During the first term students learned a lot about the mechanical function of their bodies.  New movement patterns were developed for most of the new students, while those students who were at KeNako in 2012 had to discipline their bodies back into good habits again and shrug off bad habits that can so easily creep in.

The tendency is always there for people going to gym (and even for their trainers!) to get into fancy and high level exercises too quickly, before they are actually ready for it.  This can cause physical injury and also be demotivating when people struggle to get through the workouts.  Care must be taken not to allow someone to progress to the “next level” before they are ready for it.

KeNako students will again be reminded this term that they have to master things like good body alignment, activation of the deep (core) muscles and stability before they can even lift a weight in the gym.  Some exercises will be performed with a broom stick until their form is good enough!  We know the wise old instruction “not to build a house on sand, but on solid rock”.  It’s amazing that this sage advice is so often neglected in modern life, with so many people wanting things to be instant.  Yes, it does require much harder work initially and takes more time to set a solid foundation.  But once this has been formed, it will produce sustainable development and success in the future.  I also don’t want students to have a false perception of their physical fitness, thinking they are invincable, only to come crashing down like a house built on sand when the “storms” hit.  That can be devastating for any sportsman.

So “patience” will be the important word for students this term in their gym work.  KeNako’s focus is to improve and develop students for the long term, instead of getting quick and inconsistent results, which can be a false indication of a golfer’s progress and longevity in the game.

Jan Fourie
Biokineticist