The key to optimal health is balance. Once the body is in balance, both structurally and physiologically, the journey to peak vitality and performance will be quick and enjoyable. When out of balance, that journey becomes a slippery slope filled with setbacks, illness, injury, and unfulfilled goals. Unfortunately, some of the technological advances we have grown to enjoy have led us into a sedentary lifestyle, while commercial farming practices and nutrient deficient, processed foods have compromised our immunity, and disrupted our digestive systems.
UNIQUE PROGRAMS FOR UNIQUE PEOPLE I treat each client as an individual, taking into consideration their past medical history, current health status, and future goals, both functionally and aesthetically. The key to reaching these goals is a proper assessment. There is no singular magical recipe that will work for our entire population. Each client’s muscular strength, stability, flexibility, posture, and mind body connection will have a tremendous effect on their performance. However, nutrition, digestive health, mental and emotional stress, and hormonal balance deserve just as much investigation before starting a training program.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BEAT YOURSELF UP My holistic approach to fitness is unparalleled in an industry filled with unguided, trendy exercise routines, and synthetic, processed non-foods that place unnecessary stress on the body. Your fitness routine should be enjoyable, yet effective. Most importantly, you should feel better after your workout than you did before it. If your program is designed correctly and your body is in balance, you should feel invigorated and strong, not drained and beat up.
The foundation of my functional training programs are tailored to each client’s needs. For example, a stressed out businessman who sits at a desk or in a car all day would need an exercise program that stresses the body while reducing mental stress. Exercises for the weakened “sitting” muscles would be prescribed based on length tension ratios obtained during the assessment. A new mother who wants to get her shape back after childbirth would have to work extensively on rebuilding her deep abdominal wall and pelvic floor muscles before attempting any exercises for her outer core or extremities. A senior citizen, who simply wants to move and function better during daily activities, would primarily work on basic functional movement patterns such as squatting, bending, twisting, pushing, and pulling. Nutritional recommendations might be made regarding food quality to fortify ligaments and joints in the body.
INSIDE OUT The path to optimal health and wellness starts inside your body. Internal physiological systems and deep abdominal wall stability must be fully functional before any exercise program is implemented. A solid internal foundation will set the stage for a synergistic, integrated body that will optimally respond to the physical and mental challenges of a fitness program.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT Strengthening the muscular system is only a part of overall wellness. There are many other factors that can help, or hinder, you on your path to optimal health. As mentioned earlier, nutrition plays a huge role in wellness. The food you eat becomes a part of you. Your body’s cells constantly replace themselves, so you literally are what you eat. What kind of ligaments and tendons can you make out of soda and potato chips? Obviously, eating fresh real food (preferably organic) nourishes the body and helps it function how it was designed.
A food allergy or intolerance, such as gluten or dairy, can immensely affect your workout by shutting down musculature in the abdominal region.
YOU ARE AS YOU SLEEP Sleep/wake cycles play a huge role in our well-being, and specifically, in our hormonal balance. Just as hormones can affect your workout, your workout can affect your hormonal balance both positively and negatively. Disturbances in your circadian rhythm, or body clock, can cause sleep disorders, fatigue, and lower energy levels. A disrupted circadian cycle will affect the mental and physical repair cycles that occur during sleep.
These are only a handful of examples how the systems of the body correlate with fitness. Your body always wants to be optimally balanced and aligned. If you honor it, and give it what it needs, you will be on the fast track to true health.