Good morning all you movers and shakers :)
I have been thinking about movement and about aging. Oh, so much to write about aging. I'm older and my gorgeous gray highlights show it. I've replaced 3 hours of yoga, acro yoga, running, hiking, and biking a day with a small business and 9 hours of sleep a night.
I recall the days that I could handstand on one hand. Those are not these days. These are the days of "tens," short morning stretches, quick group cycles classes, evening walks in between work and business plans, and surviving this pandemic.
While we often romanticize youth as a time of plentiful options - I personally feel the ability for greater range as I brisk walk and lite HIIT my way towards forty with a high five (Thank you Mel Robbins for the mirror high 5 stories).
When I was younger my range was GO and I still have some capacity for that range- but not how it used to be. My movement model is based on stress prevention and in whatever ways are accessible and don't feel like a mental struggle to engage. Lately, this means 4 -5 days a week I either have a very brisk walk to music, go to a spin class, or stretch and do some "tens" with weights at home. "Tens" means that I complete ten different movements, ten times. It feels great to move in these ways and for the purpose of mental health and stress reduction. In this model, we acknowledge that toning and weight loss are secondary to the stress reduction provided by routine and consistent movement practiced as a habit.
I start with ten neck rolls in each direction, then ten shoulder roles in each direction, then ten arms roles in each direction, then I check in with my body and see where it feels like it wants to move. These movements can count as 3 movements towards my ten movements of ten. Then maybe I pick up the 10 or 5lb weights for ten bicep curls, then move right into shoulder presses, by then I am halfway done with ten movements. I might then drop into ten squats with or without weights, then ten crunches. Now I have three movements left to ten, so maybe I try superman lifts from laying on my stomach, then ten lunges, then ten jumping jacks. Then I check in with my body, does it want any more movement? Sometimes it does and then I give it more. Sometimes it doesn't and it's ready for breakfast and a shower. The purpose of this kind of movement is to prevent stress, reduce stress, and feel confident from having taken time and care of yourself. It is also meant to juxtapose the experience of grinding it out at the gym. You are still welcome to go do whatever training you'd like. I just wonder how that training might be altered by introducing 10-20 minutes of stress reduction movement as a habitual morning practice. Maybe it's less of a grind and more of a hobby or something. Maybe you can take back time in another area of your life.
If you have limited mobility work with your physical therapist to come up with ten movements a day that are accessible to you. Everyone's "tens" looks pretty unique unless we are doing tens in a group - then we all do the same tens.
The point is if you commit to five days of "tens" you'll start to crave the calm and stress reductions that "tens" provides. You'll still have time for other things that you need to accomplish that morning, and you will experience the benefits of self-care
1 unique orchid that I photographed at Machu Pichu