Movement and the Aging Process

Why do some people age more gracefully than others and what can we do to lessen the effects of aging physically, mentally and spiritually?


Whether we are aware of it or not, our every movement we make is creating a pattern that we will ultimately be locked into. Like all animals, our bodies come wired with a set of reflexes and instincts that allow us to develop from a fetus into a full-grown person. Things like rolling onto your side, crawling and walking require very complex neuromuscular skeletal patterns that come very easy to us, so much so, that we are completely unaware that they are even occurring!

In the same way that so much of our movement is given to us gentically, we also have the ability to train ourselves to excel in specific movement patterns, such as a ballet dancer that has molded their body into the most elegant human sculpture that floats across a stage to the body builder that has shortened and bulked up his muscles loosing full range of movement but gaining incredible strength. The patterns we create, intentionally or not, will ultimately determine the way we age.

Gravity
We live under the constant pressure of gravity. Since we spend our lives mainly in an upright position, head over the heart, gravity puts a constant downward pressure on our bodies. Keep in mind that blood contains 95% water, and that the body is made up of about 70% water overall. What happens with water in gravity? It pools.

Similarly, the blood in our organs pools under the pressure of gravity. If we are always sitting or standing upright and living sedentary lives, everything tends to fall and it becomes harder to stand up straight and do simple tasks like reaching into the back seat of the car. This is where a regular yoga practice goes a lot further than other forms of movement.

While other forms of movement like spinning, running, overall aerobic exercise and weight training are important for cardiovascular health and will help with weight loss, yoga goes the extra mile in reversing the adverse effects of aging on the body.

Yes, our traditional cardio and strength training methods are efficient in building vascular and muscular tissue, but they are not very effective at keeping us supple and free to move as we please. The dangers of excessive repetitive movements, like running and bicep curls, are that you train yourself to move in a very limited and fixed manner. The continuous use of the same muscle groups and repetition of neuromuscular skeletal movement patterns will eventually lead to muscular imbalances, pain and poor aging.

In yoga the twisting of the spine and mid section effectively ‘rings out’ the internal organs and bring nutrient rich blood into the areas being worked. The yoga postures create pressure on organs, which increases circulation. The deep breathing in the postures releases tension in connective tissue allowing better movement through joints and improved joint mobility aids in preventing injury.

Repetitive movement, such as cycling, running or just sitting at a desk daily, will lead to a decrease in range of movement and increase the possibility of injury.

Practicing inversions, any pose where the head is under the heart, such as downward facing dog, the plow, shoulder stand and head stand, shifts the effects of gravity on the body, pulling the organs back into place.

As creatures of habit, we develop routines for ourselves and, for the most part, become the routine we create. The key to aging gracefully and free of pain is to align with gravity so that the gravitational pull becomes supportive rather than challenging.

How do we do this? Counter movements.

So if you usually sit with your hands on a desk go home and lie on your back with a pillow or rolled up yoga mat just at the lower tip of your shoulder blades with your arms laid out on the floor above your head. If you spin a lot practice back bends and stretch the tops of your feet by pointing your toes.

The key to slowing the aging practice is to restore balanced muscle action around joints.
The human skeleton is designed to align at a 90degree angle with gravity. Living in balance, living in grace with gravity.