As we grow older, we tend to lose mobility. One of the ways I like to compare and contrast our capability to do things is to watch children. When was the last time you crawled under a table, tried to climb a tree or tried to do a cartwheel? We all used to be able to do these things. Why can't we now? When did we stop?
Did we stop moving because we got old? Or did we get old because we stopped moving?
I am a computer programmer and sit in front of my computer for hours on end. what is that doing to my body? It's training my sitting muscles of the hips and atrophying everything else.
As we age, we tend to become more sedentary and limit our range of motion. Eventually we can't even walk straight.
As many of you know, my 82 year old mother lives with me. I have seen her going through her aging process and feel it is a blessing, as I could be looking at a reflection of my aging process, and I can prepare for it. As time has gone by, I started watching as her gait was not as straight as before. One of her doctors suggested a book by Pete Egoscue called The Egoscue Method of Health through Motion. That book started us in a path we are still on and will be the subjects of other posts.
Egoscue happened to have a clinic in Palm Beach, and every month my mom gets evaluated, does an Egoscue workout, and goes home with instructions on exercises to do for that month. I can physically see the difference that these sessions make in only one hour. She will walk in with difficulty and a little crooked, and walk out much loser, walking straight and with better balance.
So get active! Get moving! Take a break from the computer every 30 minutes or so! Crawl on the floor, hang from a tree! Have fun!
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