Fusion: a merging of diverse, distinct or separate elements into a unified whole
– Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Exercise has evolved dramatically in recent years, and “fusion” (or blending various modes of movement into one) is on the cutting edge, due largely to our mere human need to escape boredom, as well as the benefits of its effectiveness. Breaking from the traditional workout, an increasing number of fitness instructors are mixing and matching everything from ballet with boot camp, to yoga and dance with tai chi. Weekend warriors can take heed from the habits of professional athletes who have long known the value of cross training and look now to yoga and Pilates for core strengthening, a vital element to physical wellbeing
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Fusion movement requires an open approach to exercise. However, people who utilize traditional workout classes find fusion-movement classes more accessible. A far cry from riding on a stationary bike for an hour, fusion movement combines moves from disciplines such as yoga, Pilates, ballet, cardio, boxing, cycling, swimming, martial arts and more. The combination of movements challenges muscles in different ways causing them to become stronger and more flexible in ways not possible when relying solely on one form of exercise. Offering a fast, effective workout, fusion movement also increases balance, stability, agility, endurance and core strength.
What Is Core Strength?
Strengthening your core gives you greater balance and stability. Your core is composed of three muscle groups – abdominal – pelvic – lower back – all working together to support your spine. Nearly all fusion movement includes exercises that build core strength because everyone from grandmothers to athletes can benefit from it. You may already be familiar with yoga poses, Pilates exercises or abdominal workouts that promote core strength.
When developing your core strength, isometric movements and good posture are essential. (As an added benefit, isometric training does not wear down your joints because little or no movement is required.) For all core exercises, the focus is on static muscle contractions that are held for a period of time.
From an eastern perspective, the benefits of increasing core strength transcend physiological strength. The core area connects the lower and the upper chakras and unites your “groundedness” (earth) and connection to the universe (spirituality) respectively to strengthen mind, body and spirit. Those who seriously study disciplines such as yoga, Pilates and martial arts can attest that the energetic and spiritual benefits of calmness, peacefulness, concentration and clarity of thought possibly are even more beneficial than the physical benefits.
Stronger, Faster & Smarter
Why exercise at all? Most of us know that exercise builds muscles, helps prevent heart disease and other chronic illnesses, keeps us lean and strengthens us emotionally and spiritually, but it also boosts brainpower. A rapidly growing movement in science shows that exercising makes people smarter – further evidence of mind-body connection.
In ancient Greece, “fitness was almost as important as learning itself,” says Harvard psychiatrist, John Ratey, MD. The Greeks, he notes, were aware of “the mind-body connection.” In addition, modern brain scans and biochemistry show that the effects of exercise are far more complex than once thought. When contracted and released, muscles send out chemicals and a protein called IGF-1, which in turn issue orders to ramp up the production of other chemicals including brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF. As exercise elevates levels of BDNF in the body, the brain's nerve cells branch out, join and communicate in new ways, thus supporting new learning. In his new book Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, Ratey calls BDNF “Miracle-Grow for the brain,” because it feeds all the activities that lead to higher thought. With regular exercise, the body builds its level of BDNF, and the brain's nerve cells branch out, communicate with each other and store information.
A study authored by Scott Small, MD, of Columbia University Medical Center, and Fred Gage, PhD, of the Salk Institute, reports that the individuals being studied who worked out for three months appeared to sprout new nerve cells, and those who gained the most in cardiovascular fitness also grew the most nerve cells. The new neurons cropped up in the dentate gyrus of the hippo-campus, an area that controls learning and memory. The hippocampus of the brain is especially responsive to the effects of BDNF, and exercise seems to restore it to a younger state. Arthur Kramer, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Illinois remarks, “It is not just a matter of slowing down the aging process, it is a matter of reversing it.” Kramer found with scans that exercise causes the frontal lobe area – the center of executive functioning (planning), multi-tasking and decision making – to increase in size.
The positive effects of exercise have been found to be even more potent and broad reaching in the brain and long lasting for children, igniting a movement for more physical fitness activities for young people. According to Phil Tomporowski, PhD, a pro-fessor at the University of Georgia, “The effects [of exercise] are more long lasting on brains that are still developing.” In children, as in adults, the hippocampus reaps many benefits from exercise. The effects are especially evident in individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), for whom the hippocampus is usually enlarged and may thus be connected to the brain in atypical ways that can affect its function. A study by Charles Hillman, PhD, a faculty member of the University of Illinois, found that third- and fourth-grade children who were the most physically fit were the ones with the highest scores on measures of executive functioning as well as math, logic and reading.
To Learn More
For more information, visit the following websites. Locally, you may find classes in circuit training (combining weights and cardio), yogilates (yoga plus Pilates), tae kwon do fusion (combining tae kwon do, Pilates and yoga) and more. Books, videos and websites also offer a wide variety of options. Regardless of the type of fusion movement you choose, you soon will find yourself sharing in the excitement and benefit of this new breed of fitness.
Michelle Martin, ED.S., founder/director of the Insight Center and school psychologist, has fused her knowledge of psychology, Pilates, Brain Gym and martial arts to develop a unique program called Tae Kwon Do Fusion for ages three years through adult. The classes enhance neuro-integration and are an efficient way to gain concentration, balance, self-control, stamina, strength, flexibility, core strength and mental clarity. The Insight Center offers massage, yoga, Reiki, NIA, guided imagery, EFT, addiction counseling, classes, seminars and camps. It is located at Richmond/Emery off 271 and can be reached at (216) 765-4470 or ilcmartin@aol.com. For more information, visit www.insightwellness.org.
Photos by Bob Perkoski, www.Perkoski.com.
