By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

October 06, 2014

• Use it or lose it
• Can you easily lift your child or grandchild?
• Balance your entire body for strength and movement

Remember how much fun you had playing when you were a kid? My local park had monkey bars, a jungle gym, and all sorts of equipment that required me to use almost every muscle in my body. And at home, it was much of the same. My friends and I climbed trees, played stickball, and were constantly in motion.

Now that we’re all grown up, we’ve stopped enjoying these activities. And our bodies are all the worse for it.

Obesity rates are at an all-time high. Heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and other chronic health conditions are running rampant. And, just as importantly, we’re growing old and weak well before our time.

You see, once we hit our 30s, we begin losing muscle mass and strength. It starts slowly. In the beginning, it amounts to about only one or two percent of muscle mass each year. But that loss increases with age.

Over time, it can really add up. You might already find it’s harder to lift heavy objects than it used to be. And it only gets worse with age. Before you know it, your ability to perform daily activities can slip away entirely.

This is definitely a case where the old adage “use it or lose it” applies. So, keeping all of the muscles you use every day strong, fit and working in harmony is a top priority. This is something called “functional fitness” – the ability to perform regular daily activities easily and without hurting yourself.

There are ways to train your body to maximize your functional strength. It’s something everyone should do. No matter what age you are, you’ll start feeling – and seeing – the results in a matter of weeks.

It might surprise you, but regular gym workouts don’t do much to improve functional fitness. That’s because those machines target and isolate specific muscles. It might make you look good, but it doesn’t bear any resemblance to the way our bodies move on a daily basis.

For example, if you’re stooping down to pick up your child or grandchild, you aren’t using just your arms and legs. The muscles in your back, abdomen, neck and shoulders are all involved, too. And a lot of people throw their backs out, because their bodies aren’t using these muscles in unison.

So, what can you do to improve your ability to lift heavy objects and help keep from getting injured?

Squat Arm Lifts:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a light-weight medicine ball (a bag of sugar will also work!) in front of you with both hands.
2. Squat down and lower the medicine ball to the floor. Make sure to keep your back straight in the process.
3. Rise up to a standing position and lift the medicine ball over your head.
4. Repeat 10 times, take a break, then do two additional sets.

Note: If you have a low level of fitness, this exercise might be difficult for you. In that case, you can start off doing only the squats with your hands placed on a solid table or counter. Once you build strength, move on to free-standing squats and simply lower and raise your arms without the medicine ball. Then, add additional weight as your level of fitness increases.

I also see people of all ages who have thrown their backs out while reaching for objects on high shelves. And a lot of older patients can’t maintain balance long enough to retrieve what they’re after.

That’s because most of your weight is concentrated on one foot while the body twists diagonally during the process. And it’s not something we do every day, so it’s a real weak point.

Here’s what you can do to increase your functional fitness in this area…

Diagonal Reach:

1. Hold your medicine ball or bag of sugar against your chest with both hands.
2. Still holding the ball with both hands, reach up and outward toward the left until your arms are straight. At the same time, extend your right leg out to the side.
3. Return to starting position and repeat on the other side. Do this for a count of 30 (15 times per leg).

Note: If you have trouble maintaining balance, you can start off standing next to a solid counter or table and perform the movements without the added weight of the medicine ball. Place your left hand on the counter. Then, raise your right hand upward and to the left while extending your right leg to the side. Repeat on the other side for the full count. When you build strength, you can move away from the counter and eventually add the extra weight of the medicine ball.

These are just two ways you can improve your functional strength. I chose these exercises because they improve two often-used body movements that we seem to lose the most quickly. And you can do them right in your own home.

You can also try things like lunges, push-ups and crunches to help work multiple muscle groups in unison. Sporting activities like racquetball, rowing, basketball and softball are all great, too.

But, if you need a little more structure to get your functional training in, there’s something else you can try.

Big sports stars like NBA All-Stars Joe Johnson and LeBron James participate in it. Evan Longoria, the 28-year-old third baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays also takes part in it…

I’m talking about yoga. This is something many of my patients enjoy. And it works well for those who need a little more structure and guidance. That’s because they have specified appointment times, an instructor, and other members who support their efforts.

Yoga works on whole body rather than isolating specific muscles. It moves your body the way it was designed to move, strengthens your core, and balances your muscles so they work together. This is exactly what you need to become – and remain – functionally fit.

And it comes with some great added benefits, like improved cardiovascular health, increased brain power, better insulin response and improved flexibility. Other Eastern practices, like Tai Chi and Qi Gong can provide similar results.

Whether you decide to do it on your own or join a yoga group, it’s important to start functional fitness training immediately and stick with it. It’s the best thing you can do to stay active and independent as you age.

Sources:
“Arndt Büssing, et al. Effects of Yoga on Mental and Physical Health: A Short Summary of Reviews.” Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012.

“A 20-minute bout of yoga stimulates brain function immediately after.” News Alert. University of Illinois. Jun3 2013