Beyond the Core to Whole Body

64 Pages·2014·3.95 MB·English

Beyond the Core
to Whole Body
by Carolyn Richardson PhD
gravityfit.com
gravityfit.com
GravityFit:
Beyond the Core
to Whole Body
Carolyn Richardson PhD
GRAVITYFIT: BEYOND THE CORE TO WHOLE BODY
Beyond the Core to Whole Body
ISBN: 978-0-9806382-1-9
Copyright © GravityFit Pty Ltd 2014
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of the publisher.
Copyright © GravityFit Pty Ltd 2014. All rights reserved.
gravityfit.com
Preface
Low back pain is an increasing problem in modern
society. During the 1990s and early 2000s, our
Physiotherapy Research Team at the University
of Queensland developed effective diagnosis and
treatment strategies for the rehabilitation of low
back pain. The focus of this ‘Motor Control’ exercise
approach was to use specific exercise techniques to activate and
facilitate the Core muscles, so that they could function as a single unit
to stabilise and protect the lumbo-pelvic region.
Over the years, attempts have been made by others in the health field
to transfer these ‘rehabilitation’ techniques to more general exercise
programs to increase athletic performance and prevent conditions such
as low back injury and other musculo-skeletal injuries in sport.
As a result, many different types of abdominal ‘bracing’ manoeuvres
have been developed. Unfortunately these techniques have, in general,
been ineffective and unsuccessful in preventing low back pain and other
musculo-skeletal conditions in the active population.
The unprecedented increases in ‘musculo-skeletal’ healthcare costs
occurring in the 21st century have been caused, not only through people
becoming sedentary and overweight, but equally by many very active
and otherwise healthy individuals, who, unknowingly, are not using the
most appropriate methods of exercise to prevent these conditions.
The GravityFit Exercise Model (GFEM) has been developed to explain
and guide the process of improving bone and joint health for the whole
body and maximising overall muscle performance.
The GFEM was based on Space (microgravity) research which showed us
that being in a ‘weightless’ environment (with no gravity), people can
exercise vigorously every day and still experience deterioration in their
muscle, joint and bone health (including muscle wasting, low back pain
and osteoporosis).
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From further research on the neuroplasticity (ie changing function)
of the nervous system, which occurs when the body loses the feel
(or ‘sensory’ effect) of gravity, it has been possible to develop a new
paradigm for the process of joint degeneration and pain. The GFEM is
based on this paradigm and aims to reverse the muscle imbalance and
changes to the nervous system caused by a loss of Gravity Sensory
Information to the body.
The GFEM promotes muscle, joint and bone health and extends the
Core Stability concept to the whole body. More specifically, the GFEM
is designed to develop strong bones as well as strong, fatigue-resistant
muscles to support and stabilise the spine and other joints and enhance
overall muscle performance. It therefore aims to prevent injury and
other painful conditions that occur with age and living each day with the
forces of gravity.
This book provides a general introduction to GravityFit and forms part of
a wider educational program devised to reduce the incidence of chronic
musculoskeletal conditions, improve community health and improve
overall physical performance. It explains the development of the GFEM
and its underlying principles and then gives specific examples and practical
advice on taking responsibility for your own musculoskeletal health and
becoming GravityFit (including the GravityFit Walking Program).
Education on the GravityFit Exercise Model and the benefits of
GravityFit will be disseminated throughout the community – visit the
GravityFit website at www.gravityfit.com to find more information
regarding our education and training programs.
I hope you enjoy learning about the GravityFit Exercise Model on your
way to being fit for Gravity Fit for life.
Carolyn Richardson
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Copyright © GravityFit Pty Ltd 2014. All rights reserved.
Acknowledgements gravityfit.com
The GravityFit Exercise Model was developed over many years, starting
with my PhD in 1987 (UQ) which studied exercise in relation to Gravity
and the ‘sensory effects’ of Gravity on human muscle function.
For this, special thanks to Professor Margaret Bullock, my mentor
and PhD supervisor; Associate Professor Yvonne Burns and Professor
Vladimir Janda, for guiding me with their extraordinary knowledge of the
human sensory-motor system; and Prue Galley who encouraged me to
do my PhD, when it was not common in Physiotherapy.
The development of new exercises for Low Back Pain resulted in
the text: Richardson CA, Hodges PW, Hides JA (2004). Therapeutic
Exercise for Lumbopelvic Stabilisation: A Motor Control Approach for
the Treatment and Prevention of Low Back Pain, 2nd edn. Edinburgh:
Churchill Livingstone
For this, special thanks to Professor Julie Hides and Professor Paul
Hodges; past PhD students, Joseph Ng, Ruth Sapsford, Sally Hess, Alison
Grimaldi, Daniel Belavy, Soraya Pirouzi, Joanne Bullock-Saxton, Gwen
Jull, Kevin Sims; and members of the UQ Joint Stability Research Team,
Rowena Toppenberg, Quenton Scott, Sue Roll, Helen Flemming, Linda
Blackwell, Chris Hamilton and Warren Stanton.
Space Research with the European Space Agency (ESA) allowed us to
demonstrate the importance of Gravity for human health, by studying
human muscle function when the effects of Gravity were removed
(i.e. microgravity).
For this, special thanks to:
l Professor Chris Snijders of the Netherlands, for his wonderful,
innovative Biomechanical research and for including me in ESA’s
Topical Team of International researchers studying Low Back Pain
in Astronauts;
l Benny Elmann-Larson for providing the incentive for us to become
involved in Space Research;
iii
l Dr Daniel Belavy, my former student, for his mastery of research
measurement techniques and continuing involvement in ESA’s Space
research program; and
l Dr Steve Wilson, our brilliant Biomedical engineer.
Most importantly, thanks to my good friend and colleague, Dr Julie
Hides, who has changed the rehabilitation of low back pain with the
introduction to the world of real-time ultrasound in therapeutic exercise,
and whose research is continuing to lead the world in the management
of low back pain.
And finally, a special thanks to Shane Watson, for helping to put this
book together.
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Copyright © GravityFit Pty Ltd 2014. All rights reserved.
TAblE oF ConTEnTS gravityfit.com
PART 1: The GravityFit Exercise Model 1
1. Gravity and your Health 1
Introduction 1
The role of muscles in gravity 2
2. The Antigravity Muscle System:
Countering the Effects of Gravity 4
Movement muscles 5
Antigravity muscles 6
Antigravity Kinetic Chains (AKCs) 7
The Spinal AKC 9
The Stable Core 11
3. Gravity Sensory Information:
optimising the Antigravity Muscle System 12
Gravity Sensory Information (GSI) 12
4. A new paradigm: How decreasing GSI
causes joint degeneration and pain 17
Situations, exercises and activities
on Earth that decrease GSI 17
Muscle Imbalance and Gravity Related
Medical Conditions (GRMCs) 20
Process of Joint Degeneration and Pain 21
The basis of the GravityFit Exercise Model (GFEM) 23
5. The GravityFit Exercise Model (GFEM) 25
GravityFit Exercise Model (GFEM) 25
Elements of the GravityFit Exercise Model 26
PART 2: Applying the GFEM in Practical Ways
to Improve your Core body Strength 29
1. Maintaining a Strong and Stable Spine 30
v
A. Maintaining the neutral Spine Position 30
b. Maintaining the Stable Core 32
The Antigravity Postural Cue 34
2. lifestyle Activities and Exercises
to improve your Core body Strength 36
SPInAl AKC and STAblE CoRE Activities 38
(1) Standing Upright 39
(2) Sitting Upright 40
(3) Sitting leaning Forward 41
(4) Standing leaning Forward 41
Increasing GSI for the Spinal AKC and Stable Core 42
SPInAl AKC, STAblE CoRE and loWER lIMb
AKC Activities 43
(1) Walking 43
(2) Getting in and out of low chair 43
(3) lowering the body towards the ground 44
(4) Climbing activities 44
Increasing GSI for the Spinal AKC, Stable Core
and lower limb AKC 45
SPInAl AKC, STAblE CoRE and UPPER lIMb
AKC Activities 46
(1) Pushing down activities 46
(2) Pushing forward activities 46
(3) Pushing up activities 47
Increasing GSI for the Spinal AKC, Stable Core
and Upper limb AKC 47
3. The GravityFit Walking Program 48
The Program Steps 49
APPEnDIX 1: About the Founder 54
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Copyright © GravityFit Pty Ltd 2014. All rights reserved.
Part 1: The GravityFit Exercise Model gravityfit.com
1. Gravity and your Health
InTroducTIon
With increasing community understanding that being overweight and
sedentary is closely linked to disorders such as cardiovascular disease
and diabetes, most people realise that regular physical activity and
general exercise are essential for health and wellness.
However, just being active is not enough to prevent other types of
medical conditions, particularly those related to bone and joint health.
In fact, conditions such as chronic low back pain, osteoporosis (a loss
of bone density and strength) and osteoarthritis (deterioration of
joints such as the hips and knees) are increasing at such a rate in the
industrialised world that the World Health Organisation designated the
years 2000 – 2010 as the Bone and Joint Decade and has now continued
this initiative indefinitely.
The GravityFit Exercise Model (GFEM) is a new exercise concept
based on Space research to optimise bone and joint health as well as
providing excellence in physical performance. It focusses on improving
Core Body Strength, which ensures strong bones, stable joints and
a co-ordinated muscle system to support our bodies against the
compressive force of Gravity. It was developed by Professor Carolyn
Richardson who pioneered the Core Stability concept which is now the
foundation of modern exercise training (see Appendix 1 for further details
on Professor Richardson).
The GFEM takes Core Stability to the next level through sensory
feedback and postural awareness focussing on whole body well being.
This is accomplished by activating the Anti-Gravity muscles through
three Anti-Gravity Kinetic Chains which are interlinked through the
central Stable Core. This significantly enhances stability of joints and
strength of bones as well as minimising risk of injury and improving
overall muscle performance.
1