Bernie Falk’s approach is one of prescribing exercise. The best exercises are those tailored to one’s movement, at one’s personal level of physical skill and condition.
This issue leaves open the question of what can one do to get some idea of what Bernie Falk’s approach is all about. The exercises presented in this website are a sampler of exercises that Bernie used. A given exercise will not necessarily get at a specific problem.
For instance, Head Lifts may not necessarily help someone’s particular neck pain. On the other hand, it may be terrific. It all depends on where the weakness is and what is causing the problem. If you cannot do ten Head Lifts without a rest, then the exercise is likely to be terrific.
Even without being prescribed, each exercise will help understand some problems and give the reader a sense of body awareness. These exercises are meant to teach some fundamental aspects of human movement. It is Bernie’s thesis that one can only learn through practice.
The exercises given here cover much of the body.
They assume that the reader has enough energy, strength, and flexibility to be able to carry on a some what normal life. This means someone who, say, can walk to the store and work in the garden. Those who do not have this degree of movement may need to start with more primitive exercises than those given here.
Keep in mind that developing an individual movement program does not mean going out and jogging three miles or immediately attempting to do 200 Dumbbell Situps. The body may not be ready. Developing strength takes time. One starts with small goals, establishing basic muscle strength and nerve patterns, building from one stage to the next. It is a slow process, one step at a time.
Many of Bernie’s exercises look deceptively trivial. For instance, in the exercise called Visual Target Practice, the reader is asked to move the eyes from side to side. Trivial? No. Just doing 50 of these will teach you something about the eyes. Extraneous movements often associated with moving the eyes will lessen, and so will the resulting tension that comes from these extraneous movements.
Other exercises may wear the reader out after only a few repetitions. For instance, the Bicycle may be hard to do ten times. This should alert the reader that there is a weakness somewhere, for some people will find this exercise definitely easy.
As for the order of exercises, in some sense it does not matter. Any order that feels natural is fine. Some exercises can be done sitting down, some lying on the floor, some standing up. It is better to do one or two exercises well then run through some list in a half-hour. As for the number of repetitions, 20 is a good rough starting number, 200 a good goal. More is better.
Paying attention is important.
I cannot leave this section without mentioning one of my exercises. It is an exercise that shocked most people who knew of my back and neck problems. It certainly did me, at first. It is called Kickups. I started practicing this exercise with small Kickups, and in time, several months, I was able to go straight up with my feet against the wall. This exercise has been excellent for strengthening my wrists, arms, shoulders, neck and upper back. Many people hardly believed me when I suggested it was good for my back, but it is!
Selection of Exercises:
Disclaimer:
I am not a qualified physician. As with all exercise programs, when using these routines and examples shown, you need to use common sense. To reduce and avoid injury, you may want to check with your doctor before beginning any fitness program. By performing these exercises, you are performing them at your own risk. Theoryofexercise.com will not be responsible or liable for any injury or harm you sustain as a result of this information shared on this website.
