Mobility For Every Age
We've all heard the saying "you don't know what you have until it's gone." That statement could not be more true when it comes to your mobility. And let's face it, mobility is not known to improve as we age... A mobile body can be likened to a well maintained and pruned garden. Fitness wizard Aaron Alexander, writes in his book, The Align Method that, “Your Connective tissues are like fast growing bushes, and movement is the act of pruning and structuring the growth like training the branches of a tree to fit your vision."
As we age and technology advances, it is becoming all too easy to develop less than desirable movement and postural patterns. From driving in cars, sitting at desks, scrolling on screens, all the way to how we westerners go poop! In other words, our lifestyle comforts are not encouraging healthy movement patterns.
Here are a few movements and habits to keep your garden from getting out of hand.
1. WALKING
Walking is the time tested champion of movements. If you lose the ability to walk THAT’S BAD! Walking strengthens the Cardiovascular system, Respiratory system, hips, knees, ankles, and does wonders for your mental well-being. Combine walking with beautiful nature, and a steep incline, and you have yourself the ultimate health cocktail. Happy Trails!
2. FORWARD AND BACKWARD BENDING
There is a wealth of scientific studies that show that our ability to bend forwards &/or backwards says a lot about your longevity. Posture and spine health have a significant impact on quality of life as well as life expectancy. Researchers have found strong correlations to how long we live and how flexible our spines are. One study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in 2016 found that poor spinal mobility was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality in older adults. Specifically, the researchers found that individuals who had limited spinal mobility had a 67% higher risk of dying from any cause during the follow-up period than those with better spinal mobility.
Try this at home: bend forward and see if you can touch the floor with your palms flat and knees locked. Take it one step further, tuck your chin and connect your forehead to your shins.
3. SQUATING
Your ability to squat (deeply) says a lot about the strength and mobility of your body's largest muscle groups; glutes, thighs, and hip muscles. These muscle groups work against gravity from pushing you down. When these muscles are strong, we are able to move against gravity much easier, improving our locomotion, hormones, energy levels and quality of life.
Try this: squat down, keeping spine straight, vision forward and weight in heels. If you can nearly touch buns to heels and come up without dropping your chest and bending your spine forward, you are doing very well for yourself!
4. HANGING
The benefits of hanging are numerous! Let’s start off with a few: spine, shoulders, hips, elbows, wrists, ligaments, muscles. All of these body parts gain benefit from hanging. These bodies that we inhabit, which carry us through space and time were literally designed with hanging in mind. Hanging lengthens and straightens the spine, opens the shoulders, strengthens the latissimus Dorsi muscles, biceps, grips and as I have found personally, it is a wonderful way to relieve stress. Especially, first thing in the morning!
Give it a try: hop up on a bar or branch. Keep practicing until it becomes less stressful. Give yourself at least 30-45 seconds for a good hang.
5. FLOOR SITTING
As adults, we spend very little conscious time on the ground. With our western lifestyle, full of exuberate creature comforts, we often find ourselves in; chairs, couches, cars… and so forth. On the other hand, we see children sitting, rolling, tumbling, playing on the grass, and enjoying their time well-spent on the ground.
Spending time on the ground gives us immediate feedback about the state of our knees, spine, hips, ankles, shoulders, and wrists. Rather than avoid the ground– embrace it! The next time you watch TV, read a book, scroll on your phone, or check your emails… Try this: lay on the floor, belly down, elbows under shoulders and retrain your spine to hold itself up.
6. REACHING OVER HEAD
We spend so much of our day handling things below shoulder level. As I type this on my laptop, I am laying on my belly looking at my screen with hands below shoulder height. Don't forget how to hold your arms up! I teach my clients what I call "Bikram Arms" termed after the 90 minute, 26 posture and 2 set, Bikram Hot yoga sequence. Stand with heels and toes together, bring your arms up over head, interlace your fingers, release your index fingers, wrap the thumbs. Now, maximum weight in the heels, lock the knees, flex the thighs, stomach pulls in, rib cage lifts, biceps by ears, palms pressing into each other...HOLD!!! Hold for 60 seconds and see how you feel.
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Your Friend in Fitness & Mind,
-Brysen