Are you lacking core strength?
Failing to hold up your body and now have bad posture?
Is your digestive system sluggish?
Pain from discs in your spine being compressed?
Is your skeleton crumbling?
Have you lost control of your bladder?
As creatures we are basically a tube with limbs and head added on, all to facilitate the digestive process. Never ceasing fuel in one end and out the other in order to stay alive. Not only does the process work biochemically but also biomechanically.
Unfortunately, in a modern society many people are not using their bodies as nature intended us to so the biomechanics that should give you core strength around your middle area is not working properly. From your neck to the top of your legs you should have strong muscles in your chest, back, stomach and pubic region that not only keeps your body up but also pumps the fluids and substances around the different organs.
This includes the latissimus dorsi, longissimus thoracis, transverse processes, longissimus cervicis, internal oblique, external oblique, rectus abdominis, transverse adominus, intercostals, psoas and pelvic muscles. Even limb, neck and head muscles are part of the perpetual symphony of location that creates core strength and when one is dysfunction and out of condition it creates a weakness in the system.
Because we are meant to be wild animals, not only should you be engaged with daily locomotion, but also maintain the strength of all your muscles, including those in your central body that create core strength. When this does not happen, you get sick.
When I ask patients about exercise many make a varied list of excuses like ‘I’m too busy’, ‘I just don’t have time, ‘I have to work a lot’, ‘I don’t really like exercise’ and list goes on. But the work you put into your body directly relates to life you get out of it.
And by the way, age has very little to do with it, because there are 80-year-olds with 6 packs.
What you need to do:
1. Be the organiser of your time not time making the slave of you so you put time aside several times a week to work on your body.
2. Begin by stretching, then some aerobics and resistant exercise for your stomach, back and midriff.
3. Do not use heavy weights but learn to use resistance so you are working one part of your body against another, it is called calisthenics.
4. Repetition is the key to building muscle so keep the exercise very regular and make that time just for you.
5. Don’t allow other parts of your life to imping on your exercising time so get better at time management.
7. Do not have large meals before you exercise so you are burning fat not carbohydrates. The best time is first thing in the morning before you have eaten. If you intend to work out for an hour or more just have a small apple 15 minute before you exercise.
Most of all however begin to have a better sense of pride in your body and fitness. No one can fix your neglect of yourself only you and no one gets to celebrate it more than you when you feel fit and fabulous.
I am a clinical naturopath, was a professional dancer and acrobat, and at 63 I still maintain an athletic training schedule, which means I have the same shaped body as I had when I was 16. You can consult with me at my Sydney naturopathy clinic or by Skype within Australia and other countries.
Call my clinic to book your naturopathy appointment on 02 8021 6429.
