Chichester, UK
EQUIPOISE POSTURAL FITNESS - Creating the BEST YOU
Equipoise Postural Fitness
Equipoise Postural Fitness
EQUIPOISE POSTURAL FITNESS (EPF) is a postural training method scientifically designed by posture specialist Tim Goullet. The EPF method was created to develop PERFECT POSTURE by restoring ALIGNMENT, FLUIDITY AND STABILITY to the SPINE and POSTURAL MUSCLES. It is a synthesis of knowledge gained from his study and practice of OSTEOPATHY, MARTIAL ARTS and YOGA spanning some 35 years. The EPF method is unique in that it is PRACTISED ENTIRELY IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION with the legs aligned beneath the spine, apropos of their coupled evolutionary history. The main premise behind Equipoise Postural Fitness training is that standing upright with efficient ("good") posture is a SKILL which requires both TRAINING AND PRACTICE. Posture can't be changed long term with just one or two simple cues.
Spinal Alignment
Equipoise Postural Fitness
Voluntary movements while in vertical orientation are modulated and fine tuned by BALANCE MECHANISMS and POSTURAL REFLEXES. Their combined action helps to maintain equilibrium and keep our eyes level. This means adjustments made to alignment and posture while UPRIGHT are AUTOMATICALLY INTEGRATED within the NEUROMUSCULAR SYSTEMS of body. The practice of performing postural exercises in the UPRIGHT POSITION sets the EQUIPOISE method apart from other postural training methods.
Expert One to One Tuition
EQUIPOISE POSTURAL FITNESS training provides the ultimate complement to OSTEOPATHIC TREATMENT in the quest for pain free upright posture.
Benefits include -
- INCREASED HEIGHT
- LONGER NECK
- REDUCED HUNCHING OF SHOULDERS
- NARROWER/SLIMMER WAIST
- EXPANDED CHEST AND RIB CAGE
- BROADER SHOULDERS
- IMPROVED POSTURAL FITNESS
- STAND AND WALK FOR LONGER
- REHABILITATION FROM SPINAL INJURY
- POSTURAL SHAPE TRANSFORMATION
- INJURY PREVENTION
- ENHANCED PERFORMANCE
Tim uses his expertise to tailor movement sequences to the nuances of each individual's posture. Using a one to one approach ensures all movements are performed with a high level of precision so the best possible results are achieved. EPF training sessions can also be booked without osteopathic treatment although an initial assessment is recommended.
A Scientific Method
The EQUIPOISE Method has been developed respecting the incredible evolutionary journey of humans which culminated in the distinctive upright posture and bipedal locomotion of Homo Sapiens.
The posture of modern humans has been significantly impacted by an increasingly sedentary lifestyle with more time spent sitting in chairs and cars with a corresponding reduction in time spent standing and walking. Exercising with bad technique is another major cause of postural distortions, although this is largely overlooked as an aetiology.
The EQUIPOISE method uses whole body movements to restore and maintain POSTURAL EQUILIBRIUM. The method has been scientifically designed to rebalance the front and back, left and right and top and bottom aspects of the body. Using a methodical three dimensional approach, EPF training aims to "retune" opposing MUSCULAR VECTORS and restore SYMMETRY and balance to the SPINAL ARCHITECTURE and LIMBS. This systematic approach reduces POSTURAL DEVIATIONS and increases LENGTH along the body's VERTICAL AXIS.
EPF training can help with the following
EPF training can help with the following
EPF training can help with the following
Scoliosis
Hyperlordosis - "sway back"
Kyphosis posture - "hunchback"
Sunken chest
Rounded shoulders
Forward head posture
Frozen shoulder
Lower back pain
Sciatica
Intervertebral disc injuries
Neck/shoulder pain
Hypermobility syndromes
Alignment in children/teenagers
Hip and knee problems
Achilles tendon injury
Plantar Fasciitis
Bunions
Diastasis Recti
Postnatal recovery
Pelvic floor weakness
Breathing mechanics and associated conditions eg Asthma
Chronic aches and pains
Posture and Health
EPF training can help with the following
EPF training can help with the following
An efficient upright posture can bestow myriad benefits on our health and wellbeing -
- Better circulation
- Improved blood flow to the brain
- Increased lung capacity
- Improved health of abdominal organs
- Less pressure on the pelvic floor
- More efficient load transmission by the spine
- More balanced weight distribution in the legs and feet
- Improved biomechanics of hips, knees and ankles
- More efficient walking and running
- More energy - less fatigue
- Reduction in aches and pains
- Greater confidence
The Influence of Human Anthropology
EPF training can help with the following
The Influence of Human Anthropology
The spines of early humans evolved contemporaneously with the ability to STAND AND WALK UPRIGHT ON TWO LEGS.
BIOMECHANICAL INTEGRATION of spinal motion (mainly twisting) WITH limb motion empowered efficient locomotion, facilitated by the energy efficient fascial system.
WALKING IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE LEGS AND POSTURE IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE SPINE.
The evolutionary journey from "early" to "modern" humans involved the progressive modification of body parts from earlier ancestral forms. A gradual remodelling of the skull, jaw, rib cage, spinal geometry and limbs occured over millions of years to produce the DEFINITIVE MORPHOLOGY of an emergent new species - Homo Sapiens.
The survival of early humans depended upon their success as hunter gatherers and their ability to endure a nomadic lifestyle. Interestingly, BIPEDS are more efficient walkers than quadrupeds over long distances. Efficient POSTURE and LOCOMOTION were just as important in the evolution of modern humans as the development of big brains and language.
Improved shock absorption and balance to negotiate gravitational forces from a vertical position were integral to the quantum evolutionary leap from quadruped to biped.
The precision grip enabled by our thumbs and the FORWARD ALIGNMENT OF OUR BIG TOES for efficient locomotion are uniquely human traits.
Emotions and psychology
EPF training can help with the following
The Influence of Human Anthropology
The relationship between posture and emotions cannot be overstated. Our body language can at times convey more than verbal language.
After all, before language was developed early humans had to rely on forms of nonverbal communication to manage
interpersonal dynamics within a tribal setting.
Humans tend to display their emotional state , happy or sad, in the way they hold themselves - our "POSTURE."
Conversely, the POSTURAL SHAPES we adopt can affect the WAY WE FEEL. For example, standing/walking with a rounded back with a tendency to look downward is unlikely to engender feelings of positivity and happiness!
Could it be that improving your posture could also improve your mental and emotional well being?
Why not LOOK YOUR BEST?
No matter how much exercise someone does, it is ultimately the WAY THAT WE STAND which displays our physical condition. Is your posture making the best of all that hard work in the gym? As in the above picture, succumbing to gravity creates a LOSS OF HEIGHT due to excessive bending of the natural spinal curves. This tends to create the LOOK of a sunken chest, rounded upper back and distended abdomen which miraculously DISAPPEAR when healthy upright posture is restored. In some people bad postural habits can be attributed to an element of laziness or simply a lack of awareness. In other cases it can be closely linked with occupation or the repetition of misguided exercise technique. However the often overlooked (and sometimes unrecognised) cause can be SPINAL STIFFNESS which has never been released using corrective hands on treatment such as osteopathy or by corrective exercises. Falls as children can lead to spinal stiffness in adulthood. INJURIES SUSTAINED as children and teenagers while WE ARE GROWING can affect subsequent structural development. When we finish growing upwards, the body CONSOLIDATES INTO THE ADULT FORM. Structural imbalances then become embedded with potential to affect the body throughout life. Tim Goullet treats postural problems with both Hands on Osteopathy AND Postural Fitness Training to get the BEST POSSIBLE RESULTS.
The journey towards better Posture
Alterations in the body's structure (ie. the musculoskeletal system) and changes in posture are integrated with the reflex systems which help to keep us upright. The eyes and the inner ear play a vital role in these mechanisms. The nervous system has to "catch up" and adapt to structural changes - this happens "bit by bit" rather than "all at once" as changes to posture are made GRADUALLY.
There are essentially two methods of creating POSTURAL TRANSFORMATION -
1. Bodywork
(A PASSIVE intervention done TO you)
Where hands on manual therapy helps to soften and reshape the body and harmonize muscular, ligamentous and fascial tensions.
2. Postural Exercise Therapy
(An ACTIVE intervention done BY you)
Postural exercises performed with emphasis on good form with techniques to target problem areas.
As a general rule,STIFFER BODIES require more bodywork and FLEXIBLE BODIES require more exercise therapy.
Muscles can"t be made stronger by massage and stretching exercises have a limited effect on deep routed structural stiffness.
However, these two interventions are by no means mutually exclusive. Most bodies require and benefit from a combination of bodywork AND exercise. Deciding the BESPOKE RATIO for each individual is the key to success.
Endless hours of exercise may be the wrong approach to resolve a structural problem and ongoing manual therapy may be the wrong solution for a problem that can be better dealt with using exercise therapy and fitness training.
POSTURAL FITNESS CLASSES
EVENTS, CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS
THEORY INTO PRACTICE
The EPF method consists of 5 progressive elements -
- INTEGRATION
- ARTICULATION
- CONSOLIDATION
- RESPIRATION
- SYNCHRONISATION
CLASS FORMAT
The whole class is performed in the upright position.
Introduction
Postural "check in"
Breathing technique (Basic)
Rhythmic warm up
Main section
Integration of body parts
Articulation of body parts
Consolidation of body parts
Respiration Sequences
Synchronisation of movement sequences with breathing
Postural "Check Out"
Final section
Lying on the back -
Consolidation Phase
Respiration Phase
Relaxation Phase
EVENTS, CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS
EVENTS, CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS
Tim Goullet is now running Equipoise Postural Fitness classes in Chichester.