activity

The Power of Physical Activity

by ultrapeg

Here are some words to live by:

“All parts of the body, if used in moderation and exercised in labors to which each is accustomed, become thereby healthy and well developed and age slowly; but if they are unused and left idle, they become liable to disease, defective in growth and age quickly”.

(Kokkinos & Myers 2010)

Want to know who said them?  It was the famous 5th century Greek physician Hippocrates (remember the “Hippocratic Oath”?) The quote suggests that we need to keep using “all parts of the body” the way they are designed to be used if we want to maintain good health as we age.  In our sedentary modern times we can’t take this use for granted.  We need to make a concerted effort to use those muscles that have become “unused and left idle”.
Studies have consistently shown that physical activity can improve our health at any age.  And it is never too late to start or to benefit. Just a few of the common ailments that can be improved with regular exercise include:  high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis.  There’s more good news.  A recent study by Dr. Bruce Barrett at the University of Wisconsin suggests that mind-body practices like yoga and Pilates can help reduce the incidence of acute respiratory infections such as flu.  The changing of the clocks often signals the beginning of the end of winter, but the flu season is late this year.  Cases are just now beginning to appear.  So it’s not too late to protect yourself.  Consistent classes can be the perfect partner for your flu shot.
But wait – there’s more!  Turns out that research conducted at the Mayo Clinic has found that deep breathing may help with hot flashes. Those of you who practice yoga know that deep breathing is an important component in our practice. Breathing with movement is also a major part of Pilates.  So classes offer an opportunity to learn some breathing techniques that might help. The number of problems addressed just keeps growing.
The strength, flexibility and balance that we work on in both yoga and Pilates help to prevent falls while keeping muscles mobile and bones aligned and strong.  The mind-body connection can also help reduce or lessen the severity of injuries if they occur. Regular practice of yoga and Pilates can also help to reduce the stress, anxiety and negative emotions that can impact our ability to resist disease.
Bottom line?  There doesn’t seem to be any down-side to coming to a class.  Every move can be adapted to your individual level of ability.  So whatever your age, capacity, or level of inactivity you can benefit.  As I frequently say, we call it practice for a reason.  The goal is not perfection (whatever that means) it is simply to find a level of practice that works for you and that you can maintain on a consistent basis. Then you can experience the full array of benefits that continue to be documented through ongoing research.

Looking for Life’s “Aha!” Moments

by ultrapeg

ahamoment58

There are times when you may find yourself in the middle of a class getting annoyed by what you perceive is your lack of ability.  You may start to lament letting yourself go or waiting so long to begin. Or you may start believing that getting older automatically implies loss of ability.  Or maybe you see what the person next to you is doing and start beating yourself up because you feel like you can’t do the same thing. This drumbeat can become a self-fulfilling prophecy; that is, saying “I can’t” means “I can’t”. Personally, I hate hearing the words “I can’t”. It’s amazing to me how easily we downgrade our abilities.  These negative thoughts can become what Sharon Salzberg refers to in a recent blog post on onbeing.org as “inner landmines”.  They can trip you up and derail your efforts before you even know what’s impacting you. Sometimes the attack can be so severe that it triggers thoughts of giving up.  It can even be the first brick in a wall of resistance that keeps you from believing that you can change. 

This is just plain wrong.  Recent brain research continues to prove that we are never too old to change.

If you find yourself in this type of negative spiral, it might help to stop and examine what is creating that resistance.  It probably has nothing to do with the person next to you.  It has much more to do with how you see yourself.  Instead of focusing on what you think is wrong with what you’re doing, how about celebrating the fact that you are there doing it. Think of all the people you know who give in to their inner “boogey men” and don’t even try.  Here you are making the effort.  That’s special!  You may think that effort isn’t perfect, but whatever you’re doing is better than not doing it at all.  Through the years I have seen (and I have had!) many “aha!” moments when something that seemed so elusive suddenly becomes clear and do-able.  Think of riding a bike.  Or that subject you took in school that seemed so opaque.  Whatever block you overcome, it soon becomes so effortless you begin to wonder what was so troubling.  I recently heard a description by a father of his son’s first steps.  The child took one step and suddenly his little face lit up when he realized he was still standing and could take another. Sure, he fell shortly thereafter, but it was enough success to inspire him to keep trying.

Maybe you have always downplayed your abilities.  Some of us have been raised to believe that this is a form of necessary modesty.  More often, though, these thoughts have morphed into demons that hold us back from trying new things or pursuing something we’ve always wanted to do.  Despite this self-directed negativity, most of us are capable of incredible compassion towards others.  It is not being selfish or even self-centered to believe that you are just as deserving of compassion as everyone else in your life.

So allow yourself some of the generosity you are so willing to bestow on others.  The first rule of yoga is “ahimsa” which is usually translated from Sanskrit as “non-violence”.  We are not capable of non-violence toward others until we first learn to be non-violent toward ourselves. Subjecting ourselves to “inner landmines” hardly qualifies as non-violence.  Even if you’re the only one that knows.

When you hit a wall with your practice remember the rule of ahimsa.  Be gentle with yourself.  Maybe you need to just stop, take a breath and try again another time. Or try making the best effort you can make at this time regardless of how far away from your ideal you think it might be. Either way you can’t lose.  Mindful effort is always better than not trying at all. And practice works. Keep trying and you will improve. You may never look like your neighbor but that doesn’t mean that you are not achieving the desired result.  Even when you think the results are less than optimum you’re probably improving more than you realize. Reward yourself for the effort you’ve made and smile!  Give yourself a break and applaud your achievement. After all, you showed up and that’s half the battle.