Am-Pm Callanetics

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WARNING:

There are risks inherent in any exercise programme. The advice of a doctor should be obtained prior to embarking on any exercise regimen. This programme is intended for persons in good health.

TO PREGNANT WOMEN:

Under no circumstances should any woman in the first three months of pregnancy do any of the exercises featured in this book which also use the stomach muscles. After the first three months do not attempt to do these exercises unless your doctor has actually done them to feel how deep the contractions are. These exercises appear to be very easy, but looks in this case are extremely deceiving.

Introduction

Welcome to am/pm Callanetics, a complete exercise programme that works on your entire body and is designed to get you into your best possible shape – quickly and safely.

We live in a hectic, stressful world. I know how busy most of you are and how important it is for you to get the most out of the time you spend exercising, so I have devised am/pm Callanetics to meet those needs. Its unique format features two complete, highly effective morning and evening workouts that not only improve your body shape but also improve your energy levels and reduce stress.

This entire am/pm programme takes only forty minutes – twenty minutes in the morning, and twenty minutes in the evening. By breaking up the time you spend exercising in this way, you should find it easier to fit this programme into your daily schedule and you will see results faster. The morning programme will give you renewed vitality so that you have greater strength, aliveness and energy to start your day, while the evening programme will completely relax you, enabling you to shed the tensions of the day, leave its stresses behind, and allowing you to have a peaceful night’s sleep. And, of course, the wonderful bonus is that you will have a terrific body twenty-four hours a day!

Like all Callanetics programmes, these am/pm routines work deeply on all your muscles and you’ll see extremely fast results. Your body will quickly become tight, shapely and beautiful, your posture will improve, and you will be ecstatic at the new burst of energy you will experience. If you are dieting, it will often look as if you have lost twice the weight, because Callanetics pulls your muscles up and in so effectively.

Callanetics strengthens, without impact. The exercises are designed to protect your back, as well as every other part of your body. In no time at all you will look and feel truly amazing. Whatever your age or ability, you will soon find that your muscles are able to do things that seemed impossible the last time you tried. And it’s simple to learn.

A Positive Self-Image

By practising this programme regularly, not only will you notice a wonderful transformation of your figure, but as you learn to be in control of your body you will also feel more alert, your self-confidence will increase and you will be motivated to do so much more in your life. And feeling in control of your body actually helps to reduce stress. My goal is to help you to develop a positive attitude – towards your body and your life.

Nina, who demonstrates the exercises in this book, is a living example of what Callanetics can do for you. Nina is thirty-eight years old with three children, all delivered by Caesarean section. She first started to practise Callanetics in 1987. Years of practising high-impact aerobics had caused her countless injuries over the years. In particular, she suffered extreme pain in her lower back and constant pinches in her neck and shoulders. At one point she was in such considerable pain that she was unable even to turn her head. Endless courses of drugs and medication offered little in the way of permanent relief. However, since she started to practise Callanetics she has undergone a miraculous transformation. Performing the small, gentle movements of Callanetics and learning how to relax her body has left her completely free of pain, and she has suffered no further injuries. At the same time, her body became tighter, stronger and more shapely – the results were phenomenal. Just look at the photographs, and you will see what I mean.

Nina was so delighted with the results that she wanted to share her knowledge and use her experience to enthuse others. She therefore underwent intense training as a Callanetics teacher and subsequently acquired her own Callanetics franchise. Two years ago, she set up her own studio in Potomac, Maryland, just outside Washington DC. Nina feels very excited and positive about her life, since not only is she contributing to her own wellbeing, she is also able to contribute to the wellbeing of others by offering practical support, encouragement and motivation.

So What Is Callanetics and How Does It Work?

Callanetics is a series of stretching and contracting exercises that activate the body’s largest muscle groups, using tiny, gentle, precise movements, called pulses. They are done very slowly in what I call ‘triple slow motion’, reaching deep into the muscles to give you a strong, firm body, without adding bulk.

I first devised my original Callanetics programme in an attempt to avoid surgery on my back and my knees. I have a long history of back problems, since I was born with curvature of the spine, and after leaving college eleven years of backpacking around the world and undertaking a variety of hard manual labouring jobs to make ends meet also took its toll. My back and knees deteriorated further, and, on returning to the United States, I was determined to do something about my pitiful physical condition. However, I found that the exercises in the classes I attended put a huge strain on my back. I therefore experimented with other techniques, incorporating movements learned while studying classical ballet as a child, and gradually evolved a way of shifting my body position and moving in a slow, gentle way that protected my back. In addition to correcting my physical problems, I was amazed to see how strong and tight my body had become. My posture improved, and I looked and felt years younger. Friends begged me to let them in on my secret, and that was the beginning of Callanetics.

Think of Callanetics as meditation in motion. You reach into the body to work the large muscle groups, as though working through them layer by layer, using movements as small and delicate as a pulse. There are no jerking or bouncing movements in Callanetics. Callanetics is and always has been no-impact. Some people have even called it the ‘no effort’ exercise, but as anyone who has experienced Callanetics will tell you it only looks effortless. It is not difficult to do, but you will feel your muscles working, as these tiny movements are in fact incredibly powerful, providing an extremely fast, safe and effective way of achieving a strong, more youthful-looking body.

I like to say that Callanetics defies gravity, because every second of every day gravity is pulling your muscles down, causing your body to droop, sag and spread over the years. With Callanetics, however, as you work to get your muscles strong, your muscles will lift, taking the skin with them and restoring everything to a more youthful position, producing those sleek, tight body contours we all so admire.

Contents

ALSO BY CALLAN PINCKNEY

WARNING:

TO PREGNANT WOMEN:

Introduction

A Positive Self-Image

So What Is Callanetics and How Does It Work?