Utopia Holistic Health and Holidays Utopia Holistic Health & Holidays Issue 8 August 2 | Page 17

words by
Dr Adam Smith
Chiropractor
There are three secrets that can create huge
leaps forward in your physical ability to
train
Three things, that when
implemented have the potential to
.So how do you improve your ‘centreing’? Core
training is not all about sit-ups (crunches). Mix
things up regularly by doing things like a ‘plank
change you for the better as a hold’ or ‘abdominal twists’ – you can look both of
dancer, but what are the three these exercises up on YouTube easily. The plank
things?
should be able to be held for 2 minutes to achieve
a good degree of core stability. If you can’t get to
Number 1 – is a concept that I call ‘centreing’. It is two minutes straight away do 30 second intervals
a combination of perfect posture and core stability. and work up to it.
Imagine that your abdominal muscles are like the
ribbon on your ballet shoes.
Posture training is about being aware of your body
position in space and being in neutral alignment.
These wonderful muscles wrap around the front Get someone to check your posture by using the
and sides of your body and offer support, while following sequence: Stand upright with your feet
allowing graceful movement. Your ‘core’ consists shoulder width apart. Close your eyes. March on
of your abdominal muscles, your obliques, your the spot for 3 -5 paces then stop and hold still.
main back muscles (erector spinae), the long Your partner now checks to see if you are balanced
thoracic muscles and your diaphragm (breathing from the front with your eyes, shoulders and hips
muscle which in under the lungs). being level with the ground.
There are other muscles that play a minor role like From the side your ear, centre of your shoulder,
the upper back muscles (lats and traps) and the and hip should be in vertical alignment with your
gluteus maximus (your bottom muscle). Posture is knees and feet directly underneath your hip (or in
generally considered to be the position of your some cases slightly behind your hip line). A good
body in a perfect neutral maintaining ideal joint tip is to take a photo from the front and side to
alignment. In ballet and other forms of dance show you later what is right and wrong.
posture is seen as how you present yourself to your
audience.