I wrote this piece a couple of months back, and had so many comments and good reactions, I want to be sure you saw it, so I offer it again today. Also, three comments I thought were great, and representative…

I remember as a child visiting the “old folks,” my Great Aunt and Great Uncle, my Grandmother, even my parents, who I thought acted very old. I remember that they didn’t move very much. I’d be up and about, dancing around, little-kid-like. They’d be sitting all the time.

As the years went by, they sat and sat. When they did get up, it was a big deal: they’d strain and groan, proclaiming “aches and pains.” More years went by, and they kept sitting. My dad would complain about a stiff neck all the time. Mom said her knees and arthritis kept her in bed all the time.

Now that I’m a parent with adult kids, and me and my friends have reached the ages of my parents – I’m determined to NOT get all achy and stiff with pain. I’m up and moving. I’m not going to be “set in my ways” sedentary as I age!

I dance every day. That’s my thing. I just love to start each day, and end each day with 15-20 minutes of dancing. I’m not a particularly great dancer, but who cares? Not my wife who I love to dance and stretch with early each morning. Not my much older dance classmate ladies at the weekly “Dances For a Variable Population” group! Some of them are in their 80’s and limber and agile as can be.

I think the key to aging gracefully is movement. It’s vitally important to not sit in chairs or lay in bed all the time. Get up and move. Anything – dancing, yoga, walking, hiking, even some fun sports like badminton or tennis, racquetball or just throwing or kicking a ball with a friend.

What do YOU do to stay young-in-body and agile? What form of movement do YOU do every day? Please share your joy of movement in a comment below.

Kreile wrote:
“It’s totally correct. Movement is all what we need. I’m very young and unfrotunately the whole day I have to spend sitting at my working place. Of course I feel that I need more movement, my body is asking for it. So everyday I spend around 30 min excersising and I have stopped using public transport – I live around 30 min walk from my working place, so I walk.”

George said,
“You are absolutely correct in your recomendation to exercise as much as you can phyically accomplish. I’m 77 and exercise every day rain or shine. I ride my bike 5 miles every day, when it rains I have a inplace bike that I pedal 5 miles. I walk 2 miles everyday, also do windmill twists 130 times each morning. It is amazing how much better you feel afterwards. And of course the real gift is you have very few aches and pains. I skied for over 50 years, about 40 times a year, that really got me on the health and physical fitness kick.”

Sheila commented,
“Thank u Norris! I agree…who cares if ur not a good/great dancer! Just move! I’ve decided to join u everyday and dance!dance!dance! Life is good!”

Thanks, everyone, well put!

to take a look at all the many comments, click this link
http://blog.beliefnet.com/drnorrischumleysatisfiedlife/2011/03/an-old-stiff-body-no-way.html#comments

And please add YOUR comment below!

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