Best of 2024, pt II
Part II of a 3-part post. This is 6-7 of my Best of 2024.
On my ‘Best of’ list are the tools I use for physical freedom in my 70s and beyond.
If my trial-and-error and lessons-learned spark a question, decision, or action that helps you age with confidence and strength, that’s less worry, more time and more fun with friends and loved ones for all of us.
Missed part I? Find it here.
Bar Method year in review
Bar Method
Strength, lean mass, bone density, flexibility.
To lift my suitcase into the overhead compartment on the plane. No small feat from a 5’1” vantage point. Think of the leverage disadvantage. The final few inches to the top are still a little shaky, if I’m being honest.
To wear the ‘50s-70s jeans I love. Work in progress…
To ditch the shirt over the sports bra in class. That’s one less piece of clothing to buy and wash.
I’m not done yet.
Motivation comes from many places. It’s seeing results, it’s people, culture, atmosphere, location.
A sparse Cross Fit studio in the basement of a building works great for some people. I wouldn’t last a day.
How I use
I did Zoom yoga during the pandemic, through 2022. Zoom-life is not for me. Community goes a long, long way.
Thanks to Stella for sparking my interest in Bar Method.
Photo by @otto_norin on Unsplash
Physical therapy (PT)
I’ve talked about my love of physical therapy before.
I can use it, or I can lose it. Using it is part hard work, part body awareness, injury prevention, and self-care.
How I use
I got a hernia, probably from lifting weights with a trainer at Equinox (not for me). That was 3 years ago. Physical therapy’s been a part of my routine ever since. I could have stopped after a few months, but I’m still learning.
Your body may live in alignment. Mine doesn’t. Can I unwind three decades of alignment issues? I’ll try.
This is how I’ve been using PT the last 6 months:
Here’s an exercise I’m doing multiple days per week in Bar Method. This is how I do it. This is where is hurts. How’s my form?
This also hurts. Why?
I’m as bothered by pain as I am being sick. I don’t want to normalize pain as part of aging.
If you’ve tried physical therapy and haven’t learned something new about your body or experienced changes in how you feel, keep trying. There may be another physical therapist out there whose knowledge and approach are better suited to your needs.
@jeshoots on Unsplash
What’s on your best of 2024 list? Let me know!
Thanks for reading!
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Eat plants. 🥦 Hydrate.🚰 Move.🤸 Prioritize sleep. 🛌
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