Preventative Medicine

Over the last twenty years mind/body practices and alternative therapies have moved closer and closer to the mainstream. Today, yoga centers rival gyms for membership. Walk past many parks in the early morning and you are likely to see groups of people doing tai chi with its beautiful flowing patterns. Disciplines that integrate these practices into our daily lives have paved the way for a new field of integrative health. Better self-awareness is a key to the future as we confront an ever more certain health care crisis. At The FitzGordon Method we offer people the message that the more we know our bodies and the way they work, the easier it will be to stay out of the doctor’s office. A taste for softer and more reflective exercise has fueled this interest. As our health care costs soar and the crisis looms larger upon us, preventative medicine must become the paradigm for the next century.

The Psoas as Pulley

Mechanically the body is a series of arches, hinges and pulleys.

The psoas fits in the mechanical model acting as a pulley as it curves over the front rim of the pelvis on the way to the femur. This serves to multiply the force generated when the iliopsoas contracts. Its alignment determines whether or not it can be employed this way successfully.

The power of its psoas is based on its placement. In and of itself the psoas will not live where it should. There are muscles that, when properly toned, allow the psoas to be perfectly positioned. When in this position the psoas provides powerful support for the spine all the way up to the head.

The key again is its proper placement. In physics, pulleys are pretty simple systems design to make lifting a supporting easier through the intervention of the pulley itself. A 500lb weight is not coming off of the floor with just my hand lifting it, but if I tie a rope to it and run that rope through a pulley attached to the ceiling, the weight will come off of the floor rather easily.

It is important to note that the psoas attaches on the back half of the inner thigh. If you are standing with your feet parallel, not too far apart, and your thighs back and under the pelvis you should have the sense of the psoas connecting to the inner thigh which will be in the back half of the body. Turn the feet out, tuck the pelvis under moving the thighs forward and see where the connnection of the psoas moves to. It goes to the front plane of the body. When this happens there is no longer any tension created by the pull of psoas over the rim of the pelvis. As a result you don’t get benefits that could be derived from the support that could be offered by the pulley action of the psoas.

As a simple test see if you can feel the difference in the spine with the butt tucked under and the feet splayed out versus the sticking the butt out and turning the feet in. There should be two very different feelings as a result. Try to tune in to which is more supportive.

Another Link

Not a lot of blogging lately as we wait for the second child to arrive but hopefully you will find this fun.

Swan Lake

Links

Here are a few youtube finds that are fun to check out.

Seven Year Old Gymnast
Here is a seven year old doing things that seven year olds shouldn't be able to do.

Crazy Handstands
Just like the title suggests.

Canadian Gymnast
Jackie Bender in a quasi arty compilation of amazing movement. Check out the head jumping thing.