The Big Five

July 20, 2023

If you ask a little kid to imitate an old person, they stereotypically do two things: 1. they hunch forward, contracting their front body, and 2. they make their movements smaller and tighter. If you ask a little kid to imitate someone really cold, as if enduring a winter storm, they stereotypically do two things: 1. they hunch forward, contracting their front body, and 2. they make their movements smaller and tighter. The only difference between the two is speed. The old person imitation would move slowly while the cold person imitation would probably be in a rush. 

What’s the lesson here? For one, get moving and get warm. Break a sweat! Don’t let it be winter in your body all year, or all day, long. This is one of the top reasons exercise is the fountain of youth – heat from within leads to better circulation and enhanced energy flow. The second lesson, however, is what I really want to impress upon you: your workout can and should promote front body extension and upright alignment. As we age, the front body gets tighter while the back body gets weaker…if we don’t do anything about it. If we don’t mindfully move.

Here are “the big five” of what your workout should include in order to avoid that curled forward shape:

  • Lifting of the heart center
  • Strengthening of the back (upper back especially)
  • Vigilance about slouching or jutting the head out
  • Strengthening of your core
  • Legit stretching of the quadriceps, hip flexors, abdominals, and pectorals

When designing a workout, I think in terms of “the big five” because fitness is more than cardiovascular health. More than weight management. More than looking good. Fitness is the not-so-secret-secret to getting better with age, and with “the big five” it is! Even though it can be tough and take effort, fitness should be something we get psyched about because it pays us back tenfold. We should all run to our workouts, with bells on. 🥳

Come on…let’s move!