Remember the sit and reach
test? It was one of the yearly
tortures of the President’s Physical Fitness Test (discontinued after the
2012-2013 school year apparently, and replaced with a new program with healthy
living goals). That may have been
the last time we were actually evaluated on our flexibility. Peeking around at the other people in
yoga class doesn’t count; that is not an objective measurement (or
helpful).
Many people find working on
flexibility to be about as fun as grocery shopping with a screaming toddler, if
not as loud. The good news is that
toddlers eventually stop screaming, and so do our muscles when we get used to
stretching them.
The better news is that flexibility
helps us keep range of motion so that we will still be able to tie our shoes,
walk, and scrub our own backs when we are old. There is some evidence that flexibility helps prevent
injury, but it isn’t conclusive.
Relieving tension, however, is always a good goal and stretching does
help with that.
So even when we are pressed for
time, we need to remind ourselves to do at least a little stretching. Our bodies will appreciate it.
In other news, my duck has
decided to go on vacation with one of my clients. Here he is planning his trip to Palm Springs:
And here he is trying to find the
car keys:
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