Low Pressure Fitness changed my life, personally and professionally
- Turi Hetherington
- Jul 11, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 18
For most of my adult life, I have been an avid runner, hiker, skier and yogi. After having a baby, I continued with all of these. However, my core never fully restored to what it was prior. I didn’t know about the management of intra-abdominal pressure, and how dysfunctional mine was, nor that I had mild diastasis recti. While I continued being active, I never really felt connected or strong in my core. And, I didn’t like the way my belly pushed out and that traditional core exercises seemed to exacerbate it. That was until I was introduced to LPF (credit goes to Patti Gehman for that).
As I learned more and practiced more, I started to see and feel the connection between breath and core. We can have strong arms and legs, but if our core – not our six-pack, but deep core muscles of stabilization – isn’t strong, it is difficult to coordinate full body movement with grace and agility. For me, this is most apparent in tele skiing (my true love). To stay centered over your skis and move your feet quickly beneath you as you boogie through the bumps requires (or is greatly enhanced by) a strong core.
While I am not as youthful and agile as I once was, since starting LPF and maintaining an ongoing practice with it, I feel reconnected to my core and all my athletic endeavors - running, hiking, skiing, yoga - are more fun!
From a professional perspective, once learned, it’s hard to unlearn LPF. Just like I weave the powerful, nervous-system regulating practice of iRest into all my classes and sessions, I now weave LPF into it all because posture and breath impact everything.
I have also witnessed it change the lives of those I’ve worked with. Here are a few testimonials:
I have less tension and tightness in my upper back, neck, shoulders and ribs. My posture and flexibility have improved. I breathe easier and have less pain.
The practice is a remarkable way to integrate mind and body using specific breathing and strengthening techniques. It has been natural to bring into everyday life and into my other fitness practices.
My breathing, posture and overall 'well-being' have all improved. I FEEL BETTER in my body, mind and spirit.
LPF has improved my strength and decreased my pain and depression – literally, lifting me up. I look forward to coming each week for the practice and the community.
I have upper back body strength, that's new. The cervical and thoracic areas are more stable. My 75 year old body is more fit than it's been in decades. I feel more 'put together' by the end of class, more harmony.
LPF has been the most effective non-invasive 'treatment' for my prolapse.
My fecal and urinary incontinence is completely gone. Off and on, I had been battling fecal incontinence for about 2 years, I couldn't put my finger on what was happening until Turi introduced me to LPF. Now I incorporate it into my daily routine. SO THANKFUL!
A primary benefit I am experiencing with low pressure fitness training is greater comfort with the process of breathing. This is especially important for me when singing, as I lead groups in mantras on a regular basis. Another benefit has been greater ease of breathing during exercise. This is mostly hiking in steep areas and not feeling that I am struggling to breathe or getting out of breath as much as I remember in the past!
So what is LPF and how can it benefit you?
Low Pressure Fitness is a comprehensive movement system that targets the core and pelvic floor muscles (coordinating and toning the muscles), restores posture and myofascial mobility and helps to improve breathing by focusing on diaphragm and lateral rib cage movement and position.
A hypopressive or abdominal vacuum is often used while performing the technical poses and movements within Low Pressure Fitness, creating reduced pressure throughout the abdomen and pelvic girdle.
How to get started:
A 1-1 private session is my preferred option for optimizing success. As we go through life, injuries and illnesses, aches and pains, scars and adhesions impact our physiology and psychology. When learning the fundamentals of LPF, working 1-1 allows your trainer to focus 100% on you, your breath, your posture and your goals.
After learning the basic fundamentals of the LPF in a way that suits and supports your body and mind, you can then continue to weave it into your daily/weekly wellness routine or join group classes.
Another option is to join a group Intro Series. We offer them monthly at Health in Motion PT + Wellness on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:00 am. You can choose to come once or twice a week, but we ask that everyone commit to attending the first two sessions so we can learn and progress as a group.
As Patti told me when she introduced me to LPF, the practice is important 'exercise medicine' for both women and men.
