Читать книгу BOSH! Healthy Vegan - Henry Firth - Страница 26

Most able-bodied toddlers can perform an excellent squat; humans are born with great mobility. Over time, in the West, we lose that ability – squatting just isn’t something we do on a regular basis, compared to places like India and south-east Asia where squatting to sit is common, and you’ll find most people can still perform a perfect squat. If you’re not making full use of a range of motion, it will gradually stop being available to you.

The same applies to our muscles. Your body is an efficient machine, and if you’re not using muscles, they will start to deteriorate. These changes are not immediately noticeable, but before you know it you can get a sprain from performing a simple task. Your muscles need to be adequately maintained across their whole range of movement, otherwise even a small movement outside of their norm can end up causing damage.

In addition to loss of mobility and strength, overly tight and inflexible muscles can cause damage elsewhere in your body, as you may be holding yourself awkwardly to compensate. Back pain is often actually caused by tightness in the legs and glutes, and the longer tightness is left, the harder it is to solve with stretching or conditioning.

Exercise is also the number one way to look after your heart. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is one of the best measurements of health, and also serves as a good indicator of how well your heart is working. Increasing your heart rate on a regular basis will help preserve the heart’s health.

The best gift you can give your future self is that of agility and strength. Look after your body, as it’s the only place you have to live.