How adaptable are you?

“I thought I was too old to make a change” is a quote from a 44-year old client recently.

We’ve been working together since January and a painful hip that had been bothering her for years is now barely noticeable.

The amazing thing is our body and mind keeps adapting and changing right up until we die.

So what is it about hitting middle-age that makes us think that that’s it?

I’ve seen the same in my partner, who had seemed to have resigned himself to “getting old” yet over the past couple of years made the most amazing turn around and now lifts weights regularly at home and runs 3-4 times a week - he’s out-fitnessing me some weeks! So inspiring!

In some respects I feel lucky that I got started with dance and then fitness in my late twenties / early thirties so as I’ve transitioned into middle age I just want to keep on going and doing my best to keep my body strong and healthy for the rest of my life.

However even so I’ve felt susceptible to feelings of being “past-it” in one way or another. In the fusion dance scene I’m often one of the oldest at events and workshops and I’m sometimes wondering who wants to see a middle-aged woman dance. For years I’ve put off taking the urban dance classes at my local studio, terrified I’d be left behind by all the youngsters. (I’ve started taking the classes now and they are amazing!)

Going back to my client’s painful hip - why has her movement practice eased her symptoms? It could be due to a variety of factors - I suspect one of them may have been the movement has given her brain a clearer picture of the body part in the brain and reduced brain “smudging”. This can lead to an increased pain experience due to the brain not really understanding where the body part is in space and creating (unnecessary) protection mechanisms. (Check out this video - less than 5min - where leading pain scientist David Butler explains the concept in more detail.)

The challenge is sometimes that it’s easier to stay where we are, put up with the pains and tell ourselves that there’s nothing we can do about it (even though the pain might be getting worse.) Or go looking for someone else to “fix” us and then wonder why the niggles come back again after a while.

Sometimes it can feel overwhelming but it is never too late! It can be hard work but so so so rewarding and I guarantee you will achieve things you didn’t think possible!

Change is always possible and it can be achieved when you take one small step at a time - I’m a massive advocate for “5 minutes is better than no minutes.” Check out this simple practice you can throw on when you are feeling like you need to move and save it to your desktop or phone home screen for easy access.

And if you feel like you need a bit more in-depth help with some persistent pains (and have been cleared for movement by your doctor or clinician) and are ready to commit to a regular movement practice that fits around YOUR life, drop me a line here! I have space for a couple of 1:1 clients right now.