I need you now! Are you in your 40's, 50's and 60's?

Hello beautiful friends,

Yesterday, a client that I've known for years and hadn’t seen for nine months, said to me “you haven’t changed a bit. You look just the same”. I’m happy to say that I’m hearing this often. And whilst I have a few challenges with my health in different ways like most people, I think I look (almost) the same because of my easy, upright posture and open, flexible movement. I'm also happy to say that I have minimal discomfort after a lifetime of being active and enduring the stresses of simply living.

It really saddens me to see people closing down in their bodies, losing mobility and slowly descending with gravity towards the earth as they age. They may be stooped in their chest, heads poking forward and either collapsed or rigid in their spine. And I often see people who are unable to perform basic movements such as a squat. There are also many people walking around in chronic pain.

It saddens me because it's largely preventable. It also motivates me because I can help heal, prevent or minimise that.

I started practicing postural awareness early, in my thirties which has not only helped maintain my essential body function for decades but improved it.

The problem for most people is that if you’re in your 40’s, 50’s and 60’s you’re most likely not thinking about becoming old and debilitated. You might be quite active and think "that's not going to happen to me". But, I’m sorry to say, there is a ‘but’.

You can be active and still heading down the path of closing down.

Being active, meaning that you’re able to perform your daily activities, walk, swim, run, practice yoga, do Pilates or go to the gym still sadly, is not always enough.

Posture + a Flexible Spine

I find that many active people still have poor posture and still have stiffness in their spine. It's unfortunate that many activities such as walking, Pilates, swimming, cycling and running do not ensure your posture is good nor maintain the flexibility and range of motion in the key areas we need to keep supple.

There are two key aspects that we need to be aware of to maintain our upright posture and freedom of movement for life – good posture in all daily movements and balanced spinal mobility.

When you cultivate aligned posture and good movement patterns in your daily life– choosing to sit, stand, walk and bend with alignment– your connective tissue remains healthy, supple and strong because you’re minimising stress and using your body in the way that nature intended.

Posture alone isn’t enough though. It’s also important to maintain flexibility and strength in your central structures – your spine, shoulders and hips.

The Karana Posture Series of exercises trains you to posture yourself well all day long and highlights the essential exercises you need to do to keep your central structures healthy and to counterbalance the effects of lifestyle.

For example, the deep muscles at the front of the hip often become too tight for optimal function due to all the sitting and bending we do. Tightness in this region can cause lumbar spine and hip joint tension and pain. It will also contribute to the development of a stooped posture.

If you don’t keep the tendency for the body to close down in check, there will be an insidious rise in rigidity with the natural effects of both ageing (collagen loss) and a loss of spinal mobility.

Act NOW, in your 40’s, 50’s and 60’s.

Your body's ability to adapt and change is a constant through life, however it's far easier for your connective tissues to adapt and to change your movement habits when you're younger.

If you're in your seventies or eighties don't be disheartened though, you can still start now. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks and though it takes more effort, perhaps a little longer and may not be quite as effective... it's still worthwhile. That said...

My message for today is really to wake up the younger ones and say, please act now and don't wait until your body's screaming and you have to or until you're much older when the path will be more difficult.

In the meantime then, between now and when you're older, you can enjoy greater ease and freedom of movement.

And who knows how much pain you'll avoid!

I don’t know of anyone who approaches the body in the unique way I do with this targeted program of postural awareness and a succinct proven series of exercises. I’d love to share it with you.   

Are YOU in pain or noticing that you're becoming less flexible?

Does the thought of old age elicit thoughts of fear and apprehension in you?

Do YOU have the courage to look old age in the face and address it now?

Do YOU want to face the future with confidence and optimism?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, then I invite you to get in touch.

I'd love to help you to "look just the same".

Whether you’re local or interstate, you can learn the powerful Karana Posture Series of exercises to shift your body from the tunnel of closing down to a spacious future of freedom and ease.

Sessions are available in person or via Zoom.

Yours in freedom and JOY!