Looking to stay mobile for life? You need to regularly move your body in all directions - front to back, side to side, rotationally, and top to bottom. Your body was designed to move in all of these ways and if you forget to do so, you may lose some of your mobility as you age.
It gets back to the SAID Principle or the Principle of Specificity. The SAID Principle stands for Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands. Basically, your body adapts to the demands you place on it. So, if you don't regularly move in all directions, you gradually lose that ability.
While watching a program on Fit TV, this principle was illustrated very clearly. The program was featuring the Afro-Brazilian martial art of Capoeira. This martial art is one that closely resembles dance and is similar to break dancing.
In these movements, you continually move from a standing position to being supported on your hands and feet, as well as balancing on your hands while kicking with your feet. This is all done seamlessly, as you flow from one position to the next and back, always keeping your body balanced.
It is beautiful to watch, but still performs as self-defense if necessary. They showed one of the Brazilian masters of this art and he went through some of the moves with one of his students. This teacher was 84, but could still move effortlessly from standing to all fours and back up.
What was his secret for moving like this at his age? Simple, he taught himself to move like that when he was younger and then....he never stopped moving like that!!
Did I also mention that he walked an hour both ways to teach the classes 5 x a week!
If you want to keep your mobility, don't stop moving in all directions. If you are currently exercising, don't forget to move sideways and rotationally as well.
If you are someone exercising at a healthclub and only use the weight machines and treadmill or elliptical machines, you may also lose some mobility, even though you are exercising regularly. Weight machines stabilize the weights for you, so you only move the weight in one direction.
If all you do is ride a bike, walk on a treadmill or elliptical machine, you are only moving straight ahead. You are missing the other movements you have available. Movements that are necessary to keep normal function.
The movements that people do in every day life, movements that give many people trouble as they age, are bending over to pick something up, getting up out of a chair, and keeping their balance so they don't fall.
So doesn't it make sense to work on all of these movements in every direction while standing, which challenges your balance, your mobility and your strength all at the same time? Of course, it does.
Also, taking from the lesson mentioned earlier, why not do these movements in your 40's and 50's, so that you won't lose that ability as you get older. Move it or lose it!
I'm not saying that you should avoid the treadmill or bike, etc. completely, but you need to work on your mobility as well. It's just as important as your cardiovascular health.
I'll finish with this quote from Physical Therapist Dave Schmitz - "training exclusively on machines and only moving in one direction will decrease your ability to function sideways, rotationally, and vertically. Period!!"
Brian Morgan has been a Certifies Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) since 1993. He is also a massage therapist with 5 years experience in rehab settings, working with people of all ages. For more information go to http://www.brianmorganfitness.com and sign up for the newsletter "Mobility for Life."
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