You Don’t Have To Walk Like An Old Person However Old You Are

Hi folks,

Book containing an interesting and well thought out approach to roller work. From: http://goo.gl/m4vlH

I was just reviewing an interesting book handed to me by my Feldenkrais instructor, Karen. The book is about rolling on a ball, and more specifically, ‘The Ultimate Body Rolling Workout.’ I think Karen gave me the book because of my recent interest in the use of rollers to fix tight muscles and, in my case, cure my plantar fasciitis. This book contains elements of Feldenkrais (self-assessment and awareness), Continuum (role of breathing and motion), and Pilates (focus on core strength), and all three when it comes to the critical role of posture in your life. I very much liked the fact that the authors pay due attention to the importance of respiration, stating on page 70 that “The key to doing this routine successfully is the breathing.” The only concern I had with the exercise illustrated on page 70 is that it is clearly not a good idea for people with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), as pressure in this region of the body should be avoided. However, the authors do recommend that a physician be consulted before undertaking this exercise approach, but just make sure you find the right physician if you have an AAA.

Overall, I recommend this book as providing an excellent approach to whole body toning, flexibility and fitness. I really liked the encouragement provided to older people, who tend to accept limited mobility when they don’t have to. In fact, some of my peers not yet 70 years of age are already ‘walking like old people,’ when it is completely unnecessary. If only they would work on their bodies, as a little effort could dramatically improve their ‘golden years.’

Younger people tend to see old folks as feeble, and there are even YouTube videos mocking our tendency to walk very slowly, which is not a given at any age.

Please encourage the older people in your life to consider working on their posture, flexibility, and balance before it becomes almost too late to fix. Buying them the book by Zake and Golden, referred to above, might be a good place to start.

-k @FitOldDog