“There’s something in the way she moves
Or looks my way, or calls my name
That seems to leave this troubled world behind”
James Taylor rocks, right? Know what else rocks? Moving without pain…forever. As in even in our golden years. And we can start setting the stage for that right now. And it doesn’t even take hours at the gym or weekly chiropractic adjustments. It’s in the way you’re sitting or standing right now, in the way you got out of bed this morning, or how you picked up that bag of dog food. Simple things that, with some awareness, can really change the way we feel on a day-to-day basis.
For example, when you sit down, are your shoulders rounded forward? Is your tail tucked under you or do you have a neutral pelvis? When you bent down to pick up the pen you dropped, did you squat with your legs or round your spine?
Making these daily, very repetitive, movements better is a pretty easy change to make. At first we increase our awareness of how we move, sit and stand, and start making these little changes. Before you know it you’ve created new habits that will keep you moving better your whole life. And in turn, we end up with less pain and injuries. Viola!
If you’re like us, you know and love elders in your lives who are relegated to a fairly sedentary life due to their physical state. And you probably know others who inspire you with how active and energetic they are. Who do you want to be?
Here are just a few things to think about to get you started:
· Getting out of bed, roll to your side and use your arms to sit up. Avoid piking yourself up
· Emptying the dishwasher/front-load washer & dryer: rather than round your back to reach down over and over, squat to get low
· Be aware of your posture when you are washing dishes, stand tall from the core
· Make sure your computer set-up is ergonomic (
here are some step by step instructions)
· Check how you are sitting in your car. Add a lumbar support if necessary to bring your pelvis neutral rather than tucked under. See if your chin is jutting forward.
We’ve started adding some helpful resources on how to build these simple, but impactful, habits to our social media pages (and more to come!) So check us out on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
Because there really is something in the way you move.
#somethinginthewayshemoves
