Bodyflex gymnastics: proper weight loss with breathing exercises

Bodyflex[edit | edit code]

Bodyflex

is a charlatan system of exercises aimed at losing weight by stretching muscles, combined with a certain breathing technique.
As many trainers claim, you breathe and lose weight, without “special sacrifices in nutrition.”[1][2][3][4] However, in practice this bodyflex does not work
.

In reality, bodyflex is a commercial scam

, which does not help weight loss at all and does not live up to its stated promises. Bodyflex is advocated and promoted by numerous trainers and organizations who benefit from it personally. There is no medical reason to believe that breathing practice and muscle stretching will significantly affect your figure, much less the condition of your skin. The research claimed by the authors does not exist! In 2003, in the United States, bodyflex founder Grig Childers and her company were hit with a major lawsuit for making false promises to their clients.[5][6] After a trial in 2004 in which the bodyflex marketing company paid $2.6 million to the plaintiff,[7] Grig Childers disappeared from television screens until 2006 and then appeared with a new training program, without any mention of bodyflex.[ 8] In Russia, bodyflex quackery continues to flourish and develop unhindered.

The absurdity of the idea of ​​aerobic respiration is that fats can only be oxidized if there is a lack of energy. If you eat and expend the same amount of energy as usual, then the oxygen entering the blood will not oxidize the substrate. This is just idle lung function and a placebo effect, otherwise bodyflex doesn’t work!

The most famous bodyflex trainer in Russia is Marina Korpan. She doesn’t just conduct bodyflex classes, she has developed her own system for making money,[9][10] which has virtually no restrictions. This method is not supported by science and official medicine and can be dangerous for people with diseases such as glaucoma, high blood and intracranial pressure, thrombosis, etc.

Description of basic bodyflex exercises

So, having figured out what bodyflex is, let’s look at its main exercises for various muscle groups, which you need to start with having already mastered the breathing technique.

All exercises are performed at the stage of holding the breath, the starting position for all except “Cat” is basic:

a lion

• The goal is to strengthen the muscles of the face and neck.
• Purse your lips in a circle, open your eyes wider and look at the ceiling.
• At the same time, lower your lips and, without relaxing your mouth, stick out your tongue as deeply as possible.
• Maintain the position for 8 beats, repeat 5 times.

Ugly grimace

• Beginners need to master this pose gradually, adding breathing only after mastering the pose.
• Pull your lower jaw and lips forward.
• While holding the grimace, stretch your neck until the muscles are tense.
• Now stretch your head towards the ceiling as if you want to kiss it.
• This exercise greatly stretches the neck muscles, so you may feel pain the next morning - this is completely normal.
• When you understand how to do this exercise, add a breathing part.

Diamond

• The goal is to tighten your arms.
• Stand tall and clasp your arms in front of you, holding them high so that your arms are tense, not your chest, and your fingers are touching, not your palms.
• Tighten your arms, press harder with your fingers, don't move.
• The arms remain tense throughout the eight beats, trying not to release the pressure.
• Return to IP, relax your body.

Side stretch

• The goal is to train the abs and waist.
• Reach your left elbow to your knee and shift your weight onto it.
• Move your right leg to the side, pulling your toes, but without lifting off the floor.
• Raise your right hand and stretch it to the left - you should feel a stretch in the side muscles.
• Hold the pose for 8 counts, 3-4 times on each side.
• Do not bend your arm, extend it as much as possible.

Cat

• This is a universal exercise, beneficial for the whole body and one of the most famous in bodyflex.
• The initial pose is on all fours, head, back and arms straight.
• Arch your back as high as possible, tilting your head down like a stretching cat.
• After 8 counts, return to the starting position.
• Ideally, the exercise should be performed smoothly. It is better to perform it before breakfast, on an empty stomach.

Stated operating principle[edit | edit code]

Marina Korpan. First lesson. Bodyflex.

The bodyflex system is based on a combination of deep diaphragmatic breathing with special physical exercises. Moreover, according to Marina Korpan, you can stand in any position by doing a breathing exercise and lose weight. Allegedly, after exhalation, oxygen is directed to the place of tension or tension in the muscle, as a result of which the fat near this muscle begins to be consumed. However, you can see for yourself that without diet and additional physical activity, your weight will not change even after several months of exercise. To which bodyflex adherents will tell you that you did not follow the breathing technique correctly or will refer to certain metabolic characteristics of your body.

[20][21][22][23]

In addition, it is suggested to perform a breathing exercise: pulling your stomach under your ribs (the “vacuum in the stomach” exercise), as a result of which the volume of your stomach decreases significantly, and after several sessions you will notice that you can no longer eat as much as before.

An absolute fairy tale, since the volume of the stomach cannot be reduced by breathing exercises since it is innervated by the autonomic nervous system, and the “vacuum” exercise has an effect on the abdominal muscles, but not the stomach.

You can perform stretching exercises only, without making almost any effort. On average, as trainers and many followers of the system assure, weight loss in one week is 5 kg.

Bodyflex about burning fat with stretching

Stretching exercises are not exercises for burning fat, this has long been known to everyone.

It is believed that proper breathing is very important in the bodyflex system. First, you need to exhale calmly through your mouth (to the end, so that there is no air left in your lungs), then take a sharp deep breath in through your nose, thereby filling your lungs to capacity, and exhale all the air through your mouth (until a whistling sound). After exhaling, you need to hold your breath for 8-10 seconds (during this time you are doing the exercise), and then inhale through your nose. If you are just starting to practice bodyflex, holding your breath can be much shorter. You can start with three seconds, adding a second every day. Don't torture yourself by holding your breath, it won't do you any good. Proper breathing is half the success.

False effects of the bodyflex system

• With the help of aerobic respiration, a large amount of oxygen enters the body, which saturates the blood and, along with it, is delivered to the area of ​​tension, which contributes to the intensive breakdown of fats.
• Bodyflex accelerates the metabolic process.
• Bodyflex enhances lymph flow, which contributes to the accelerated removal of waste, toxins and other harmful substances from the body.
• Bodyflex has a beneficial effect on the intensity of contraction of the stomach muscles, causing it to decrease in size over time, and, consequently, a decrease in the amount of food consumed.
• The uniqueness of the bodyflex system is that it can effectively work in two directions: help reduce overall volumes and model individual problem areas (buttocks, hips, waist, etc.).

Results of training using the bodyflex system: loss of excess weight, reduction of volume in problem areas, reduction of cellulite; reducing nervous tension, gaining a calm state, cheerfulness; improvement of skin condition; improvement of general well-being (getting rid of snoring, constipation, migraines, “women’s” problems); general rejuvenation of the body; increasing flexibility, gaining grace; improving the functioning of the circulatory system, accelerating cleansing and digestive processes.

Three rules for a good result[edit | edit code]

Rule 1. Regularity

Only systematic training provides the necessary load on the muscles and gives the desired result. And here the intensity of the load does not matter: it is consistency that plays a decisive role.

Rule 2. Exercise on an empty stomach

A prerequisite is that all bodyflex classes are carried out only on an empty stomach. The ideal time is in the morning, immediately after waking up. If it is not possible to study in the morning, keep in mind that you can start exercising no earlier than two to three hours after your last meal. It is precisely because you exercise on an empty stomach that you will feel like your abdominal volume has decreased.

Rule 3. Refusal of strict diets

There is no need to combine bodyflex exercises with a strict diet or fasting. However, in most cases, you will be advised to limit your intake of sweets and starchy foods; in this regard, some positive effects may be observed.

Contraindications and side effects[edit | edit code]

Bodyflex exercises are contraindicated in the following cases:

• for severe cardiovascular pathologies (heart failure 3-4FK, pulmonary hypertension, aortic aneurysm);
• with increased intracranial pressure, cerebral aneurysms;
• if implants are installed in the spine;
• after spinal surgery (at least a year must pass after surgery);
• in the presence of acute inflammatory and infectious diseases (temporary limitation);
• during exacerbation (relapse) of chronic diseases (during remission it is possible, and sometimes necessary, to do bodyflex);
• for tumor diseases;
• with bleeding (any location);
• during pregnancy.

Basic bodyflex exercises[edit | edit code]

«Diamond

" After doing the breathing exercise, place your palms together in front of you. In this case, your shoulders should be straightened and your forearms strictly parallel to the floor. You should feel the tension in your pectoral and arm muscles.

«Boat

" Starting position – sitting on the floor, legs spread apart. The back is slightly tilted back, the hands behind the back rest on the floor. After doing the breathing exercise, stretch forward while keeping your back straight.

«Cat

" Starting position – standing on all fours. The back is strictly parallel to the floor. After doing the breathing exercise, arch your back upward as if you were hanging on a hook. After counting, return to the starting position.

Supporters of the technique

Like any new method, bodyflex has its supporters and opponents. For example, writer and colon specialist Alec Borsenko says that bodyflex is one of the best methods for enriching the body with oxygen. And parasites, viruses, bacteria and even cancer cells are destroyed in the presence of oxygen.

In addition, you get the aerobic effect from bodyflex exercises five times faster than from running. For example, by running for an hour, you burn about 700 kilocalories; by doing aerobics for an hour, you will get rid of 250 kilocalories. And by doing bodyflex exercises for an hour, you will lose about 3,500 kilocalories. And unlike other long-term physical activities, bodyflex exercises do not increase your appetite. In addition, aerobic breathing promotes massage of internal organs and activates lymph flow, which together leads to improved metabolism and general well-being.

As noted earlier, you don’t need exercise machines or special equipment to practice bodyflex; you don’t have to limit yourself in food. The creator of the method promises that by spending 15 minutes a day on exercises, you will lose from 10 to 30 cm in the middle part of your body in the first week.

In addition, all around us we hear rave reviews from women who have tried the technique on themselves. This is all very attractive, isn't it?

Sources[edit | edit code]

1. https://bodybuilding.info/bb/b/book/1114181186/11
2. https://misseva.ru/raznoe/trenery-bodifleksa.html
3. https://bodybestclub.com/uprazhneniya-na-silu/uprazhneniya-fitness/uprazhneniya-bodifleks-dlya-szhiganiya-zhirovyh-otlozhenij-v-problemnyh-zonah.html
4. https://aboutbody.ru/bodifleks-otzyvy-vrachej/
5. https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2003/11/ftc-charges-bodyflex-marketers-false-advertising
6. https://healthread.net/greer.htm
7. https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2004/09/bodyflex-marketers-settle-ftc-charges-false-and-unsubstantiated
8. https://healthread.net/greer.htm
9. https://marinakorpan.ru/programms/
10. https://www.litres.ru/marina-korpan/
11. https://www.babyblog.ru/community/post/diets/591733
12. https://otzovik.com/reviews/bodifleks-dihatelnaya_gimnastika/
13. https://otzovik.com/reviews/bodifleks_sistema_dihatelnih_uprazhneniy_dlya_pohudeniya
14. https://www.wellness.ru/forum/33007/?page=1
15. https://irecommend.ru/content/marina-korpan-bodifleks
16. https://www.woman.ru/health/medley7/thread/3877259/
17. https://www.krasotulya.ru/telo/index.php?showtopic=1885
18. https://www.mybodyflex.com/t3304-topic
19. https://www.woman.ru/beauty/body/thread/4165684/
20. https://irecommend.ru/content/koe-chto-ya-pocherpnula-dlya-sebya-no-po-bolshomu-schetu-bodifleks-proshel-mimo-i-ne-prines
21. https://irecommend.ru/content/zdes-nuzhna-pravilnaya-tekhnika-dykhaniya
22. https://irecommend.ru/content/mesyats-bodifleksa-foto-do-i-posle
23. https://irecommend.ru/content/pribavilis-obemy-i-esli-brosit-zanimatsya-tolsteesh