Would you see the benefit in visiting a doctor who had forgotten everything they had once learnt at university? Of course not! We only trust doctors who have the ability to apply what they’ve learnt to each individual case. The truth is that education in isolation is of no benefit whatsoever, but when it is appropriately applied, real benefit is seen. What does this mean for you as an Optimum Personal Training client? It means that you will see the greatest benefit from our services at Optimum when you apply what is achieved in the gym, to the outside world. At Optimum we pride ourselves on providing more than just a workout. We see it as our job to also educate, so that you too can fully appreciate and understand the subtleties between good and bad movement.
Sure, when it comes to complex movement patterns and more advanced exercises, we believe they should only be performed under the supervision of a fully trained Exercise Physiologist. But many of the more basic yet fundamentally crucial movement behaviors can be reinforced on your own outside of the clinic. Whether it be standing tall with good posture while washing the dishes, maintaining neutral spine when working around the garden, or activating your glutes properly when getting out of your seat or climbing stairs, the onus is on each of us to apply our understanding regardless of our environment. Challenge yourself to look for opportunities to reinforce healthy movement patterns at home!
For a majority of Optimum clients, you spend between 2 and 5 hours a week exercising under the supervision of a trained Exercise Physiologist in the clinic. There are only so many exercises and movements that can be built into these sessions. What you do in the remaining 150+ hours that makes up a week represents the difference between maximizing what is achieved in the clinic, and opposing many of the postural and musculo-skeletal improvements you are making under the guidance of Optimum trainers.
Here are some easy tips you can follow to ensure what you are doing on a daily basis compliments what you do here at Optimum.
- Getting up from chair – Push through heels, squeeze buttocks
- Driving the car – keep shoulder blades anchored to the seat, avoid rounding shoulders
- Lifting around the house – Ensure you maintain a straight spine, bend at the knees
- Practice perfect posture –Pinching our shoulder blades back always ensures a healthier posture. Practice constant awareness of scapula position.
