Go and watch a child play. They are in the moment. They don’t have to think ‘now how am I going to get down that low to pick up my toys?’ or ‘how am i going to jump from one rock to the next across a stream?’ it is effortless. This is because they spend hours playing! Their hips and spines are supple not stiff from sitting or standing in the same position all day.
They haven’t developed the care factor of what others think, they will run and jump in a puddle or hop down a log or race their mates across a sandy beach.
If we could add children’s play into our adult lives not only would we be happier but we would loosen through our anterior hip muscles that shorten in sitting positions, get more rotation and extension through our spines that get stuck in a flexed position possibly from sitting at a desk.
So next time your gazing through the window watching a child run around in a park and thinking ‘I wish I could be as supple as them again’ or ‘I wish I had their energy’ then there’s only one way to get what they have…get out there and do it!
‘Being too old’ is such a common misconception in the western world of health and medicine. Yes as you get older your joints can stiffen a little and your tendons don’t have the elasticity they once had when you were 5 but if you kicked off your shoes in a park everyday and started with some gentle walking or stretching or balancing or throwing a ball to a child you can make strength, mobility and fitness gains.
I can’t stand it when I hear clients at the clinic say that ‘their pelvis or lower back pain is just a normal part of getting old’ or a medical professional has told them that their hip tightness is ‘a normal part of aging’. If you look into other cultures the proof is right in front of our eyes! For example every morning in Vietnam you will see older adults performing tai chi and their balance and coordination is amazing to watch! If all adults started doing this gentle stability exercise in bare feet once a day I am sure they would see a difference.
If you have tight stiff hips or spine or pelvis pain and are unsure where to start or what is safe and effective exercise come and chat to us. We can assess you mobility, functional movement patterns and get to the source of your problem to help you play like a child!
