“Every moment of our life can be the beginning of great things” – Joseph Pilates
In life, there are moments when we take that first step towards something great. When we look back, we can see it as a gift, an intuitive inspiration at just the right time. A morning walk and a meet up with a friend was one of those moments for me. The nudge I needed to move my healing in a new direction.
Lena Gelland who runs a local Pilates studio, invited me to an intro Pilates class. It’s been almost two years, and Pilates has since transformed my body and changed my life. What started as a new exercise routine to correct my posture quickly turned into a fantastic new therapy for my mind and body.
At the time, my tennis partner had mentioned I’d been hunching over a lot on the court. I was finding it more of a challenge to stand up straight. Slouching was a habit I had since I was a kid.
“If your spine is stiff at 30, you are old. If it is flexible at 60, you are young.” – Joseph Pilates
Lena explained when the spine is aligned and the core is engaged properly, the muscles create space in the body for the organs and bones to function properly. If the shoulders are rounded, breathing is restricted. Pilates focuses on the strengthening and supporting of the core muscles, as well as proper breathing techniques to improve the spine and its supporting muscles.
Since tennis is a rotational sport, a misaligned spine affects the knees, hips, and shoulders; most likely a factor with my hip bursitis years ago. Since I love playing tennis, proper alignment is a necessary step to help keep me on the courts as I age. It’s inspiring to see senior women in their mid-to-late 80s running around the tennis court. That’s one of my goals and Lena’s helping me with that!
“Everyone is the architect of their own happiness.” – Joseph Pilates
I feel honored to welcome Lena Gelland of Studio 56 to My Rising Vibe as a guest blogger. Healing the mind and body with Pilates; it’s a good vibe collaboration! .
Lena has a wealth of knowledge and continues to study and share what she knows with her clients and I’m grateful she will be sharing here too!
I’m sure you’ll appreciate Lena’s knowledge and exercise tips as much as I do!
love & good vibes 💫
Lynn
Longevity, Healthspan and Movement by Lena
When I look back 20 years, I ask myself, “What was my most helpful tool in dealing with the physical and mental stresses of motherhood?” As a young mom of three, without close family in a new country, I had to move around a lot, each time leaving behind friends and social connections. Sleep-deprived and overwhelmed, I found that movement worked best for me to release tension. Those rare hours I had to myself were spent in the local gym or riding my bike outside. On the treadmill, I listened to countless audiobooks.
As the kids got older, I brought them with me on longer trips in a double trailer connected to my bike. In those years, I discovered Pilates, a smart moving routine that gave a structure and discipline to my previously vague concept of exercise. I wanted to learn more, and as the kids grew older, I went through training to become a Pilates instructor.
After a year of teaching, I began to look for a deeper understanding of human anatomy and biomechanics, which led me to the certification course in Personal Training.
Joseph Humbertus Pilates
1880-1967
Pilates was a man who believed completely in his method and practiced what he prescribed to others well into his eighties. Even as an older man he was quite robust and vital until his death at the age of 87.
As I work privately with clients at different stages of life, I often reflect on aging. My clients proved to me that endurance and strength prevail over dysfunction, pain, stress or temporary defeat. They expect the best of life still to come and want to have knowledge and skills to guarantee their expectations. Growing older can mean both growth and degeneration.
It’s up to us to choose the right attitude and act on it in the interest of self-care and independence.
There is a time of planting and seeding and a time of fruiting and harvest. The possibilities are still open as we cross the midlife, and it seems now we have the wisdom and freedom to explore and enjoy. We may even experience the ease of financial responsibilities as our children become independent and get rewarded for smart financial decisions we made. But how many 50+ years old think about the quality of life as it relates to health and function 20 years from now?
As the average life expectancy in the US increased to 79.3 years, planning and investment into our health and body turn out to be as meaningful (if not more) as our financial wellbeing. As we approach midlife, our body becomes less resilient to the stress of everyday life, and the repair mechanisms become less efficient. That happens due to the accumulation of the byproducts of metabolism, which, in turn, contributes to inflammation processes.
It’s very rare to find a person who, by his or her midlife, have not experienced pain, dysfunction, trauma, or even surgery. Even more destructive to the quality of life is the onset of age-related chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. The World Health Organization estimates the average age of the first occurrence of these conditions at 63.1 years old. Meaning, there’s a good chance we may spend the last 20 percent of our whole life in treatment. Click here to read more.
What can we do now? How do we effectively prevent disease while contributing to our future healthspan? A few factors play a major part in preserving and maintaining health and function; these include:
- Nutrition and Diet Composition
- Stress Management
- Sleep Quality
- Movement and Exercise
- Genetic Predisposition
Every person must decide where to make changes and which factor needs improvement. Each factor is important and deserves a separate discussion, but for now, I’ll address movement and meaningful exercise strategies.
Most in the 50 plus category are still productive and physically active and already experiencing life’s wear and tear. There’s tons of advice to find on exercise; nevertheless, with the 50 plus category, there seems to be a missing link between the general population and fitness designed specifically for seniors.
Let’s consider significant physiological changes taking place in this transitional time: menopause and andropause. Hormonal changes, loss of muscle mass and bone density, a decline in vision and cognitive function, and problems with balance and coordination are a few signs of aging. If you are experiencing signs of injuries, joint pain, low back pain, or chronic muscle tension, it’s time to ask, “What’s there to expect in 10, 15 and 20 years from now?”
Since movement is a major factor in the equation to maximize our healthspan, the goal of exercise should be to preserve and enhance function and quality of life. That means living longer and carrying out daily activities free of pain. Whether you like playing tennis or golf, traveling the world, or gardening, you should be able to continue doing so in the future while enjoying the freedom of movement. Therefore, your exercise routine must be organized around the specific reasons with focus on decreasing the risk of chronic disease, availability of pain-free functional movement, and maintaining muscle mass and bone density.
Body awareness is a must for your exercise plan and your health. I’d recommend starting with a functional assessment. An experienced trainer can help you better understand your own body, your posture and gait, possible imbalances and myofascial dynamics behind compression and tension as it relates to your body. Together you can create an effective exercise routine that would include multiple levels of progressions and regressions used as necessary. A good trainer would also focus on proper form and suggest modifications and adjustments you may require. Let’s plan for living longer and living better by exercising smarter! – Lena
Next Post Coming Soon: Exercise Protocol
