Five Reasons To Learn The Alexander Technique
You may not have heard of The Alexander Technique, but this innovative system of movement re-education could work wonders for your sport. The benefits are many, but how can a technique developed by an actor as long ago as the 1890s help you? Here are five reasons why you should seriously consider learning this remarkable, yet underrated technique.
1. Reduce The Risk Of Injury
There’s nothing quite as frustrating as an injury that stops you playing the sport you love; with the exception of a recurring injury! Most sports injuries are due to overuse of certain muscles due to poor technique and movement. Lessons in The Alexander Technique will show you how to move with much less effort dramatically reducing the stresses and strains you unknowingly place on your muscles and joints.
2. Improve Your Technique
As you learn how to eliminate inappropriate muscle actions with the technique, your coordination and timing will improve. I see many athletes fail to reach their potential because of poor body control. For example, many players unknowingly use excessive effort to run with the effect of contracting muscles that should be letting go to facilitate coordination and develop power. This is a bit like trying to drive your car with the brake on, that is, it does nothing for efficiency and increases the wear and tear on the mechanics. Many people I work with are amazed at just how much harder they've been making their sport than it needs to be.
3. Get A Better Posture
One of the most obvious outward benefits of learning The Alexander Technique is improvements in your posture. This is really a side-effect of better coordination and movement as your muscles will release and stop pulling your body out of shape.
There’s nothing quite as frustrating as an injury that stops you playing the sport you love; with the exception of a recurring injury! Most sports injuries are due to overuse of certain muscles due to poor technique and movement. Lessons in The Alexander Technique will show you how to move with much less effort dramatically reducing the stresses and strains you unknowingly place on your muscles and joints.
2. Improve Your Technique
As you learn how to eliminate inappropriate muscle actions with the technique, your coordination and timing will improve. I see many athletes fail to reach their potential because of poor body control. For example, many players unknowingly use excessive effort to run with the effect of contracting muscles that should be letting go to facilitate coordination and develop power. This is a bit like trying to drive your car with the brake on, that is, it does nothing for efficiency and increases the wear and tear on the mechanics. Many people I work with are amazed at just how much harder they've been making their sport than it needs to be.
3. Get A Better Posture
One of the most obvious outward benefits of learning The Alexander Technique is improvements in your posture. This is really a side-effect of better coordination and movement as your muscles will release and stop pulling your body out of shape.
And don’t worry, it takes no effort at all to get a better posture and definitely no trying to sit or stand up straight. After a while you’ll find you’re carrying far less strain in your body away from your sport as well as on it. You’ll feel lighter, taller and more confident as your new body shape get comments from your friends and colleagues.
4. Learn How To Focus And Get Into The Zone
I believe the main benefit for sports people is the unique way The Alexander Technique encourages you to think and focus. This will help you develop a vital skill for your sport, the ability to get into the moment.
This, I believe, opens the gateway to The Zone, the subliminal state where everything seems to be both easy and a joy. Athletes who have experienced being in The Zone say that’s when they’ve achieved their best performances.
5. Simplify Your Sport
When something becomes too complicated it suddenly becomes much less enjoyable. Learning how to focus and apply yourself using the easy-to-follow techniques of Alexander will help you to bring your game into a single focused thought. Suddenly there seems to be a lot less to think about and everything will appear to look after itself and fall into place. Your sport will become more enjoyable as you free yourself of the frustrating bits and take your game to the next level.
So why not do something different for your golf and find a teacher of The Alexander Technique and take a few lessons. You never know, it might be the missing piece in your game. You won’t know until you try it!
4. Learn How To Focus And Get Into The Zone
I believe the main benefit for sports people is the unique way The Alexander Technique encourages you to think and focus. This will help you develop a vital skill for your sport, the ability to get into the moment.
This, I believe, opens the gateway to The Zone, the subliminal state where everything seems to be both easy and a joy. Athletes who have experienced being in The Zone say that’s when they’ve achieved their best performances.
5. Simplify Your Sport
When something becomes too complicated it suddenly becomes much less enjoyable. Learning how to focus and apply yourself using the easy-to-follow techniques of Alexander will help you to bring your game into a single focused thought. Suddenly there seems to be a lot less to think about and everything will appear to look after itself and fall into place. Your sport will become more enjoyable as you free yourself of the frustrating bits and take your game to the next level.
So why not do something different for your golf and find a teacher of The Alexander Technique and take a few lessons. You never know, it might be the missing piece in your game. You won’t know until you try it!
