I have been teaching Callanetics since 1991 and training new instructors in the SA Callanetics Programme since 1998; and since – after all these years – I am still not tired of it, I am obviously hooked on this form of exercise. Over the years I have seen some pretty amazing results in hundreds of people. Personally SA Callanetics has kept me strong and flexible, helped me heal various injuries, and has seen me through some rather stressful periods in my life. The personal satisfaction I get from seeing others benefit from the exercises in so many ways is

Here is a list of the most commonly reported benefits people experience by exercising the Callanetics way:

More Energy

It almost sounds like a contradiction in terms; the exercises are hard work, and one would expect to be exhausted after a workout. However the opposite is happening. Even after a long, hard day at work, people will often comment: “I did not feel like coming at all tonight, as I felt so tired and exhausted, but I am so glad I came, as I now feel full of energy, ready for spending time with my family and enjoying my evening.”

Better Co-ordination

Often people will say: “I am no good at exercising, as I have no co-ordination”. But after doing Callanetics for a while, they find, that their co-ordination has improved to such an extent, that learning new exercises becomes easier and easier, and that their co-ordination in every day movements is much improved as well.

Better Balance

It is a fact of life, that our sense of balance declines as we age, if we do not continue to practice balancing on a regular basis. This in turn leads to frequent falls and often results in injuries which do not heal as quickly as when we were young, or sometimes they don’t heal completely at all any more. It can also lead to broken bones, especially in people who suffer from excessive loss of bone mass after menopause or andropause. With Callanetics balance is improved through specific balance exercises, improving strength and stability of the joints and increased flexibility.

Improvement of Back Ache

Through the extensive and correct use of the inner layers of the pelvic floor, posture improvement and intensive core strength training, back ache is a thing of the past for many participants. Even after the introductory class already, with its preparatory exercises, where new clients learn the correct use of the pelvic floor for the first time, they often comment, that they felt an immediate relief in their lower back.

Better Posture

For many people who work at a desk most of the day, good posture has gone out the window. They suffer from a rounded back with a sunken in chest, also called ‘furniture disease’ (when the chest falls into the drawers!), an over-arched back due to the excessive use of wedge cushions, a kinked neck where the head and chin tend to be pushed forward causing constant tension headaches or neck and shoulder pain and other related problems. With the Callanetics training the spine is consistently lengthened, correct posture principles are taught and as a result the muscles responsible for holding the body in an upright posture are strengthened and it becomes easier and more comfortable to stay upright, than to slouch. The chest opens up as a result, the lungs can fill with air again and the body gets more oxygen once again. This all leads to a whole chain reaction of positive effects which can be felt within a very short period of time. With Callanetics you ‘grow’  in height – an average of 2 – 4 cm is common and noticeable due to the lengthening and stretching of the spine.

A Loss of Centimetres All Round

It is obviously most beneficial to pair a good exercise regime with good eating habits. But even if people do not change their eating habits and don’t lose weight, they will notice very soon, that they are losing centimetres all over. Clothes fit better or become loser, flabby areas tighten and pull up, and many clients have reported being asked whether they had lost weight. They report a drop in a dress size or two often after as little as 5 to 10 classes. And if someone improves their eating habits and actually loses weight at the same time, it will look as if they had lost much more than they actually did. So if you lose 2 kg, it will look as if you had lost 4.

In part 2 of this series we will describe more benefits of the SA Callanetics programme.

In the meantime click on the DVD link on this blog for download options or go to www.ctasa.org.za for a list of studios around South Africa and some overseas studios.