b'Health and WellnessKKeeeeppIIttMMoovviinnggGGeennttlleeaaddaappttiivveemmoovveemmeennttwiillllhheellppyyoouuwssttaayyaaccttiivveeBy Chris HudspethAs best we can, moving our body is important.Being active looks different for everyone and Movement is an ingredient to staying healthy,doing what is available to you will have keeping our balance, and having dexterity.benets. In recent years, modied and adaptive Over time, our speed may slow and range ofways to move have become available through motion might shift, but continuing to keeptechnology. Online classes, adapted wheelchairs our body moving increases blood ow, energyand scooters, and adaptive sporting equipment levels, and mental health. There is no need tohave opened new possibilities for more people run marathons or do intense workouts to seeto stay active doing something they can enjoy the benets from movement. For some, slowerand that works for them. Being exible and and gentler movements assist in restoringhaving better balance takes effort. Whatever motion, balance, and awareness. Stayingyou practice, stay motivated and consistent. active and moving, no matter to what degree,Think about your bodys needs and what is important. best suits you today. Maybe you were not able When you stop moving, everything beginsto do much yesterday, but today you feel up to freeze up, muscles deteriorate, and arthritisto ittake advantage of the opportunity and can set in, said physical therapist Jeffrey C.do what you can. If you are lifting weights or Hollen, PTA, of CCI Sports and Orthopedicincreasing your heart rate (like swimming or Center in Coral Springs, Fla. Physiologicallybiking), remember it is helpful to balance that speaking, systems of the body slow down andwith restorative movement such as gentle mental acuity dulls and slows. As Sir Isaacyoga or Tai chi.Newton stated, Bodies in motion tend to stayAin motion.AddaappttT If you have concerns about balance, or are Thheewwiiddeessppeeccttrruummooffmmoovveemmeenntt in a scooter or wheelchair, learning to adapt From bicycling to swimming, equine therapymovement to seated positions is simple, but to pickleball, movement comes in many forms.does take practice. Chair yoga, Tai chi, and msfocusmagazine.org 18'