I hope you all enjoyed the Christmas
break, I did. I had a lovely time with my family and while I was not teaching I
managed to actually go to some classes for myself. Yay! I partook in a legs,
bums and tums class and a pump (not a farting class I may add!) - it was a
class using weights. I attended a local body pump class and fitness Pilates
class (which I really enjoyed surprisingly) a yoga and a Foundation Training
class plus I went swimming and took the dog on some longer walks as I wasn’t
pushed for time.
It was really nice to be an attendee
and one of the gang! I’m so used to teaching it was really nice to be told what
to do. However I was surprised that only 1 of the 6 classes I attended was I
asked to fill in a client info form. Luckily I have body awareness on my side
and common sense so when the instructor gave me way too heavy weights I asked
for some lighter ones.
Some of the classes I was paid
attention to and given correction; others there was little cueing. Basically I
applied all my alignment knowledge to any class I took. I tried to notice when
I was tensing and not breathing and when I was winding up my neck, so I stopped
and took a break.
My point is no matter what the class
is you can use your Pilates/Somatic knowledge in them.
I like to dip in and out of classes
every now and then. I use them as a measurement of my strength, co-ordination,
all of the classes highlighted to me my weak areas and where I need to focus
on
.
After each class no matter the quality
of the teaching, I indeed felt better for moving, well maybe not the one where
I ate a chocolate brioche beforehand (well I was on holiday!).
I made sure movement was a part of
everyday of my holidays, otherwise I would go insane - I’m a happier Debbie
when I move! Even after 6 hours of being stuck in traffic on the way to my Mum’s,
we arrived, said a brief hello (sorry Mum!) and then walked to the swimming
pool, had a swim and a play and then walked back. If I hadn’t of gone for that
swim, we all would have been grumpy for sure.
What I am trying to say is that if you do what you’ve always done you will
get what you always have. In 2018 I’m going to attend more variety of
classes, as well as continue my Pilates, Somatics, HIIT and chuns (chat and
run!) with my friends. I’m quite motivated to exercise at home and I’ve just
found booyafitness.com, a great website for loads of variety of
classes. I’ve done a couple so far and I’m really impressed.
Could you try something new too?
I’m going to try dry January. I think
after Christmas it is good to get back on an even keel and feel healthier
again. This year I didn’t go too mad at Christmas although that’s not what the
scales say (the little buggers).
My new Nutritious Movement course -
which I will be qualified by the end of 2018 - conversely gets you to notice
your movement or your lack of movement outside of your scheduled exercise time.
The truth is, the world is too convenient for stopping our movement, we all do not move enough and this has
a detrimental effect on our health. Our
environment, chairs, cars, heeled and inflexible shoes, supermarket trolleys,
computer/phone screens, automatic doors, escalators and electric whisks impact
on our lack of movement.
Even if you run 20 miles a week but
work full time at a computer or you drive for a living but weight train 12
hours a week, I’m sorry to tell you that you are what’s known as an active
sedentary. Your body adapts to what you do most of the time.
Sitting isn’t so much of the problem
as to the amount of time spent sitting. Think about adding up all the hours
that you sit per day.: sat at a breakfast table, sofa, working at a desk,
driving home, sat watching your child at his sports club and sat in the evening
watching TV.
The Psoas muscle which attaches from
your lumbar spine to your inner thigh bone, gets shortened with prolonged
sitting and a psoas that won’t release prevents the hips from extending and the
glutes from building. It can compress discs in the spinal column as well as
keeping the calfs and hamstrings short.
As well as attending your Pilates,
yoga, Somatics class you really do have to pay attention to how you are moving
your body the rest of the time and the movement habits you have created. If you
have a stressful job, that will most definitely impact on your body, what could
you do to change that? Sure giving up work or changing jobs may not be possible
or could they? Perhaps after work or during a break you could take time to
breathe, do a somatic exercise, or walk home instead of driving.
Small changes equate to long term
change and healthier bodies.
If your goal is to really manage your
back pain/ release your tight hamstrings, you have to have accountability for
your body outside of the class.
If I could wave a magic wand I would. You
inevitably feel better after the class, let’s vow to move more in 2018.
In the words of Katy Bowman “We are
how we move”.
If you want further info or are
looking for a good book or website to look at check out https://nutritiousmovement.com.
Katy has a ton of books, DVD’s
to buy, and books on transitioning to a standing work desk, a book on
transitioning to minimal shoes, stop your foot pain, a diastatis rectus book as
well as move your DNA and Movement matters. Some of her books are available on
audible which is fab as you can walk as you listen. I listen to her pod casts in the
car. She has a blog and you can search for many ailments and find cool videos.
Go check it out.
