Elev8d Fitness, the new home workout program brought to you by the experts of Sonima, celebrates and indeed elevates the human body’s natural inclination to move. Being in shape is not about killing it in the gym. It is about restoring your body’s full range of motion and finding a routine that fits in your lifestyle. This in turn makes moving and exercising feel invigorating and good so that you stick with it. The result? A program that has helped people rediscover what they love about working out and transform their bodies in the process.
Elev8d Fitness was co-founded by Sonia Jones, publisher of the Webby-Award-winning health and wellness website Sonima.com, and Pete Egoscue, the Father of Modern Postural Therapy. Egoscue has long been aware that many of us are not fit because our bodies do not have a full range of motion, that is, all the joints and limbs can’t move in all the directions they were designed to. This lack of range of motion is the result of postural dysfunction which affects most of us largely because of our sedentary lifestyles.
As a result, when we work out, we are not utilizing our larger, deeper muscles but rather just the smaller muscles closer to the surface. If we engage those deeper muscles, as Elev8d Fitness workouts are designed to do, we burn a lot more energy in a shorter amount of time, thereby maximizing the efficiency of our workouts. In addition, we bring a higher level of oxygen to the blood circulating through those deeper muscles, thus making ourselves more energetic. Curious to learn more about how the Elev8d Fitness program works? Read on for the four simple principles behind this revolutionary program, then head over to our Vimeo page to try our workouts and workout series.
1. Postural alignment is the key to fitness results.
Everything in the body is connected. If one element of your posture is compromised, it creates a disconnect so that your body does not work as a cohesive machine. This reduces the efficiency of your workouts, because your muscles will still perform, but they will do so in isolation.
The alternative is an aligned and functional body where strength in one muscle group is fully integrated with the strength of the entire body, thereby streamlining energy expenditure and strength building. Elev8d Fitness exercises activate large and small muscle groups through dynamic movements that help tone your body, boost fat burning, and also become functionally fit so you can do any movement with good form—at home, at work or in sports. By activating key muscles such as the hip flexors, psoas, and the muscles around the shoulder blades, Elev8d Fitness realigns the body and improves posture. A body that is properly aligned operates at max capacity, boosting everything from your metabolism to mood long after your workout is finished.
Related: The quick Elev8d Fitness workouts will even make you feel more alert. Check out the Energy Boost Workout and say goodbye to coffee!
2. Less is more.
Elev8d Fitness workouts can be completed in only 8 to 16 minutes per day, four times a week. It’s all about consistency, not killing it. The program is based on low-intensity interval training (LIIT), a method in which you perform challenging exercises at the minimum effective dose, followed by low-intensity recovery exercises. The emphasis is on alignment and quality of movement so that you yield results without diminishing returns or the stress and strain that comes from high-intensity workout routines. This emphasis on sustainability delivers real results: Our Elev8d Fitness ambassadors lost an average of 12 pounds in 12 weeks without dieting or intense exercise!
3. How you move is more important than how much you move.
Every Elev8d Fitness workout reflects the 8 core movements we need to re-learn and strengthen for total-body alignment and full range of motion. The exercises create a cascade effect, activating key muscle groups in sequence for a comprehensive workout. The 8 core movements are:
1. Over: Humans need to be able to jump over an object, such as a log, fence or bench, using your hands and arms to propel yourself forward.
2. Under: Going under a low doorway or branch requires stepping forward or sideways to squat and load your weight on alternate hip joints.
3. Around: Moving in a circular motion, as you did when a child rolling downhill or running around the woods or a jungle gym, moving forward or sideways in circles around a table, tree, or jungle gym, in both directions.
4. Sideways: People generally move forward or backwards, but rarely laterally, in both directions, so Elev8d Fitness has you pivot in a variety of ways, including shuffling your feet or doing crab walks.
5. Rotating: This includes twisting your torso, like when you swing a golf club or baseball bat.
6. Flexion: As modern desk sitters, we spend a lot of time in flexion, but are out of practice bending our body forward at the joints, such as at the waist for sit-ups or at the knees for high-step exercises.
7. Extension: We’ve gotten good at hunching forward, but Elev8d Fitness reteaches us to extend our body backwards as in crab walks or a backbend or an upward dog position.
8. Pushing/Pulling: Thanks to technology and machine power, we rarely need to do much heavy lifting, and even less pushing and pulling. Elev8d strengthens the arms’ ability to push or pull your body, such as push-ups or pull-ups.
Related: See for yourself how fun and effective these movements are! You’ll love the 8-minute 8×8 Workout.
4. Fitness should be fun.
Moving feels good and natural, so exercise should be playful. Drudgery and pain have no place in Elev8d Fitness. The movements are dynamic, engaging, and can be done in the comfort of your home or in combination with other activities you enjoy. If you’re a dedicated yogi or maybe a long-distance runner, we are not suggesting you should give up anything for an Elev8d-only approach. Elev8d Fitness is an excellent warm up or ‘pre-hab’ for a long run, or a tennis match, or whatever it is you love to do. By adding just eight to 16 minutes four times a week to your regular routine, you can improve postural alignment and prevent injury.
Try Ele8vd Fitness now and see how you can transform your body in minutes with no equipment!
The Sculpted Butt and Hips Workout
16-Minute Energy-Boosting Workout
Total-Body Transformation Workout
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