True, true-- this is a good reminder!

Also-- don't forget to do your Kegels! :)

LOL Anele - how could I forget the Kegels???

Excellent. I wish I could get disciplined enough to stretch every day. I do it for a few days and then I forget. Every spring I am aware of what I have lost over a winter of just sitting around.

Yoga.

ugh... i used to be very flexible... even though i am quite active and fit, i have just recently been getting on the floor again to do alot of stretching (and ab work!!) and was AMAZED at how inflexible i had become! UGH!!!

I agree - yoga has been life changing for me in terms of aches, pains and flexibility.

It is amazing how much flexibility we lose as we get older. I am shocked over here! lol Yoga is something I'd really like to try. As far as the aches and pains, diet can also help there. J. J. Virgin is a new one appearing on the PBS circuit. It's the same type of program others are promoting about dropping certain foods and increasing vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds.

Let's see if I can remember them from her program to eliminate food sensitivities and inflammation.

Dairy
Gluten
Eggs
Soy
Corn
Sugar & artificial sweeteners
Peanuts (had to look that one up!)

Dr. Fuhrman promotes GOMBS

Greens
Onions
Mushrooms
Beans & Berries
Seeds & Nuts

for energy and disease prevention and even reversal.

These doctors (others too) are really hitting the circuit that we don't have to get sick or feel tired and achy. We are what we eat!

One thing JJV said that stuck with me was "our bodies are not bank accounts, they are labs". That's basically the premise of Dr. Furhman's educationals, too.

{{!gwi}}

This post was edited by snookums2 on Thu, May 2, 13 at 13:30

I am always on the lookout for models -- ladies who are obviously older than me but who look good. Saw one today at the PO. The skin on her face was like a drying apple, and she had a little rounding of the upper back, but she had a waist, wore a belt, and moved fluidly.

Left alone with my inner voice, without the inspiration of others, I believe I'd fall apart fairly quickly because I lose my sense of vitality rather readily.

This lady looked very much engaged and I want to aim for that, as well as the waist.

I started Pilates last fall and got hooked. Totally agree about the importance of flexibility. In fact, my sciatica problem popped up after I hadn't done Pilates in a couple of weeks!

I've been doing group sessions at my university wellness center, and the instructor is a gem. She's been in the process of opening her own studio and I actually already started private sessions there. LOVE it. The bending and stretching is physically challenging while mentally it requires a lot of concentration and focus. Great combination.

This summer I'm signing up for a 30-lesson package with my Pilates instructor. I can't wait!

Thanks for the reminder about how important it is to keep active and fit.

Ann