FEBRUARY 2022 NEWSLETTER
Its February, slowly we are moving into spring.... more day light, signs of spring flowers along with the lifting of covid restrictions.... and who knows how we will fare with the weather!
Inside this newsletter:
- Boost your brain - with exercise!
- Love the Floor!
- Class Update
- Functional Fitness MOT
- Videos
- Put a spring in your step (and other movements)
Boost your Brain - with exercise!
We aim to encourage exercises which stimulate the mind, a recent BBC report has highlighted that whilst it is generally recognised that physical activity is good for the brain, in latest research squats are identified, as the most beneficial!
If you can only do 'Sit to stands' these are essentially versions of squats.
Love the floor?
Being able to get up and down from the floor is a movement everyone should aim to maintain.
There are now a series of ‘Love the floor’ videos which includes instructions on how to begin to ‘relearn' how to get down and up from the floor. This series of videos currently includes a floor based exercise session, a demonstration of the ‘sit rise test (indicator of longevity) other videos will also be added.
Class Update:
With changes to national restrictions relating to covid our class arrangements are also a little more relaxed.
There is no longer a need to book a place – although if you are new to a class its worth ringing to check its on.
Class ‘spaces’ have also been relaxed, however most halls used are a good size. We will continue to ensure good ventilation and provide hand sanitiser and follow ‘good practice’ guidance in relation to infection control.
Functional Fitness MOT
We are still running the 'at home' Functional Fitness MOT. This is ideal if you are over 60 and not sure where to start in terms of improving your fitness.
Videos
A range of videos have now been added to You Tube and can be viewed HERE
Put a spring in your step (and other movements!)
We all know that a pendulum clock will come to a stop unless it has a 'spring' wound up to maintain a constant range of motion.
This is not dissimilar to how our bodies work.
If we move less we become ‘conditioned’ to move less and this can lead to a deteriorating cycle of moving even less!
This principle goes for range of movement as much as it does to general endurance. So just like a pendulum without a spring, the range of movement slowly gets less and less.
As we all get older, it is likely that we will experience a reduction in the range of movement by our body these can be brought on by many 'life' events including:
- injury (or not undertaking sufficient rehabilitation after injury),
- poor movement (not moving in all plains / movement ranges)
- health conditions
- perceived stiffness or pain
Being cautious as we move is not a bad thing, and especially if this causes pain however - by moving our joints this helps to 'lubricate and strengthen them which can lead to a positive cycle of improvement.
So what should your ‘spring’ look like?
We should not aim to cause pain to ourselves – but moving to the position that just avoids pain and then repeating this fairly often will AT THE LEAST maintain that movement – but more likely may help to increase it! As always, its a case of taking things gently and slowly but building on what feels comfortable.
When we stretch we are reminding our muscles that they are more flexible than our body tells us. So at the end of a good stretch you should find you have increased the range of movement from where you started. Other examples could be
- If you feel you are walking with a reduced stride, try slowly increasing your stride where you have something safe to support you eg holding on to a chair.
- If you feel pain when bending your knees whilst standing, explore bending them when lying down perhaps using weights / stretch band to provide resistance.
So from a negative deteriorating cycle, with time you may find that you are able to achieve a positive cycle of improvement or at least prevent further decline.