THE BODY LEAN AND LIFTED – NATURALLY
By Glenn Swift
On first meeting Cheryl Alker it does not take long to realize that whether sitting or standing, she holds herself with such ease in perfect posture. Now I’m not a specialist on the matter, but when you do see someone sitting or standing “tall” it is very noticeable even to my untrained eye.
The reason for such a perfect stance? Cheryl is a flexibility specialist and particularly focuses on the muscles that affect postural alignment.
Cheryl began her career in the health and fitness industry over twenty-seven years ago, she has run her own health club, managed a British Government fitness testing program, and lectured across the UK (that’s the United Kingdom, not the University of Kentucky). She has trained and certified literally hundreds of group fitness and personal trainers who have gone on to very successful careers within the industry.
In recent years she began to notice how body shapes, quality of movement and postural alignment had changed. The computer age was obviously responsible for many postural alignment problems; however, Cheryl noticed her own classes were beginning to lack one very important component of physical fitness – flexibility.
Her clients were well aware of the benefits of cardio and muscular strength and endurance, this information was readily available in every magazine or newspaper, but flexibility? What did that do for them? As far as most were concerned, “stretch” needed little attention – it seemed to have no bearing on how their body looked or felt.
Once Cheryl noticed her own work gave little time to stretching, she also noticed that other instructors were falling into the same trap. Regular gym-users were also not stretching. In fact, it was virtually nonexistent. It was at this point that she began to incorporate a pure stretch program to her own workout schedule and soon noticed a huge difference in her own body shape – and well-being.
At this stage in her career Cheryl studied yoga and pilates, and although she gained much from these disciplines, they were not the “pure” flexibility program she was looking for.
Cheryl’s work began in earnest nine years ago when she began to specialize in flexibility, postural alignment and movement quality. The Stretch Results program is the result of not only the past nine years, but her entire twenty-seven year career in the fitness industry.
“I have been fortunate to have worked successfully with literally hundreds of clients from all walks of life. Through this program I have been able to assist professional athletes wanting to shave a tenth of a second off their best time, people suffering from chronic neck, back and shoulder pain, children and elderly clients with double hip replacements. I am not sure if there is anyone I can’t stretch and who does not gain results from the program. However, no matter what their reason for starting the program one thing is consistent – the change in body shape and appearance.”
One such client is Peggy Bidgood. Peggy, a Wellington resident, is 58 years old and has always led an active lifestyle; she lived on a sailboat for eight years, rides horses, has taken yoga, pilates and attended the gym. “I read about Cheryl in a newspaper article when she first arrived in the U.S. Intrigued by the article and the program she offered I decided to take a session with her. At the time I had a hamstring injury that had prevented me walking for the whole summer and a chronic neck and shoulder condition due to eight years of office work with a headset. Within a few sessions I noticed my pain start to alleviate and at that point I was hooked”.
“My hamstring, neck and shoulder pain are now a thing of the past which was reward enough but the real icing on the cake has come from the change in my body shape. The first thing I noticed was how my waistline started to re-define itself, the tops of my legs lost inches, my bottom started to lift and my shoulder girdle was open and back with no effort. I looked slimmer and taller ……… it was a miracle! I had spent 2 years taking pilates classes religiously 5 days a week, attended a gym and followed a weight training and cardio program and to be honest I could only see minimal results as far as my body shape was concerned, this was the first program I have ever done that has delivered the promises made.”
“Cheryl’s knowledge of anatomy was far superior to anyone I had ever met within the fitness industry but it was her way of imparting that knowledge to me that made the difference. She uses muscle diagrams, unbelievable demonstrations and verbal instructions; however, it is her hands-on approach that really makes the changes – she literally moulds your body into shape”.
“Cheryl’s program not only concentrated on my flexibility but also gave me an insight to the core that no-one had even come close to before. I can at last control a 1,500 llb horse with my core instead of my hands which has improved my riding technique ten fold, however, the feeling I love most is when I wake up in the morning and walk towards the kitchen, instead of feeling stiff and in pain I feel as if I have an inner strength that is lifting me from the inside and holding me in effortless perfect posture”.
So how can stretching make such a difference? Cheryl explains that when muscles are short and tight they draw our bones closer together, for instance pectoralis major is our main chest muscle that originates at the sternum (breastbone) and inserts into the humerous (upper arm). When this muscle is short and tight it draws these two points closer to each other resulting in the shoulders rolling forward, the ribcage collapsing and the breasts drooping. Stretching this muscle opens the shoulder therefore lifting the chest. Voila! A natural breast lift.
Cheryl smiles when she recounts the story of how the British press were convinced Princess Diana had gone under the knife to achieve what could only be described as a remarkable difference in photos taken a year prior showing a definite breast lift. “A colleague of mine was in fact her personal trainer and told me that nothing could have been further from the truth, her training regime had included a focused stretching program…. As the press could verify, the results were dramatic!”
Other areas that can benefit from regular stretching are the buttocks. “When the hamstrings are short and tight they will literally drag the bottom towards the knees, by stretching this inherently tight muscle the bottom will return to a lifted and rounded look just as nature intended,” Cheryl explained.
If you attribute losing your waistline to turning 40, think again. Turn back the clock by stretching a muscle called quadratus Lumborum.
Cheryl showed me on my own body where the muscle starts and finishes (mostly finishes) – the top of my hip bone and my lowest ribs in my back. “When this muscle is short and tight it draws your ribcage closer to your pelvis, making your waistline appear thicker.” Stretching this muscle will create distance between the pelvis and the ribcage. Before you know it your long-lost waistline re-appears”.
Cheryl is keen to address the body as a whole and has extensive knowledge of the facial muscles and pays particular attention to the head position. “Too many trainers today stop their work at the neck, we have fifty-seven facial muscles that also need our attention but often the only way we care for them is to apply cream daily. Applying cream to our body will not give you the body shape you desire, so why do we think it will work on our face?” Many of our facial muscles also become too tight and can cause problems such as TMJ disorder, neck and shoulder pain and tension headaches. Stretching these muscles can often help.”
Good breathing techniques are also a part of The Stretch Results program.
“The benefits of training your diaphragm to work efficiently are huge. My clients often notice improved skin tone, circulation and energy levels.”
Cheryl does not believe for one moment that you should only stretch and that all other types of fitness are a waste of time. She is alarmed that it has become the trend not to stretch, and therefore she believes a vital link has been missed to overall wellbeing, aesthetics and physical fitness.
So, if you are not quite ready to go under the knife for a body “lean and lifted,” it may be time to stretch yourself into better shape.
For more details on the Stretch Results program and Cheryl Alker, please visit www. stretchresults.com or call Cheryl personally – 561 889 3738.
***