Play's an integral part of our program at AIM and there's so many reasons why. We all have fond memories of our childhood, growing up playing games, mucking around with our mates, or participating in team sports (for fun or competitive reasons). These activities help to shape us into the people we are today.When I think back to my childhood memories, all the good times revolved around playing…Running around the house with my little brother getting up to mischief (pretty sure we both dreamed we were going to be professional wrestlers at one point).We made friends around the neighbourhood by participating in games of football, cricket or whatever else was happening at the time.It was playing these team sports (rugby in particular), that helped me break down the language barrier, helping me make new friends when I moved to boarding school in the UK. It played such an important part in making connections and developing friendships.Play is in our DNA! It allows us to be creative, help us develop our imagination and dexterity while building physical, cognitive & emotional strength. It’s only through play that we start to learn to engage & interact with the world around us.Sadly, this innate behaviour is being lost and with it all the great stuff play facilitates for us to grow as better humans.It’s easy to sit back and look at some of the reasons behind this loss.For most it could be due to lack of environment. It could be that our culture doesn’t encourage play – it simply isn’t something adults do!Physical benefits are routinely measured by numbers or acquiring certain skills – reps, sets, load/weight, body composition, skills. There is no metric for play, which may be a barrier for some.For few, it could boil down to lack of confidence and/or little to no physical preparedness – unaware or uncoordinated, lack strength or mobility, or the possibility of injury. There’s a saying – "stiff minds lead to stiff bodies."To me, these are the very reasons we all need to PLAY!“You don't stop playing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop playing.” Play in our species has been a vital part of our success.It allows us to better connect with ourselves; to connect, engage & interact with others to develop social & emotional intelligence; to explore, articulate & express ourselves 😊PLAY is such a powerful tool, it:Drives activity that helps maintain and develop motor skills. We play to develop skills and movement capabilities (speed/agility/athletic performance). Facilitates social bonding and can help with stress management. Research indicates that certain forms of play serve to lower stress hormones and help in developing cognitive and creative skills.There is a large volume of evidence-based research that has found a state of play stimulates the production of our feel good hormones. Play increases endorphins, oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that … [Read more...] about Play: Use it or lose it!!
Why AIM?
The motivation for Anatomy in Motion I was born & raised in Kathmandu, Nepal till the age of 10. In a country where hot water, consistent power supply & education were luxuries; my loved ones made HUGE sacrifices to send me to the UK.When I landed, there was an instant communication barrier. I couldn’t speak English very well! I craved to connect with the other kids, mainly to be accepted. I felt so different! It was only by immersing myself in sports (rugby in particular) that I was able to break this barrier.This is where my love (and need) for movement started.Even as a kid, I have always strived to be the best in everything I do. As I matured into my late teens; like many, I didn’t have a clue of what I wanted from life! Without direction, I wandered through these years lost. At my lowest point I was self-sabotaging, partying alot and alienated my loved ones.This forced me to make a conscious decision - I wanted to work to be a better man! This is where my passion for health and movement started as this was the only outlet that I had growing up where I felt at home. When I was immersed in physical activity I felt connected.Finding your passion is easy – we all probably have a passion for a number of things! But to continue to grow your passion into something more meaningful often means investing time, energy & TAKING ACTION! I started by borrowing money (the only loan I’ve ever taken) to study and committing to move to London on my own at the age of 20. This was a huge turning point for me for many reasons.The most important one was that through this shift I realised that I had a deep thirst for learning and a love of teaching.“I was disillusioned after working 7 years in a misguided industry..an industry lacking quality or standards, an industry with unrealistic expectations that offers quick fixes.” I was very blessed to have been given an opportunity to work in a private training studio in London when I finished my studies. This is where I really got to practice teaching and applying myself. Although it didn’t take long for me to realise that my education & knowledge were not enough to service all my clients’ needs.I felt like an imposter - like I had no real idea what I was doing and really, what right did I have to try to help others?!This sparked me to seek out mentors, teachers & leaders in their field to learn under. I worked with the best in the industry to lift barbells, swing kettlebells, learn Olympic weight lifting, explore various movement practices from yoga, Pilates, gymnastics and martial arts. I studied evidence-based nutrition, the inner workings of the human body, dissected cadavers and treated the injured and worked with terminally ill. I went onto qualify as a remedial massage therapist & even got to study under an osteopath in Oxford university.I started thinking I wanted to learn ‘fitness’ methods... but my intentions evolved into gaining a better … [Read more...] about Why AIM?