Wander Walk
Last winter I wrote a Tip about “Life @ 3MPH” and cited the many benefits of slowing down. This year I’ve discovered that an effect of slowing down is the desire to do it even more. During endurance training for our long walk in England, my walking buddy Mari and I discovered what we call Wander Walking, where we have a starting place and a general direction and a loose time frame. Then we just walk, going where we go, finding what we find, and being done when we’re done. This form of walking leaves space for wonder and other forms of curiosity, which adds to the adventure of even a simple walk. In the process, my pedometer reported that my average MPH has settled between 2.4 and 2.5 mph, with minor fluctuations. My pedometer doesn’t measure the increase in my pleasure level! Mariah #516
Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.
Uncurling
It’s natural to curl up when it’s cold: snuggle into bed, or into the big chair by the fireplace. How about playing with uncurling? Start with your toes, spread wide, then rolled in, so they can be spread wider. Do the same with your fingers. Then make yourself into a star with all limbs spread out. Let your belly stretch out with a big inhale. How many ways can your shoulders point? Does your mouth want to yawn? Unpurse your lips, hula your hips. Giggle to wiggle your middle, untangle your brain with a riddle. Explore to find more spots that want to take up an unusual space. If you uncurl enough corners, you may discover that you’ve given yourself a full body stretch, a very natural gift to yourself. Yum!
Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.
Magic Trick?
It caught me by surprise to learn how drastically one little idea has changed certain people’s lives. The idea? Walk with feet pointed straight ahead. (Despite the fact that it feels pigeon-toed.) (Despite the fact that most people you see walk with toes pointed outward.) (Maybe despite the fact that you never heard that suggestion before.) A Magic Trick Person reported that doing it reduced a long-lasting foot pain, another found her closet full of shoes that she could now comfortably wear. In my case, it simply made it easier to walk taller. There is some debate about how “straight ahead” is measured–maybe the middle of the toes? My choice of advice is from Katy, a specialist in such matters, (Katy Bowman, Dynamic Aging: Simple Exercises for Whole-Body Mobility and other amazing books) who says to make the outside edges of your feet the parallel lines. That’s the placement our bones are built for, she says. There are many more things you can do to love your feet, but I invite you to try this simple one first, and tell me your adventure as a Magic Trick Person!
Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.
Just Like Kids
What do mature people and children have in common? Brains that can strengthen and build and become more functional! That very good news is called neuroplasticity, if you want to be polysyllabic about it. Just like your body, your brain likes to work out to get more fit. I heard that an example of the kind of challenge that builds the brain is the type of frustration and mental work that comes from learning a new language–that struggle of pulling up newly-learned words. And then I heard (from Karyn Purvis research) that, in order to build new neural connections, you need 400 repetitions unless it’s done in play, in which case 10-20 is enough. Putting that all together suggests that language, puzzles, crafts, imagination challenges, and all other mental activities, as well as challenges of everyday living, can all benefit your brain more if they’re also fun (which is kinda fun anyway). This is the childhood we should never have left behind!
Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.
A Little Goes A Long Way
Let’s say you decide to walk with your toes pointed more forward than usual–maybe just a tiny 1” adjustment, right? But no, with that move, the foot’s 26 bones, 33 joints and over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments all have to adjust. And, of course, the turn of the ankle gives the two bones of the lower leg a different relationship, so on up the leg it goes. Furthermore, muscles, used differently, have to grow and adapt, and all of a sudden, your little shift turns into a major workout, complete with soreness in some tiny muscles you didn’t even know you had. Have fun with your petite and profound changes!
Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.
Like a Pendulum
My morning walk started without a warmup, so my hip joints felt creaky as I headed out. Since creaky joints can happen, especially in the morning or cold weather or after a bout of sitting, here is an easy way to let go of that discomfort. With your hand on a wall or other stable support, swing one leg front and back, nice and easy. Start with little swings, and let your leg find more movement as the joint loosens up. Then switch legs. Your arms can also benefit from acting like a pendulum. Leaning gently to the side, dangle your arm down and let it experiment with swinging front and back, round and around. This is a boon for your shoulder joint, which probably doesn’t get used that way very much! Just a minute or two of “penduluming” can set you up for a day of more ease–Aah!
Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.
Bonking It Sideways
When we think of how we want our lives to be different, it’s easy to think of what we want more or less of–quantitatively. What if you think of it qualitatively instead? For example, I set an intention to gradually reduce my everyday aches and pains through stretching. I diligently lined up, in my to-dos, two books of different stretching styles that held great promise for making that change juicy and possible. But I wasn’t DOING them. So I decided to go at it a different way, using our Exercise in Disguise style. I tried playfully pushing against the doorframe as I walked through, getting very creative about stretching in bed, and using bus stop time to try out “contortionistic” positions. It’s made me lighten up on the subject as well as make headway on my intention. It was a Bonk on the preconception I had of my plan, and a Bonk on my seriousness about what I wanted. Besides being fun! Does something in your life need Bonking?
Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.
Brrr-rr-r-r!
Cold day? What if, instead of turning up the heat for your whole home, you choose to warm up just your body? Play the Inside Out Game to fire up the tiny furnaces in each of your muscle cells (the mitochondria, if you want to be polysyllabic about it). Any movement will stoke the inner flame: calisthenics, jitterbugging to your favorite music, cleaning out the attic. Adding layers of clothing is another way to warm up, and another chance for playful movement. Dance and stretch as you pull the sweater over your head, or make a humorous fuss as the second layer of pants sticks to the first one. Then notice that having on more clothes makes moving a little more difficult, and behold! you’re doing even more exercise. Considering that you’re simultaneously lowering your heating bill, I’d call it a win-win version of multitasking!
Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.
Self-Care Season
Since this is the season of bustle and dark, attending to self-care seems to be the perfect antidote. And maybe a whole bunch of little doses of self-care will work even better. What little acts of self-kindness will make your body and soul feel better? Here are some that work for me:
clean my glasses more often
a 30 minutes earlier bedtime
calf stretches in the grocery checkout line
neck massage
laugh
take a longer look at something beautiful
drink an extra glass of water
foot massage with a tennis ball
put the keys where they can be found
taste something new
add something(s) to this list and do it
Take a stand against the frenetic pace our society chooses for this dark month by taking a stand for yourself!
Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.
Tiny Change/Big Change
Every now and then some information comes along that lets us look at a habit in a new way–and maybe choose to change a pattern for the better. My residence’s staff recently asked us (200 residents) to help out with our exorbitant utility bills by reducing our water and electricity use. To me, it was a welcome opportunity to rethink my use of utilities. Since we don’t pay for (or even see) the bill every month, it’s easy to go on autopilot about these expenses.
Thinking things through in a new way is a great stimulus for creative thinking, and changing a habit is a stamina exercise for our brains. To change a habit, we have to remember to do it the new way over and over until the new neural pathways become the strongest (and therefore easiest) way for us to behave.
On an additional note, I’ve also been enjoying the idea/challenge to change my attitudes and behaviors from being a Consumer to being a Citizen. Becoming more of a Citizen appeals to me because it makes me consider the whole planet rather than just myself. That’s certainly something our world needs!
All these thoughts wove together when I realized that I often leave the bathroom light on even when I’m not in there. Choosing not to do that anymore–turning off the light as I leave–lets me help my building’s electric bill, build my brain by strengthening new neural pathways with a new habit, and remind myself of the feel-good of becoming a Citizen of Planet Earth. And if you’re the payer of your utility bill, you may also have the pleasurable reward of a smaller bill. Please join me! (P.S. On the first day I committed to this, I had to go back to my bathroom to turn off the light seven times. Yikes! What a good challenge.)
Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.
Doin’ the Shuffle
Let’s say you want to play cards and let’s say your goal is to have as pleasant an experience as possible. If you start with an unshuffled deck sorted out suit by suit, it doesn’t lead to a very productive game. An unskilled shuffle leaves clumps of clubs in one place and heaps of hearts in another. But a really good shuffle…oh la la, let the game begin! Twyla Tharp, in her book Keep It Moving: Lessons for the Rest of Your Life, suggests it’s the same with our fitness. Let’s say your body wants to play the game of life as pleasantly as possible. All the suits sorted out are like a weekend warrior who spends all week sedentary at her desk, “balanced” by a frenzied and active weekend. Maybe this is an effective strategy for the National Guard, but not a very satisfying, and perhaps injurious, result for individual bodies. But if you, every hour, every 20 minutes, inject a bit of movement into the mix, your body’s game of life gets a whole lot better. Oh la la, let movement begin!
Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.
Fitness Downsizing
Resisting change is a very popular thing for all of us to do! However, since change happens, I definitely prefer change that I choose and guide. As we age, our bodies do change, we do slow down. That is part of the 30% of aging that is inevitable. In the optional 70%, however, we have lots of choices we can make. Maybe the first proactive choice for our fitness downsizing is to slow down the quantity and intensify the quality. Slow down the speed, intensify the effectiveness. If you ponder what you cherish about movement, you can discover clues that will support your direction and your choosing. As for me, I want to keep and enhance my mobility, and let go of everyday aches and pains. That intention is a huge inspiration for me, and I can figure out how, and get help, to make it happen. What do YOU want?
Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.
Pandiculation…?!?
Yes, even pandas pandiculate, with the help of a tree. But perhaps the most accessible example is your local cat. Pandiculation is a full-bodied tensioned stretch, often with yawning, that helps your cat, and you, wake up. Short, deep and spontaneous, this luscious stretch gets your blood moving, which prepares muscles for movement. It’s effective for releasing the stiffness accumulated while being inactive or sleeping. Follow your cat’s example and enjoy its rich sensations the next time you’re en route from sleep/sedentary to up-and-at-’em. Just tense your whole body, push out your fisted arms and legs, and add a yawn for good measure. Maybe it’ll even make you purr!
Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.
Dizzy and Ditzy
Undependable balance and quirky brain function–Dizzy and Ditzy–are big topics, and this is a Tip, not a tome. Leaving the hard parts to your doctor, let’s nibble at one corner and notice that these are both possible symptoms of dehydration. Since it is suspected that 75% of the population is dehydrated, it makes me wonder how many of our aging-inspired aches and pains are simply our body asking for water? And since I know I’m one of those 75%, and maybe you are too, I cordially invite you to play a two-part water game with me. Part 1: Learn Your Baseline. How much water/fluid do you drink? For a few days, count and record your water in a way that doesn’t depend on your memory. For example, I set out my allotment, my daily goal, in three jars in the morning. Drinking something other than water is duly noted. Part 2: Raise Your Baseline. Add an extra daily cup or two over the next week. Somewhere along the path, do an online search of symptoms of dehydration, add Dizzy and Ditzy, and see if your body may be responding to being wetter. Hmmm? I wonder if yesterday’s extra water was any part of why I slept so well last night…?
Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.
Sneaking Through The Woods
Walking without making a sound is another way to stretch your walking skills, and is how animal trackers move silently through nature. Put on your soft-soled shoes and your soft eyes and head for the woods! Place your feet silently in three parts to let yourself feel twigs or other potential noisemakers under your feet before you put weight on them. Start by placing the little toe corner softly on the ground, then roll your foot to include the big toe corner. Next, gradually add weight as you lower your heel and shift your weight. (You may notice that this very slow movement adds meditation and balance dimensions to your walk.) Start your practice on an open even path, then add challenge by walking through tall grass or the woods with their unpredictable surfaces; unevenness lets your toes practice discovering where the ground is. For visual “silence”, avoid touching nearby saplings or bushes because a small bump at the bottom of a moveable plant will make the high-up leaves wave wildly, and you will no longer be invisible!
Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.
Seasoned Feet
It’s easy to take walking for granted. One foot in front of the other, right? (Yawn!) But fall brings a seasonal change that can change your mind about that. Autumn may start out dry with fallen leaves itching to be kicked and crunched. That makes a simple walk into a dance with its own rhythm instrument. Then it’ll rain (finally). The leaves became sodden and intermittently slippery. The walk becomes more of a mindfulness dance, where consciously planted steps are best supported by slightly bent knees that support a grounded body, and treads on shoes are much appreciated. Next up are puddles, muddy or otherwise, which call for their own kind of splash dance. And just when you’re accustomed to those walking styles, you’ll get to experience winter with its ice component. No more yawning!
Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.
What About The Other Side?
Of course, everyone has a Main side. You grab your first rattle with your preferred hand, which starts building into a habit. But what about the Other side? Is it waiting for you to give it a chance? Try it and see! As an experiment, I started doing crossword puzzles with the Other hand. The challenge: each letter has to fit in its box and be legible when the crossing word comes along. The results: my Other hand gives me awkward moments (without embarrassing consequences) and an increased appreciation for kindergartners who are starting to learn their letters. Also, without fanfare, my brain builds new neural connections in response to the new skill. Then the door of curiosity opened to look for what else was lopsided. For example, which leg goes into your pants first? Which hand habitually reaches into the silverware drawer? Which side of your teeth do you brush first? What else? How about trying the Other? (It’s probably best to explore with a sense of humor!) When you take the challenge, please let me know how it goes.
Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.
Breaking for Business
What can you do with those idle moments while your puppy uses her nose to check out the neighborhood Dog Blogs? Sounds like a great opportunity to stretch your calves, a self-care move that doesn't happen easily during daily activity. Here’s how: Step back with one foot, heel down, knee straight, feel the stretch in the upper calf, right below the knee. Then bend your knee and feel the delicious sensation travel down to your lower calf and over your heel. Alternate between bent and straight knee as you enjoy the relief in your lower leg. Repeat on the other side. Since there is a bit of a balance challenge in this stretch, you may want to use the top of your dog’s chosen tree/post for stability. By now, maybe your puppy’s done sniffing and you’re both ready to go on with your walk, both of you feeling more satisfied. Is there an equivalent for cats? Let me know!
Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.
Everyday Squats
Squats are a thorough exercise for strengthening the back side of your body, but the front-oriented lifestyle we all live makes us neglect them. Hiding your squat practice in your daily activities is a great way to do serious exercise without feeling serious about it. Bend your knees and push out your rear to start. Then as you come up, push down into your heels and squeeze your butt muscles as you straighten your legs. It doesn’t matter how far down you squat, so it can be practiced as you take cookies out of the oven or when reaching into your bookshelf. Softening the knees (a tiny squat) can counterbalance the weight of your torso as you lean forward to brush your teeth or wash dishes. And every time you get in and out of your chair is the classical time to use the squat deliberately. Just adding a little bit of mindfulness at those moments of lowering and raising your body can give you a great dose of exercise in disguise.
Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.
Do The Twist!
My exercise buddies recently discovered, to our delight, how quickly and effectively dancing The Twist can amp up feelings of vitality. Will you join us? A little goes a long way, maybe even for just a couple of minutes. Serious research on YouTube reveals the rules are: 1. Wiggle hips, 2. Move knees one way, 3. Move arms the opposite way, and 4. Repeat. Yes, it’s that simple! Start out slow and gentle, build up as your body is ready, then think of ways to add movements to make it your personalized full body movement. If you want to get fancy about it, put Chubby Checker on the Victrola, and take a trip down memory lane with both your body and mind. Mariah #516
Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.