People Unlimited’s Ageless PE series continued with advice on keeping your mobility forever.
People Unlimited welcomed an exciting and energizing presentation by Ilana Lea, founder and owner of the happiest gym in the world, Enerjoy Fitness, located in Scottsdale, Arizona. The discussion focused on how practicing certain functional movements can keep you moving into the future instead of being held back by aging and degeneration.
Her 8 functional moves towards eternity are:
- Walk
- Balance on one leg
- Arm circles
- Touch your toes
- Get off the chair
- Step up
- Get off the floor
- The stick
Ilana briefly explained the reasons for these moves and how to do them:
- Walk - whether outside, or on a treadmill, fast, slow, whatever you can do, “just do it”. This keeps you moving, active and healthy.
- Balancing on one leg is important for everyone, no matter your age. You should be able to balance on one leg for 30 seconds at a time. If you need more of a challenge, close your eyes and balance for 30 seconds. Beyond this, you can also complete one-legged exercises, such as one-legged deadlift or one-legged box squat.
- Arm circles forward and backward help to increase range of motion, muscle strength and keeps the joints lubricated.
- Touching your toes, or completing a 5 step stretch sequence at least once a day, can really improve your flexibility, and help to prevent injuries. The 5 step sequence is as follows: 10 seconds each, seated forward fold, seated head to knee on both sides, seated butterfly and seated straddle. Of course, each stretch is to be done to your own level of flexibility, listen to your body.
- Getting up off a chair can be difficult for some. To ensure we don’t get to that point take breaks from working or sitting throughout the day. Try to do 5 get ups and downs from your seat, make sure you’re using your heels and that your knees aren’t turning in. If you need a challenge, get up and down with one leg.
- Step ups are a basic move, but again, if we don’t use it, we loose it. Whether you use real stairs, a bench or a box at the gym, step up with one leg at a time and see how many you can do. Keep working at it to help grow your muscles and keep your joints moving.
- Getting up off the floor is another very basic move. Lie down on the floor and get up, try not to use your hands and repeat.
- “The Stick” is a tool that you can use to roll out the knots in your muscles. It can be used in place of a foam roller if need be. Ilana says that “most people don’t foam roll because it hurts so much”, so maybe try something new.
Ilana is a longtime People Unlimited member who was more than happy to share her expertise and knowledge. The crowd was excited to participate and have taken home some good tips on making move towards their eternity.
For more information about People Unlimited events and initiatives, go to www.peopleunlimitedinc.com.