If there is a most important part of the body it would be the spine, an extension of the central nervous system (CNS) which includes the spinal cord and the brain. Everything else in the body stems out from the spine.

In a fitness context, people usually categorize the body into different muscle groups, but that is a flawed approach which leads to training the body parts as isolated muscle groups. This trains you to rely on muscle dominant movement patterns instead of using the whole body as a system through which spinal dynamics and coordination are fundamental. We’ve trained many athletes who were unable to express maximal strength and power simply because they were too muscle dominant and didn’t understand how to use spinal dynamics and harmonious body coordination to move effortlessly and explosively.

Body coordination stems from the spine. If your spine is flexible and you understand how to move from the spine, the limbs will work properly. The limbs are just an extension of the spine. Problems occur when your spine is rigid and you become accustomed to using the limbs to create leverage. That is how the majority of “fitness people” have been groomed to move, as a result of the way exercise machines and common exercise routines limit movement complexity and gradually “dumb” the body down.

The human body is the most sophisticated machine on the planet. Muscle development should be a natural consequence of a proper movement development process, one that is rich is diverse, complex, natural movement which forces you to move the spine. Everyday should be ‘spine day’ whether you’re training at the gym, the beach, the park, or at home.

To combat and supplement the ‘spineless’ approaches to fitness, we’ve been offering a class at 11:15 on Saturday mornings at Grand View Beach Hotel called “Spinal Health & Longevity” specifically designed as a beginner/entry level approach to restore flexibility and coordination to the full spinal column. Come and try our class, or reach out to us to see how we can help you get your spine moving again the way it’s supposed to move.

No matter what, make sure that every day you are moving your spine. Remember, you’re as old as your spine!