The phrase ‘use it or lose it’ has never been truer when it comes to your body. Movement needn’t be just about going to the gym or for a run or bike ride. An active life overall is much more beneficial than just a few hours a week of intense exercise. To keep active throughout the day it can be good to reject some of the modern tools of the home and go back to old fashioned methods of cooking a cleaning. Such as using a pestle and mortar instead of a blender or sweeping the floor with a brush instead of vacuuming. If a journey is less than a mile, walk or cycle instead of taking the car. It’s much better for you and so much better for the environment.
Besides keeping the body and mind vital and sharp, physical activity fends off stress and depression, improves circulation, promotes higher-quality sleep, builds immune resilience, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
There is a test which was created to be a predictor of longevity. It’s the “sit-stand” test. You can see me demo it here https://www.instagram.com/p/CXyaz69o73w/ Don’t get hung up on not being able to do it, but do try to do something about it to increase your strength and flexibility if you can’t manage the manoeuvre without knees or hands. I’d recommend either Posture Ellie’s six week “Posture Perfect” course https://posture-ellie.com/courses/posture-perfect/ or Tony Riddle’s “Rewild your Squat” course which you can get a 50% discount off with Dr Chatterjee’s code here https://drchatterjee.com/what-makes-us-human-with-tony-riddle/
As we age, we still need to keep moving but we also need to listen more to our bodies as they take longer to heal from injury. Pushing through pain is a definite no. It’s not that you shouldn’t run if its painful. Just don’t run like that! See Helen Hall’s book https://www.helen-hall.co.uk/product/even-with-your-shoes-on/
If you don’t currently exercise, start now! But start small, it’s more likely you’ll stick at it that way. Try ten minutes walking for a few weeks, then twenty minutes, then find a hillier route. The key is consistency and doing what you love. It’s easier to walk if you can find a nice natural environment to do it in. If you love to dance, go to Zumba. If time and money is an issue, try Dr Chatterjee’s five minute kitchen workout https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtZB95-AVZM
Take care of your feet. They are the corner stone or your movement. Please don’t wait till they start to hurt or your bunion needs operating on. Start now by ditching those toe squishing pointy shoes and high heels. Look for shoes with flexible shoes and those with zero drop ie no heels, just as if you were barefoot. I wrote about my journey into barefoot shoes here https://thenourishingspace.com/benefits-of-barefoot/ .
Build muscle mass. If your job or hobby doesn’t keep your muscles moving with weights, then add them into your daily life. This is especially important after the age of 40 when muscle mass declines year on year. How about carrying a basket when you do a small shop rather than using a trolley. Pick up the little kids or grandkids when they want to play with you. Pretend to be a horse and let them get on your back (I’m sure that’s what kept my dad so well for so long!!). You don’t need to go to the gym or buy weights, you can use your own body weight in the form or press ups, squats, lunges and hand stands.
Finally, don’t forget about rest and relaxation after your movement. Life is all about balance. When we push our cardiovascular system hard, it needs time to recover and rebuild the micro-stresses we’ve put on it. That way we improve and strengthen ourselves rather than just wearing us out.
Don’t wait for the perfect moment, or the perfect workout clothing, or the discount membership at the gym. Just go for a walk now. Go on, stop reading this, and go outside for a walk, now!!
