Good Agility Habits

I was watching my 2year old stand up from sitting in the bath the other day. He did so without the use of his arms or a huff and a puff. It was a smooth transition from knee sitting to standing on a hard surface. I often treat clients who say "I've never been able to..." referring to touching toes or crouching into a deep squat or stand up from the floor without using hands or complaining of sore knees.

Well next time you have the privellage of watching a small young human, set your mind on the fact that you too could do these things once. Our habits and exposure to exercise and movement leaves us with the body we have today. The more agilie and mobile we keep our bodies the less likely we are to complain of early morning aches and pains. Some good habits are to always put your shoes on standing up - this encourages balance and good mobility - if you cant, gradually work your way toward this goal, dont just admit defeat; get onto the floor to play with your kids and/or grandkids; join a pilates or yoga type class that encourages good mobility and stability. Even if you are a seasoned athlete these are good habits to get into. It is the older athlete that most often starts to get frustrated at their bodies, asking the "how did this happen?" question more frequently than not. At Balance we offer Pilates and stretch conditioning classes. Look after your body and live like you want to look - Form will follow function. The way you function will determine your form.