You Need to Move
Most of the major problems we encounter with our physical health have to do with a lack of movement. You need to move!
Modern life requires us to sit at a computer for long stretches of time. We’re not built for this, and it takes a toll. Your muscles need to stretch, your blood needs to flow, your lungs need to fill.
You can do anything you like, as long as you’re moving! And you can get huge benefits from the smallest step forward in the right direction. Simply taking a walk after dinner can jump start you into better health. Imagine feeling better, having more energy, and having fewer aches and pains. The way to achieve this is to MOVE!
I have friends who have watched their parents retire from work, only to retire from life. After sitting on the sofa all day watching TV and never moving, their health deteriorated. The tragedy here is that is can be so difficult to reverse this downward slide once it starts. Things start to hurt, which makes you want to move even less. The best way to avoid this is to never stop moving. You don’t have to begin training for marathons, just do SOMETHING.
Find something you enjoy and do it often. I have friends who swim, play tennis, golf, run, dance, lift weights, play frisbee, take yoga….the list goes on and on. Find someone else who also enjoys it and you’re twice as likely to show up and keep doing it! Find a friend and start doing something. Don’t force yourself to begin something you don’t like because you don’t keep it up.
Six years ago I started martial arts training. It truly has changed my life. After 40 years in the gym, my body needed to move in different ways, and I needed to fix some problems that came with the limitation of moving in only a certain way in the gym. I still believe that resistance training is the fountain of youth, and I encourage you to do some daily. But finding new ways to move through martial arts has really improved my health.
I find martial arts very much like dancing. You’re moving your body in mostly fluid ways, opening up the joints, increasing flexibility and strength, while learning forms that keep your mind engaged and focused. Plus there is a level of confidence that comes from knowing that not only am I improving my health, but I’m also learning self-defense that gives me peace of mind. I know that through my martial arts training, I will do something if I encounter a situation or am attacked. And I firmly believe that if I begin to demonstrate that I have some training, the attacker will back off or run away immediately. They are looking for distracted victims with no idea how to defend themselves. My immediate reaction with some skill and confidence will make them want to look elsewhere and leave me alone.
Those who attend martial arts classes range from children to seniors, with the majority of my classmates being in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s 70’s and beyond! These are adults who see the benefit of moving in a safe way. Whether in person or online, being in a class with others who are also working to improve their health is very motivating.
The Martial Arts Center for Health in Altamonte Springs, FL is now offering online courses that anyone can take, no matter where you are. I have been taking the online classes for over a year and they are interesting, engaging, and convenient. I sign onto my zoom lesson for an hour each day from my own home. There is no travel time and the instructors have become masters of teaching a varied group of students of all levels, demonstrating the movement from various angles that allow you to learn easily. Every student works at their own level, given moves and forms to practice along with the instructor that compliment their goals and take into account any limitations or concerns they may have.
I hope you’ll consider this online training, available to anyone right now. Invest in your health! They will be happy to set up a free online demonstration any time. Contact them at their website or call at (407) 774-1186. Please contact me if you have questions or want to know more. Martial arts training has become my primary form of exercise, helping me to MOVE in ways that have improved my health, increased my flexibility, and sharpened my focus. I hope you’ll get these same benefits by contacting them today. And no matter what you decide to do, just MOVE!
Tim Hinton
April 24, 2021
