Side to Side balance

Tim asks:

Through the different stretching excercises, can one access any muscle imbalances ? Would that be one side being tighter than another side ? If both sides seem the same during stretches, could one assume they do not have any muscle imbalances ?

Thanks

Tim

I answered:
Tim
If both sides seem the same, one could assume that the muscles are balanced. That said,
I am going to add my opinion that most people on the face of the earth of some sort of muscle imbalance. Why? Well, one reason is handedness. Right handed folks are going to be using different muscles than lefthanded folks. As a result, there are numerous imbalances in musculature due little daily activities that we do automatically (open doors, brush teeth, use the mouse, for example).

One person might always use their right foot to go up stairs. Their right side of the lower body is going to be tighter. Someone else might carry their baby on their left side of the hip, and the left side tightens more. I have a friend who is a righty, carried her kid on her left hip so she could do things around the house with her right hand. It has taken years to undo that imbalance.
So keep at it, and note the differences if any. And if one side is tighter, spend a little more time stretching that side.