March 03, 2007
I hope this month finds you in good health and moving in the right direction towards your goals. One of my long-term goals is to make The Alexander Technique an automatic choice for sports people to help with improving their performance. As you will know I took a big step towards that recently with the publication of my book, Zone Mind, Zone Body. I have just loaded a free preview copy onto the website with the full introduction, a word from me plus extracts from each chapter. If you haven’t already got a copy you are welcome to download the free preview copy (it's a pdf file). It's got a link to a review and interview with book reviewer Norm Goldman.
In this issue we will look at the use of exercise machines. Nowadays they are not just available in the gym, even the high tech performance machines are now within the budget of many who choose to exercise at home.
But are they worth the expense? Do they do more harm than good?
Roy Palmer
In this issue
1. What is The Best Exercise Machine?
2. The Benefits Of Using A Rowing Machine
3. When Not To Use An Exercise Machine
4. I Need Your Help
1. What is The Best Exercise Machine?
Not too long ago an exercise machine usually meant a bike and they really weren’t much to write home about, noisy, limited in their functions and more often than not relegated to the corner of the bedroom and used as a coat hanger!The best exercise machine is ….the one you are going to use on a regular basis to help achieve your fitness goals. It you don’t feel motivated to get on your bike, treadmill, rower or elliptical trainer it may as well be a walrus teeth polishing machine sitting in your home!
For more advice on finding the most suitable machine for you see my Guide to exercise machines
2. The Benefits of Using A Rowing Machine
My personal favourite is the rowing machine. I find bikes a bit dull, dislike running on treadmills (okay, I admit it - I can't run on them!) and feel the movement of an elliptical trainer just a little too strange for my liking. Obviously this is a personal choice but I see the rower as the best all round machine for developing fitness and also, in my opinion, body awareness. To use a rower you have to be able to move in the right places such as your ankles, knees and hip joints to get a good return on your stroke. In addition to the obvious cardio-vascular workout, the rowing action also helps to educate us about how to use the torso and pelvis correctly. This will help to strengthen your muscles in the right places and in a coordinated way - no 'unnatural' muscle isolation here!
A rowing machine is also a safe way for back pain sufferers to train - when used correctly!
For help on correct rowing technique please click here
If you are considering buying or replacing an old machine and unsure about whether to get a hydraulic, air, water or magnetic rower please see my guide to buying a rowing machine
3. When Not To Use An Exercise Machine
Exercise machines are very useful. They can bring the road and the river into your house so you can run or row 10 miles without getting wet! But, and this is important, they should not replace the outdoors – they also do not replicate the natural movements of real running or rowing. They are great to use when outside conditions are hazardous and would prevent you from otherwise working out. Another advantage is you can use your machine in front of a mirror to assess your technique.
However, when the weather is fine why not run outside? Hire a boat? Or take the bike out?
Another downside of using a machine is the temptation to watch TV or read a book whilst on the bike. This reduces the benefits of the activity as you will not be in the moment and focused on what you are doing. Taking the mind out of the activity does not get the best results. So by all means use some of these excellent machines, but use them correctly, appropriately and above all consciously avoiding distractions that will turn your session into a dull and repetitive one.
Get into the moment and you will get into The Zone and this is where your training really starts to pay off.
4. I Need Your Help
I am developing a new program - an online postural assessment and corrective program. I intend to ask people to send in either video or photos of themselves in a number of positions and performing a specific set of movements. Following an assessment I will email back a personalised program to correct the postural imbalances I judge need addressing.Before I start to finalise the program I need 5 volunteers to take it for a test run so to speak. I need to know if it feasible and effective before I charge people for the service. In about two weeks I will send you instructions about how to do your photos and/ video for the assessment. I will then check your movement and posture and send you a set of procedures back. After two weeks of the program I would like you to answer a number of questions about your experience of the program and whether it helped.
If you are interested could you please fill out this form with your details. I would like to get a good cross section of people to give it a good test – you will need to be over 18. I will contact you within a week to let you know if you are selected.
Thank you in advance for your time.
Over and out
Have a good month and if you are in the northern hemisphere why not get out and enjoy the early spring weather, if you under the Southern Cross perhaps you will be needing those treadmills and rowers :0)
Regards
Roy