My parents visited this weekend. As we were chatting in the living room, I encouraged them to get down from the couch and come and join me for some mobility work.
One of the best ways to stay limber and stay out of joint pain is to practice moving our joints around gently on the floor, instead of sitting in the all-to-common 90 degree position that the couch and all other chairs throughout the day mold us into.
When we were down on the carpet doing some kneeling, some pigeon type poses, etc. I asked at one point, ‘where could we be 5 years from today with how our bodies move and feel?’ Most of us wake up tight and sore in the morning. Somehow we nudge ourselves through the day, dealing with a bum knee, a tight hip, a strained back…whatever it may be. Then when our day is done, we return to that couch or love seat, tightening everything back up.
Let’s think about this. If I have a bum knee now, and I simply continue on that path described above…where will I be 5 years from today? I’ll be tighter, in more pain, and probably have some other issues because of ignoring the knee.
But what if every night instead of that couch, I used the floor for some awesome mobility, moving everything from my big toe to my hips through a full range? I’d at least be putting my body to bed in a much better position. What if every morning after meditation (sitting criss-cross applesauce), I took a coffee and book back to the floor for some more mobility? What if I did that for 5 years? How would my body be different? Well, I could at least say that I’d be more mobile than today!
Sitting on the floor and squatting all the way down is much more commonly done in eastern cultures. In the west, we look for a chair as soon as we walk into the place. What gives?! With the exponential amount of knee surgeries and replacements in America, we can learn from these ancient cultures that getting down and up more often, sitting in a variety of ways on the floor, and squatting ass to grass will help us a ton. To be more scientific about it, moving our joints through a full range brings synovial fluid to the joint…which brings with it healing properties, and really simply a lubrication to those rusty and creaky parts.
It doesn’t matter the age. In fact, it matters more the older that we are. When it comes to our joints, it’s ‘use it or lose it’. We’re going to live this next 5 years anyway. Do we want to stiffen up, lose strength and mobility, and deal with more pain? Of course not?
One issue though, is that we’ve let our bodies get pretty far from where we’d like them, and we wonder if there is a way back. Don’t get discouraged like that! No matter your age or situation, you can get a little bit better tomorrow.
Last year I was in constant knee pain. Waking up in pain, and not being happy about my first steps of the day. Today, I’m NOT in that constant pain…simply because of a dedication to movements and and a focus on nutrition. It was hard. It took a long time. And I still have a long ways to go. But doing the daily work beats the alternatives. Ask yourself, ‘where do I want my body 5 years from now?’ Then, start building it brick by brick.
Tonight…instead of the couch, take the floor. If you’re not sure what to do there…message me.
-James
jimmythorpe.com 