Cross country skiing - A great way to listen to the whole of your body

Last week I was away for a weeks skiing along the Finnish Russian border just below the Arctic Circle. We were with an organised group who had a lot more experience than my husband and I. I had done a little x country skiing on waxed skis whist living in Vermont but very little and my husband had only done about an hour previously. The first thing we both felt was fear when we put on XC skis, they are so narrow in comparison to downhill skis and you have just a tiny clip at the toe as the only form of attachment to the ski.

We set off on the first day and shuffled our way along falling over occasionally but we appeared to be able to just about keep pace with the group but it did seem a lot of effort, soon we had broken into a sweat and were tiring quickly so although we were keeping up it was an effort to do so. The second day was "the big day" - 25km which is not for the faint hearted. At first we tried to keep up with the others but every time we stopped for a drink or to absorb the view someone would pass us. So in the end we were at the back and very conscious  of being so. So we just pushed ourselves to try and keep up it was not enjoyable.

Day 3 was an easier day (18km) so my husband and I decided we would take it easy and not try to keep with the main group, we would stop and rest, have a drink of water and absorb the amazing scenery.

This became quite a revelation because going slower and putting less effort in actually enabled me to go quicker! I started to "listen" to my skis and allowed them to glide. I worked out that by freeing at the ankles, keeping weight angled forward onto the ball of my foot it prevented the grooves on the bottom of the skis from engaging and the skis just glided along. I then started to think about lengthening up the spine away from the heels and listening to my body and the ski. Soon I was skiing really quickly without breaking into a sweat. 

By days 4 & 5 I was literally flying. I was able to keep ahead of most of the group and stop to listen to the silence of this amazing wilderness experience.

So what did I learn. First, accept your limitations don't try to keep up with people who are better than you. Secondly, apply the Alexander Technique principles of the means whereby ie how are you skiing, listen to the whole of your body and the ski beneath you. Thirdly, take time to pause and absorb the world around you, the experience will be a whole lot more enjoyable.

www.kimcant-alexandertechnique.co.uk

How to avoid back pain while cycling

On Sunday I turn 50 and I can honestly say that it doesn't bother me one bit. This is in total contrast to when I turned 40. I was really not ready to enter what people call middle age. I had just torn my ACL skiing and I had ongoing problems with my back. I just felt OLD!!

However as my 50th approaches I feel great. I am pain free, I feel that I move with greater ease and I am probably fitter and more active than I was able to be when I turned 40. In fact only yesterday I cycled 13 miles in an hour and felt great afterwards. Last week I cycled 31 miles in one go my furthest ever.

The secret of this has been the discovery of the Alexander Technique and what it can do for your general health, well being and performance.

When cycling it is important to be aware that the contact that we feel with the saddle can be used to lengthen our spine and avoid the back pain associated with hunching over the handle bars. To achieve this lengthening we need to be using the hip joint correctly. The hip joint needs to be located by finding the folding point at the top of the leg (the crease in the trousers). This acts as the hinge which we fold over as we think of our spine lengthening. If we continue to think of our spine lengthening as we cycle it can help keep us free from back pain. It will also help if you think about the muscles at the back of the neck softening and lengthening and dropping the nose just a bit to avoid over tightening the neck muscles as muscles in the neck and around the spine are integrated and work together.