The older we get, the stiffer and tighter we get. Here's a few pictures of my daughter, Emily, age 28. I doubt that she will ever get stiff or tight; she's always moving.
One of the false beliefs some people develop as they get older is that they aren't capable of staying strong and flexible. This is simply not true.
Maybe you're not as agile as you once were. Maybe you move a little slower, maybe you can't walk quite as fast or keep the running pace you could 5 years ago. You may have some aches and pains and you may have noticed that injuries take longer to heal. This is something that creeps up slowly and it's real. It's really real.
It makes you feel less youthful and less capable.
This feeling of loss of vigor can be the spark that gets you moving!
You can have the same energy now that Emily has in the above photos. You can feel just as alive as she does no matter your age.
Moving is the answer.
When I first came to the practice of yoga it was to improve my flexibility. I had been a runner for years and never, ever took the time to stretch one single muscle. When I bent over to touch my toes, the tips of my fingers were about 12 inches from the floor. My hamstrings were soooooooo tight. Tight hamstrings can lead to back pain and all sorts of discomfort.
THIS IS IMPORTANT - READ THIS SEVERAL TIMES
As your body tightens up, it actually begins to choke itself. Your muscles get shorter, your nervous system gets strangled, blood circulation and lymph circulation are inhibited and life force which is the energy that keeps you really alive is weakened. The tissues and cells and little tiny atoms and sub-atoms that were once flooded with oxygen and fuel and good energy become undernourished.
As your muscles get smaller and weaker, your metabolism slows down, your posture changes and you just feel sluggish and tired. It makes you feel heavy and makes you prone to weight gain which is really depressing. It makes it seem so much harder to do things, even regular things like walking up a flight of stairs or even getting out of a chair.
Moving is the answer.
Over the next few weeks, I'm going to show you some strength training exercises that are basic and that are very effective. If you are looking for really good books that describe in detail some of these exercises check out Miriam Nelson's books - Strong Women Stay Young is great. She also has Strong Women Stay Slim, Strong Women Strong Bones and many more. If you have an injury and are unsure of what to do and how to do it, hire a personal trainer. Tell her or him you want a safe workout just for you that you can do on your own.
Your Wild Woman will be stronger in a very short period of time - even 2 weeks.
CONSISTENCY AND SIMPLICITY that is the key to having a strong body. Keep it simple (unless you have the time, energy and knowledge to do otherwise) and be consistent. Sometimes life gets in the way of our personal goals - always go back to them when the blocks fall away. Always go back to the things in life that are good for you.
You deserve it.
Much love,
Donna Rae
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