Rule 1:
Balance the 4 Elements of Physical Wellbeing
CORE | LENGTHEN | STRENGTHEN | SWEAT
Just as we need the 4 Elements of Life in order to exist, we also need to give attention to, what I call,
the 4 Elements of Physical Wellbeing.
Just as we can’t exist without one of the Life Elements. We will not exist efficiently without paying attention to all of
the 4 Elements of our Physical Wellbeing.
We need to
strengthen our CORE
LENGTHEN our muscles
STRENGTHEN our muscles
strengthen our heart and lungs through SWEATing
Just like anything in life, it is not about focusing on one thing, it’s about focusing on all aspects, being rounded, being balanced!
Balance doesn’t mean equal proportions, it relates to the balance that your body, mind and lifestyle needs.
So I have applied the inergi twist…..I have partnered up each life element with a physical wellbeing element
EARTH | AIR | FIRE | WATER
CORE | LENGTHEN | STRENGTHEN | SWEAT
1st ELEMENT
CORE STRENGTH | EARTH the grounding
This is your foundation, it incorporates all the muscles of your middle, from below your boobs to the start of your legs.
It is the key to good posture and efficient movement.
It’s the difference between building your house on solid level ground or on an unstable sinking swamp.
This is not about having a six pack, it’s about having a strong centre or middle.
Multifidus, rectus abdominus, internal and external obliques, transverse abdonminis, and the gluteal group of maximus, medius, minimus – all play a huge part in establishing a strong core. (the gluteal group I have added because I think it should be included!)
2nd ELEMENT
LENGTHEN MUSCLES | AIR the breath
This is to do with putting length back into your muscles, that have been shortened by the muscle contraction from exercise. We need to lengthen in order to maintain and/or increase the range of movement in our joints. Thus preventing the likelihood of injury and increasing our ability to perform life.
This comes about through breathing when we stretch, use rollers or other myofascial release tools and have a deep sports massage! We use our breath to bring relaxation and therefore, ‘peace’ to our muscles.
As we get older our muscle fibres loose elasticity, nature’s lubrication.
We need stretching and myofascial release techniques to combat the aging, and the atrophying (degeneration and literal shrinkage) of our muscles.
Keeping length and range in our muscular system takes the pressure off our joints. It helps eliminate the stiff joints concept.
Stretching, yoga, massage, rolling, the use of triggerpoint balls, other myofascial release tools, and pilates are all forms of lengthening.
Traditional Thai Massage is a very clever combination of pressure points and stretching…where a practitioner does it all for you!
I interpret it as ‘assisted yoga’! We all like a one stop shop!
3rd ELEMENT
STRENGTHEN MUSCLES | FIRE the burn
This is about having piece of mind that you are strong enough to tackle anything. This is where your confidence is built. It is in your ability to achieve life, that you begin to live life.
Traditionally this known in the gym environment as weight training or resistance training….Feeling The Burn
But f*k tradition… there are many ways to skin this cat.
This doesn’t have to be about lifting weights and loading your joints. The other way to increase your strength is by making the equipment, and the base that you are working from less stable and secure.
This concept means you engage your smaller deeper muscles as well as your bigger surface muscles… the lookers. It’s not so much about bulking up and looking ripped and more about your body working more efficiently as you have strengthened the stabilising muscles and well as the muscles that move your body.
It’s about function over aesthetics.
It is where we concentrate more on the ability of your muscles and the increased recruitment of all muscle groups. We will still gain tone and form but the primary focus is on function not just pure aesthetics.
WE do this by using equipment such as swiss balls, bosus, dura discs, balance boards, TRX, cables, GTS machines, kettle bells, medicine balls, slam balls, bands, tubes, rollers.
Combining single, alternating, rotational, lateral BI and UNI movement and you are also incorporating the 3rd Rule of inergi : Rule STYLE…the matrix dimnesions.
4th ELEMENT
SWEAT | WATER the sweat
This element means you can do more of LIFE … for longer.
It’s about your heart and your lungs and your ability to get oxygen to your working muscles.
This is about increasing your heart rate, putting yourself in the hurt box, being out of breath to the point of sweating | perspiring.
The by-product of sweating …. you are burning calories, you are kickstarting your body’s function, your metabolism. You have turned the key and put your foot on the accelerator and we all know how good that feels….the end result the production of ENDORPHINS….the body’s natural pain killer….sedative… and SEROTONIN… the body’s happy drug, the natural sense of EUPHORIA!, and who the hell doesn’t want THAT
BUT WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN…
Depending on where you are in life, the ratios will vary between each element. Like I said BALANCE doesn’t mean equal parts, it means required needs. Looking at what your body needs in relation to age, time, lifestyle, commitments and goals.
As you would have noticed I have given the elements a hierarchy, and this is in relation to the MIDIs, 40, 50, 60 YOs. So if you are limited by time, this is the priority your training session should take.
We need to start with a strong core , base from which we can build.
Then we need to give ourselves mobility through increasing our range and ability lengthen.
Then we strengthen to give us capability. These two are definately interchangable…DISCLAIMER ALERT
Then we can focus on sustainability, doing more for longer sweat !
We now, have a strong base and strong muscles and have the capacity to DO and BE, with hopefully no injuries, just pride and confidence.
You can of course kill two or three birds with one stone and combine the elements in one session!
HOW: inergi on demand IS COMING SOON……