Use it or you’ll lose it!

With an expectation of living over 100 years and moving as I do, there’s certainly a lot to be done on the way — so that I can keep moving. I’m not a fanatic about exercise, and I’m certainly no kind of athlete, but I do have somewhat of an exercise routine and a commitment to regular exercise.

It’s no surprise that exercise is deemed absolutely necessary for keeping mobile as one ages. And yet, too few people spend any time at all “moving” or taking the challenge of pushing their bodies to do a little more than just daily activities. “Just Move, A New Approach to Fitness after 50” by James Owen sparked my interest. He offers a lot of practical advice on developing a fitness program as we get older, all the way from simple routines and exercises to the importance of breathing and even the best types of footwear.

Owens believes one of the biggest culprits for early onset aging is “sitting.” I agree. We sit way too much. As he says, “You’re favorite easy chair is not your friend.” The results of too much sitting are actually rather startling. According to a statistic in his book, inactivity kills more people than smoking. The sedentary way of life is responsible for one in 10 deaths worldwide. Spending hours a day in front of the television can be downright dangerous!

So let’s move it!

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think we need to be in a state of perpetual motion. In fact, I believe it’s equally important to take time to relax and regroup — as in yoga.

Recently I uncovered a DVD I’d had for a while (had gone unused). It’s Beginning Yoga by Rodney Yee. If you want to learn some early steps to doing yoga, he’s your guy. The DVD includes a short morning routine, an evening session and a relaxation session. I try to use the morning one on a semi-regular basis. It starts with about 5 minutes of relaxation then about 7 minutes of very gentle, easy yoga moves followed with about 3 minutes of meditation. It’s a great way to greet the morning and set yourself up for a great day.

Namaste