Les Mills BODYBALANCE Meditation with Jo Brock
At the end of each BodyBalance class we have a few minutes of relaxation/ meditation. It’s a lovely way to dedicate a few minutes to yourself in these busy times. You will move into a comfortable position, lying or sitting down and then allowing your eyes to close. The main purpose of meditation is to relax and reduce stress.
During this time you may focus on your breathing or maybe focus on resting each body part. We will sometimes encourage you to mentally repeat a mantra, for example “there is only one me and that is my power”, giving you a sense of self confidence.
It will focus your mind on the present and will bring about a sense of calm and peace. Practising relaxation has been proven to lower blood pressure and improve sleep quality. It may also ease anxiety and depression.
Les Mills BODYBALANCE 97 with Jo Brock
If you’ve already tried BodyBalance 97, you’ll know it’s a fantastic release. One of the highlights is the second balance track which features ‘bird pose.’ This gives us an opportunity to balance on our arms. We start in a squat with the knees wide and spread our fingers wide on the mat. We lift our hips and press our legs onto the back of our arms tilting forward, lifting our feet fully off the mat so only our hands are in contact with the floor. Bird pose strengthens the core, arms, wrists and shoulders. It can improve focus, determination and is of course, a test of courage!
Les Mills BODYBALANCE Tai Chi elements with Jo Brock
As a BodyBalance instructor, one of the highlights of the class for me is the tai-chi warm up. Tai-chi is a series of poses which flow from one to the next without pause. It’s sometimes called meditation in motion as it promotes serenity. It gently warms the body and can boost flexibility and strengthen the upper and lower body. Tai-chi can improve balance as proprioception - the ability to sense the position of one’s body in space, which declines with age - can be improved. In our Les Mills BodyBalance class, we pair the tai-chi track with an awesome song.
Talking Les Mills BODYBALANCE with Jo Brock
Let’s talk about balance. A person’s balance can start to decline from as young as 25! It’s often something we don’t think about until we trip over. Test your own balance by placing your feet together and closing your eyes. Can you stay there without swaying for 30 seconds? Develop your strength and balance by trying a Les Mills BodyBalance class.
We have a specific track to challenge our balance, but other tracks throughout the class including our tai-chi and sun salutation improve our strength and balance. I’ve had many new participants apologise to me at the end of their first class because they say their balance is “terrible.”
A few classes later they are amazed at how much of an improvement they have made. It really doesn’t take long and they feel an enormous sense of achievement. Challenge yourself today.
‘Is there a traditional yoga pose suitable for everyone and makes you feel powerful and strong? by Jo Brock
Yes, warrior 2. In the latest BodyBalance release 95, warrior 2 is featured in the sun salutation and one of the standing strength tracks.
Warrior 2 is a big traditional standing pose. It develops leg and core strength and mobility in the hips and shoulders.
A powerful pose demands a powerful song. In BodyBalance 95 the standing strength track is ‘Lions’ by Skip Marley, grandson of Bob Marley which represents courage.’
The new Les Mills BODYBALANCE release is out, hooray! by Jo Brock
It’s a truly wonderful release. Highlights include a beautiful tai-chi, one of their best, so flowing with the music and connecting movement to breath. A great sun salutation that adds on poses with each round. A very challenging core track with the best music of the release imo (shame it’s core, tee, hee!) If you weren’t sure where your 6 pack was, you will after this. We have two hamstrings tracks with long held stretches to release our hamstrings and bring relief to our lower back. I’m sure you’ll love it as much as me.
“I’m really excited to be part of the launch of BodyBalance at Fitness & Wellbeing Hub" by Jo Brock
So what is BodyBalance? We start with tai-chi to warm our bodies and release tension. We then move into yoga moves but it’s not your average yoga class. What makes it unique and special is that’s it's choreographed to wonderful music, we also use pilates to work the core.
The class finishes with a few minutes of relaxation to calm and settle the mind. BodyBalance has many proven benefits including lowering body fat percentage, increasing flexibility and easing certain mental health issues. And the best thing? It’s suitable for all - all ages, all abilities!