My home starts with my body.

Our first home is our mother’s womb. Then we enter the external world and our residence changes. But wherever we are, home always starts with our body.

As we age, our rapport with our body changes. Sometimes we look in the mirror and feel disorientated. We look for a person who no longer exists. But all it takes is some reconfiguration to feel at home again.

To prepare for old age, we need to get our bodies in shape. Keep it simple.  If you start off with a hardcore regime, you may quickly burn yourself out.

Flexibility deteriorates with age.  Poor flexibility affects our muscles as it stiffens and shortens them making even simple activities (such as bending to pick something up off the ground) more difficult. Lack of flexibility can also lead to cervical degeneration, chronic back pain, and difficulties in keeping our balance.

Regular stretching helps to loosen us up and not look like zombies. And for those who spend hours at the computer or doing handwork, stretching can straighten us so we don’t look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. DESCLAIMER: this is a routine that I’ve invented for myself.  It’s great for me but I have no qualifications other than my own experience.

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(from Cool Breeze, aka The Age of Reconfiguration ©)