As I transitioned from being a triathlete to a dancer, I very quickly became aware of my body’s limitations. Whenever my dance teacher would invite me to move my hips or isolate my rib movement from my lower body, I found myself physically stuck and mentally frustrated. Would I ever be able to move in directions other than just forward and back? Could I find the flexibility to smoothly and enjoyable rotate my hips or ribs? Luckily, after years of dance training, focused attention, and GYROTONIC® movement training I have been able to realize the wonders of flexion in my hips and torso.
The hips are designed to move, and the more they do the stronger and more mobile they become. While dancers understand this, it applies to all bodies. It has been said that if we don’t move, we increase the inability to move. In other words, if we rest, we can rust. Tight hips don’t just prevent a dancers’ ability to execute beautiful turns; they can also make everyday movements harder, or even painful for everyone. With a sedentary lifestyle, or even one where sitting occupies a large portion of the day, hips lose their natural elasticity, opening doors to chronic discomfort or pain.
Evolutionarily, our bodies were not meant to be office dwellers. Walking conditions the hips for strong movement in one range. When you sit, the muscles become lax and gradually lose tone. Also, sitting for hours can tilt the pelvis, creating pressure in the lower spine and changing the position of weight-bearing surfaces in the knees. All of the above can be precursors to injury. Any imbalance in the hips can relay up the spine and down through the legs, which can cause pain and affect the stride and other activities.
The solution to averting a downward decline is exercise. The exercises should combine stretching and strengthening that helps discover areas of tension and then gently correct them. The hips are the body’s largest weight-bearing joints. They transfer weight and force between your upper and lower body. They are a fulcrum point, like the shoulders. So, keeping them flexible is crucial. Stronger, more flexible hips contribute to better posture, more confident carriage, a smoother stride, greater power for athletic activities, and of course, a lovely grace in dance. I encourage everyone to get out and move your hips through activities such at GYROTONIC or GYROKINESIS® exercise, or dance. Have fun and stay healthy with those hips!!
How many of us have experienced the sweet feeling of elevation and stability that comes from proper posture? If you are like many Americans, you slump in your middle and upper back. The chest tends to collapse and the shoulder blades are far apart. If you spend any amount of time working at a desk or a computer, driving, reading, or working at the kitchen counter, slumping comes as no surprise to you. All of this shoulder and back rounding shortens and strengthens those muscles that pull your shoulder towards your spine, while weakening those muscles that draw your shoulder away from the spine. You may have occasionally found the wonderful feeling of proper posture but have not been able to sustain it.
Often we assume that by pushing the chest forward and wrenching the shoulders back to the spine that we are attaining proper posture. However, when the shoulder blade alignment isn’t correct, some muscles are short and tense while others are overstretched and weak. What is happening in the body when one practices slumped posture?
The muscular-skeletal system of the shoulder is very complex. There are fifteen muscles that attach to each shoulder blade. The shoulder blades act as the foundation for the arms, but the stability and mobility of the shoulder blades depend almost entirely on that suite of muscles. Two opposing muscle groups are crucial for proper posture: the adductors, which pull the shoulder blades towards the spine (for example, the trapezius and rhomboids), while the abductors draw the shoulders away from the spine (for example, the serratus anterior). Because the shoulder blade contacts the rest of the skeleton in a small joint in the collarbone, shoulder blade stability relies almost entirely on the adductor and abductor muscles.
Are curious about how to achieve proper posture and counteract the mid and upper back slump? Gyrotonic® exercises provide the tools to achieve and maintain a beautiful and dignified posture. The exercises are rooted in elevated uprightness, applied sitting, standing or lying down. Use of the “elevated spine” applies a contrast between the shoulder adductor and abductor muscles and the spine to create stabilization and strength. Once you are able to activate your “elevated spine”, you will look better, will have fewer aches and pains in the neck and back, and will have greater range of motion in the arms without pain in the shoulders.
I invite you to come and achieve elegant, elevated uprightness.
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