Memoirs of a fitness professional are first hand experiences that provide a behind the scenes stories that led our Personal Trainers in Calgary to a career in Health and Wellness.
Dear Club Synapse,
Today’s memoir is unique because it’s about something that is integral to anything and everything we do. It is something we perform unconsciously but can also direct consciously. Breathing, more specifically belly breathing, helps reduce stress and strengthen our core muscles. In turn, these muscles help support our body as we move throughout our day. When most people think personal training they usually think some form of physical activity – and breathing is no exception to this. I could tell you all of the reasons breathing is important, but would it really be a memoir if I didn’t share a story?
After teaching a class, one of my participants asked me about something we’ve all encountered: low back pain. After years of suffering, she was diagnosed with spinal stenosis and despite a complex surgery, bed rest and 3 months of relief her pain persisted. Whatever was causing her back pain wasn’t corrected through surgery. In order to determine how best to assist her, I asked her to lay down on the floor where I noticed her breathing was out of sync. After showing her some basic breathing exercises below she noted that for the first time in years her pain was diminishing.
Personal training is more than high intensity cardio or picking weights up and putting them back down. A modern, nuanced approach to personal training is therapeutic, looking at the body as an integrative system. The story I shared was a reminder that if even one cog in the wheel isn’t working properly, our entire system will be out of sync.
Yours truly,
Benjamin Smith, B.Kin
Synapse Movement Specialist
