Age Better With Movement

I’ve always been a huge advocate for fitness and activity, but lately I’ve been wanting to shout from the rooftops just how important movement is as we get older. If moving keeps us youthful, energetic, happier, stronger, and feeling less pain, then why do so many adults give up on it over the years? I have some ideas on this, and also some tips to help you age better with movement (no matter where you are starting from).

The Slippery Slope to Inactivity

When we are young we take our ability to move well and pain free for granted. Then, life happens and/or pain starts to creep in: chronic pain, minor aches, or injuries requiring years of rehab. And then there is the high percentage of pain caused by inactivity, daily repetitive tasks, or lack of movement. 

Unless you are diligent about keeping fitness in your life, it can be so easy to forget to do it. Our society hasn’t been structured for daily activity for decades! It is only recently that I feel a shift placing more value on conscious movement.

• When you are a child, you had PE, sports, and heck – just had fun running around with friends! But starting in the teens and early twenties, studying and jobs start to take over. 
• We still felt pretty good in our younger years, and inactivity didn’t necessarily affect us that much. 
• Some people keep going hard at fitness through their 20’s without repercussion. I never stretched until my 30’s, despite doing all kinds of high impact aerobics and running. Now, if I don’t stretch, I feel it. 
• Life goes on and other things just take over: work, meetings, social lives, travel, marriage, families… taking care of our bodies seems to slip down the list. 
• If you haven’t made movement part of your routine, it starts to feel like a chore: one more thing to do. 

Read: The Easy Way to Create a Fitness Routine

Why We Need Movement In Our Lives

A few weeks ago the Nature of Things with David Suzuki came on TV after another show we were watching. I found this particular episode interesting because he was talking about aging well and how movement, balance, and trying new things are so important. 

Even if you have substantial pain, avoiding all movement will likely make things worse. Think about it: after major surgeries, patients are often encouraged to get up and walk as soon as possible, with physical therapy starting ASAP. That is because movement helps us heal. 

Research shows inactivity shuts down the muscle, restricting blood flow to the injured area and leading to tissue atrophy. By contrast, movement improves blood flow, which drives oxygen to heal the injured area and removes metabolic waste, while also stimulating the healing of tissues.

Dr. Jennifer Robinson, UBC

It appears that Joseph Pilates was right when he said, “Change happens through movement and movement heals.” So if you have been sedentary for a long time or are suffering with pain or injury, how do you start moving again? (After getting your doctor’s permission, of course!)

Adding Movement Back Into Your Life

Start Where You Are At

Movement should meet you at your phase of life and physical condition.That phase will change as you progress (or even regress). But being stronger and more fit will help you heal or gain your strength back faster. 

With that said, your “consistent movement” will be unique to you. If you just had hip surgery, you won’t be running 10kms three times a week, swinging kettlebells, and doing rollovers in mat class. Instead, you’ll be starting with standing, sitting, walking short distances, and exercise prescribed by your surgeon or physical therapist.  

Or maybe you are active, but tend to do a whole lot of one activity such as running – which is now causing you some kind of pain. We will look to find ways to move you that will complement your running. By adding in mindful movements you can become more aware of how you are running, and perhaps discover imbalances that are contributing to the original pain. 

Each of us will have our own challenges with movement as we age, no matter where we are starting; the point is to simply keep moving! Pilates can be modified for almost anyone, to accommodate injury or to challenge accomplished athletes. 

Consistency

You will feel better if you move, but you have to do it consistently. And to get the most benefit, you should move all of your body! What I love about Pilates is that it can teach you to move your body with all of your body. It teaches mindful movement, something that is beneficial as we age.

When you know how your body is moving, you can prevent future injuries. That’s because if you can make changes to how you normally move, like using more muscles together, certain movements become easier. But in order to get to this point, you need to practice. 

We ask our kids to study and practice their school work, music, art, sport… so they will get better. Yet as adults, we shy from trying new things because it might be hard, or we might not be good at it right away. One of my daughters loves Tik Tok, and she and her friends will practice a thirty second dance for a couple of hours to get it right. 

It never changes; to get better at something, feel better, get stronger, be faster, have better range of motion or flexibility, you need consistency and practice.  

No matter how old (or young) you are, movement is essential to our health and happiness. If you want to age better with movement, let’s talk!