| As time passes, we all at some point, become | | | | Remember: you don't get stiff and inflexible |
| aware of aches, pains, stiffness, soreness, a | | | | because you age, you get stiff and inflexible |
| general malaise (an indefinite feeling of debility or | | | | because you quit moving in all the ways your |
| lack of health) that seems to have no cause | | | | wonderful body is capable of moving. The adage: |
| other than "getting old". We, in fact, equate | | | | "Move it or lose it!" holds true for the structural |
| getting older with inflexibility. Our looks may be | | | | body. Combine that with the destructive |
| deceiving, but our mobility is a sure giveaway of | | | | consequences of repetitive exercises and it's no |
| how we are handling the aging process. | | | | wonder that physical therapy clinics are full, |
| Many try to slow the process of aging down by | | | | chiropractors are thrilled, and sports medicine is a |
| remaining active, and depending on the activities | | | | booming business. It's also not surprising that |
| chosen, this can be a positive endeavor. If we | | | | people I would call functionally flexible are few and |
| choose activities that are holistic in nature, those | | | | far between. And as stated at the beginning, it's |
| utilizing integrated movements of the entire | | | | flexibility, or the lack of it, which determines our |
| skeleton, then the onslaught of structural aging | | | | structural age, and most importantly, our daily |
| can indeed be retarded. If one-sided repetitive | | | | experience. |
| motion activities are chosen, and these are by far | | | | The practice of Flexibility will minimize the |
| the most common, then instead of slowing the | | | | detrimental shortening and asymmetrically |
| structural aging process down, we are actually | | | | compressing effects of the repetitive exercises |
| speeding it up. (see Repetitive Exercise) Examples | | | | most people are obsessively subjecting their |
| of repetitive exercises rampant today are: | | | | bodies to, in the name of fitness. |
| running, cycling, and all the machines in the | | | | A comprehensive flexibility routine consisting of |
| modern gym. | | | | circular, fluid, range of motion movements for the |
| With no exercise, and even with the best of | | | | skeleton will reestablish functional 3-dimensional |
| well-rounded exercises, there will still be a | | | | ranges of movement through the joints and |
| shortening of the musculature and a resultant | | | | hinges of the skeleton; movement which has |
| inevitable distorting of the skeleton. This problem | | | | been lost as a result of over-use, or non-use, of |
| of shortening musculature and misaligned skeleton | | | | the 639 muscles connecting the 206 pieces of the |
| is the foundation of structural aging and so, is | | | | skeleton. |
| what must be addressed to avoid it or to | | | | Mastering a few simple movements of a good |
| remedy it. It is possible to daily turn back the | | | | flexibility routine, and making regular practice a |
| aging clock and retain, or regain, the flexibility and | | | | priority in your life, is all it takes to regain the |
| mobility associated with youth. Structurally | | | | flexibility you've lost, and to maintain it for the |
| speaking, there is a "fountain of youth": simple | | | | rest of your life. Strength is an inevitable |
| flexibility movements. | | | | by-product of Flexibility and Flexibility is always |
| Flexibility movements are the perfect antidote for | | | | compromised with every bit of Strength gained |
| inflexibility and aging for many reasons. | | | | by (especially repetitive) exercise. Add |
| It gives the structural body exactly what it needs | | | | strength-training to your routine only to the |
| to bring it up to speed and keep it functionally | | | | degree that it does not compromise your |
| mobile:fluid, circular range of motion through the | | | | flexibility. |
| joints and hinges, reestablishes flexibility while | | | | Remember this: It is infinitely easier to gain |
| lengthening and organizing the musculature,aligning | | | | strength once you have achieved functional |
| the skeleton, decompressing the joints and hinges, | | | | flexibility than it is to try to become flexible once |
| and perhaps most importantly, rejuvenating the | | | | you have already compromised your structure |
| cartilage in and around the joints by flushing it out | | | | through neglect or strength and endurance |
| and fluffing it up. | | | | training. "That which is flexible and flowing will |
| Pathways for fluid and energy flows are cleared, | | | | prosper and grow; That which is rigid and blocked |
| strengthening your vital life force. | | | | will wither and die". |