Is it too late to start Movement Training?

This is a question I get all the time when I talk to people about movement training. It's also a bit of a strange one because, we are in motion - all the time. So for those those that wonder, let's get into it. 

From the moment you wake up, you are consciously moving your body. You have to use your legs and every other fiber of your being to get yourself out of bed, walk around to the kitchen, make your morning cup of coffee and finally lift your arm to sip it while it's still warm. But this goes on and on throughout your day, and the only reason you are able to perform those actions is because you never stopped. 

You move your way through life without thinking much of your ability to coordinate yourself in relation to the world around you.

Why? Because you have to. 

David Wilson, Online Student - 59 years old.

However, like most of us, you probably remember at some point being told to "get down from there" or "not to do that thing because you might fall or get dirty". After a while, the social pressures, distractions and demands of everyday work life have stolen all of your attention to the physical, away from you.

You've been left with the most lack luster framework of movement patterns required to just about get yourself through your day. Half baked squats to sit up and down from a chair, weakness in your lower limbs and poor mobility as a result. An upper body that works as a single unit, no longer being able to properly lift an arm overhead without having to arch your back to compensate for all the mess.

It's no wonder this is one of the most common questions. The scariest thing is, that the average age of the people that ask me this is between 30 and 50+. The latter end of that age range is understandable at this point, but 30 years old? That's scary. 

Anything anyone's every done solely because they have to, has not been as good as it could have been.

If we only did things because we had to, we'd get nothing of quality that's worth talking about done. If you cook because you have to, you probably find yourself with a pathetic meal in front of you and feeling unsatisfied every evening. If you exercise because you have to, you probably end up stiff, tired and fed up with repetitive stress injuries to show for it. 

Movement is very much the same, you do it to some extent because you have to, but if that's the level you chose to operate in - you're setting yourself up for an unnecessary and colossal failure.

​The worst thing is is, the longer you leave it, the harder it's going to get. The more challenging the journey will be and the less time you'll have to enjoy the lifestyle that comes with having a functioning body. 

Moving, eating, making love and working are basic needs. Do them well. ​

Get out there and find a movement practice that you connect with on some level, and show up. 

​I'm not discrediting the effects of aging, but there's certainly a lot we can do to balance things out in our favor. 

I leave you with a quote from one of my inspiring Online Students - David Wilson, 59 years old, from Toronto, Canada:

​​"What Farid does looks so gymnastically complex. I wasn’t at all sure that I could coax enough flexibility out of my body to make any of it happen, especially since I have a pretty stiff spine and zero gymnastic background. 

Farid has tailored a program that started where I was. It is neither too easy nor too hard. It works to help me to develop skills and confidence because it is specific to me.
​
Farid’s observations and suggestions when he watches my videos are encouraging and precise. They make it possible for me to understand how to progress.”

PS. It's his birthday this Friday! He turns 60 - If you'd like to show him some love: @oldscoolmoves 

Any questions, leave a comment.

If you're interested in my Online Training, you can go to: www.faridherrera.com/onlinetraining

Writing by @farid_herrera - 2018