Day 12: Friday
Yesterday, Calendar A folks repeated the core video. And today, Calendar A is going to repeat the foot & ankle video, and Calendar B and C are going to repeat the core video. So you may be asking yourself- why so much repetition? Why do we have to go back, can’t we just move forward?
The answer is that repetition is actually essential for progress and progression. Just like our brains don’t always learn something the first time, our bodies need constant exposure to something new in order to absorb it. You will notice as you practice your moves that your body discovers something new each time- but you have to really tune in to notice this. I bet that the first couple of times you try these moves (if they are new to you) that they will feel awkward and stiff and strange in the beginning. As you practice them, they begin to get easier. You may feel new muscle groups working. You may find a shift in your posture as you do it because your body can access new positions due to your increasing flexibility and body awareness. You may find that you can do it for longer, or in a more intense way. This is why we practice and repeat the same things over and over- to uncover these little gems that lie inside us. This is why exercise is so good for flare-up prevention too- by exposing your body to these tiny micro-doses of exercise in a repetitive way, we are teaching your body how to handle the teeniest dose of pressure and stress, which helps the adaptation process. It is so small, miniscule, but this is how it works.
For some of you, you may need to hang back and repeat exercises for longer. These calendars are just a guideline- but if you feel you want to repeat a week or two before you move forward, do it. You will be that much stronger because of it.
Practice Day Five: Foam Rolling (B/C) or Core (A)
Accountability: Tell me what you have learned through your repetitive exercises so far?