Optimal Aging: Exercise and Roller Coasters

Optimal Aging

Ever wonder why kids can go on thrill rides and not get sick? It’s true that children and adults view roller coasters and other amusement park rides differently, the former as pleasure, the latter often as pure torture.

Even babies enjoy being thrown in the air. It’s almost like they enjoy the thrill of the unexpected.

In contrast, we adults like to experience things that are more predictable. We stop playing and substitute random movements for safe ones — and our senses dull with age as a result. Roller coasters get replaced by cruise ships vacations…

As our senses and movement capacities decline, we end up with a limited range of capabilities. Older people can stand, sit, walk, and maybe get down on the floor to pick something up if hard pressed. That’s not a huge variety of skills.

Don’t let it happen. For optimal aging, you want to have an exercise repertoire with dozens of moves, maybe even hundreds. You want to move effortlessly, and be accustomed to manipulating your body throughout space. You want to:

  • Get confident in your physical abilities
  • Raise the quality of your life
  • Look better and move better
  • Have more energy
  • Discover more about yourself
  • And generally, become harder to kill

How? The answer is simple.

Stop acting your age.

Here’s a throwdown challenge for you:

See if you can copy every move that a small child makes for thirty minutes.

Can you do it?

Once you’ve done a few summersaults, built a fort out of a cardboard box (and fit inside it), crawled under the bed, rolled down a hill and kicked a soccer ball around, you’ll likely end up completely exhausted.

But it’s exactly these types of spatial movements that train the vestibular canal and allow us to tolerate those ‘head over heels’ amusement park rides. It’s a “use it or lose it” type of thing. Your goal may not be to ride the scariest roller coaster in the world, but you should want to be able to move freely and without discomfort.

Increase your movement capacity, each and every day. And whether you’re around a toddler or a five-year old, I dare you to mimic them for 30 minutes.

I can practically guarantee that you’ll be significantly challenged.

 

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November 2, 2015 1 Comment
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One thought on “Optimal Aging: Exercise and Roller Coasters

  1. I love sardines and try to eat them several times a week. I usually just throw them in a salad or over some leftover roasted veggies. Love the idea of the sardine butter. I would probably serve with some raw veggies instead of the cheese crisps. Thanks for the great idea!

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