If you could make yourself look and feel younger, would you know where to start? It’s not rocket science, but a little effort in three key areas can go a long way. The key is to reverse the effects that our 21st Century lifestyle has had on us.
Here are my top three:
- Improve ankle mobility: While this may seem totally out of left field, it’s not when you consider that your ability to balance and align your lower body depends on your ankles moving properly. When there are problems here, not only is balance compromised, but this can feed into knee problems because the spins and glides that should occur at the ankle now get transferred to the knee…feeding into premature wear and tear.
- Improve hip extension: When we sit for long periods of time, the muscles on the front of your hip (aka hip flexors) can start feeling tight and shortened. When you can create length in the front, and concurrent strength on the back side (strengthen glutes), this makes it easier to stand upright and walk/run without compromising the back or knees. Just see what happens if you try to stand upright without allowing your hips to straighten all the way…pretty tough, right? Make it easy on yourself and keep the front of the hips as open as you can.
- Improve mid/upper back extension: Your mom would have called it “standing up straight,” but it’s more than just sitting or standing with your chest out. Ideal posture perfectly balances your torso over your pelvis. To do this efficiently, your upper back needs to have the ability to bend backwards (extension). If you spend a large amount of time sitting at your computer or hunched forward, gravity wins and the result is a spine that feels stiff and rigid. Check your posture as you’re reading this…did you just straighten up?
There are a ton of excellent exercises and simple activities that you can do throughout the day to keep these areas moving. For quick reference, make sure to join the ProBalanceTV Membership Portal and go to the mobility section to find exercises that address those areas listed above.
Stay young and keep moving!