September 2022 - Balance and Stability in all of Life
One of my favorite yoga instructors once said that it was good to feel the wobble while in a challenging pose. "If you feel the wobble, you know the muscles are working." The point of movement is not to NOT wobble, but to be able to handle the challenges without falling. And I think that is really good life advice as well. Life is not about NOT having difficulties or challenges, but to be strong enough AND flexible enough to handle the rough spots without folding, falling down, or collapsing. In therapy, when building strength and stability, it is good to push the muscles to the point of challenge. The point where things start to shake a little, when you feel unstable. In this environment, the muscles strengthen and learn to adapt and correct your position quickly so that you don’t get too far off center and fall. Without this challenge, the nervous system can’t improve. So, go out and look for a challenge, even a small one, to activate your deep core stabilizers and improve your balance! Walk on the grass, in the sand, in bare feet… try walking on a curb or standing on one foot! If you are not wobbling, you are not getting stronger!