Central Park + Snow + Morning Run

The simplest concepts are often the most effective. My hope is that this one provides you with a life-long tool to move and feel much better....with an understanding of WHY.

My moments of insight often appear when I go for run. For the first time in 701 days, we finally have an inch+ of snow in NYC. Central Park is gorgeous in the snow! I had to go for a run this morning, which I absolutely enjoyed. While taking in the stunning scenery and amazing energy of 'nature' in NYC, I felt that I was holding tension is my neck and shoulders. I sensed my body could be moving more effortless and efficiently.

The insight that came to mind was to simply RELAX any muscle that was holding tension. 

• I began paying attention to my arms and noticed that they were tense; I shook them out and they softened. 

• Next it was my stomach. We often hold WAY too much tension in our abs (is that 'bracing' at all times cue really optimal??). This can create a flexed posture (picture below), limiting the space of our internal organs and breathing capacity. Paying attention to this allowed me to recognize how much tension I was holding in my stomach muscles, and relax them. 

• Lastly, it was the muscles in my neck; same thing.

The AMAZING experience I had running as a result:



Once I recognized and relaxed the muscles that were too tight in my body, the compensations (muscle imbalances) I had felt at the beginning of my run began to dissipate. More than that, my breathing became fuller, body felt lighter, and my stride naturally opened up (improved coordination between arm and opposite leg). My run had become increasing efficient and effortless.

Why did relaxing my muscles help?

One of the insights of my teacher, Dr. Andrew Buser, is that the Anti-Gravity Kinetic Chain (similar to Myers Deep front Line, below), the postural set of muscles which create the body's structural scaffolding are subcortically driven; meaning they lay below conscious control.

For example, we can consciously contract our biceps when asked to flex our arms; we can tighten our stomach when told to brace our abs. Can you tighten the muscles of your inner thighs, inner groin, or deep front neck muscles without moving? These postural muscles hold our bones in the right position, in both static posture and dynamic movements, and have the effect of creating proper space within our joints and organs. The one way we use conscious control with Postural Therapy is to RELAX any superficial muscle that we are holding too tight (usually without noticing it).

The superficial mover muscles (ie. Superficial Front, Back, and Lateral Lines), those that get us form point A to B (the ones that look good on the beach) can have the effect of inhibiting the deeper muscles from doing they're job properly when recruited out of order, creating compression in our joints and organs. By holding too much tension in my arms, neck, and abs, it prevented my body from naturally breathing fully, running properly, etc - and simply relaxing these muscles allowed the Anti-Gravity Kinetic Chain muscles to work as designed, promoting that spring in my step, bouncy feeling with more optimal posture and function.

Have Fun Trying This:

• Go for a walk and simply notice how you feel.

• Next, tune into your arms.....are you holding any tension there? If so, let it go. Do the same thing with your stomach, neck, and anywhere else where you're typically tight.

• After five minutes of walking with the superficial muscles relaxed, simply ask yourself the following questions:

• Has my breathing changed at all?

• Is my stride length any different?

• Am I noticing any change in my posture?

• Do I feel heavy or light?

Perhaps there was a change, perhaps not (there's a logical reason for both), which is the basis of a longer discussion/article. Either way, simply tuning into any additional tension you might be holding and letting it go can have profound positive long-term effects in how your feel and move.