More and more women, men, and teenagers are resorting to Bodyflex gymnastics. What kind of technique is it with the help of which they take shape in the eyes? A person does not need to sit for hours in the gym, limit himself to food, go on a diet, drink dietary supplements and weight loss medications. Only fifteen minutes of daily miraculous exercises - and the centimeters begin to melt. Let us consider in more detail what “Bodyflex” is fraught with, how effective it is, whether there are contraindications, and what exercises help to find harmonious forms.
The history of this gymnastics
Bodyflex - what is this complex? This is a combination of breathing "diaphragmatic" exercises, special postures for stretching, as well as isotonic, isometric racks. This gymnastics came from America. In the nineteen eighty-fifth year, ordinary housewife Greer Childers created her own Bodyflex program, based on medical research and her own experiments.
The woman did not have medical or any physiological knowledge, but she had an excellent result in finding slender forms. In just three months, she replaced the fifty-second clothing size with the fortieth one. It was not enough for her to perform a complex of breathing exercises, it was necessary to understand how fat is burned, how muscles become toned, how a person loses weight.
It took months to interview physicians, private practical exercises with those wishing to lose weight, testing new exercises before breathing exercises became popular. Five years later, the first breathing exercise discs were released, and eleven years later, television shows with Greer were already released. More and more followers and trainers of this direction appeared - “Bodyflex”.
The secret of breathing exercises
Its ancestor Childers focuses on oxygen, through which fat is burned. The breath "Bodyflex" involves five stages:
- smooth exhalation with a mouth folded in a tube, while simultaneously drawing the abdomen closer to the spine;
- sharp inhalation of the nose to failure, while the lips are closed, and the stomach is inflated ;
- exhale to the last molecule from the lungs with a deep pronunciation of “Groin”, while the stomach again “sticks” to the spine;
- eight-ten second breath holding while pressing the abdomen under the ribs to form a kind of "cup";
- ordinary breath.
Critics are perplexed about what kind of oxygen they are talking about if the body is filled with carbon dioxide. His presence is evidenced by sweating, dizziness, increased pressure. That is, according to critics, the body loses weight not due to oxygen, but due to stress from an excess of carbon dioxide. However, such “persecutors” ignored the study of Greer’s books, which described the whole theory of the work of breathing, as well as given a complex of breathing exercises with a description of its action.
The role of oxygen and carbon dioxide in breathing
Greer emphasizes that when holding your breath, the amount of carbon dioxide increases. Due to what the arteries expand, the cells are prepared for greater oxygen uptake, while the brain sends a signal to the tissues to utilize the available oxygen, which just “melts” the fat. That is, how much oxygen is breathed in by the "hissing" nose, so many lipids will burn.
Even after training, breathing exercises allow a person to breathe diaphragmically, deeply, breathing more air. Oxygen activates metabolism, improves blood circulation, promotes the rapid absorption of nutrients and the removal of toxins. Due to it, immunity is strengthened, a person is sick less. With the systematic implementation of Bodyflex, the feeling of fatigue disappears.
Deep breathing relaxes the nervous system, combats stress, migraines, and depression. Burning lipids, tightening muscle mass and increasing energy in humans is the main goal of Bodyflex. The course is not aimed at losing extra pounds, this is only a side pleasant effect.
For whom is this gymnastics suitable?
Greer focuses on the fact that her breathing exercises are suitable for everyone - women, men, adolescents, the elderly. She collaborates with various doctors who confirm the safety of the technique for their patients (cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, allergies, bedridden patients).
This set of exercises has no limits on age, weight, disease, as its activities can be changed to suit your conditions. You can not get out of bed, but you can perform a simple breath "Bodyflex" without exercise. Runny nose? Then just breathe in the hot steam bath. Arthritis? Do not pull your hands up, fold them, place a soft mat under your knees. Painful critical days? Do not do difficult exercises, just breathe or skip one or two exercises.
This complex is suitable for those who want:
- quit smoking
- tighten the muscle corset,
- throw off a couple of sizes
- become alert, energetic, active,
- strengthen immunity
- develop lung volume.
We think that now you understand the benefits of this gymnastics, who needs “Bodyflex”, what it is.
Contraindications
Now consider who should not be involved in this gymnastics, and then move on to the analysis of breathing exercises. Greer forbade pregnant women, as well as people after the operation, to engage in Bodyflex. She did not observe any complications among those who studied under her supervision. Slowed-down results after the third week of classes were noted in people taking hormonal, birth control, antidepressant drugs, as well as in those who have a slow metabolism.
Other results were shown by the “Russian Bodyflex”. Marina Korpan (student testimonials indicate that this is a highly qualified fitness trainer at the Russian State University of Pharmacy, Pilates, Aerobics, Callanetics, training for pregnant women, a specialist in weight loss using breathing techniques) based on classes with Russian citizens, identifies the following contraindications for people who have:
- pressure problems
- heart problems, arrhythmia,
- severe diseases of the organs of vision,
- hernias
- postoperative period
- acute form of chronic diseases.
How to do gymnastics?
All exercises begin with a special pose “Bodyflex”. What is this stand?
- Spread your legs about thirty centimeters.
- Bend them at the knee.
- Tilt the housing forward.
- Put your hands on your feet (above the knees).
- Look in front of you.
The pose resembles a person who wants to sit on a chair. In this case, the back should be straight during the three stages of breathing. As soon as you need to pull the stomach under the ribs, lower your head down, then massage of the internal organs will be more effective.
After the belly has been pulled in, do not breathe for eight to ten seconds while performing one or another of the Bodyflex exercises (photo of the poses is presented below). Try to tighten your muscles until you feel trembling, and do not relax your stomach.
If you really want to inhale, do not tolerate, immediately inhale. Over time, the lung volume will increase, then you can easily withstand a ten-second pause. During exercise, your head may feel dizzy. This phenomenon is the norm of the first week of class. If the ailments remain or intensify, check with your doctor. Also, when performing some exercises, convulsions may appear. Then just straighten your limbs, relax your muscles. By the way, Marina Korpan combines breathing exercises with stretching exercises for different muscle groups.
Exercises for the face, neck
- A lion. This exercise will help get rid of the second chin, tighten the cheeks. From the preparatory posture after holding your breath, raise your head, open your mouth with a tube, stick out your tongue to the very root, and open your eyes wide.
- An ugly grimace. Exercise tightens the neck muscles. From the preparatory position, while holding your breath, raise your head up, looking at the ceiling. At the same time, you push the lower jaw forward, trying to close your lips, forming the letter “o”.
- An ugly grimace in a standing position. After holding your breath, straighten up, do the same with your face as in the previous exercise, only move your arms back parallel to the floor, lifting them up to the maximum. The back should be straight.
Repeat these Bodyflex lessons for beginners five times. If shortness of breath occurs, first restore breathing, then again take the preparatory position, then do the exercise. Remember, the main thing in this gymnastics is breathing, especially a breath with a sizzling nose. If breathing is knocked down, then when performing the new approach, you simply inhale less oxygen or cannot draw in the stomach, which means that less fat cells will burn.
Exercises for the chest, waist, hips, buttocks, legs
- Diamond Hands close in fingers in front of you. Do not lower or raise your elbows, keep them straight, parallel to the floor. If you can’t keep your elbows on weight, round your back. Breathe, then begin to squeeze fingers on each other, holding your elbows straight.
- Pulling the legs back. Get on your knees, resting on the elbows and palms of the hands. Stretch one leg, toe resting on the floor, head raised, look in front of you. Next, do breathing, and when you draw in the abdomen, lift your leg high, with the toe pointing toward you. At the same time squeeze the buttocks.
For the abdomen, perform the following Bodyflex complex (do weight loss exercises three times in each direction).
- Side stretch. From the preparatory position, with your left elbow lean on your left knee, with your right foot stretch your toe to the right, and with your right hand to the left. At the same time, do not tear your right foot off the floor, and do not bend your right hand at the elbow, keep it above your head.
- Abdominal Press. Lie on your back, bend your knees, legs apart. Raise your hands up, do not tear your head off the floor. Breathe, pull your arms up, lifting your shoulders and shoulder blades off the floor, head tilted back. If this exercise is hard to do, then look at the lessons of Bodyflex with Marina Korpan, who facilitated, diversified, and modified many exercises.
- Scissors . In the supine position, stretch and lay next to each other. Place your hands under your buttocks to press your lower back to the floor. Perform a breath. Then lift your feet off the floor ten centimeters, making wide, fast horizontal crosses with your feet.
For the hips, the following Bodyflex gymnastics for weight loss is proposed.
- Seiko . Get on your knees and arms. Set aside the left leg at right angles to the body. Breathe, and then, while pulling in the abdomen, lift that leg up and pull it forward towards the head. The position of the sock does not matter, the main thing is to raise the leg higher each time without bending it at the knee.
- Dinghy . Sit with your legs spread out to the sides, pull the socks over you, put your hands behind your back, lean on them. Perform breathing, then lean your body toward the floor, with your hands “go” forward, stretching your thigh muscles. Knees must not be bent while doing the exercise.
- Pretzel . Sitting on the floor, you need to bend the legs at the knee, while the left leg should be higher than the right, which can not be bent. Hold the left knee with your right hand and the back with your left hand. Perform breathing, then try to pull the leg closer to the chest and at the same time turn the body with the torso in the opposite direction.
- Hamstring Stretch. In the prone position, raise your legs perpendicular to the body, point the socks down so that the feet become straight. Hands hold the front of the calves, the head lies on the floor during the entire exercise. Breathe, then begin to slowly draw your legs to your chest.
- A cat . Get on your knees and arms, your back is straight, look straight ahead. Perform a breath, now lower your head and at the same time bend your back, as if hung by a hook.
For beginners, this bodyflex complex will be enough. Exercises for weight loss, which are described above, must be performed three times. Please note that gymnastics can be varied or exercises can only be performed on problem areas. For example, you need to remove the stomach, then do the exercises “Side Stretching”, “Scissors”, “Abdominal Press” and you can add “Krendelek”. But it’s best to work on all zones at the same time, and as soon as you reach the desired forms, go only to those areas that need to be adjusted.
Bodyflex Results: Before and After
Many losing weight do not see their results, since only a few kilograms go away, but all the centimeters “melt away”. Therefore, before classes, start a notebook where you enter the data on a weekly basis:
- date of measurement
- the weight,
- volume under the chest (two centimeters above the navel),
- waist size
- volume under the waist (five centimeters below the navel)
- hips
- wide leg volume
- the circumference of the hand in the widest part.
In addition, write about your achievements every week: how many centimeters it took in each zone, how much the weight has become, how you feel. Then you can see your successes or small failures. Please note that for breathing techniques there are also periods of "recession" when the weight can stand still. Do not panic, do not break, continue to do “Bodyflex”.
What are these recessions? This is the body's response to sudden weight loss. In fact, he will not understand what they want from him. If you stop exercising, then the weight will begin to grow rapidly, and if you persevere, then the fat cells will continue to burn. Such a respite can last from several weeks to several months.
The important thing about gymnastics
Exercises need to be performed daily until you find the desired forms. Further, you can reduce classes to two times a week. Perform the complex on an empty stomach in the morning, then activate the metabolism, feel vigor. But you can do it at any time, only before classes, you do not have two hours, and after the complex do not eat at least half an hour. You can only drink water without sugar, gas.
“Bodyflex” does not restrict food, does not focus on diets, but in order to achieve quick results, it is necessary to exclude sweet and flour dishes, ketchups, mayonnaises and other unhealthy foods. Of course, you can not exclude them, over time, your body will imperceptibly switch to smaller portions of a healthy diet by reducing the volume of the stomach. It’s just that your path to gaining slender forms will be a little slower than those who combine proper nutrition with the Bodyflex system.
Before and after photos of losing weight, they become proof that without surgery and strict diets you can achieve the desired forms. These people can afford weaknesses, but in moderation. For example, to eat not every day a piece of cake, but to arrange a holiday with the loss of the next size in clothes in half.
So to summarize. “Bodyflex” with the help of breathing, special postures for stretching tightens muscles, because of which centimeters leave. On average, for the first week in the area of the hips, waist, legs, it takes from ten to thirty-five centimeters. If the weight is or the results are below average, then the reason is improper breathing, isometric and isotonic postures. Also, the lack of results is affected by poor nutrition, that is, you increase the amount of sweets, flour, in the diet, hoping that oxygen will burn all the calories consumed.
In order to perform each exercise correctly, first do them without watching your breath, remember their sequence. Next, learn how to breathe correctly, put your hand on your stomach and chest, so that it is more visible. After the preparatory pose, quickly move on to the main complex, since it is an eight to ten second countdown.
When your figure reaches perfect shapes, you can add power load. Just put weight bracelets on your wrists and legs. Such exercises are most important during menopause, since menopause makes bones fragile. Combine classes, add your stretch marks and lose weight on health!