Why Symmetry Is So Important For Good Health

Remember Wax On, Wax Off? Mr Miyagi was right.

I was in High School when the original Karate Kid movie came out. (I couldn’t bring myself to watch the re-make). It’s such a fantastic movie, people my age can still quote some of the more memorable lines. Our big joke when you found something challenging back then was to mimic the crane position as seen in the silhouette of this picture…

I took a lot of ballet and jazz lessons back then and was lucky enough to be exposed to the concept of working the body equally on both sides, top to bottom, front and back. If you’re not familiar with the film, Mr Miyagi did the same thing to his student, Daniel. My excellent teachers drummed into us the importance of taking care of our bodies as well as working hard, so that we would stay healthy as we got older (I now know this was not the norm in many cases). But we didn’t care about that back then, we just wanted to kick and jump high, turn fast, be strong and skinny and look fantastic. We did whatever was needed to get that job, and be on stage or screen, usually with a decent paycheck. It was a fabulous life and allowed me to work all over the world.

That worked pretty well until I hit the dancer’s graveyard age of 30. Even if you’re not a dancer, it’s a milestone age. A time when everyone deals with a physical shift.

I had been working steadily in all sorts of performing arts for a good 12 years before it all started falling apart. It was time to remember and re-learn what my teachers had been telling us stubborn teenagers all along.

So, let’s get moving.

Eastern philosophy believes that the body is only in good heath when it works in perfect symmetry.

Try standing up and gently moving your body around. Notice where your muscles are tight and if you have any “niggles”. Annoying little areas that maybe catch, or click or become briefly painful when you do certain movements. Now, try standing on one leg and balancing. Do the other side. Notice a difference? Does it feel like a monumental effort to stand up straight or stay upright? You may have an imbalance. In fact, in varying degrees, most of us do.

Now, look at your body in a mirror. Do you collapse the slightest bit on one side? Are there areas where the muscles are hanging more on the left than the right or vice versa? Hold out your arm. Are there bingo wings where your triceps should be? Men, look at your gluteal muscles. There’s a scene in “Sex and The City” where Samantha is just about to sleep with a millionaire…until she sees his hanging bottom with no muscle tone. Really, NOT sexy, no matter how much money you have!

90% of new clients come into my studio because they are experiencing pain and discomfort in asymmetrical areas of their bodies. Neck pain, shoulder tension, bad posture, hip and back issues are the most common. Basically, most people are just a bit out of whack.

Yet, many of these clients thought they were in pretty good health. They go to the gym, cycle regularly, play tennis or golf, take long walks. These are all great things to do, but unless you’ve had a tremendously holistic coach, they don’t work the entire body.

Hustle for that muscle, but don’t forget the little guys!

There are basically two types of muscle groups, the big ones that move you, and the smaller ones that support you. When you are walking, running, swimming or cycling, most people only use their bigger muscle groups to propel the body. If you play tennis, golf, baseball etc…you are also adding in a one sided sport to the equation. Even mother or fatherhood is a one sided activity as we normally hold the baby on the weaker side while we use our strong arm to do a million other things. It’s really tricky to stay balanced!

The smaller muscle groups are the ones you activated when you were a baby, going from turning over and crawling, and onto balance and walking. These groups often get neglected as we age or if we become more sedentary. However, they are the key to keeping your body connected to your centre, or as we say in Pilates, your Powerhouse. It has many other names; the Center Point in marshal arts or Dan Tien in Tai Chi.

In Classical Pilates we balance, align, stretch and strengthen the body as a whole with all movement starting from your powerhouse. When clients used to ask Joe Pilates what muscle group an exercise was for, he would usually answer “It’s for the whole body”. This is quite different to gym mentality which works on engaging body parts separately. It drives me crazy when gyms or fitness centres advertise “Pilates” classes where they only focus on bums and tums in one class or have an upper body day. Every workout session should incorporate the entire body and every which way it can move.

Ok, rant over. Here’s a pretty picture of one of the things we do.

This is called The Tree on The Ladder Barrel and feels amazing. If you’ve tried Pilates and have only done reformer work, I highly recommend finding a fully equipped studio so you can have a go on all our other fun toys.

True flexibility can be achieved only when all muscles are uniformly developed. Joseph Pilates

What can I do if I have an imbalance?

You might not be interested or able to jump into a Classical Pilates class or session, so I’d like to share a tip that I use with most of my new clients.

Become aware of your everyday actions, especially the repetitive ones. Do you carry a bag on the same shoulder, water the plants or clean the kitchen counters with the same hand? How about stairs or steps? Are you constantly starting with the same foot? Try changing it up. I’m not saying to start cutting your veggies with the other hand, that could end in disaster! Start changing simple, non-dangerous activities.

Parents of young kids, notice how you hold your baby or toddler. Is it always with the same arm? Change sides and try using your other arm to do chores/activities. It may not last long, but it’s a start.

When my daughter started playing badminton in the backyard, I used to alternate holding the racket in different hands. It felt really weird in my left hand, but it also felt necessary and I soon got the hang of it. She started doing it too, so win-win there in my mothering skills!

Re posture, get a heavy book and put it on your head while standing. Don’t let go, just balance it with your fingertips and think of pressing it up to the ceiling. That’s how you should stand all the time. Now, take the book off and see if you can keep the feeling of pressing up while allowing your arms to hang. Look, now you’re just like a model.

The Big Finish

If you have questions or concerns I’m always happy to help (Just remember, I’m not a doctor or Mrs. Miyagi). You can check out the website of my London studio https://nypilates.co.uk/ or send an email to [email protected]. If you’d like to try some online Pilates classes, we have an “all you can sweat” deal, 7 days of 24/7 Pilates for £10/$15. https://nypilates.co.uk/video-on-demand

Pitch over. Now grab that book and move your computer mouse to the other hand. You’ll make Mr. Miyagi and your body very happy and healthy.