When I break a tiny bone in my foot, I learn (again, in new and different ways) about the power of stillness. That there is grief to feel when things break--bodies, schedules, plans--in letting go of how things were supposed to be. Also, bones are amazing! Healing begins in the first moments after injury and goes on for months. It takes the time it takes. How do we heed what the body needs? How can we move into stillness? What kind of movement practice is that?
Read MoreYour environment shapes your body as much, if not more than your movement habits do. Beds, couches, and chairs, as comfortable as they are, prevent us from making it down to the floor. They prevent us from building strength and mobility in the process of daily living. That we sit more and move less is a modern problem that requires cultural change and community support. If you want to be stronger, live longer and age well, you've got to move more of your sitting parts.
Read MoreFor my 64th birthday, I bought a Stand Up Paddle board. There’s a short, steep learning curve involved in learning to balance and paddle, even on the still water of a lake. Muscles in my feet, legs and core are constantly active, stabilizing my bones and joints as I paddle along. Perception of the body moving through space comes from position sensors in muscles and joints. You need the visual, vestibular and proprioceptive systems to be working well in the constant and continuous process we call balance.
Read MoreEverybody reading this article is aging at the same rate. Some of us are fixated on the number. Some hide it. I like to know my clients’ ages. On my intake form I ask, “Age is just a number. I’m 64. How about you?” The replies I get often start good conversations about just what is dynamic aging.
No matter your age in years, it’s never too late to create new movement habits that build more functional bodies...and brains.
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