Principle #2 Use it or Lose it
Functional movement in Max Madrid’s words is “If it moves – move it, if it doesn’t move – move it anyway!”
This resonates with me because often times with an injury or weakness people will stop moving all together, this is a sure way to losing your strength and range of motion.
If you cannot work toward efficiency yet, just move and keep what you do have.
Efficiency
Natural changes occur as your body grows older. These changes can influence your movement and make it more difficult to maintain good movement or correct poor movement.
Some of the physical changes that occur are:
- The discs between the spinal segments become less resilient and give in more readily to external forces, such as gravity and body weight.
- Muscles lose flexibility.
- Compression and deterioration of the spine, commonly seen in individuals with osteoporosis, cause an increased flexed, or bent forward, posture.
- Lifestyles usually become more sedentary. Sitting for long periods of time shortens various muscles, which results in the body being pulled into poor movement positions, and stretches and weakens other muscles, which tends to slump the body.
Despite the natural changes caused by aging, good movement can be maintained and, for many, poor movement can be improved. In individuals with severe movement problems, such as poor alignments that have existed so long that structural changes have occurred, the poor movement can be kept from getting progressively worse.
All of us must consciously work at achieving and maintaining good movement as we grow older.
It’s important to be aware of the position of the head, whether sitting or standing. The typical forward head position accelerates aging. The spinal column is the container for the spinal cord. A slumped posture with a forward head changes the flow of signals from the brain down the spinal cord to the rest of the body. Head forward means chin forward, too. This spinal alignment is unhealthy.
ACTION STEP: MOVE YOUR BODY OFTEN AND IN VARIOUS POSITIONS
Bonus:
Max is a PTA and has 20 + years of home health, pediatric, geriatric, and amputee care. His desire to improve the quality of life of his patients by providing top notch healthcare is contagious. He is best known for his humor and artwork.
Max Madrid, PTA
- Special Credentials: Max is an aquatic therapy instructor.
- Education: PCC/CSU-Pueblo
- Hobbies: Max enjoys exercises, fly tying and fishing, backpacking, art, and music.
- What I like most about working for PT Connections: “I am rewarded by helping people with deficits to improve their quality of living.”