lasting change—doesn’t come from combining random exercises you did in high school PE with random cardio sessions (besides me, who even does cardio, anyway?). Lasting change comes from following a smart, structured training system. At Vitruvian Fitness, we’ve designed a progressive roadmap that takes you from wherever you are right now—and moves you forward, phase by phase, skill by skill, strength by strength.

Our Top 20 Supplement Recommendations - IF You Should Take Any At All

By Tom Wigginton • April 12, 2025

Supplements can be useful. Sometimes they’re even necessary. But figuring out if , when , and why you should use them is a more complicated question than most headlines, influencers, or supplement companies want to admit. In a perfect world, we’d get all the micronutrients, minerals, and performance-optimizing compounds we need from real food, sunlight, sleep, and clean living. In the real world, though—where stress is high, schedules are full, and food quality varies—strategic supplementation can fill gaps, enhance recovery, improve long-term health, or support performance. But here’s the problem: the supplement space is a minefield. Outdated “bro science,” influencer hype, fairy-tale claims, and straight-up lies have created a noisy mess that makes choosing the right supplement— if you even need one—much harder than it should be. And remember: no two bodies are exactly alike. Your age, gender, activity level, medical history, diet, goals, and lifestyle all influence what your body might be missing (or absorbing poorly). Supplementation isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution—it’s a strategy . That strategy should begin with lab work, conversations with qualified professionals, and clear priorities. Disclaimer : This guide is not medical advice or a prescription. It’s an information tool designed to help you better understand what supplements may—or may not—support your personal health, performance, or longevity goals. Before starting any new supplement, consult with a qualified healthcare or functional nutrition professional, especially if you have preexisting conditions, take medications, or are managing complex health goals.

Vitruvian Fitness Meal Planning ChatGPT Prompt Guide

By Tom Wigginton • April 4, 2025

Why Busy Families Might Consider Using ChatGPT for Meal Planning

Japanese Interval Walking

By Tom Wigginton • March 28, 2025

Until I read this study, I was firmly in the “walking is activity, not exercise” camp. Before you run me out of town, let me explain and then I’ll eat my hat. The human body is designed to seek efficiency when it comes to living, moving, and grooving. Let’s look at a slightly extreme example. Runners (in grossly simple terms) get faster and go farther because the musculoskeletal system becomes more efficient at moving the legs. The cardiovascular system becomes better at supplying oxygen to the muscles. And the cellular energy systems (remember mitochondria - the powerhouse of the cell?) improve how they produce energy and clear energy byproducts. Cyclists are the same. What may have been hard at the beginning of a training phase becomes easier with focused training. That’s efficiency.

What Are “Non-Scale Victories” and Why Do They Matter?

By Tom Wigginton • March 14, 2025

Fitness, health, and wellness are too often confused with weight, but this belief is both troublesome and without merit. The number you see on the scale is just that: a number, without any insight into anything else. Not your happiness, not your health, not your speed, power, or flexibility—you get where we’re going with [...] The post What Are “Non-Scale Victories” and Why Do They Matter? appeared first on Vitruvian Fitness.