loading muscles where typically you don’t have very much leverage, so your muscles are doing all of the work; yet some moves might be overloading to certain people’s joints.” Fitch claims the overall result is increased muscle endurance. He cites a study published in the journal Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism of women that found whole-body, aerobic resistance training like what’s applied in his program supplies a cardiovascular workout similar to endurance training, but with the added benefits of in- creased balanced muscle strength and perceived enjoyment. “I call it body balance, working
your body as a unit,” Nordmark says, citing pushups, which activate specific muscle groups, as a more traditional ex- ample. He notes, “I think it gives people a more natural and attractive look than bodybuilding, more like dancers or even martial artists or gymnasts.” Working out like animals keeps human cores activated, especially when combining the exercises together for a sustained routine. In addition to tightened abdominal muscles, it boosts
“Even if you think you are in shape and do it for a
minute, you’ll be amazed at how much more of a workout your arms get.”
~ David Nordmark on “the bear crawl” exercise
calorie consumption and leads to en- hanced core and overall strength. Fitch points to a relevant study of college football players that demonstrated the strength connection, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Pire concurs that sustained exercises at a moderate range, as with animal workouts, is an effective calorie burner. Firming up a flabby middle also works to improve balance, as another study in the same journal showed, involving sedentary women performing fitness ball exercises. Moving the body in many direc- tions in intense, but flowing, almost dance-like workouts, naturally improves
stability, agility, flexibility and balance, as exhibited in the animal kingdom. “Challenging the body as it moves in all directions uses the body the way it was intended to be used,” maintains Fitch. Nordmark also points to similarities in yoga poses resembling animal postures that have contributed to physical and spiritual health for millennia. Nordmark and Fitch believe that animal themes provide many more bodyweight movements that can keep workouts fresh and be mastered for life, keeping bodies strong and func- tional as people age. “If you meet an old bear in the woods, he’s not walk- ing around with a walker,” Nordmark observes. “He’s still a formidable ani- mal, and you don’t want to mess with him.” Plus, adds Fitch: “The workouts are great fun.”
Watch animal moves in action at
Tinyurl.com/AnimalFlowVideo.
Freelance journalist Debra Melani writes about health care and fitness from Lyons, CO. Connect at Debra
Melani.com or
DMelani@msn.com.
natural awakenings
November 2013
47
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