I never liked the idea of yoga because generally it is portrayed as something that only skinny, hyper flexible vegetarian hippies do. Many yogis seem to be showing off their crazy acrobatic poses on social media, which didn’t help, make it more attractive. To me, yoga is not about being able to perform fancy extreme postures, but to be able to find peace and comfort in doable postures that may not be comfortable when you first try them, all you need is your body and the willingness to explore it exactly how it is in that moment. If something improves over time, great, having practiced mindfully you will notice it and with that can celebrate your achievement.
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Today I will give a short introduction to the Shibashi sequence I teach and practice. Shibashi is really nice as it is simple and allows everyone, novice or experienced, to practice and relax together. If you thought tai chi has to be serious and martial arts focused think again, this is definitely different, much more in line with a group fitness class such as Yoga. If you have been following me for a while you may have already read the “5 benefits of stress management and reasons to do tai chi before you draw your pension” and “I didn’t like tai chi…”, I think both of these posts are helpful for anyone that is hesitant about incorporating a slow movement practice into their fitness schedule just as much as I was once.
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What I like about the Zone exercises is that they integrate mind and body both of which affect each other. Studies have shown that emotional tension is held in different areas of the body depending on what they relate to. Some people carry their tension in their shoulders others in their lower back. Zone related movements can help release and balance tensions a person holds which means you can also affect your posture in a positive way by practicing Zone exercises. You do not have to understand how it works or believe in the approach for it to work. If you prefer to just see this as a gentle exercise routine you will still experience great benefits as you practice with consciousness and awareness of how you body responds to each movement. It is about being in the moment, getting to know your body and listening to how it feels. If you are not ready for traditional still sitting meditation you might find the Zone exercises are a good intermediate step on your way to integration more mindfulness in your life without causing yourself the emotional stress that the thought of still meditation might trigger for you.
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It was so exciting to find LDN medication for Ankylosing Spodylitis. When I found it, it took me about 2, 3 weeks to make my mind up to actually try to get the prescription because I was scared that it might be a false hope. I took it on the Thursday night – when I woke up in the morning I felt like I was never ill. I was straight (my posture), and the day before I was curled up, it was amazing! Anyone with AS should try it, you have got nothing to lose.
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You have probably seen and heard of minimalist trainers or barefoot shoes. They have been around for a while now. I’d like to explain to you why wearing barefoot shoes is not just a trend or fad but something that you should explore yourself if you care for the health of your feet and anything that lives above them i.e. ankles, knees, hips and spine. All of us have made some bad shoe choices at some point in our life. For some it has grater repercussions than just brief foot pain and blisters. Let’s get to the point looking at the different factors that need to be considered when choosing shoes for activity and fitness in particular although this post should give you enough food for thought to also re-think how you treat your feet outside the gym.
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Sometimes I am asked why I do not include crunches in my FAB ABS group fitness classes. I have done considerable research on the best and safest ways to strengthen your core and this post should explain my reasons for omitting them and exactly what my class is designed to achieve. So are crunches bad for you? Crunches aren’t necessarily bad; they’re just terribly overused. Doing some crunches is fine when done on a Swiss ball that supports going through the full range of movement, letting the rectus abdominus (six pack) stretch on extension. The main job of your abs is not to look good, but to switch on at the right time to support the spine in complex daily movement or sports and protect it from injury.
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“What can I do about this?” (a young girl pinching herself into the non existing tummy fat) is one of the most common questions I get after exercise classes I teach in Leeds. I felt I should share a little bit of education on the reasons for why your belly may not look how you would like it to even though you are training your abs every day. Read this before you even go in and attempt to do something about the body fat, you may be surprised how many things other than exercise affect your body fat and belly fat. I want to help you stop wasting time and energy addressing the problem with the wrong tools.
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