Alight, I created an acronym (is that cheesy or awesome?! Let me know in the comments) to remember the key components to creating lasting structural change in your body. All you gotta remember is to ALIGN…
A
Activation- Most of us think that if a muscle is in pain or feels rigid, it must be too tight, right? If you get massage regularly, you may be on a perpetual mission to loosen everything up. Paradoxically, the road to maintaining fluid, dynamic and mobile tissue is developing a strong neuromuscular connection and possessing the ability to contract with great power. Remember, you can be very powerful with out becoming a bulky. It’s about muscular conductivity (motor unit recruitment) and complexity of our movement map.
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Length- Here is the second part of the equation. Length (Flexibility) + Activation (Powerful Contraction) = Building Blocks of BOOOM!
The answer is not to lengthen everything but find a balance of muscular length from all angles in the body. Think about setting up a tent. Our body is a tensegrity structure and you want every cord to maintain consistent tension. Pull one guy wire too tightly and compromise the whole entire system! Aka-sore neck, back pain and that creaky knee problem persist. Therefore, it’s not about stretching everything out but instead it’s about mobilizing and being specific of the tissues you lengthen and shorten. Here is an example of Lengthening/Mobilizing Tissue. Sometimes working with a sniper rifle is better than a shotgun approach…
I
Integration- This is the holly grail of structural bodywork, hence the name structural “integration”. Not working with integration in the body is like having the most incredible surround-sound home theatre in the world but not knowing how to plug it in. The whole is greater than the sum its parts by far. Our systems are dependent upon efficient seamless communication in order to produce the BOOM effect we are shooting for from our equation. Here is an example of an Integrational Technique!
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Gravity- Ida Rolf (founder of Structural Integration) stated “Gravity is the therapist”. What she meant by this is that as a bodyworker, PT, personal trainer or anyone who works with the body, their goal should be to get the system in line so that when the patient/client leaves the office, their body perpetuates structural alignment. Imagine our self-care techniques, movement practices and therapists we see as helping us to set up our dominoes effectively so when we finish up, we can watch the show! The force of gravity pushing us down allows our bodies to push back up and out. This relationship is what permits function of every aspect of our body.
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Now-Simple enough right? This means the obvious of get started this moment as you’re reading this. Pay attention to the positioning of your body, location/fullness of breath, does your mind feel clear or filled with static? Every moment is an opportunity to move and think better. It is pertinent to understand and embrace this truth in order to see positive developmental results in yourself every day for the rest of your life! Here is a fun video to play with! How to Be Confident in Seconds