You’re young, full of zest, and ready to live a balanced and enriched life; it can be hard to imagine that time will continue to drudge ever onward (usually too quickly), that you won’t always be young and able-bodied, but it’s true. Before you know it, your body will start creaking as bad as your grandparents’, with aching knees informing you of coming storms and bad backs that threaten your sleep if you so much as look at something heavy.
Luckily, you don’t have to just sit and let it happen — which, ironically, is the problem. If you sit on a couch for 30 years, you’re not really allowed to suddenly be shocked when walking more than a mile causes pain to radiate out of your hips and lower back. Motion is lotion: the sooner you start moving, even if it’s just a little, you will age with a grace that will have your peers marveling at your mobility. Here are a few suggestions to get those young muscles and joints lubed up and ready for the upcoming decades of your life.
- Yoga: Restorative Yoga is gentle and slow but continues to keep your body flexible, and Power Yoga is a vigorous workout. There is even a style called Yin Yoga, which is slow but poses are held for around five minutes each. With so many varying forms, you’ll be sure to find one that suits your needs and lifestyle — even if you absolutely loathe exercise! Best of all, yoga can be done right at home so you won’t need to worry about a gym membership or a trip into the city.
- Water exercise: Movement through water is a great form of exercise because it works all of your body’s muscles and joints. It is perfect for recovery from an injury or surgery due to its gentleness; of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t swim laps for hours.
In today’s golden age of technology, millennials spend an average of eight hours every weekday in front of a screen. So get up and get active!
The activities listed above are preventative measures meant to help prepare for the future, but that doesn’t mean young people can’t get hurt as well. In fact, slip and fall injuries are extremely common in places where people of all ages frequent: restaurants, hotels, and public buildings. Constant exercise, even when minimal, can help people recover from such injuries at a much quicker rate; these are tips for life, not just for youth!
