Remember what I said two weeks ago?

It’s not a quiz, so it’s OK if you don’t! 

We talked about having a cognitive reserve. How a lifetime of learning will help keep you mentally sharp as you age.

Running parallel to a cognitive reserve is something that doesn’t get as much press as it deserves: a movement reserve.

Have you ever seen an older person shuffle instead of picking up their feet to walk? Why do they do that? It’s because a) their muscles have weakened, particularly in their lower bodies (hips, quads, glutes, hamstrings) and b) they have lost much of their range of motion.

The lack of strength is something we address every single day at Revity3. If you are not strong now, it’s only going to get worse from here, not better! It is vital that you put your body under good tension (under the watchful eye of an experienced coach) to maintain the strength that you do have.

Turning to range of motion, this is something that we are constantly reminding our clients. You must move each joint through its entire range of motion.

Why?

Just like muscles…

Use it or lose it!

I have seen this firsthand. My 85-year-old mother cannot fully turn her palm towards the ceiling. I witness her lack of mobility, a lack of range of motion, each day that I give her her pills.

I look at her hand, unable to turn 180 degrees, and I think, “I don’t want that.”

I look at her hand, and I think, “I must tell everyone the lesson that my mother is unknowingly teaching me.”

I think, “I cannot let this lesson go to waste.”

So when your coach says, “lift your knees higher” or “squat lower” or “extend your arms more” or “lift your arms over your head straighter” remember that he or she is not saying this to be mean. He or she is doing it with your future in mind. We want to make sure that as your range of motion declines, which is inevitable, you have a great starting point.

If you are 40, 50, or 60 and have poor range of motion, what are you waiting for?

Build up that movement reserve now, while you can.

Come see how!

We are here to help you live longer, better!

Coach Dylan