Somatic Training

You might call an athlete a "natural" when her movement patterns – from tennis swings and golf putts to breaststrokes and running hurdles -- are present in a fluid and effortless way. But that doesn't happen overnight, very few athletes are total naturals, and everyone has to learn how to move within their sport to excel.

Whether that sport is step aerobics or running a marathon, Somatic Training bumps personal training up to the next level in a fitness program that incorporates breathing drills, gait analysis and mind-body fundamentals. A Somatic Instructor at the Claremont Hotel, Club and Spa in Berkeley, Calif., asked me to fill out a questionnaire and list my fitness goals, injuries and health issues, and then a certified trainer analyzed how I moved. Especially helpful for injured athletes like me, Somatic Training is a gentle and pain-free exercise program that produces organic movement patterns, and adds drills for flexibility and coordination.

The Somatic Trainer then creates a program that involves a combination of machines, weights and other activities like swimming, yoga and Tai Chi to erase potentially painful movement patterns. In working around my previous ankle sprains and hip injuries, my Somatic Training session involved lifting lighter weights than usual, some Pilates-based core exercises, lots of yoga-like stretching and a brief cool down massage.




My Somatic Instructor at The Claremont Hotel and Spa, Janet Welsh said, "Somatic training is the balance between mind, body and wellness and always involves the client being led through several different exercise modalities. We not only train your strength and flexibility but we look at your skeletal system and your nervous system to bring you into balance."

If you're in the San Francisco area and interested in Somatic Training, I suggest booking an hour-long appointment at the 22-acre Claremont Resort and Spa where you have full use of the sauna and steam rooms, the world-class fitness facility, and a wide range of fitness escapes including tennis, handball, hiking and lap swimming. Since I've been home, whenever I perform yoga or a tricky weight-lifting maneuver, I'm quick to correct myself, which helps prevent more injuries.

Interested in spa workouts? Here are more suggestions for staying fit during a vacation.

Fitness expert Nicole Dorsey Straff is a Los Angeles-based exercise physiologist and author, and frequently writes about diet, health and wellness.