“The day you stop playing is the day your body starts aging” – Steven Gilmore, 2019.
Ok, the above statement isn’t entirely factual; however, it does carry a lot of weight.
When most of us were younger we rarely got stiff and sore, even when we would be outside for hours playing in parks putting ourselves into all positions and using every muscle in our body. As we get older we tend to stop putting ourselves into these positions because we would be too stiff and sore….
Or maybe it’s the other way around, we are becoming stiff and sore because we stop putting ourselves into these positions!
A lot of us put our daily aches and pains down to “wear and tear” and “getting older”; these are phrases we hear almost every day.
However, a lot of these aches and pains can be due to lack of movement variability, i.e. staying in the same position for long periods. There isn’t much scientific evidence for somebody’s natural posture (or anatomy) causing pain, however there is a lot of evidence on the negative effects of sustained postures.
So, the only bad posture is one that is sustained for long periods. If you were to sit upright in the “perfect posture” for 8 hours a day, you would have the same amount of problems as if you were to slouch for 8 hours a day.
So what is the solution?
Movement!
The human body is meant to move, a lot, in many different ways. However, in recent decades we have started to move less and sit more.
- How much of your day do you spend sitting down?
- How much of your day do you spend doing the same tasks, putting your body in the same positions?
- Now, how much of your day do you put your body in the positions a child playing in the park would be?
As previously mentioned lack of movement variability is a major cause of stiffness and can lead to many common injuries and pains. So, we’ve clarified we need to start moving more in various ways. This should be done by gradually exposing our body to specific movements/exercises that we don’t usually put it in to – a gradual progression through movement variation.
Although natural static postures don’t necessarily lead to injury and pain, some can predispose you to sub-optimal movement patterns.
People often have sub-optimal movement patterns even when their natural posture doesn’t play a role. These sub-optimal movement patterns definitely can lead to pain/injury.
So, back to our solution. You need to move in various ways with optimal movement patterns.
Luckily, our Movement Revolution class is designed to take you through that exact process. This physio-led class is a mix of Pilates/Yoga/Functional Strength exercises to maximise movement variability and leave you strong, flexible and pain free.
*We are currently running these classes online through Private Facebook Groups – due to COVID-19*
If you have any other queries or you are not quite sure where to begin, feel free to contact us online here, via email, or over the phone on 025 35015.
Also feel free to have a read of some more blogs and/or sign up to our newsletter for monthly advice/tips
Thank you for reading, and remember:
Move Well, Feel Well, Be Well!