Core principles

While resting beside my merry-go-round and waiting for that next burst of energy, I’ve been reading a terrific book entitled “The Core Program,” by Peggy W. Brill.

Brill is a famous physical therapist who explains how 15 minutes of exercise a day can strengthen the core muscles of the back, abdomen, hips and pelvis.

By keeping these muscles strong and flexible our balance and posture will improve and lifting of heavy objects will be easier. Walking, standing, sitting — everything we do will come easier and our bodies will have less pain if we keep these particular muscles happy, limber and strong.

I have too many friends my age and older who give in to the idea that lack of mobility is just a natural part of growing older.

Dr. Brill says that while a person’s body does goes through inevitable physical changes over the years, age by itself doesn’t determine how well people move or hold themselves, nor does it dictate how strong or how healthy they are.

In addition to the fact that our gait and posture are related to core muscles, deep breathing is also vital. Here’s a deep breathing routine Dr. Brill recommends doing several times a day, especially during a particularly stressful day.

• Sit down. Hold the palm of your hand against your stomach between your navel and rib cage. Breathe in deeply, 1—2—3—4. When you use your diaphragm to breathe, your stomach will push out against your hands. Hold this inhalation for seven seconds. Exhale slowly as you count to eight. Your hand can feel your stomach deflate.

• Practice this throughout the day, taking two to four deep breaths through your nose every hour. As you slowly exhale, you’ll feel your body unwind and muscular tension ease.

Dr. Brill also stresses the importance of drinking enough water. Water makes up 85 percent of blood and 75 percent of the brain. Muscles, which are 70 percent water, must be kept hydrated.

Water also lubricates our joints. We need to drink 8 to 10 eight-ounce glasses of water daily to give our body what it needs to function smoothly.

Her suggested lifestyle checklist for keeping our bodies healthy include the core exercises, drinking water, getting eight hours of sleep, eating food that is highly nutritious, and being in contact with something or someone that brings you joy each day.

My downfall, or at least one of my downfalls, is not taking the time to prepare nutritious meals. Heaven, for me, is when my daughter and son-in-law invite me over for dinner, which they did just the other night. Judy and Mark are terrific cooks. Mark does the barbecuing and Judy does the rest. They make me so happy that my toes curl. (Do you suppose if I butter them up enough, they’ll invite me back again soon?)

Senior Corner appears every other Monday, alternating in this space with Jim Ford’s Napa As It Was. Betty can be reached at bettyrrhodes@spcglobal.net.

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