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PHYSICALLY TWEAKED by Cat Smiley, ISSA
Hold onto your hats folks, the world of working out is spinning circles around
us. There’s no point in ignoring it. Do yourself a favour and step away
from the tedious exercises learned 20 years ago in high school and say hello to
modern fitness conditioning.
Exercise evolution can be harder to keep up with than keeping your wardrobe current.
It’s almost disheartening when you focus on sticking with your workouts,
only to learn that your technique was dangerous and fitness program dubbed inefficient,
such as the days of straight legged sit ups.
Opening yourself to the current findings and technologies of the fitness and health
industry will sky rocket your athleticism and max out your training. Try out new
exercise classes, form your own opinion on fitness fads, buy some personal training
sessions from the girl your daughter’s age (ensure qualifications), work
to improve your physical performance, play and have fun!
Let me introduce you to a few of my friends: Resist-a-ball is also known as exercise
ball, fitness ball, Swiss ball or stability ball. Physical therapists introduced
fitness balls for rehabilitation purposes over 30 years ago. Now they have become
a standard item for any health club or home gym, rolling their way into workouts
of the general public everywhere. Used as an adaptive piece of equipment for strengthening,
stabilizing, rehabilitation and stretching - these vinyl balls provide fun conditioning
in a safe environment.
Select a ball that allows you to form a sitting position with your feet flat on
the ground, hips and knees at 90 degrees. Familiarize yourself with the ball by
rolling around in a seated position, followed by making small steps while lying
on your back. Once you feel stable, you will be able to begin exercises ranging
from crunches though to hamstring curls - ask your gym instructor for guidance,
or pick up a home video with clear demonstrations.
If you are an advanced athlete, exercise balls will be an integral part of your
co-ordination and balance training.
Vary your routine and continue to challenge yourself with new exercises.
The Bosu balance trainer is a revolutionary concept that has plunged into the
mainstream fitness circle - thanks to Twist Conditioning Inc. of North Vancouver.
As the exclusive Canadian distributor of over 250 progressive sports conditioning
products, Peter Twist leads his company as a world renowned sport scientist and
10-year veteran NHL strength and conditioning coach.
So back to the Bosu - this is an extremely versatile air-filled dome that challenges
you with an ever-changing base of support. As summed up by coach Twist, "The
good news is that balance, like any other skill, is highly trainable. No matter
what level you are starting from, you will see and feel the difference that improved
balance makes. One of the reasons Bosu is so effective is that it allows you to
find your point of challenge safely and then begin to improve your capabilities
from that point.
It is refreshing to see sport conditioning methods of professional athletes modified
and made available to recreational athletes. Too often we see people training
to build muscle and lose weight, I believe that everyone’s act of simply
going to the gym can be a time of physical conditioning for an active lifestyle.
Although we are certainly not all extreme sports enthusiasts, adding spice to
your training can give you the thirst to try new recreational activities, with
reduced risk of injury.
Grown-ups often forget to play, taking everything far too seriously. Afraid to
look stupid, reluctant to change their exercise pattern, not the type to take
exercise back to the playground. Ignite your existing fitness regime by keeping
an open mind to new exercises and work out equipment.
Regardless of your physical ability and walk of life, working strength through
full-body range of movement and increasing your athletic abilities will make you
feel like a kid again.
Cat Smiley is a pro free-skier and personal
trainer living in Whistler. www.catsmiley.com
1-604-902-0698
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