FW: Posture and Performance: Balance

 

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Bob's Articles

POSTURE AND PERFORMANCE: The Body Functions Best When in Balance The words we all heard from parents and teachers, "Stand up straight. Pull your shoulders back. You don't look good when you slump." And that message lives on as we get older. Only the voices speaking to us about posture are our own which includes the kinesthetic voice of how our bodies feel. The posture ideal of the shoulders back and a ramrod straight spine is an unachievable goal. We fight hard to get shoulders back and a naturally curved spine to become unnaturally straight. The muscular effort to hold these positions is fatiguing and limiting of movement and balance. In the end we give up the fight and allow our bodies to slump and curve until gravity works to establish a pattern in our body that serves us no better than the postural ideal. So, then, what do we do to correct what seems like a problem with no resolution? The issues of poor posture, compromised balance and limited function are about reeducating the body. It begins with a desire for change and correction, and moves to seeking help from skilled practitioners, who are specialists in working with the human structure to achieve long lasting changes that enhance alignment, balance and function. This may require hands on treatment to correct aberrations in soft tissue, joint mobilization to improve alignment, strengthening activities to correct muscular imbalances and flexibility exercise to insure optimal muscle and joint function. In addition, the development of awareness of behavioral patterns which reinforces the problem being corrected, and how to understand the roll choice has in maintaining improved posture and function. Professionals who are Certified Rolfers or Certified Advanced Rolfers are trained to effect changes in soft tissue patterns with direct hands-on manipulation and to educate the client with instruction in movement , behavior awareness and pattern formations. It is this combination of correction and education that allows a person to improve posture in a natural and comfortable way as well as being able make the internal and structural changes needed to maintain better balance, joint mobility and appearance. Bob Alonzi Certified Advanced Rolfer

When Working With Athletes When I am working with competitive athletes (amateur or professional) I will make a point of learning about their training regimens and performance through their coaches and then from the athletes. I may even go and watch them train so I can see them in movement in their activities. I want specifics that includes whatever training formulas they use. I want to know when they will compete and when they will have down time. I also want to know what their goals are for a given training period and a specific competition. Remember... training, performance and competition aren't the same objectives. The questions I ask my athlete clients is "what are your goals short and long term? How do you see Rolfing help you prepare for your sport?" When working with athletes the change that I look for is in performance. What is the athlete telling me about the difference in his/her game, form, and abilities. What do I see different in alignment, movement and awareness. What do the coaches say as being different about the athlete on the playing field -- physical, emotional, cognitive. In my opinion, athletes are better served if you help them find their "line" in their sport. In the language of athletes, lasting changes translate into improved performance and the awareness that rises from knowing the body is functioning more efficiently. I also find that elite athletes bring a kinesthetic awareness to the Rolfing studio that the average client may not. But what is important here is finding the common language between Rolfer and athlete. That the language we use as Rolfers and how we apply concepts and models to bodies standing still or walking in our studio's, may not play out the same for a body in dynamic movement. What may work better is language that helps both Rolfer and athlete understand the body in performance. Using models that are fluid can serve to enhance our vision and interventions in helping the athletes performance. When working with athletes, I find that Rolfing based on principles is more effective than working by formula. For me it is more efficient and for the athlete it is to the point and more effective in enhancing performance. I also find it is less disruptive to the athletes training schedule and easier to schedule around competitions. Bob Alonzi Certified Advanced Rolfer

 

 

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