American Council on Exercise (ACE) recognizes fitness benefits of the Feldenkrais Method®.
Walpole, MA, August 10, 2007—A new training program developed by Boston-area movement education company, Kinesthetic EdgeTM, has received high marks from the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Body Knowledge, a correspondence course authored by Kinesthetic Edge director and founder, Andrea Higgins, is the first and only continuing education home-study course for fitness professionals based on the Feldenkrais (pronounced fel/den/krice) Method of somatic education.
A San Diego-based nonprofit organization committed to enriching quality of life through safe and effective physical activity, ACE has certified more than 250,000 health and fitness professionals spanning 77 countries, since its inception in 1985. ACE certification, continuing education, and training are highly respected within the fitness industry. To remain in good standing, ACE-certified professionals must update their skills, by participating in 20 or more hours (or 2.0 CE credits) of ACE-approved continuing education every two years. Those who successfully complete Higgins’ five-hour Body Knowledge program and final exam can earn 0.5 continuing education credits.
Body Knowledge is the first and only correspondence continuing education course designed to give fitness professionals insight into the movement teaching strategies that make the Feldenkrais Method so effective. With it, Higgins aims to bridge the gap between the somatic education and fitness fields.
“The Feldenkrais Method is known for bringing about numerous physical benefits to those who practice it—from improving balance and coordination, to reducing chronic pain, and even enhancing elite athletic performance. There are numerous applications in the fitness and wellness fields where Feldenkrais can help to bring about better and faster results for clients,” said Higgins.
A former ballet dancer and Pilates instructor, Higgins completed four years of training to earn her credentials as a Feldenkrais practitioner. She began incorporating Feldenkrais principles into the Pilates routines she designed for her clients and was amazed by the results.
“I had clients for whom the Pilates exercises, even the most basic modifications of the exercises, were too challenging due to their history with injury and chronic pain. But, as soon as I begin introducing Feldenkrais into their personal training sessions I saw immediate improvement—and they felt it, too,” Higgins explained, adding that, over time, her Pilates clients began specifically requesting Feldenkrais.
“They valued the time we spent on Feldenkrais in a completely new way. I think they recognized that they were investing not just in an exercise program, but in a way of educating their body through a process that could serve them in all aspects of their life,” she said.
Although it might not be possible for all fitness professionals to complete a four-year, professional Feldenkrais training program, a basic understanding of the work and its applicability to fitness training can be grasped fairly quickly, according to Higgins, who is also the author of Kinesthetic Edge for Golfers. In addition to the Body Knowledge program, which teaches fitness professionals strategies for enhancing their clients’ individual fitness routines using Feldenkrais strategies, there are opportunities at Kinesthetic Edge and somatic education centers all around the country for experiencing the Feldenkrais Method, through private lessons or group workshops. The Feldenkrais® Educational Foundation of North America (www.feldenkrais.com) features a database where you can search for a certified practitioner by state and zip code.
The Body Knowledge continuing education program, which includes a 60-page study guide, 2 audio compact discs and a final exam, is available at Kinesthetic Edge (www.KinestheticEdge.com) for $49.99. An additional testing/administrative fee applies for those wishing to submit the exam for 0.5 ACE CECs.
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