It is common for athletes to over-develop their bodies in order to
perform their given activity. The side-effect is often chronic muscle tension.
(i) Female athletes
Many female athletes re-shape their bodies to suit their chosen sport.
A ballet dancer trains a body that suits the feminine aesthetic standards of
ballet.
Runners, rowers and gymnasts produce an end product is virtually indistinguishable from that
of a man.
(ii) Martial artists who undertake body building
Body building can distort the human skeleton and impede the smooth movement of
the joints.
Martial arts students who undertake body building often find themselves locked
into a hunched-over fighting stance.
This may indeed help them in their given art, but is redundant when eating
dinner, watching TV or speaking to someone in a shop or at work.
