When it comes to aging, we have a certain amount of choice. Obviously, our genetics and upbringing are set in stone. But once we are in adulthood, we have a few choices when it comes to taking care of ourselves. Even true young people make choices that make them “old.” For example, I have treated really “old” 25-year-olds and really “young” 75-year-olds. How they moved truly determined their functional age.

Luckily we do have a little bit of choice in how we age. We can take several measures to stay “young.” Examples include the obvious – wear sunscreen, eat healthy whole foods, and, of course, my favorite… exercise consistently.

But, at a certain point in our lives, it is important to consider what type and what quality of exercise we choose in order to optimize our body’s ability to function. What we choose determines whether we can move without back pain, whether we can recover our balance if we stumble on a curb, whether we can get on and off the floor with ease, and in some cases, move better than we did when we were “young.”

Your core is a key player in your youthful movement. Remember your core is more than just your abdominals, as it is made up of several muscles working together to optimize your breathing, support your internal organs, control and stabilize your spine and hips, and generally allow you to move with ease.

Over time, whether it is an injury, excessive sitting due to work or travel, or bad movement habits, we develop compensations and/or restrictions in our mobility that can get worse over time and make us feel older than we really are. This is why choosing an appropriate, high-quality exercise program will not only help us move better, but will help us move younger.

So, where should you begin? I’ve got just the thing for you!  For those of you that have been focusing on your core, you can always improve. And, for those who have not been and want to learn more, please join us in our FitClinic Series. We are offering a functional mobility improvement series here at Mind the Mat over the next several months. What’s up next? You guessed it, a Core Workshop:

FitClinic for Core “Stability” with me, Dr. Megan Brown from 5:00 - 6:30pm on Thursday, December 8.

Investment: Learn basic core anatomy to heighten your awareness of core muscles and their mechanics in order to improve your functional mobility and a pain-free lifestyle.

Click here for more Information or to sign up.

And we cannot forget about the hips which are supported by the core: 

FitClinic for Happy Hips & Back with Caroline Deitch, E-RYT 500, RPTY from 5:00 - 6:30pm on Thursday, January 12.

Click here for more Information.