Repeating history...

Our bodies know our history.  They remember the fall off the monkey bars that broke an arm in third grade, and all those sprained ankles in middle school.  We get more than stretch marks from having a baby and more than a scar from surgery.  In a more short-term sense, our bodies hold grudges about that uncomfortable seat on the bleachers during the kids’ baseball game and that ill-advised decision about trimming the giant tree out back alone.

On the plus side, our bodies also keep track of the positive things we do for them.  The classic example is riding a bike.  We don’t forget how to move our bodies even if our brain hasn’t consciously thought about it for years.  The instructions of our first dance teachers or football coaches (or both!) live on in our muscle memories.

Since we are not dead yet (zombies don’t read a lot of blog posts, I find…), this means we have an opportunity to create new body memories with what we do now.  Our future selves can have cause to curse us or to praise us.  If we work on strength and coordination and balance now, we will have them stored up for later, when we need them.  We may be able to avoid that potentially hip-breaking fall or stave off bone loss or catch up to that running grandchild on the playground.

Practicing what we want to be helps us become that very thing.  Let’s do it!