So  you’ve finally taken that first scary step and begun your movement practice.  In fact, maybe you’ve managed to continue it for a few weeks or a few months or even years.  In the beginning perhaps you felt awkward and incapable.  But as you continued you probably began to notice improvement.  Those “lightbulb” moments when you suddenly understand something that seemed elusive begin to pile up.  Suddenly your body is actually complying with your mental requests and it might even feel easier than it did when you first started.  You may also recognize changes in other aspects of your life.  Perhaps you now have more energy or endurance.  Everyday movements that used to cause stress like climbing stairs or reaching up or digging in the garden or lifting something heavy may start to feel easier.

The big gains often made in the beginning stages of practice can become addictive.  We start to feel like we should continue to experience these gains indefinitely.  It is disappointing when this doesn’t keep happening.  We get frustrated and discouraged.  However, nothing goes on forever, including continuous rapid improvement.  An article in Yoga Journal reflecting on impermanence describes this phenomenon:

. . . in the beginning, we are on a honeymoon of discovery; we grow by leaps and bounds in ability and understanding. After a couple of decades, however, our poses change much less. As our practice matures, it becomes more about consistency, deeper understanding, and smaller breakthroughs. This is not to say we won’t continue to improve, but the improvement may be subtler.”

This is when it becomes really important to remember all the reasons you began this practice in the first place.  In my early days as a Personal Fitness Trainer many of my clients began with the goal of losing weight.  Initially they would usually experience some success.  A change in eating habits and an increase in physical activity would have the desired effect for a while.  But anyone who has ever tried any routine specifically for the purpose of weight loss will know that inevitably one encounters the dreaded plateau.  All of that initial improvement seems to grind to a halt and may even backtrack.  At times like these there is another important practice to invoke – the often difficult practice of patience. Patience is about being steadfast despite opposition, adversity or difficulty.  By the progress you’ve made so far you are already exhibiting this quality. Now is the time to acknowledge this as one more benefit of your practice.

All of the mind-body practices, of which yoga and Pilates are two, encourage cultivation of changes in your mind as well as your body.  Mental changes often mean changes in perception.  If building endurance is one of your goals for your movement practice it might help to remember that mental endurance is just as important as physical endurance.  Hanging in there in the face of obstacles is one manifestation of endurance.  So even if your physical practice seems to have stalled, you can still work on the mental part of your practice.  Standing firm in the face of challenges to your resolve is another way to demonstrate improvement.

It’s natural to want to abandon your practice when you feel that you are no longer making progress.  But just as change came to the initial experience, change will come again.  Waiting for it can be difficult.  It might help to make a realistic assessment of where you’re at right now. Recognize and celebrate the gains you’ve made.  You worked hard for them.  They are certainly worth maintaining.  Make a list of all the improvements you’ve seen in your life since you started your practice.  Look at the big picture.  You may find that the improvements go much further than the original goals you set.  Think about how you feel physically and mentally.  You made a commitment and followed through. If you take classes, focus on the connections you’ve made to others. Your practice has probably helped you to build physical strength, but you have also cultivated inner strength by continuing to practice even when you felt uncertain or insecure. You understood the importance of making time for yourself.  That effort has probably also had a positive effect on those around you.

Practice is something we never finish.  It is an ongoing effort without a foreseeable end.  So stop worrying about the end.  Yes, goals are important and we want to keep them in mind to help us stay motivated.  But once a goal is reached, there is always a new one to set.  General goals like maintaining good health can always be a carrot to dangle.  Stay in the moment and enjoy the process.  Focus on how you feel.  Being able to move in any capacity is a miracle and should be a source of daily gratitude.  Just like endurance is more than just physical, so is flexibility. Rather than trying to adhere to rigid rules, be flexible.  Adjust your expectations.  And above all be kind to yourself.  Pat yourself on the back for your many accomplishments.  You showed up.  That’s the biggest achievement of all.

This blog has been touting the benefits of exercise since its inception.  Any of you who have ever been involved in marketing know that repetition is the key to getting your message to penetrate.  As a movement evangelist I agree with the importance of driving that message home.  So here is another round of research that not only reinforces how important it is to keep moving but also shows that even a little can have significant results.

For those of you who are concerned that exercise might be dangerous, a clinical perspective published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology indicates that “even small amounts of physical activity are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease”. “The evidence with regard to exercise continues to unfold and educate the cardiovascular clinical community,” said JACC Editor-in-Chief Valentin Fuster, M.D., Ph.D. “The greatest benefit is to simply exercise, regardless of the intensity . . .”.  The article does make mention of the problems that can occur when trying to be too intense too soon without proper preparation.  So often I see people who try to go from zero to maximum in an effort to make up for lost time.  Perhaps they are thinking of what they “should” be able to do instead of accepting where they are right now.   Then they wonder why they get injured or worse decide that they can’t exercise after all.  Unfortunately, we can’t change the past.  What used to be is gone.  But we can start today to change the way we feel right now.

It turns out that it is not necessary to run a marathon or climb Mt. Everest to experience health improvements.  Recent studies show that exercise in lower intensities still significantly lowers disease risk.  So the best advice is still to start slow and gradually increase, especially if it has been a while since you’ve done any regular moving at all. Increases can be made in a variety of ways:  time spent moving or movement intensity such as distance, speed or difficulty.  Only one of these factors should be increased at any one time. Then the body needs time to adjust to each increase before adding anything new.  If you keep this moderate movement in mind and continue to remind yourself that any movement is better than no movement, perhaps you can control the urge to do too much too soon.  This applies to all forms of movement including yoga and Pilates.  There are modifications for all moves so that new participants can start slow.  The trick is to listen to your own body, focus on your own needs and ignore what you see anyone else doing.  Regular practice will enable your body to adapt and at your own pace you will begin to notice improvements.

In addition to the heart health benefits, the mind-body connection is also increasingly demonstrating how important physical movement is for brain health.  Contrary to long held beliefs, our brains are capable of forming new pathways throughout our lives – even as we age.  In an article from Boston University Medical Center researchers found “that higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness were associated with enhanced brain structure in older adults. . .”  Corresponding author Scott Hayes, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine and the associate director of the Neuroimaging Research for Veterans Center at the VA Boston Healthcare System, noted that “physical activities that enhance cardiorespiratory fitness such as walking, are inexpensive, accessible and could potentially improve quality of life by delaying cognitive decline and prolonging independent function.”  Another study, also dealing with physical activity and brain health, further reinforces these findings.  “Our study provides the strongest evidence to date that fitness in an older adult population can have substantial benefits to brain health in terms of the functional connections of different regions of the brain,” said Beckman Institute director Arthur Kramer.  Michelle Voss, who led that study while a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Illinois, further noted that “the benefits of fitness seem to occur within the low-to-moderate range of endurance, suggesting that the benefits of fitness for the brain may not depend on being extremely fit.”  More evidence that a little movement is all you need.

The best news is that the medical profession is finally beginning to get the message.  A recent article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal provides a “How-to Guide for Prescribing Exercise for Chronic Health Conditions”.  The article notes that “Exercise helps to alleviate the symptoms of many chronic health conditions such as knee osteoarthritis, low back pain, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, heart disease and more, yet it is often overlooked as a treatment.”  “Many doctors and their patients aren’t aware that exercise is a treatment for these chronic conditions and can provide as much benefit as drugs or surgery, and typically with fewer harms,” states lead author Dr. Tammy Hoffmann, Centre for Research in Evidence-Based Practice, Bond University, Robina, Australia.  Some examples of the chronic conditions that can benefit from exercise include osteoarthritis of the knee and hip, low back pain and prevention of falls.  In particular, movements that aid in improving muscle strength, range of motion, coordination, and balance are mentioned as some of the interventions that can help with these and other conditions.

As you know, Pilates and yoga specialize in practicing these types of movements.  So doesn’t it make sense to give movement a try?  It costs less than doctors visits, medication or surgery.  All it takes is an investment of time and a commitment to practice.  As noted above, you don’t need to be an expert or even an athlete to get started.  You can start where ever you are.  If you can move at all, there is something you can do. Make a decision to be kind to yourself and take it slow.  If you are already following a medical protocol you should, of course, check with your medical professional before starting any program.  But try asking before you assume that you are incapable of exercise or that it won’t help you.  You’ll never know until you try.