The body is always giving us information, whether or not we choose to attend to it is up to us. On many occasions in my life, I ignored nagging pain or discomfort, and often it evolved into something more. In a way, because I didn’t listen or pay attention to myself, the pain got louder or more apparent, and then I was essentially forced to stop and deal with the issue.

Through experiences like this, I created my own ongoing corrective routine to regain and maintain daily functional movement. Essentially, these are movements I need to do on a regular basis to offset the patterns of movement I do during the day so that my body functions optimally. For example, I ride my bike for a few hours most days when the weather is nice. Imagine how the muscles in the front of my hips become tight and short from being in this ‘seated’ position. If I complete my ride, hop in the car (essentially in the same physical position as cycling) and then go about my day, I eventually get tighter and stiffer in the front of my hips. However, if I include movements with hip extension, like a bridge, the muscles in the front of my hips are being asked to lengthen instead. By regularly moving my hips in the opposite direction for a period of time, the hip joints feel balanced and free to move in either direction optimally and I can remain upright with ease.

Corrective work is different for each person because what you do every day is different from me. What you require to function optimally is unique to you. If you sit all day, then you are much like the cyclist description up above. If you stand all day, or scrunch your shoulders up when you are worried about something, then there are other movements we do to offset these patterns and offer your body new choices.

The adventure begins when you notice the discomfort, tightening, stuckness or _________ (you fill in the blank). This is the beginning of awareness of the body giving you cues. ‘Hey there, it’s your low back here. I am feeling strained from leaning over all day in the garden. Right now I am just tight, but if you continue, I can’t hang on any longer and might move into a full blown spasm.’ As you explore this conversation between you and your body further, you will begin to notice subtle cues earlier and earlier so that you don’t have to move so far into the cycle of pain or discomfort.

I have accumulated a vast pool of corrective exercise tools through years of working alongside other experienced personal trainers, physical therapists, yogis, and from extensive continuing education like the NASM Corrective Specialist Certification and ACE Senior Fitness Specialty Certification. Many of these modalities overlap and there are fundamental similarities within each of these perspectives.

My primary intention in these sessions is to offer you a way to connect with your body in such a way that it feels attended to and heard, and then it can settle, release or let go and be free to move in all directions with ease. A trust is developed with this kind of communication, and the body will go further and expand more when it knows you will listen to it when it’s time to back off.

To find out more about private corrective movement sessions, click HERE.