About 3 years ago I started getting regular adjustments from my Chiropractor and good friend, Damian Kristof. At the time I was dealing with a lot of tightness in my body, some lower back and hip pain and also some residual knee pain, all from my career as a VFL umpire and years of not giving my body the types of exercise it really needed. Or at least balancing them out.
About one year after starting chiropractic I also got heavily into Yoga. I was no good at the beginning but still always felt great walking out of class. I felt like there was more length in my spine and I knew I had to learn more about it. I was quite strong at this point in my life. I had a coach I trained with 3 x Per week and I was pushing hard for an AFL career as a field umpire. I could squat with over 100kg on my back and pick up over 150kg from the floor in a deadlift. Yet when I woke up in the morning to put my shoes and socks on I could see my flexibility getting much worse. It was becoming a struggle.
My low back was tightening up and from time to time it would seize up if I moved poorly or sat for too long, I was also getting hip pain more and more often. So I took a step back from the weights, continued to be adjusted by my Chiropractor weekly and did a lot of Yoga. Eventually I decided to learn even more about Yoga and studied as a teacher. Currently I have done 270 hours of Yoga teacher training and am on the pathway to 500 hours later this year.
2 years on now I have absolutely no sign of knee pain, hip pain or low back tightness. In fact writing this here today I feel the most flexible that I ever have in my body to date. I have the flexibility to sit and meditate daily cross legged for up to 25 minutes. Something I never thought I would be able to do. I have the ability to effortlessly and easily find my way into advanced yoga poses and also advanced strength exercises. All with so much more ease than ever before. I can literally fold myself in half these days and have no limitations whatsoever anywhere in my physical body.
On top of the improvement in flexibility and mobility I also feel stronger than I ever have in my entire life. I can lift just as heavy as I was able to before and all with better core control and posture. My vitality and energy has gone through the roof, since taking a short break last year I am training more clients that I ever have before and feeling an abundance of energy in doing so. I am loving exercise and practicing a combination of Strength Training, Yoga, Pilates, Stretching, Meditation and Cardiovascular for approx 1-2 hours per day every day of the week. This feels effortless, energising and a really joyful part of my day.
My health and wellbeing has also improved enormously, I manage stress much better and my immune system is at the strongest level I have ever felt it.
So I write this article not to parade about how good I am feeling and the improvements I have made to my body over the past 3 years but to re-assure you that if you are reading this that I believe this too is possible for you, no matter how many injuries you have or how long you have had them for.
I have had many ups and downs working through these things over the past few years and I understand. I get it, it’s hard to get started and it’s not motivating when you think about all the things you need to do to heal your body in a natural and effective way.
Where I help my clients is to chunk this process down, make it simple and easy for them to do. So they can simply focus on what they need to do day to day to keep them heading in the right direction. And I have seen some big improvements in very short periods of time from using this approach.
I hope that you are having an amazing week and enjoying the beautiful Melbourne Summer weather.
Stay strong, stay motivated and stay disciplined.
I look forward to connecting with you soon