Achieving more vitality is the goal of anyone looking to improve themselves. Exercise and movement therapy are the top methods for improving overall vitality.
But what about aging, and what about those ‘seasoned individuals’ who are feeling challenged by old injuries, chronic conditions, long illness patterns, pain or mobility issues?
FACT: Vitality improvements can be achieved at any age.
the ISSUE: Feeling vulnerable, less capacity and having pain holds back the step towards vitality.
the SOLUTION: Working with people who understand all of the challenges, assess for what CAN be done, NOT what cannot be done (avoidance)
EVIDENCE: Thousands of hours of experience with diverse people, varying ages, conditions and education within the scope, and most of all empathy towards fellow humans, HELPS!
It can be difficult to start something you wonder whether it will help at all. Most often people find themselves at the end of their tolerance and move towards surgery, medications or assisted mobility. If someone is there, that is ok too. Improvements can be made still, and although the road may be windy, there can be light and support.
The most underrated and misunderstood benefit to exercise and movement therapy is brain improvements. One of these is memory. The brain requires many many neurotransmitters to elicit responses and categorize memory. There is the storing of new memories and retrieval of old ones. Both are enhanced by proper exercise-mainly strengthening and improving muscle health. More advanced techniques in our prescribed exercise work is using dual-tasking. It is a method that incorporates movement while activating a mental task specific to achieve greater synaptic capability in the brain. Over time we can see improved balance, task perception and overall confidence and memory.
In general, more muscle means more brain power. Now this is very general because factors such as nutrition and medication interventions may change the benefits achieved through exercise.
MYTH: Any exercise builds muscle
FACT: Only exercises completed with resistance and properly coordinated for speed and angle build muscle, over time.
MYTH: Walking builds bone
FACT: The body requires effort+weight to increase absorption of calcium to bones and enhance their structure. Walking is beneficial for endurance and circulatory health.
The BODiWORKS Institute has focused on adult health from the perspective of specializing in older adult exercise and movement (typically anyone over 50years and up). We have worked with thousands of people in that age bracket. Most exercise facilities focus on people who are still developing or are athletic in nature. As a health-based we focus on caring for people for vitality and good longevity.
By prescribing exercise and movement we are able be individual with our care, focus on a persons needs and abilities and creativity improve in areas not thought possible.