I try and shake up my S&F work to keep my body learning and flexible. I say flexible, to be honest I am still not that flexible, I never have been really, even when I was younger. I have tried yoga, pilates and stretches but I am not good at sticking with them, basically I don’t like it ☹️ And because of that I miss sessions.
I try and embrace this side of me and rather than berating myself all the time I keep looking for other ways to get the same results but with things I will keep up with.
So yesterday I went to my first Sosa dance fit class, it is free with my new gym membership. I loved it. We started off with a little rhumba routine to learn then the music went on for a little dance, we then moved on to the cha cha cha, flashdance (cheese, such fun), twist, jive and a slow rhumba to cool down. It was brilliant.
I was terrible, my body would not twist or shimmy, bending down I could feel all my muscles cry out, “we don’t move that far” but no one care how I looked, I had a big smile on my face even though I was so out of sync with most of the class, I did my best to keep up but at the same time I kept telling myself in a few months you will be better. I also think in a few months I will move better because I will be more flexible and with that will come a bit more stregnth, so all in all a good S&F workout 😀.
I have learned to embrace my lack of flexibility. We are all built differently and given that I've been practising yoga regularly and in some postures I have not changed my limits in 7+ years, so that is likely to be about bony structures. And many of the very flexible people are so because of things like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and prone to injury, or for progression, so there's a silver lining.
It's great you enjoyed the class - a sign it is worth pursuing, however 'bad at it' you felt you were. I find the cognitive effort of following a group class has a very negative impact on me later (I even have to be careful with following an online session by myself) There are additional benefits beyond 'mere' strength and flexibility and cardio if a group class is working for you.
I’m dyslexic and I find my co ordination on following things is affected by it. I have to use my hands to recognise left from right when told to move in that direction as it is not natural to me. For me the joy of getting older is that I am less bothered by looking different when I try and just enjoy what I do. I think you are right some of us are just less flexible but what we do will make us stronger and muscles and strength add so much to our well being in general.
Oh me too! I don't think I'm dyslexic, but I do have to shake my hand in front of my face (in vision I mean) before I can tell you if it's left or right. I get into all sorts of bother on my bike with the voice navigation cos it's not a natural time to be shaking your hand in front of you face. I get laughed at and ridiculed, but I accept it as a lovely quirky bit of me, who cares!
Me too!😆 same with my feet, really have to think which is which. As for giving directions, the hand waving thing, and I have been known to guess wrong! 😊xx
When I have to do something left or right I have a mental picture in my head from when I was a child when I learned about left or right, I always always have to bring up the mental picture before doing anything left or right. Particularly when others are giving me instructions.
I put it down to my natural left-handed ness which screws with my brain 🙂
Loved your insights and I currently am new hear trying to become more strong and my flexibility needs to improve as I have a stiff right writst and ankle. Do you currently have a strength plan that involves methods like greasing the groove *you can search it up* to build strength the most effective and easiest way possible? (Dont mean to confuse you just curious)
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