Newsletter, November 2018: Keep moving
I just got back from listening to orthopedic surgeon Dr. Vonda Wright speak to a room full of educated, affluent women (and me. I was there as a guest). She researches the effects of what she calls mobility on aging. Based on her talk, she was using mobility in a somewhat generic way to simply mean movement.
The numbers are staggering. A sedentary lifestyle will cause 2.5 million Americans to suffer from premature disability or death in the next ten years. Sedentary people decline twice as fast as people that are active. 67% of baby boomers report weekly muscle or joint pain.
There was more, but you get the picture. The thing that struck me while I was listening was while a large portion of the US continues to struggle with meeting the minimum suggested requirements of physical activity (20 minutes of moderate physical activity, most days of the week), the fitness/movement/yoga/strength training/Pilates/aqua aerobics community is busy squabbling over a) who has the best method or system to maintain fitness and flexibility over time and b) how “other” forms of fitness are inferior. People are dying from inactivity and the professionals who chose careers to inspire people are making it difficult for people to feel good about their choices.
It’s been said the best exercise is the one you will do. It doesn’t matter what it is. Just move. Because if you move a little bit, chances are high you will start to feel a little bit better and you will want to move a little bit more. And if you find you enjoy a specific modality, great! But don’t build a wall around yourself that prevents you from trying other physically activity things. Variety, after all, is the spice of life, and it’s a little bit freeing to think there is no perfect exercise. They are all good.
This same philosophy can be applied to learning. I am perplexed when people in the movement industry decide to only learn one system or methodology. It’s great to have a sense of mastery, but so much can be learned from listening to other masters explain a similar movement in a different way, or approach a movement from a completely different perspective. No one system has all of the answers and no one form of movement is better than the others. Study the method that resonates with you, but step outside your comfort zone once in a while with an open mind. And keep moving.
Yours in health and wellness,
Jenn
Upcoming events:
Foundation training continues on Thursdays, level I from 4-4:50; level II from 5-5:50. Contact Mia Hurst at miahust@sbcglobal.net.
All levels Vinyasa class Wednesdays, from 6-7 with Andrea Woodhall. For more information, please contact Andrea at woodhall.wellness@gmail.com
Mobility Training: understanding mobility practices, Saturday, October 28 from 9-12.
Join Jenn Pilotti for this three hour workshop on mobility training. Why: Mobility should be trained progressively and systematically. In order to fully understand how to improve mobility, individuals needs to be able to sense the area they want to move and then consciously move the area. Once people can do these two things, basic principles can be applied to improve strength, control, and mobility at certain joints. This workshop aims to clarify these concepts. It is appropriate for personal trainers, movement professionals, yoga teachers, and individuals that are looking to deepen their understanding of how mobility works and why it should be trained in a thoughtful way.
We will discuss concepts specific to mobility, and will apply these concepts to the spine and lower extremity. Programming will also be discussed. To maintain quality instruction, a maximum of 10 spots are available.
Cost: $60
More information or to register: http://www.bewellpt.com/events/2017/10/28/mobility-training-a-3-hour-workshop-on-understanding-mobility-practices
Jules Mitchell workshop series, Saturday, December 3
Join Jules Mitchell, M.S., at Be Well Personal Training for Applied Asana: A Scientific Approach to Stretching in Yoga from 9:30-12:30 and Hip Dynamics from 2-5. Cost: $60 until November 10, $75 after per session or $95/$125 for both.
Jules Mitchell MS, CMT, RYT is a Los Angeles based yoga teacher, manual therapist and educator. She combines the tradition of yoga with her background in biomechanics to create yoga programs designed to help people move better and achieve individually defined physical success. Her approach to asana is multi-modal and skill based, balancing the somatic (moving from within) aspects of yoga with exercise science principles to achieve movement goals – from simply aging well to sport specific outcomes.
Registration: http://www.bewellpt.com/events/2017/5/7/jules-mitchell-workshop-series-saturday-december-2
Recommended reading:
I am almost finished with “The Gene,” by Siddhartha Murkajee. It’s a long, beautifully written tale about the history of the understanding of the human gene. Other than research, it’s been my reading material for the month.
Speaking of research…
Timothy Noakes paper on how fatigue regulates exercise behavior is brilliant. So is the research paper on the U-shaped curve and its effect on chronic low back pain by Huech, et.al. The research challenged my bias and changed my narrative (which is why reading is good. It challenges perspective. In order: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3323922/pdf/fphys-03-00082.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4827170/
I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Pete Hitzeman for the Breaking Muscle podcast. Check it out here: http://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/the-endless-pursuit-of-mindful-movement