Power to the Rescue

There are so many good reasons to exercise from the inside of the body instead of concentrating on the large muscle groups.  I keep finding new ways to get that across even though I also believe that there is value in any form of exercise people choose to do that works with individual lifestyle.

 For instance, if you want the body of an athlete and engage in competitive sport, go to the gym and work out; if you want the body of a dancer, go to a dance studio, and if you want peace and body harmony practice Yoga, Tai Chi etc. etc.  We’ve got so much power hidden inside our torsos that most people haven’t discovered.  That realization came to me a few weeks ago when that power came to my rescue.

I was at my summer cottage in northern Michigan, getting the place ready for the season.  There was a deep rooted tree that needed moving.  I had shoveled as much sandy earth away from the roots that I could, and with my hand gripping the small trunk, I was trying to pull the tree out when it surprised me and caused me to fall backward with full force on my lower back.

Luckily, I hadn’t broken anything, but the pain was so severe I had to devise a way to get around the pain so I could move, because I was alone without any help.  I maneuvered myself to the side and somehow got up with a boost from the intercostal muscles of the ribs without putting any weight on my lower spine.  It took two weeks for the pain to go away, but in all that time I used the upper, inner torso muscles, feet and calves to isolate the lower spine/hip area so it wouldn’t be stressed as it healed.

 This would be easier to show in a class than trying to explain it in a blog, but take my word for it – there are so many ways we can help ourselves if we’re in good shape, (which I am).  Looking back on it I realize that in the split second when I knew I’d lost control, I totally relaxed and let it happen, which probably kept me from serious injury.

With people living longer, we exercise experts are trying to find ways to help people avoid falls, which are a problem for older people.  Aside from my attempt to pull out a deeply rooted tree recently, I have plenty to say about avoiding falls, that really apply to people of all ages, and I will follow up on that subject soon.

Right now I’m on my way back to northern Michigan with my husband who’s bigger than I am and can dig deeper than I can.  I really need that tree to grow elsewhere.

Hear the Music

Every once in a while I pick up something from a book that adds dimension to what I know in the subjects that interest me most – like the combination of music and movement (exercise).

Right now, I’m reading “Music Quickens Time” by Daniel Barenboim.  I was up to pages 21 and 22 before I read anything that grabbed me, and then he wrote, “We can close our eyes but not our ears.  Sound penetrates the human body.”  I closed the book immediately so I could think about that simple statement.  No wonder I believe in exercise to music every morning!  The penetration of the music through the body gives me twice as much value as exercise done without music.  Not only that, but it supplies enough energy to meet my needs for the whole day because of the penetration from full extensions with isometric control.

And Dr. Oliver Sachs, in his books, frequently says that music has the power to make a person move in ways he or she could not move without it.  I personally prefer classical music for movement because of the smooth articulations through the joints, but whatever you like should do it for you.

I have written about the power of music in exercise in previous blogs, and will continue to do so when I tell you other wondrous things that can be done with the combination of music and movement in physical therapy situations.

Now if I could only get people to talk more quietly when they’re walking down the streets of the city with those things in their ears, or talking into a cell phone in full voice.  When I realize they’re not talking to me, I feel like I’m listening in on their conversation because I can’t shut my ears.