Many people are discovering that the cheapest and easiest ways to improve health are movement and exercise. This makes sense when you think that a characteristic of life in nature is that once something ceases to move, it rapidly deteriorates. I love this analogy from the ‘secrets-of-longevity-in-humans.com’: “A leaf that has died on a tree can no longer sway in the wind, it has dried out and becomes brittle”. Arthritis is a great example of this. The pain of arthritis is actually made worse by not moving.
Not only can movement cure chronic conditions, but research also suggests that it can slow or even reverse the aging process! Dr. Kevin O’Neil Geriatric medicine expert. Some practitioners nickname movement, the ‘fountain of youth’. They know that regular movement helps to reduce your risk of major diseases, to stimulate growth of new brain cells (so we’re smarter when we exercise?), and improves your heart and lung function.
So if that’s true, why do so many avoid exercise? Is it that we think it needs to be an intense workout at the gym that so many of us dislike (that’s certainly what social media tells us so we don’t blame you for thinking that). Actually studies show that it’s not really about the type of movement, but movement itself. So we suggest finding what you enjoy and most importantly, what you know you can stick with.
Society as a whole is living longer and longer, so we want our years on earth to be full of vitality so let’s all get moving together! It’s never too late to start.
We clearly love our pilates and yoga practice for our own vitality. Their low impact features also provide greater trust for many coming back from injury, or those worried about their bones, joints, or dealing even with ageing problems such as osteoarthritis.
But some research also suggests that half of your time should also be taken up with still/mindful practices such as meditation and breathing exercises. For this reason, we offer classes to suit both needs. Never tried meditation before? Why not add it on to the end of your class in the studio/gym and then enjoy a very restful night’s sleep?
