In Demand Women are often looking for ways to keep their bodies healthy and free from pain. This is especially important considering the active lifestyle of the IDW. If you are not familiar with the practice of Foundation Training, this interview with Foundation Trainer Marina Mark will educate you about what you need to know to get your body moving properly throughout even the busiest of days.
What is Foundation Training?
Foundation Training is a group of exercises and tools developed to re-pattern the way we move; back to the way we were anatomically and naturally built to move. Modern culture has influenced unhealthy posture and movement, where we collapse on our skeletons, bend, strain, and hang on unstable parts of our body [which can lead] to injury and weakness. Through a series of exercises, FT gives us the tools to strengthen greater chains of muscles training the whole body to move together and also resets the nervous system. These tools can be easily and readily integrated into day to day life, helping us move better!
Who should consider doing Foundation Training?
Everyone! No matter who or where you are in the world, we have all evolved to move much differently than we used to, influenced greatly by modern culture. Any individual that sits at a desk, stands for prolonged periods of time, is active, is injured, drives a car, or simply needs to breathe more would benefit from FT!
Tell us more about the philosophy of Foundation and how it is part of “everyday life”.
A philosophy in FT that really stands out to me is understanding that we are the only species on the planet that exercise to lose weight, get stronger, feel better, etc. Every other species just moves well. That being said, moving well is correlated with good health. Foundation Training principles can be easily integrated into day-to-day actions like washing your hands, tidying the house, playing sports, gardening, reaching for something high or low, and doing all the things you love. By practicing FT daily, these movement changes will carry over to day to day life with less thought and effort over time.
Is Foundation Training a stand-alone workout? What are complimentary workouts along with FT?
FT is an amazing supplement for your workout/activities of choice. It’s actually most beneficial to be done frequently throughout the day, however, setting aside 10 minutes to do FT exercises can dramatically improve the efficiency of any workout and how you use your body during that exercise. I Personally love to compliment my yoga practice and surfing with Foundation Training before, after, and integrated within every session. As the main principles in FT are decompressing the spine and stabilizing the body, you can’t go wrong pairing it with any workout or activity.
We have head it can help with posture and alignment…can you explain more.
It absolutely can! That’s what it’s all about! You are training your body to be held up by more muscles than it’s familiar with using. FT Strengthens and stabilizes the body to work with greater chains of muscles. Specifically focusing on core, stabilizing the pelvis, full rib cage expansion, and the posterior chain, when practicing FT the body is likely to hold adjustments longer and adapt quicker. When my brain recognizes that more muscles are being used to hold up my body, I usually walk out of a FT session feeling a few inches taller, lighter, and better!
Tell us about how you can use Foundation Training if you have Diastasis Recti and how it can potentially benefit?
I teach FT to a wide range of people, and a lot of them are mothers! It’s with these clients where we see Diastasis Recti very common. That separation of the abdominal wall is intensified during pregnancy and can take a lot of proper core work to bind that wall back together. Working with the deep anterior chain and transverse abdominal muscles, complex deep muscular breathing exercises can help to “zip up” the core and pelvis. Decompression breathing and “weaving breath” are exercises taught thoroughly to treat those with Diastasis Recti. Practicing FT before, during, and after pregnancy will help prevent the separation of the abdominal wall and splaying of the pelvis!
If an individual is injured or has a physical limitation, can she still do Foundation Training? What are the modifications?
Of course! Foundation training is regarded as being a series of very safe exercises and movements. It should always feel good! My protocol is to get as much information and history of injury as possible on each client to help them understand which areas we are focused on strengthening and why. Each client is evaluated on an individual basis so that we can make modifications where ever necessary. Everybody is different, strengths and weaknesses are shown in different areas…so, adding different layers to exercises such as arm positions and subtle anchor changes from the pelvis down can help each individual get the most out of their personalized practice. Most importantly, always listen and be honest with your body, if something doesn’t feel right, Stop! Be open with your trainer so the proper adjustments and modifications can be made! I have trained with clients across a broad spectrum of injury and limitations!
What is the best nutrition plan to accompany Foundation Training?
Nutrition is different for everyone, eating things that make your own body feel great and fueled is most important. A healthy diet to one person could mean getting their nutrients through only fruits and veggies and to another person that could mean a strict Keto diet. Whatever diet that works for you is a great diet plan to accompany Foundation Training.
Where can we learn more?
I highly encourage people to go visit the Foundation Training website. The site is a great platform to answer any further questions and begin your journey into practicing FT. There is a Foundation Training app that can be purchased for $15/month that gives you full access to so many great videos, step-by-step breakdowns for exercises, and all new updated content, it also provides a great way to get to know the team and trainers in your area!! And of course, feel free to reach out to me personally through email: Marinamark516@gmail.com
My name is Marina Mark, I grew up in the quiet inter-coastal town of Stuart, Florida and journeyed to Santa Barbara 7 years ago to attend UCSB. Falling in love with the coast, mountain ranges, native plants, and small-town feel, Santa Barbara quickly became the place I called home. Surfing, yoga, climbing, herbalism, body movement, and music are a few of the things that move and inspire me. I am a certified Foundation Trainer and Yoga Instructor passionate about helping others and eager to share my knowledge of these practices, giving others the tools to better improve their quality of life!
