How To Improve Your Posture

It is not enough to have a strong core alone. It is not enough to do just crunches and situps or just squats and lunges. Here are the different aspects when it comes to improving your posture and attain a stronger and healthier body.

Core exercises

Many people go for crunches and situps because they are straight forward. You cannot lift yourself if you don’t tense your abdominal muscles. So there is not much thinking and it’s all bout repeating it.

However crunches and situps, while they can strengthen your abs, can also harm your back and your neck.

Here are some suggestions of core strengthening exercises: mountain climbers, planks and variations, pressups and variations, hanging leg lifts.

Crawls. Besides the fact that they are safe on the back, they work your core (that includes your back) as well as the rest of your body….if done properly that is. That means hips down and knees close to the ground, among many other technical points. This is something I teach in detail in the videos in The Academy.

Another exercise is rope skipping. Can be fun and works your whole body.

Variation

While it is important to practice, or to repeat your core exercises, do not limit yourself to just 4 or 5 types. Anything in exaggerated amount can be detrimental.

And variation will also train your body in a multilateral way, meaning from different angles.

For example you may have a core workout that consists of exercises such as planks and pressups under many variations.

Another core workout can be crawls. They still workout your core muscles and actually they do it better, if you ask me.

And another can be hanging, hanging leg lifts, pulls ups and chin ups. Yes all these work your core, not only your arms.

Multilateral training.

Mobility and flexibility

Sure, now you have a strong core. But do you walk with your shoulders dropped forwards?

Or maybe you have tight hamstrings that may lead to lower back pain?

Or maybe you have tight hip flexors from all the sitting and so you bend from your hips and you butt sticks out slightly when you walk.

Many forget that a tight and closed up body will never have a good posture. It is not enough to be strong, you also have to look after your range of movement.

Mobility and flexibility is essential for health.

Alignment

Well, this wraps up everything. No matter how strong you are, how flexible and mobile you may be if you do not know the basics of body alignment there is no posture to talk about.

Aligning your body properly will also make ALL those exercises more effective.

How do you align your body? I explain everything in one of the Posture Masterclasses. I also explain why posture is so important for your health and happiness. At the end I take you through a guided visualization for posture alignment.

So watch it and practice. And if you need my advice, contact me.

What are Masterclasses?

Masterclasses are online webinars I hold regularly. Although they are free to attend from anywhere in the world, they are full of valuable content and practical information. I do not hold back. Check out the events page.

July 28, 2015

Posture. And The Message You Send Out

I remember one of my clients told me that the moment I shift the body weight onto one leg I change.

She noticed that when I balance my weight on body legs, stand grounded, tall and my body aligned I have a different attitude.

And she was right. The slightest body movement can send a different message. Sometimes those who receive the message are unaware of it, others feel it or even see it, either way it’s there.

Your body

The brain communicates with the body through nerves that send and receive information to and from anywhere in the body.

The nerves the body uses to send and receive information to and from the brain, all go through the neck and spine. Or should I say they come out, they originate, from the spine and then go everywhere in the body.

Your spine can be compared to a garden hose through which you have running water. If the hose is bent there is no water flowing, or very limited. The spine is curves but not bent.

Same goes with your neck. If the neck is not straight then those nerves will not be able to function optimally to send and receive information and so the reactions in the body will not take place in an effective way.

There is much more that takes place in your body as a consequence of your posture. For now just think that without nerves no much takes place in your body and if they don’t function properly it leads to many imbalances in the body.

There are mainly 2 kinds of people

Those who look down into the ground and compress the trachea which can restrict breathing. This position also encourages slouching which, in turn, leads to compressing the rib cage and internal organs. Pressure builds up.

Those who tilt their heads backwards and put a lot of strain on their spine. This also leads to slouching as the shoulders drop forwards.

This is very basic but you go the idea. What we need to find is a balance between the two.

That balance is the elongated, relaxed and aligned posture.

Your mind

In his studies and practice Frederick Matthias Alexander, as in the Alexander Technique, helped not only patients suffering from physical pain such as neck, shoulders and lower back but he also helped his patients suffering with depression by re-educating their manner of USE, the use they were using their bodies.

It is no surprise that posture affects physical wellbeing as well as mental.

When you are sad for example, all you need to do it change your stance and that changes your mood as well. These are your power stances.

When feel sorry for yourself, you slouch and look into the ground. But the moment you lift your head high and look ahead your attitude changes as well.

These are basic, simple examples. They work in probably any situation. Stand tall and confident and you will notice how your mood, your thoughts and emotions change almost instantly.

In self defense

In fact in martial arts and self defence among the first things they talk about is posture, how you walk and attitude.

You see, someone who walks with their head into the ground, hands in their pockets and slouching are seen as less confident and vulnerable and they often fall victims.

When you are confident on the inside, which can be influenced by your posture, you send out confidence.

In business

Here’s what you might be interested in more. Posture is body language.

In business, negotiations, when you speak in public, when you walk on stage, your posture is the first thing people see.

Actually they do not see your posture, what they actually see is your attitude and confidence.

They see the confidence you have in your own product and service or the words you speak.

What are you telling your audience? That what you do is the best or that you are not very sure whether they should buy from you or not?

Every moment of every day you send a message through your posture. What is the message you send out?

[tweetthis]Every moment of every day you send a message through your #posture. What is the message you send out?[/tweetthis]

For me, the journey to an improved posture started when I was 8 years old. That doesn’t make my posture perfect, no one has a perfect posture. However I know I do send out the right message.

Karate Shotokan, Daito Ryu, target shooting, archery, Latin American dancing and all the other sports I practiced since 1995 all require a good command of the body and mind. They also require confidence, power and mental strength.

And posture is where everything begins. As posture will determine the kind and quality of physical movement you engage in and what happens in your mind.

So posture for me, and for my clients, is number one. From the first day we meet my clients hear my talk about posture and every sessions after that.

How about you? Do you think posture matters in your business, profession and life in general? If you are unsure how to achieve a relaxed, elongated and confident posture I would like to invite you on a call with me.

There will be no pitching or selling, and I will take you through a guided visualization which will help you improve your posture. Here’s how you can book.

July 7, 2015July 7, 2015

Why I Am Not A Personal Trainer

Who would have thought that the knowledge about the body learnt after thousands of hours spent in the Dojo training for Karate competitions and teaching will be the foundations of my coaching today.

Everything from breathing, posture and meditation to developing a strong, flexible and healthy body as well as knowledge about bones, tendons and muscles were ingrained in me from an early age. All I needed to do is fill in the gaps through studying and experimenting on myself and form a complete system: The Merisoiu Technique.

So why am I not a Personal Trainer?

I was a PT for the beginning of my career in the health and fitness industry. As a PT I used to help my clients lose weight, tone up, get fit, gain muscle mass as well as nutritional advice.

I loved it. I loved it until I realized that I had so much more to give my clients. And I wasn’t. I couldn’t give what I wanted and the way I wanted. I wanted to transform my clients’ lives by addressing the foundations and personal development.

Now as a Coach I not only help my clients with their physical appearance and wellbeing but change the way they live their lives.

I don’t coach my clients to get fit and healthy for the summer, I coach them to be fit and healthy for the rest of their lives. And we do it by addressing the root cause of their imbalances and slowly changing habits, starting with the smallest ones.

My clients leave my programs with a lot of knowledge about their bodies and how they function. They receive intrinsic knowledge which they cannot learn from a book. This comes from years and years of experience. In essence it’s a Personal Development journey.

I wanted to introduce my clients to a new way of living life. So I transitioned from Personal Training to Transformational Coaching…outdoors

[tweetthis]I wanted to introduce my clients to a new way of living life.[/tweetthis]

The roots of The Merisoiu Technique

So when I created the system, The Merisoiu Technique, it was because my clients wanted to get fit, strong and powerful. However they also needed to understand how their bodies function, how to move soft and fluid and how to prevent injury as much as possible. And it was essential not to sacrifice the later for the former.

It was imperative for them to understand the difference between tension and relaxation, intentional movement, posture and balance and counterbalance. The Mindful Control component is where my clients learn to bring together or to align body, breath, and mind. And then to catapult their results we brought in the physical and psychological benefits and the freedom of training outdoors all year round. Benefits such as strength and emotional balance. And of course the nutrition and healthy habits part.

Finally, it became clear that my clients needed to have access to a complete system which would offer them the foundations they needed to live a healthy and fit life for the rest of their lives. Once you understand the basics of movement, posture, breathing, nutrition and Mindful Control then you actually become in control of your own life, for the rest of your life.

All in all The Merisoiu Technique involves coordinated movement, breath, and awareness, building a strong and fit body and learning how to implement healthy habits and nutrition. It’s about building the foundations of a healthy lifestyle and reclaiming your nature.

The principles of The Merisoiu Technique

The Technique covers five main areas of health and wellness:

Earthing

It is no coincidence that The Merisoiu Technique is an outdoors system of Personal Development which takes place all year round, be it hot, cold, freezing or rain.

I believe nature is the most powerful force. And when you train with natures elements you become as powerful as the elements. Well…almost as powerful. It’s perfection to strive for. However they do make your stronger than you have ever thought you could be.

One of the elements of The Technique that many are afraid of is rain and winter training. What many don’t realize is that this is your challenge, this is what shows how dedicated you are to the way, the path you chose.

And this is when you strengthen your body and mind, more than in any other season. Winter is the season of breakthroughs for all my clients. You make it through winter training with me, you make it through almost anything else.

Natural Movement

Natural movement was created by Movnat Founder Erwan LeCorre. It’s training and conditioning the body through movement such as lifting, throwing, hanging, crawling, balancing, running, walking. So you will find natural movement element in this system as well.

Fluid Movement

I have personally development a range of fluid movement sequences based on my experience in Martial Arts. Imagine Tai Chi but different.

Fluid movement can be done very slow, slow, fast or very fast, it can still flow. The Merisoiu Technique fluid movement sequences covers all.

Mindful Control

Here we pay close attention to posture awareness, breathing mastery, attention and focus, technique and discipline.

This component also includes mindfulness and meditation practices.

There is a touch of Alexander Principles in the Mindful Control component

Habits Transformation

This component addresses any habits in your life that keep you from getting fit and healthy for life.

In general, with my client, we focus on nutrition, food discipline, individual training routines planned weekly and meditations.

So you see, this is a complete system. It pays close attention to every detail of your life. From breathing to posture and daily movement.

Your training never ends in the forest we train, it goes beyond. You take this knowledge home with you and you transform your life. What I was doing as a PT could not be taken home, it was left in the gym and it was changing your body but it didn’t go much further than that.

If this sounds like something you desire I invite you to book a FREE call with me to go over the struggles you are facing and see what are the best options for us to work together.