Motion Is The Lotion
Injuries can hinder your return to regular physical activity, even after your body is fully healed. The lingering barrier stems from your fear of the pain inflicted by your injury.
Pain is a powerful force in human physiology. It sounds an “alarm” telling your body, “Something is wrong!” But a fear of pain can follow an injury and become internalized, and that pain becomes pathological.
Pain can also emerge despite no apparent injury. Back pain, for example, plagues millions. Yet, in many cases, there’s no physical root. The culprit is an internalized fear of perceived pain that’s become pathological.
There Are Two Kinds of Pain
Physiologic pain is protective and adaptive. It’s a signal from your body to your brain that “hey, something’s not right here.”
Pathological pain is nonprotective and maladaptive. It’s an internalized fear associated with a past injury or perceived physical ailment that causes you to “feel” pain that has no physical root.
For obvious reasons, pathological pain is incredibly detrimental. It holds you back from all manner of physical activity that your body is more than capable of withstanding.
How to Overcome Pathological Pain: Meditative Movement
“Change happens through movement and movement heals.”
– Joseph Pilates
Movement, or as Joseph Pilates refers to it, Meditative Movement, holds the power to physically energize your body, shift your outlook from negative to positive, and motivate you to action.
When practicing meditative movement, pay close attention to several factors…
== > Take note of the sensations your body’s feeling
== > Be aware of your body’s position in space, the shape you’ve formed into, and the area you’re occupying
== > Monitor your internal barometers, including subtle changes in your heart rate and breathing
== >And track the focus of your thoughts, noting where your mind goes as you execute your movements
Monitoring these elements can help you focus on your workout instead of concentrating on your fear of “perceived pain.”
All Forms of Physical, Mental + Emotional Exercise Involvement Movement And Connect Your Physical Body + Spiritual Being
Pilates and yoga – You work through a routine of physical movements.
Weight training – You move your limbs, contract and stretch your muscles and tendons, and pressurize your joints and bones to lift weights.
Cardiovascular exercise – You pump your arms and leg, which prompts oxygen intake that expands your lungs, and stimulates blood flow that activates your heart muscle.
Meditation – Your body relaxes and muscles release as you enter a meditative state. And that release helps your physical and spiritual being connect across all three planes of existence – bodily, mental, and emotional.
Facilitating Movement…
Is the most important aspect of my work as a personal trainer and Pilates instructor. I specifically design my workouts to get you moving, reaching further, and expanding your capacity as you complete each step in the routine.
Retraining Your Brain
“It’s the mind itself that shapes the body.”
– Joseph Pilates
Your focus trains your brain where to pay attention. Thus, focusing on pain trains your brain to prioritize pain.
Meanwhile, pathological pain is a false alarm. It’s like an accidentally tripped burglar alarm – The siren wails, but there’s no break-in. Yet, when this false alarm sounds, your internalized fear takes over.
To overcome pathological pain, you must retrain your brain to abandon its focus on the “false alarm” of perceived pain.
And focusing your attention on movements and sensations in areas that don’t hurt or when you’re pain-free is the key to retraining your brain.
Retraining Your Brain…
Is the purpose driving my workouts. My goal is to focus your thoughts on perfecting the steps in each routine, and bring your attention to your execution and form.
Train With Me One-On-One
Interested in private Pilates training or personal training, but hesitant because you’re struggling with chronic pain?
My workouts are customized to address your individual needs. We’ll work together to improve your physical fitness, ensuring you look and feel better, and ultimately help you become pain-free.
Ready to get started? Get in touch for a FREE CONSULTATION!
213.434.5550 | bobamaxx@yahoo.com