Like The Way You Move – Tamborine Movement Centre

Tamas Finta has owned the Tamborine Movement Centre for three years. He explains to us what makes it such a unique place to focus on honing both the mind and body.

by Kyle Hitchmough

 

How did the centre get started?

I moved up here and wanted to find a way to work in the community instead of travelling off the mountain. This is what I do, strength and movement, movement correction, joint mobility restoration, health, nutrition. Everything that has to do with physical wellbeing I am interested in, and I’ve studied. This space was available, and I figured with a chiropractor on one side and acupuncture on the end, this building is a little care hub on the mountain.

Can you explain what it is you do here?

Strength and movement, mostly. Unlike most of the gyms you would see, packed with machines everywhere, I focus on teaching people how to move, how to use the whole body as a system as opposed to exercising the parts separately, because nothing in the body acts alone. I don’t think that exercising one muscle in isolation is the right way to exercise. That has its purpose but for general strength and wellbeing, one needs to learn how to master one’s own body weight through movement. It’s a holistic approach to health and movement.

You work both one-on-one and in groups of clients, correct?

I do private sessions and I also do small group sessions. When someone has a very specific goal or a specific need, sometimes working one-on-one is more beneficial. For people with minor or no issues, having four or five people together has a different dynamic, a very supportive environment, and I can still give people lots of attention because the group size is very small, never more than six people.

What makes the Movement Centre different to other gyms?

The way fitness has been marketed, physical wellbeing and fitness became one with machines. Gyms with machines were predominantly developed for bodybuilders who do that as a sport. It’s not a way to get into shape, be strong or move well. It is about gaining muscle size to go and pose on the stage in a pair of budgie smugglers. That has its purpose but it is not the way to get stronger, because it misses a huge component which is your nervous system. Everything I do here is about multiple planes of motion, which triggers the brain a lot more. It develops body awareness and overall strength because you are constantly fighting forces, gravity, your own weight – you constantly have to think, establishing connections between your brain cells so they work together as a team. This type of training builds that—sitting on a machine and bending your leg does not.

Is there a social aspect to your training here, with regards to the group sessions?

Many of my groups actually head straight to the coffee shop on Main St after training. A lot of people who met here now hang out, after or before sessions that never used to socialise together. They’ve lived here for twenty years and they never met before. It is very important to me to see that sort of community support, that spirit between people. There is always a very good atmosphere here.

 

What do you mean by “intelligent movement”?

Intelligent movement is complex movement. With machines, you can put your headphones in and do them completely mindlessly. Nothing will challenge you apart from the resistance of that particular part of the machine. Here, you will not be able to think about anything else. You will forget about the argument you had at home or what you forgot to buy yesterday because what we do requires your complete attention and concentration. There is no room for being mindless. This is mindfulness in practice.

As a local, what’s your opinion on the Tamborine Mountain community?

We felt at home pretty much from the first day. People use your name when you buy your vegetables… there’s a lot more connection than in most other suburbs. People make a greater effort to talk to you and get to know you. It’s nice to walk on the street and think “I know you, this guy goes to this coffee shop, is he drinking a long black again, oh, where is his pie, usually he gets a pie.” You notice these things – when you would normally run past them if you lived in a busy suburb in a big city. There’s definitely more community. It is the best community I have lived in, in my life.

Is there a membership for the Movement Centre?

Yes, monthly membership. There is no contract of any kind, it’s just a commitment. I am committed to do my best to help you achieve your goals, and I just expect the same of you to be equally committed to those goals and turn up. I’m not a big organization, I have more flexibility.

What kinds of clientele do you get here?

Some people are quite competitive and have some hobby sport like mountain biking or running. I have a very talented 17-year-old AFL player. He’s playing for the Suns. He’s an absolute joy to work with, very disciplined. I have policemen, interior designers, pensioners. The human body is meant to move. At that point, you can stop thinking about categorization of people.

What do you enjoy most about doing this?

This lady came in and said “for the first time in three years, my hip doesn’t hurt anymore.” She’s been to surgeons, doctors, nobody’s seemed to know what to do. She doesn’t have that pain anymore. Another lady comes in saying they just came back from skiing and she’s never skied this well in her whole life because she’s stronger now and her knees don’t hurt. It’s giving people the opportunity to do what they enjoy, not feeling the need to look for a different hobby just because their body can’t do the one they like anymore. Play with the kids, do gardening, fix something in the house… just to be complete.

We are always looking for new topics for our blog. If there’s something you like to see more of, email your suggestions to: social@professionalsserendipity.com.au

Or email the writer at kyle.hitchmough@hotmail.com, and follow me on Twitter @realcasualrvws.