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Practice Makes You (Feel) Younger

February 18, 2015 •

My free time is increas­ingly con­sumed by sev­eral kinds of phys­i­cal and men­tal prac­tice. These pur­suits are designed to regain strength, mobil­ity and flu­ency.

Despite half-hearted com­plaints about the time they con­sume, I do appre­ci­ate the results. These prac­tices don’t turn back the clock, but (as my yoga teach­ers say), they’re juicy.

Seeking Balance

Con­tem­po­rary lives are too seden­tary, with bad long-term con­se­quences if not coun­ter­bal­anced by phys­i­cal activ­i­ties. I’ve learned this the hard way. I also watched my mother lose the use of one arm, as it became more and more stiff and stuck through inac­tiv­ity. Seden­tary defined her lifestyle…

Our high-tech cul­ture is great for innovating…and trig­ger­ing pain. Sit­ting perched over a key­board or dig­i­tal device for hours on end, day after day, sets you up for imbal­ances in mus­cle strength that may increase your risk for injury. Yoga can help.

“Bal­anc­ing Act,” Yoga Jour­nal, March 2015.

Woman in Yoga Tree Pose

Step 1: Yoga

Like most of my cohorts, I have years of desk-bound work to over­come. So, eight years ago I took up yoga as a way of cop­ing, but I’ve learned it’s not suf­fi­cient to coun­ter­act all my ail­ments.

When work and health per­mit, I prac­tice yoga daily. Off the mat I’m try­ing to be more mind­ful.

Step 1: PT

Besides yoga, my daily life now requires a dozen-plus PT exer­cises — with ther­apy bands, balls and weights. My yoga room is now clut­tered with ther­apy gear, vying for room with bol­sters and yoga mats.

My ther­a­pist has pre­scribed spe­cific move­ment pat­terns to reju­ve­nate a stiff tho­racic spine, and heal rota­tor cuff issues that had led to a frozen shoul­der.

I’m learn­ing through prac­tice that the right exer­cises can mobi­lize and strengthen “enchained” mus­cu­loskele­tal struc­tures — coun­ter­act­ing some of the con­se­quences of aging and repet­i­tive stress activ­i­ties. And unhealthy lifestyles.

It’s taken months of focused work to restore mobil­ity to my shoul­der joint/capsule and upper spine; now I’m poised to begin strength build­ing. I’ve been able to avoid surgery because my rota­tor cuff was com­pro­mised not by trau­matic injury, but by nor­mal wear-and-tear.

Thank­fully, dili­gent PT prac­tice can pay off. It’s no foun­tain of youth, but it can cer­tainly make you feel and move like a younger self. This has been my expe­ri­ence.

My doc­tor dis­charged me yes­ter­day, not­ing the ben­e­fi­cial impact of two+ months of dis­ci­plined PT. That said, he cau­tioned that I must faith­fully incor­po­rate PT exer­cises into my daily life, like floss­ing or brush­ing my teeth… If not, there will be many more flare-ups in my future.

Well-being is all about bal­ance in life. Not just phys­i­cal.

 

Trackbacks

  1. Language Is Brain Candy says:
    February 19, 2015 at 9:02 am

    […] begun bal­ancing my phys­ical prac­tice (yoga and PT exer­cises) with some juicy food for the brain —  relearn­ing a sec­ond […]

About This Blog

Reflec­tions on life, travel, books, and yoga. Think­ing out loud about the pur­suit of mind­ful­ness and well-being.

Learn­ing how to recover from the loss of a beloved spouse, and then to find a trans­for­ma­tive path for­ward.

About Me

Semi-retired marketing exec, transitioning from a career in high tech. Now "managed" by two Tonkinese cats. Missing travel and friends on the West Coast. Avid reader and foodie. Staying active with long walks, biking, kayaking and yoga.

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