Yes I have the secret of all secrets
How to stay young and healthy for the rest of your years.
The secret lies in a single word MOVEMENT. Now this is a broad term, but let me
explain, movement is life! once you stop moving the body begins to
systematically shut down until all function is lost.
You see this all the time with the elderly or the injured and
will have even experienced it yourself on a daily basis. Just think about when
you woke up this morning, you were most likely stiff and sore from barely
moving for the last 8 hours. Your back is tight for not reason, your neck is
like concrete on one side from sleeping 'funny' and any minor injuries that you
have accumulated over the years seem to magically reappear. However, after a
few hours of being up and moving around, these things that were almost
crippling you a few hours ago, have disappeared or at least eased up depending
on the severity of your condition.
Most people think this is just part of getting older, but it's
NOT. It is part of being older, but not a part of getting older and yes there
is a difference. It is part of being older because you have been exposed to
more experiences that have left a mark on you. It is inevitable that a brand
new pair of shoes for instance, is going to have a lot less marks and scrapes
on them than a pair you have owned and
been using for the past X amount of years. However, it is crazy to think that
all you do is keep putting up with more and more damage until there is nothing
left. It's not surprising that this is what people of today believe considering
our throwaway society, but things are starting to change, reverting back to our
roots. What would happen if we gave our 'shoes' a little TLC? Conditioned the
leather, put new laces and soles on- they would look like new and keep on,
keeping on. This is exactly what movement will do for the human body, it
thrives on it, depends on it, it's what conditions it, replaces and restores
the parts that have worn out. It's a
self healing machine.
So now I've convinced you that movement is the key to
longevity, how do we know what movement is going to heal and what is going to
destroy. After all most of the marks and pains we carry are from moving in some
form, or another. This is where mobility exercises come in to play. These are
not a new or modern invention in fact they are must probably one of the oldest
forms of exercise and have evolved into multiple specialities that are still seen
today. Nothing is as complete or well rounded as the mobility category for
overall health.
Mobility exercises almost exclusively require no equipment
and can be performed anywhere at any time for as little or as long as you
require. This collection of movements take each joint through a full range of controlled
motion that your body is rarely subjected too in modern living. This full range
of repetitive motion stimulates the synovial glands found in each joint to
produce a fluid called synovial fluid. This fluid lubricated, repairs and
restores the cartilage responsible for smooth running joints. Your joints do
not receive the same benefits of nutrients through blood circulation like the
rest of the body. They receive it from this synovial fluid that must be
stimulated through the full range of motion and cannot be sufficiently
stimulated by other repetitive movements that can have the opposite effect to
cartilage destruction. For example office workers often experience carpal tunnel
syndrome through repetitive use of the wrists and fingers in limited patterns
and is often referred to as 'wear and tear'.
Not only will the joints benefit from this movements but the
muscles, tendons, ligaments, circulatory system and even digestive system will
benefit. They have a profound effect on flexibility as they are a type of
active flexibility, meaning, that you have the strength to move in and out of
these stretched positions lowering your risk of injury.
They are also a form of
self massage that will aid in the release of tension that gather in tissues
giving you more energy and reducing harmful stress hormones.
Almost sounds too good to be true, if they are that great
why have I never heard of them before?
Because the current fitness culture lacks a focus on true
health practises and only show you the glorified aspects of physical fitness,
whether that be demonstration of strength, muscularity, body fat percentages or
the newest supplements. Much of the information is irrelevant or worse yet,
harmful to the majority of people but it is the mainstream source of their
information. Mobility exercises are more commonly associated with physical
therapy but can used as preventative medicine rather than rehabilitation and
the most advanced versions of these exercises are practised by gymnasts to
develop their unbelievable performance skills.
Continue to move with a simple mobility routine and live a
long, high functioning, pain free life with this little gem of neglected
knowledge.
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