Be Mindful of your exercise
Author: Phil Weaver
Soft, gentle, fluid, mindful: Words we wouldn't normally
associate with a high-energy workout for seniors. Advertising agencies
and Hollywood have sold us on the idea that the intensity and personality
of the instructor is a measure of the quality of a workout. Flashy sets,
Hollywood glitter, punchy music, and celebrity endorsements have been
the selling points for exercise programs. We have been trained to measure
their worth on these things. As if the eye candy they sell will flatten
your abs and tighten your butt. Why is this? It has to do with our fast
food culture. Fast paced lives have created a need for fast everything.
Instant mash, instant results, easier, no thinking required, five minutes
a day, five easy steps mentality pervades our society. We have become
the McDonalds generation. Fortunately, this trend is changing, at least
when it comes to exercise. While Hollywood will still have it's way with
the masses, there are many who are searching and finding a better way.
Exercise programs, which are based upon quality of motion and mindfulness
of the body, are seeing a huge resurgence. While most of them have been
around for a very long time, there are also many new programs, which have
adapted the principals of the old with the needs of today. They all have
two things in common; they are gentle on the body and they are mindful,
integrating the mind with the body. Faster, harder, feel the burn, no
pain no gain. Working your body in this way may not be the best way. There
are hundreds of programs out there, which are completely based upon this
mentality. These programs have no room for being overweight, having pre-existing
injuries or general wear and tear of everyday life. No real attention
to form, only a celebrity cheerleader pushing you ever harder. Not much
mindfulness here, no real emphasis on preserving the body and motions,
which are natural to it. Only a push it harder attitude. While this attitude
is part of a great workout, it is not the total answer, only a small part.
To really enhance a workout, one must be mindful of what they are doing.
This is a skill, which few possess. It is a strange thing and something
that most people do not realize. People are just not aware of their bodies.
This becomes evident as a lack of coordination or a propensity for injury.
We are truly not aware of what each part of our body is doing until properly
trained to do so. Without this skill, we cannot get the most from our
bodies and from our workouts. Mindfulness will strengthen the muscles
needed for balance and support. Many ancient disciplines teach this skill.
Martial arts, Yoga, Tai Chi, Chi Kung are all ancient arts, which deal
with this. Cardio Karaticise, Power Yoga, NIA, and Pilate's are programs,
which have adapted principles from these ancient disciplines. Alexander
Technique, FeldenKrais Method, Breema, and Somatics are fairly modern
day programs which utilize the principle of mindfulness although the may
call it different things. Of these, lets look at those that focus on using
ancient principles to develop a modern day workout. The martial arts based
aerobics systems, Power Yoga, NIA, and Pilate's. Martial arts aerobics
systems have hit the mainstream. They've been practiced for a long time
in Martial arts studios, but a major marketing campaign has brought a
few of them into the public eye. Martial arts in general are divided into
two main categories, hard and soft. Since martial arts are divided into
these categories, the aerobics programs based upon them will also be divided
in this way. Both are fantastic
workouts but you must be careful with hard style. Hard style martial arts
aerobics such as Tae Bo and Kardio Kickbox, which are typically based
upon Japanese and Okinawan systems, can be very high impact and can wear
on the joints. Since a lot of stretching and preconditioning is necessary
for these martial arts, the same should be done for their aerobic counterparts.
These are not programs that should be done by the elderly. There is a
high risk of injury associated with these even in those that are athletic.
Soft style martial arts aerobics are based on Kung Fu, Chinese martial
arts. These arts tend to be more fluid and are therefore more gentle on
the body. However, because they use the same muscle groups, they still
produce an intense workout if done properly. These take a little longer
to learn but are very worthwhile. Cardio Karaticise is a good example
of a Kung fu based aerobic. This is a great program for the elderly. Because
of the soft nature of the exercise there is very little risk of injury.
Because of the circular flowing motion, there is little strain on the
joints. The horse stance, which is used throughout Cardio Karaticise,
will develop all of the leg muscles. The muscles surrounding the knee
are developed which will support the joint taking much of the strain of
everyday life off of the joint. The gluteus maximus muscles are focused
on. Strengthening these muscles will develop stability and balance and
tend to straighten the body creating a better centerline. Centerline is
a principle inherent in only a few disciplines. It simply means that the
spine remains erect through all movements. This takes the strain off of
the back and teaches us to use our back properly. I have seen many with
bad backs who have if not completely fixed the problem, they have learned
to control it and not move in a way that would injure the spine. Not only
will centerline help the back, but also help with balance. Finding ones
own center greatly enhances balance. When kicks are done, a person always
comes to center first when practicing properly. This practice will teach
to constantly adjust center to a balanced position, further developing
balance. There is a lot of important footwork in Cardio Karaticise. Again,
it will take a little longer to learn but is essential to a safe, effective
workout. The footwork in Cardio Karaticise teaches to push from the ground
rather than lifting the foot. This again increases balance and strength
and teaches one to be more purposeful. When a person lifts the foot, it
tends to slightly pull off of balance. When the foot is pushed from the
ground it maintains balance. This difference can be seen in watching different
people walk. Watch someone who is purposeful in there action, they push
from the ground when they walk. Creating a fast stride. Other people trudge.
A trudge is really a series of fall and catch. There is no forward push,
more of an up and down. This takes a lot of energy with little result
and creates a great deal of impact. As personality and mood are evident
in body motion and posture, the opposite is true also. Body motion and
posture can affect personality and mood. If a person mimics the body motion
and posture of a personality
trait, eventually he will possess that attitude or personality trait.
For good or bad. Ever hear of having a spring in your step? Power Yoga,
while not a high intensity cardiovascular workout, has many benefits.
Since the original intent of yoga itself was to achieve a state of mindfulness
which brings on a state of unity. The breath is used to draw attention
to whatever is being done at the moment. Because of this you will tend
to leave your stress behind. Being mindful of what is taking place will
not allow you to have thoughts of the day's trials and tribulations. Power
Yoga will give you greater flexibility, endurance and strength and is
fantastic stress relief. Pilate's, originally called "contrology",
is the creation of German immigrant Joseph Pilates. It was created as
a rehabilitation exercise. Pilate's became very popular among New York
dancers. Pilate's is a method of exercise, which utilizes the full range
of motion of the muscle. Very beneficial in creating long sinewy muscles.
The exercise begins as mat work, similar in many ways to Yoga. It then
progresses to machines designed to promote elongated muscle growth, Very
beneficial in developing great muscle tone. Nia is an eclectic, artful
form of exercise. It incorporates principles of Martial arts, dance, healing
arts and self-expression. NIA, which stands for Neuromuscular Integrative
Action, is developed to fit the instructor's personality and can be very
free form. Its goal is to connect oneself, or to integrate the entire
body and mind. There are many forms of mindful exercise, explore them
and find what is right for you. An index of links to sites that specialize
in gentle forms of exercise and healing arts can be found at http://www.karaticise.com/gentle_exercise/links/
About the author:
Phil Weaver, the author, is the co-creator of the kung fu based
aerobics video, Cardio Karaticise. He is also a full time Kung
Fu instructor. He and His wife Liz Weaver operate a Kung Fu
school in Burson Ca, which teaches authentic Mandarin Kung Fu
called Shou' Shu', They offer free lessons on how to properly do
martial arts based aerobics program, while minimizing the risk
of injury at their website http://www.karaticise.com/
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