Restorative Movement for the 40+ body

Have you noticed weird body aches, niggly knees, sore joints or a stiff back?   Have you decided that your mobility is not the same as it was years ago?    Anne Noonan explores the restorative side of movement for a flexible ageing body.

Have you been living with sore or stiff joints?   Are you noticing strange aches?   Do get them investigated by a health professional in case they’re a sign of something going wrong in your body or inflammation that needs specific treatment.   Aches and pains seem to be the common complaint as we age and as mysterious and common as they are, they’re not always a sign of something sinister.  Knees seem to be the first to show up with pain.    We hear the click and crackle, we feel the pain that comes and goes, we start to see swelling (sometimes) and we feel a stiffness building up.    Many times it’s a build up of fluid under the knee that can benefit from a simple natural anti-inflammatory like turmeric.    It’s not the time to stop, sit back and feel sorry for ourselves or tell ourself ‘Oh, it’s the typical old age symptoms.   Need to slow down’.    That’s not the best suggestion.

It’s also possible however that Restorative Movement could be the answer to a lot of our aches and pains.   We can’t always blame age for these niggly nuisances.

Modern society doesn’t move like our ancestors once did.    We don’t forage for food, run from predators,  climb trees or use our muscles in the many different ways that we once did.    We’re predominantly a sedentary society with a few of us having a burst of movement a few times a week at the gym or in the morning for a run before we hit the office.    If you’re sitting at a desk for most of the day, or driving, or even standing, you’ll be almost certain to start experiencing these niggles by 45 and of course they’ll seem to multiply by the time we’re 55 if we don’t work with them.

So what happens when we’re sitting for long periods?    Our muscles are stiff as we step up from the chair, we move a little awkwardly and can favour one side.    Meaning our movement becomes restricted or out of alignment.   Restricted movement, or movement that doesn’t correctly use all of our muscles can create misalignment in the spine, hips and knees which, if not corrected causes pain.

Rather than wishing it would go away, there are a few movement styles that can help achey joints.   Yoga, stretch, walking and Restorative movement has been proven to be a beneficial modality for the ageing body.

What is Restorative Movement?

RM is a mix of yoga based movement that brings fascial stretch, mindfulness and breath into one session.   Deeply relaxing Restorative Yoga uses blocks, straps and bolster cushions to manipulate the body into relaxed shapes we wouldn’t normally achieve alone.   Sounds like torture, but an expert Restorative Yoga class is bliss for the body.

Restorative Movement combines therapeutic stretch, gentle yoga, balance poses, strength and toning movement.    It can release tight spines, strengthen knees, realign and improve posture, restore balance and clear foggy heads.    It’s designed to restore your movement and strength in your fascia and musculature to restore mobility.

Isn’t Yoga for the young?

Here’s just a few reasons why it’s far superior to almost any other form of movement for all ages.

It can improve

-          Balance

-          Strength

-          Agility

-          Flexibility

-          Posture

-          Anxiety

-          Depression

-          Osteoporosis

-          Arthritis

-          Diabetes

-          Menopausal symptoms

-          Obesity

There is no proof that yoga cures any of the above, but it’s certainly been the most beneficial form of movement to improve signs of ageing.      I personally have found that yoga in all its forms – from restorative, to water, to stretch and power has been life changing for my 50+ body.

But isn’t it just age?

Have you noticed in many elderly that movement is somewhat or totally restricted?    Could it be that the older we get, the less we move the stiffer we become?   Or is it that we become stiff because we believe the older we get the less we should move?  When you continually embrace fascial stretch, yogic exercise and strength building, many typical conditions of ageing can be greatly improved.

Why not join my online yoga program where you’ll experience gentle, deep stretch along with a variety of yoga classes to suit your body.     www.annenoonan.com.au/virtual-yoga.