After physical activity such as a morning run, 18 holes of golf, a tennis match, yoga practice or Pilates class, we may be frequently perplexed about the source of a particularly stiff or painful joint or muscle and how to relieve recurring symptoms.

Greg Roskopf’s Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT), a patented muscle assessment tool that analyzes and corrects muscular imbalances, offers a new way of solving the riddle of such physical ailments, according to Jay Weitzner, MAT specialist and the owner of the Naples personal training facility Symmetry–No Fads. All Fitness.

MAT is a very specific, non-medical process that focuses on assessing range of motion to determine which muscles are potentially weak and to improve and maintain a targeted muscle’s contractile efficiency; any deficiency can be demonstrated as a loss of motion and decreased physical performance that may lead to subjective complaints or the loss of physical capabilities. “In any type of physical exercise, if only one of your knees hurts or one shoulder and not the other is stiff and sore or one leg feels strained but not the other, you are feeling the symptoms, but not the cause. MAT can get to the root cause of the problem,” advises Weitzner, who is also a certified Resistance Training specialist.

“MAT reestablishes the proper neuromuscular function in the body by getting muscles to fire properly again. It is even helpful with the obvious impact injury for which mobility hasn’t returned, or the particular part of the body that doesn’t feel like it did before the injury, with no good explanation,” says Weitzner.

According to the MAT framework, the limitations in motion that we consider muscle tightness are secondary to muscle weakness. Muscle tightness almost always indicates that other muscles cannot contract efficiently. Weitzner explains, “It is imperative that muscles function properly and that we focus on activating muscles that have shut down, instead of just focusing on the symptoms of muscles that don’t work. As a matter of muscle health and normal movement, muscles must be able to effectively shorten. Then other muscles are able to effectively fully lengthen.”

Symmetry–No Fads. All Fitness. is located at 1750 J and C Blvd., Ste. 10, in Naples. For more information, call 239-940-2121 or visit NoFadsAllFitness.com.