Our bodies change as we age, and as a result, our movement patterns can be affected. Weakness starts to creep in, we lose strength, and simple tasks become a burden. To keep our bodies strong and healthy, we must maintain functional movement patterns no matter what our age. But what exactly ARE functional movements?
We use functional movements in our everyday lives - they are activities that we do unconsciously. Things like sitting down, carrying groceries, picking up your child, even placing dishes in the cabinets. All of these movements require different muscle groups to work as a team in order to complete the task. By mastering these movements, we can improve our overall quality of life.
There are numerous things you can do to maintain your health and fitness. However, one thing that is frequently overlooked is the significance of basic squatting. Air squats may not appear to be much, but they can help improve your overall health. Air squats are an excellent way to improve functional movement patterns as we age. They help keep our muscles strong and flexible, which can help you avoid future injuries. Furthermore, everyone should move their hips back and sit on their heels. We all do this pattern countless times a day to sit on a chair or on the toilet.
Whether you join a gym or not, learning how to properly squat can help keep you more mobile, independent, and pain-free. Allowing you the freedom to your grandchildren, using the restroom on your own, getting in and out of the car, walking in a park for longer, and much more.
Burpees are another great functional movement. All a burpee really is getting up from falling down. Having the strength, coordination, and ability to push yourself off the ground back to a standing position is a HUGE safety requirement. Burpees are a full-body workout that can be done anywhere. They're perfect for seniors to help improve strength, flexibility, and balance while providing a safety net against one of the largest elderly concerns, falling.
Strength training is another highly beneficial form of exercise that is important to continue as we age. Proper weight training can positively increase bone density. Air squats, hip hinges, burpees, and strength training are all examples of proper functional fitness that many people overlook. So as we grow older, our end goal must be to be as independent in our life for as long as possible.
It's no secret that our bodies slowly start to break down as we age. One way to help prevent this is by staying active and doing exercises that can continue to improve our muscle mass. So live your best life, build your best life, dream your best life, and then achieve it.
Check out our guide on getting started and see the amazing benefits for yourself.
To view the full episode, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBjLYXTW3tY
