Mommy's Project 52:39 Flexible

Being flexible can be having a body that is flexible or it can refer to a person's ability to deal with changes in schedule with calm.  I don't like my schedule messed with and I like to know in advance what is going to happen.  I think I can deal if something happens but I am not too happy about it.  Kids have helped me develop that side of my flexibility.

There are many benefits to having a flexible body.  As an older parent of two young children, I have noticed that my older body doesn't move through slides and tunnels as easily as my 20 something mommy friends.  Since I don't only want to be around to see my kids grow and marry, I want to be able to enjoy and participate fully as they/we grow older.

I have a 70 year old friend who is able to bicycle and really play with her grandchildren.  At that age, my grandparents could only watch Wheel of Fortune with me.  So my goal is to stay as flexible and healthy as I can so I can really enjoy the upcoming years.

In a conversation with a stretching instructor at a former gym, he said it is not only the sedentary that can benefit from stretching but many athletic people skip the stretching as well.  They are so busy building muscle and extending their endurance that they don't take time to stay flexible which leads to injury and early retirement from the sports they love.

Stretching can improve performance and decrease risk of injury.  It also reduces muscle soreness, improves posture, reduces low back pain, increases flow of blood and nutrients to the tissues, improves muscle coordination, and enhances enjoyment of physical activities.

After crawling after my children for a couple hours at a local indoor play land both my husband and I were  sore from the twisting and turning in the tunnels and going through the mazes.  I have a DVD of my stretching class that I took when I was pregnant with my son.  It helped me so much and if I would do it a couple times a week I would see great benefits.

The problem is knowing that it is a benefit and actually making the time to do it are two different things.  So the question is can I take the knowledge and get it put into action?  That is my new goal.  Here is a picture of my son showing me his bridge from gymnastics class.  I thought it was a much better picture than me showing off my flexibility.