The ABCs of Fitness
Spinal, Alignment, core strength and stability—crucial to a life of vibrant health and free of back pain. Maintaining strong abdominals and backs make certain that you come into and out of various movements as safely possible, thereby ensuring a healthy, functional life.
A: Alignment and Abdominals
A person’s energy level is directly related to the way his or her spine is aligned. Deviations, which we may experience as pain or discomfort, can occur when muscular imbalances in certain parts of the back pull the spine too much in any one direction. In India, yoga practitioners sometimes date themselves according to the "age" of their spine (and its ability to move) more so than on chronological age, believing that, "You are as old as your spine." I like to rephrase that to, "We are as young as our spine has mobility." "Alignment" means that major joints (and a few special landmarks like the ears) all fall along an imaginary line that runs through the ear, shoulder, mid-chest, hip, knee, and ankle when you stand up.