Mind Body & Soul
Callanetics
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Are you bored with your regular gym work-out? Sick of following a fitness instructor in the back of a crowded studio? Looking for an exercise routine that can reduce your dress size but requires no more equipment than a kitchen chair?
Tracey Habron brims with vibrancy and health, and she does body callanetics. Never heard of it? Well, neither has the rest of the world. We’ll let you in on the secret now.
Callanetics is a gentle but effective exercise routine that originates from the world of dance. Its founder, Callan Pinckney, was trained in classical ballet and designed a series of exercises to tone her body while rehabilitating from a back injury. Callanetics is therefore a no-impact exercise and appropriate for any age or fitness level.
A routine lasts for only an hour. You might begin with some exercises to release tension in the back and the neck. These exercises gently stretch and soothe tight muscles and prepare you for the work-out ahead. The instructor will then go on to work individual parts of the body. One thing you will notice with callanetics is that most exercises feature small pulses or contractions of the muscles rather than lots of sweat and movement.
But how does it work? Isometric movement is the key to callanetics. Just as an example, grasp your palms together and push against them. Keep pushing for a full minute and you will see that, although nothing is moving, your arm muscles are working hard!
Isometric movement occurs when we carefully flex and pulse different parts of our bodies in small, precise movements. That’s the beauty of callanetics – there is no equipment to speak of; no need for gym memberships or expensive clothes.
Instead, students perform these small, regular pulses that work with the body to tone and lift, as compared to working against our bodies as we do when we strain to lift heavy weights. When we lift weights we contract and shorten our muscles. When we do isometric exercises like callanetics, we elongate our muscles.
By targeting the deeper muscles at the body’s core, posture is improved which makes for a longer, leaner profile. Other benefits include a flat stomach, shapely, peach-shaped behind, and toned legs.
Tracey was introduced to callanetics whilst overseas and was impressed with the way it reshaped her body. Although not a skinny person, she felt confident and toned wearing her bikini on the beach.
She now instructs callanetics to small groups of students. The exercises are so gentle that students often try to do too much on the first day, not realising that they will feel the effect the next morning! In just ten hours of callanetics, there can be a visible toning and lifting effect.
Tracey has personally seen the results in her students. She compares high impact activities with callanetics and finds that her students return home from a callanetics session and have energy to burn, instead of feeling exhausted and depleted.
Callanetics may be offered in your area. Tracey offers a series of DVDs to follow at home. If you are tired of the same old work-out with the same old results, try something that maximises results while minimising effort – try callanetics today!
For classes in the UK and teacher training - see http://callaneticsuk.com
