Important ways to move your bodies in order to age well
This past week I was asked, what do you feel are the most important ways to move our bodies to age well?
Here was my answer.
Mobility
Balance
Strength
Breathing
Not in any particular order.
Oh no! What about Cardio? Well we can still receive these benefits when we work out our hearts too. But what if we take cardio out of this equation, just for fun.
Today we are going to muse a bit on mobility.
Why do I have to have mobile joints?
To pick something up off the floor
To pick up a child or grandchild
To put something up in a cabinet
To sit on the toilet
To drink your coffee
To walk up and down stairs
To do life
Take some time with each of your joints and see how they move.
Each joint has a specific movement, they flex, extend, rotate, circle, evert, invert.
Are we using our joints in their full range of motion? Are we just moving them in one way and not the other? Have we injured a joint so we “fear” moving them? Do we have arthritis, and it may hurt to move them?
The reason I enjoy the pilates reformer so much is that you can move into your end range of motion. I gained this in a safe way on my back after my 3 knee surgeries, ankle surgery and it helped me heal my disc herniations. The reason I love mat pilates is that we do lots of hip mobility. The reason I love yoga is that we can work all our joints in all the ranges. The reason I love to swing kettlebells is to compress the joints I’m working.
Ok, now you're thinking, Mary, I can’t make it to your classes! Of course I love to see you, but I get it! You can do this mobility on your own.
Let’s think of each joint and move it as it is meant to be moved. It doesn’t have to be all at one time, maybe as you take a break from your computer circling wrists, fingers, shoulders, ankle circles or after driving in the car, twisting your ribs and circling your hips, stretching arms overhead, or maybe while watching TV you hold a few yoga poses for a period of time to see how the joints can work for you, try and see how deep you can squat. While brushing your teeth you do your calf raises.
As someone with arthritis in my spine, my thumbs, my left big toe and other places I probably don’t even know about, it has been so important that I keep moving my joints to keep them working for me as I age well.
Let me know if you have any questions about ways to move each joint. I love to nerd out on this to help you age well.
