Katie Byrne: When it comes to movement, why is there a prevailing idea that faster and stronger is always better?

More to the point, why do we glorify intense forms of fitness – the spinning class that breaks you out in a sweat; the gruelling CrossFit class that leaves you gasping for breath – over gentler forms of movement that are kinder to the body? The health and fitness industry has become more holistic in recent years but the ‘no pain, no gain’ philosophy has remained stubbornly entrenched. Indeed, even yogis are getting themselves into a tangle trying to perfect Instagram-worthy poses. In a #TrainHard world, we tend to think of lower-impact movement as a form of stress-relief. We walk to clear the mind; we sign up for a Tai Chi class when work becomes overwhelming. And it’s true: lower-impact movement calms the mind, but what we forget is that it also helps us get in touch with the body. When movement becomes an endurance test, we are less likely to hear what the body is trying to tell us. And when we prioritise fast and furious forms of movement over gentler and more mindful movement, we miss an opportunity to gain greater body awareness. As an example, try doing a few quick arm circles with your right arm, covering… Read full this story

Katie Byrne: When it comes to movement, why is there a prevailing idea that faster and stronger is always better? have 296 words, post on www.independent.ie at January 7, 2019. This is cached page on xBlogs. If you want remove this page, please contact us.