Fleming Jennifer - The feel good body : 7 steps to easing aches and looking great

While this book is intended as a general information resource and all care has been taken to compile the contents, this book does not take account of individual circumstances and is not in any way a substitute for medical advice. It is essential that you always seek qualified medical advice if you suspect you have a health problem. The authors and publishers cannot be held responsible for any claim or action that may arise from reliance on the information contained in this book.

T here is no reason to feel tired. On my way to an appointment with physiotherapist, Anna-Louise Bouvier, I wonder if my sleep was somehow disturbed and feel annoyed I have a dull headache again. At the top of a narrow set of stairs is a brightly coloured office and Im invited into a consulting room. It is similar to my doctors surgery, with a desk, bed and life-size neck-to-hip plastic skeleton hanging in the corner. Asked to take a seat, I make sure to face away from a large floor-to-ceiling mirror. Do you wake up feeling refreshed? Anna-Louise asks.

The reason Im here talking about my morning mood is not earth shattering or dramatic. I have annoying neck and shoulder pain that I attribute to hours spent tapping away at a computer. For many years I have woken with a dull headache not bad enough to stop me from getting out of bedjust a fog that slowly dissipates. I can live with it. Im also concerned about some injuries when I exercise. As a late starter to fitness, it feels unfair that in trying to keep myself in shape I seem to be falling apart. I worry how I will feel in 10 years. Will my aches develop into something more debilitating and stop me from doing the things I want to do? Is it inevitable that as I age, l will develop a stoop and slowly shuffle along footpaths?

At the end of the assessment, Anna-Louise explains why I experience niggles, headaches and injuries. Your body has the wobbles, she declares. The muscle system supposed to hold you up has collapsed and is placing unnecessary pressure on your neck and shoulders. Like a car with bad wheel alignment, youre getting more wear and tear. Its very common and its very fixable.

I feel relieved to hear this. You were born with a fantastic muscular system that supports and protects your joints. But like most people, you regularly crash this system with sloppy posture. As a result, your body gets the wobbles. When she describes this muscle system to me, I admit Ive never heard of it. Youre not alone. The system lies deep in your body and cant be seen. At the moment, yours and many others bodies are like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, making you more vulnerable to pain and body breakdown.

At the mention of muscles, I expect to be handed a sheet of paper describing a series of exercises to perform; a sheet that would probably end up on a pile of other papers around my house. Changing your body from wobbly to strong isnt about exercises, reassures Anna-Louise. Its about changing everyday habits that will alter how you look and feel.

I first met Anna-Louise during her regular conversations with James Valentine on ABC Radio. Drawn by her humorous and accessible explanations of body ailments, I had also heard about her successful Physiocise program and was keen to discover how it worked. And now Id learned theres a key muscle system that, if activated, could reduce my neck pain and headaches.

Anna-Louise and I began talking about the 21-day Feel Good Body program. There are seven stepsevery three days you focus on a new step until you fix your wobbly body and activate this key muscle system. You will feel better because it reduces strain on your bodyand you will look better for activating your internal elastic support. I know this because Ive done the program and its transformed how I sit, stand, move and exercise.

Wobbly body
Slumpy shoulders, pot tummy, floppy bottom, knock knees, falling arches.

Strong, stable body
Long neck, strong shoulders, sucked-in tummy, lifted bottom, firmer knees, lifted arches.