I work to provide the simplest image to enable someone to implement an action that I want them to accomplish. “Stick your butt out” is my favorite. It might not be the most precise instruction but it really is what most people need to do. I am a big believer in going from the general to the specific.
People understand things differently. We all learn differently- orally, visually, or by touch. Some things are easier to explain than others and some images clearly work better than others. I am always trying to find the best way in but there are also images that I used for months if not years that clearly make no sense to people. You’d think i would learn but i have my own stubbornness to deal with.
The latest instruction I am trying to lose from the repertoire is “drop the front ribs”. I have been saying this for years to lost and quizzical looks and yet I keep saying it.
The idea is that we are all too long in the front muscularly and short in the muscles of the back that pull the back of the rib cage down and elevating the front of the rib cage up. The main problem with this is it doesn’t allow the diaghragm to decend for deep full breathing.
The base of the rib cage should be parallel to both the pelvis and the ground in order to achieve optimal breathing and movement patterns.
So I have a new image to replace “drop the front ribs”. How does “down in front” sound?
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