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Injured? |
The
Alexander Technique will benefit anyone whether they are an elite athlete or
whether they just wish to live life without the aches and pains that many
people suffer and accept as part of life. |
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Sport and exercise should be an ideal way to keep fit and enhance the quality of life. However, conventional methods of training and exercise can actually restrict development and even cause injury. Why?
A method devised over 100 years ago identified factors influencing performance that have yet to be acknowledged by modern sports science. By learning and applying The Alexander Technique we promote poise and balance to transform the way we think and move, improving performance whilst reducing the risk of injury. This book examines the misconceptions embraced as truths by many of today’s popular training and exercise programs; questions methods that can actually limit potential; and how to make a start at improving performance without compromising health. This ebook contains a number of practical experiments allowing you to experience a freer, easier way of move. Put the theory to the test! order the ebook (instant download) “The
time I spent with Roy in the UK last year was both fascinating and
enlightening. With minimal effort he had me moving and standing comfortably and with minimal strain on my
body. He was able to get me to do a full squat without effort and with no discomfort, something I
hadn't done for years, if ever." My
sport leads to an increased muscular development on the dominant side
and secondary twisting strains
in the spine and pelvis. I have found that Alexander lessons have
enabled me to use my neuro-musculo-skeletal system more efficiently. I have fewer overuse injuries
and my recovery times after hard training sessions or competitions are
shorter."
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1. |
Throughout
this book I argue that conventional fitness programs could bring about
the opposite effect because they may be responsible for restricting
potential and leaving us susceptible to injury. The dominance of the
‘exercise culture’ in today’s sport and fitness world has taken
the joy of movement and spontaneity of action away from the athlete. We
are lead to believe that in order to improve our game or get fit we need
to spend more time doing exercises that often have nothing in common
with the natural movements or of those of our sport.
The
purpose of this book is to allow you to examine through practical experiments how a
different approach to training may aid improvement. I hope the knowledge
gained will help you to make a start at enhancing performance without
compromising your health. |
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It has long been accepted that if you want to get fit or achieve success you will have to be prepared to suffer. However, in place of blood, sweat and tears I believe we need to use a resource often ignored when it comes to sport and ‘use our heads’. In the process of trying to achieve an ambition, such as getting fitter, achieving success or shedding a few pounds, many seem to lose the ability to think rationally. We too readily accept advice and guidance from ‘experts’ with little or no credentials other than being a famous face or looking good on the front of a video sleeve. If you examine the majority of today’s popular exercise systems you may be surprised at the lack of scientific endorsements in spite of their impressive claims. |
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The idea that it is possible to enhance performance without trying harder may at first sound implausible because it contradicts the accepted belief that to improve we need to do more. Yet in the process of trying to push a little harder all but the most gifted athletes tend to engage the ‘wrong kind of effort’. By misdirecting energy we achieve the opposite to the desired result and succeed only in reducing efficiency and limiting further development. Performance may appear to be enhanced by some measures - but at a price. |
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We live and learn. The first time we perform an act, new connections are made between the brain cells firing at that moment to create a pattern. Through repetition of a movement the connections between the active cells become stronger. Neurologists refer to this process as neuro-facilitation, or more simply as nerves that fire together, wire together. A programme is created and stored in various centres of the brain enabling us to perform that action quickly without thought. However the process does not discriminate between good and bad movement and all actions are stored whether efficient or not. Every time we repeat a movement we get better at doing it in that fashion. Eventually it begins to feel right and we do not attempt to do it any other way. In the words of the sports coach we must remember that ‘practice makes permanent, not necessarily perfect!' |
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We have become entrenched in the exercise culture. The basic assumption made by those advocating exercise centuries ago has never really been questioned. We believe that to improve performance in one activity we must spend more time doing another. Activity for activity’s sake, otherwise known as exercise, has taken the place of participating in sport.....For most of us getting into shape involves a trip to the local gymnasium with its staggering array of equipment..... Today’s machines have made it possible to work individual muscles in isolation. Unfortunately, in the rush to develop the ultimate range of equipment, a vital factor in human development and movement has been overlooked. That is, no single movement involves either an individual or isolated set of muscles! Machines that work a muscle whilst ‘artificially’ immobilising or supporting part of the body, encourage ‘unnatural’ actions never to be repeated outside the gymnasium..........So how do we attain good movement in order to get into shape? First we need to establish what it is we have been doing to get out of shape, and then we have to learn to stop doing it before we attempt anything else! |
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The Alexander Technique is often misunderstood so it is best to start by stating what it is not. It is not a form of relaxation or a set of exercises to improve posture. Neither is it an alternative therapy, although radical it is entirely consistent with orthodox medical science and educational in nature. The Alexander Technique is a practical method for preventing interference with free movement.......If we can accept that repetition of good movement improves performance then we must recognise that the opposite is also possible. Training whilst injured, tired or even just pre-occupied can lead to poor quality movement and new inefficient movement patterns. |
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There is a brief moment before action when we have the ability to control our response, a sort of window of opportunity. Although we may wish to believe otherwise we rarely use this moment to our advantage. Instead we allow the response to be determined by an automatic and subconscious process. The successful outcome of all actions is dependent on factors that may, or may not, work in our favour....... If we can learn how to stop and think before we act, we can consciously make a choice to select and execute our response. We need to recognise the habit that leads to poor movement and what constitutes inappropriate preparation for that movement. |
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This chapter contains six practical experiments to help us experience the force of habit and how to make a start at breaking out of them. Whilst we remain a slave to habit, development will be limited. All efforts to improve performance will use the same attitude and approach with varying results. The challenge when attempting to change, is how to stop doing what we don't know we are doing. We can only reach our true potential when we learn to move beyond the confines of our comfortable and familiar habits. |
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Could being in
‘the zone’ involve a state of non-interference with movement? A
balanced state promotes optimum integration of the postural reflexes,
consciousness and appropriate use of learnt patterns. This could explain
why it requires years of practice before the zone is experienced.
Unfortunately because we are unaware of how we interfere with the
natural mechanisms, time spent in the zone is rare and brief. If we learn to first identify what it is we do to interfere, and then how to prevent it, we may increase our chances of making the zone. |
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This chapter contains a number of experiments involving running to help the reader experience alternative ways of applying effort. Running is an ideal symmetrical activity for keeping fit. However it is common for people to blame running for injuries rather than accept that it may be how they run that is at fault. We assume that to run is just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other with no specific skill required. Unfortunately, this is not the case as observing any group of runners can prove. What should be an ideal way to improve and maintain fitness is often the cause of many problems. |
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The answer to the question, does it work, is yes, but only if you apply it!.... Expectations in today’s world have been raised by advances in science with many believing a quick fix is available for any problem. Learning The Alexander Technique requires the pupil to take responsibility for their actions to address the influence of habit. To benefit, as with any other skill, a number of lessons are necessary..... The Alexander Technique is ideally suited to those with an interest in their health and sport, already dedicated to a life of personal development. |
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"The
more we concentrate on reaching the goal, the narrower our vision
becomes until eventually we lose our ability to reason. We can become so
fixed on the goal we start to neglect more important issues such as
health and family. Being able to take a step back to assess ambition,
attitude and approach is an essential task to ensure we are still moving
in the right direction. If circumstances change unbeknown to us, our
dream may no longer be appropriate or beneficial. To continue following
the same path to attain our goal risks limiting further development. On
realising an ambition if we have learnt nothing about ourselves along
the way we have missed out on the most valuable part. Real progress
comes from learning in the light of reliable experience........If we can
acquire the skill to recognise what it is we do that leads to poor
performance, in order to improve we just need to stop doing it. It is
unfortunate that so many with the motivation, determination and ability
to excel at sport are defeated by the very actions we are led to believe
are necessary for success. All our hard work and commitment can be
undermined in the fraction of a second before we react. A little
awareness can make a big difference."
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"There are many benefits to be gained from the vital freedom one can attain once the reliance on habit has been broken. Improvement to athletic performance is just one." |
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