Ease & Flow…

Always, always, I would vote for ease & flow, above pure strength – what I see as a current trend around exercise & fitness. For me, some of the strength is disproportionate to people’s body types, ignoring flexibility which is what keeps our bones & skeleton free to move as was intended. Strong – read as tight -muscles, will often lock the skeleton & prevent easy movement, leaving you only one option… pure strength.

The body is designed to move freely & easily, so to ‘allow’ that, taking our skeletal frame & muscle bulk into account, we will need a different mix of strength, flexibility & movement as our bodies will respond at different rates. I’m always thinking longevity, so I ask the question ‘is what we are doing sustainable?’ & can we ‘check in’ to ensure that we keep our approach to our bodies updated, so that what we’re doing is serving us best.

As most of you know, I have a background in dance, but have also spent years doing Alexander & Feldenkrais (& exploring the impact on the brain of both of these – deep, very deep!), along with many styles of yoga… I make a lot of noise about flexibility, as it has been something I’ve seen soo many students & clients ignore, but I totally accept that we each need to find what we love, what fits into our lives & balances out our bodies & our lives… And we may be limited by resources of all sorts…

However, if you keep in mind ‘ease & flow’ & longevity, that should stand you in good stead! Best of luck!