The importance of movement

“You don’t stop moving because you get old. You get old because you stop moving.”

Aging…we are all doing it. Every second of everyday.

For some this is tough to accept.

It can be tough mentally to feel yourself getting older. But so many of us equate age with slowing down and not pushing ourselves to continually be better.

Age, really is, just a number. We put the stigma of being a certain age and it meaning we can’t do as much as we used to.

Yes, some things will change. Maybe we can’t run as fast or as long. Maybe we can’t lift as heavy.

None of this means that we cannot still build strength and endurance as we get older.

Many of us simply stop. We stop moving. We stop involving our muscles in a functional strength manner. We sit way too much. We eat way too much. We don’t exercise.

Nothing could be more true.

Our bodies are meant to move. They are meant to pull and push things.

Stop and think about how much you sit or that you are in a seated position (knees tucked up, shortening the hip flexors). You probably sleep this way - in a fetal position. You get up and sit down at breakfast, you then get in your car and drive to work. Then you sit down at work at your desk. You go to lunch, sit down at the table. You go back to work, sit at your desk. Then you drive home, walk-in the door and sit on the couch.

This is one critical reason so many of us have really tight hip flexor muscles and low back pain.

As pain builds up, mentally we start to give in. It feels like everything we do causes some pain and discomfort so we simply stop exercising. Our bodies are resilient. They are strong. But they must move to remain that way. Stagnation is our enemy.

Move everyday. Be mobile. Be flexible. Be strong. No matter your age, keep moving.