How to get the shape of your life!

As a Pilates teacher I get a lot of people coming to me saying 'I'm so out of shape', and it got me thinking - can your body ever be 'out of shape'?  'Shape' by definition is the form of an object as opposed to its colour or texture, therefore what creates form through the human body?

It takes time for an illness or injury to become apparent.

Unless you've had an accident or illness your body doesn't just suddenly change its form or suddenly become weak, it's created over a long period of time by incorrect movement/loads and not using/strengthening the correct muscles.  You don't just suddenly wake up with a bad back, the weakness in your body has been there for a long time - it's just the damage that the weakness has created is now starting to make itself known, imagine a door constantly banging on its hinges it might take a long time but eventually the door and frame will begin to show signs of deterioration from the constant incorrect use.

Your shape is a reflection of your movement and eating choices over a long period of time, your body is like clay - it is shaped by the environment in which you live and work, the forces that you place upon it and the food which you put in it.  

If you want to change your shape, then you have to change your lifestyle.  

Just like you don't suddenly wake up with a bad back, you don't wake up as a 70 year old and suddenly are able to do Yoga, to have strength, flexibility and endurance you need to build these up over a long period of time.  Your muscles naturally weaken as you age, therefore building up strength in your 30's and 40's is an investment into your future self.

How do you see yourself in the future?  Weak, inflexible and in pain?  

Start now, it's never too late.  Start moving more - walk to the shops rather than drive, climb stairs rather than take the lift, take frequent breaks from sitting down - incorporate more movement into your life and you will start to feel the benefits.  Don't think of exercise as hitting the gym for an hour a day twice a week as a good use of your time, especially if the rest of your day is sitting at a desk, driving home and then sitting in front of a TV, all you'll probably do is injure yourself. 

'Walking is man's best medicine' - Hippocrates

Biomechanically your body is designed to move, it needs movement just as much as it needs oxygen or nutrients - possibly more.  

Science is just discovering how much our bodies require movement on a cellular level, and how much disease is created by lack of movement (possibly more than bad diets), a sedentary lifestyle will soon be viewed as damaging to the health as smoking.

So, can you be out of shape?  No you cannot - you can be weak, inflexible and carrying too much weight, but your body is the perfect shape for you and your environment, just like human bodies have been since the dawn of time, so technically, you're already in the shape of your life!

Jill x

P.S.

I always include a lot of  'Primal' moves into my classes, and everyone is loves them - as they are what your body is designed to do and they feel good!  But the best primal move of all is walking - so get out in nature (not on a treadmill) and enjoy a good walk and fresh air - it's good for the soul, and you can always hang from a few trees!  

Get in touch if you want to join a class or book a 1-2-1.