Movement Matters


Friday I attended a seminar on movement.  There were interesting points to think about as well as good reminders on how we move.  Here were the take always:

*Our current lifestyle mismatches our physiology.  Since we have more conveniences, we are less active.  When we move less then try to go do physical activity, that’s when we sometimes have issues.  

*Muscle mass starts to decline at 35.  However, it is never too late to improve it.

*When exercising, we want QUALITY over quantity.  We need 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic intensity, 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity, and at least 2 days a week of moving heavy loads in a safe way.  Move well and move often!

*Know your body and adjust for your needs.  For example, do I need more mobility and flexibility work? How is my balance? Start with basic movements, master those, then progress to higher demanding movements.  This is important to remember with injury as well.  Our minds (the software) want to jump back to where we left off, however, our structural capabilities (the hardware) isn’t ready.

*Avoid loading poor patterns and poor joint centration (do the movement well before adding weight).

*Goals when moving: good motor control, appropriate range of motion (flexibility, mobility, stability), good joint positioning

*AWARENESS IS EVERYTHING!! How often do I move? Do I move well? Can I incorporate more movement throughout the day (parking further away, walking faster to my destination, stretching and releasing connective tissue in the morning and after sitting for extended periods of time)?

*Lastly, you are only as strong as your weakest link.  Work those weak links.

I mentioned to some of you the study on being able to get up off the floor being connected to life expectancy.  Obviously there are quite a few factors that play into it, but here’s an article that describes the study:

Movement Study

The end of the article is a great summary of why it’s important to move…especially as we get older.