Reawakening your body’s full functionality, or how to age with strength, agility, and mental acuity.

Nope. Cause we’re never finished growing until it’s over.

Ahhh, the 24/7 life of modern convenience….

We spend the majority of our waking hours: 

• Sitting in chairs

• Staring at blue light for hours on end

• Wearing shoes that limit the mobility and strength of our feet (I’m talking about basically any shoe)

• Craning our necks to stare down at our phones

• Moving our thumbs into really weird positions in order to text and type]

• Allowing our brain space to be occupied by “content” instead of original thoughts and feelings

Not to mention the fact that we:

• Sit on toilets instead of squatting

• Spend wayyy too much time in sedentary pursuits

• Have nowhere near enough access to nature, sunshine, dirt, and fresh (non-recycled) air

• Seldom perform house work the way generations upon generations would have before us (the old fashioned, hands and knees method for floor washing, for example)

And think about this—when was the last time you: 

• Used your grip strength to climb a rope, tree, or mountain?

• Sat around a campfire in a campfire squat (something our ancestors did regularly)

• Did manual labor (gardening counts!)

This is my 18-month old Beau getting plenty of dirt and fresh air plus balance practice.

Move Like You Were Designed to Move

The function of our human bodies is determined by design and purpose. We are adapted to run, walk, squat, hang, climb, twist, carry, and sit on and stand up from the ground without using our hands for support. (I know that sounds easy, but try it—sit on the ground, no hands, and then stand up, no hands, and see how you do…. It’s a great indicator of your mortality!). 

“Functional movement” is a term that is used by so many fitness methods, it seems to have lost its meaning. If every aerobics and HIIT class is calling itself “functional,” we intrinsically know that can’t be correct, but what is? 

Here’s a simple way to identify the essence of a functional human movement: Think of the movements your body intuitively knows how to do, the movements you see a toddler performing with ease and instinct.  (Watching my son move is a huge inspiration for my BBP class. He can squat to stand with the best of them and that’s what WE aim to do–and keep doing forever and ever, amen.)

Before I started Backbody Project, I spent two years training older adults. Specifically, people over the age of 60. We had fantastic conversations about books, music, travel, family, and life experiences and I enjoyed every minute of it, but here’s the anecdotal truth of what I experienced: Most men and women over 60 cannot sit on the floor with ease. 

None of my clients could get up without using their hands. Simple contralateral patterns were difficult for them to follow (moving one side of the body one way, while the opposite side moves the other way, for example), and these were CEOs, doctors, attorneys, and other general professionals who wanted a workout, not physical therapy! 

I encountered lots of knee pain, back pain, neck pain, limited mobility, and some early signs of frailty—all symptoms that are possible to avoid and even reverse if you put some thought and intention not just into your workout (can’t stress this enough!), but also the structure and activities of your daily life. 

It’s not difficult to relearn healthy, functional patterns, but it does require awareness and a habit overhaul. Think about this: how would your ancestors have moved and lived? What are the simple, small additions to your day that can make a difference in your ability to not only move well as you age, but also preserve your mental sharpness? (Hint: it’s NOT brain training on a computer, I assure you). 

What if you: 

• Checked your email while sitting on the floor without leaning against something (so you use your core all around your spine for support)

• Squatted ALL the way down to the floor to pick something up and then used the power of your butt and legs to propel you back up

• Took your shoes off the moment you got home so you can really stretch out your toes and use your proper foot grip for movement

• Took a call in a deep campfire squat with your heels on the ground (not there yet? This helps: Lean against a wall as you start… try doing this for at least five minutes a day every single day)

• Tried doing a project on your hands and knees (floor washing is the best one I can think of here… crawl around to use your brain, your core, and your back with a bonus of having a really sparkling floor). 

• Walk barefoot on the grass EVERY SINGLE DAY (ok maybe not in snow?) for a few minutes a day… I like to run outside and take a few sips of coffee with my bare feet on the cold, wet grass in my bathrobe because …. well,  a) I live in Portland b) I have no shame and c) none of my neighbors has said anything just yet d) it’s easier to go out the front door than the back.

How does all of this relate to Backbody Project? 

BBP classes are designed to promote our bodies' intended movement patterns. “Functionality” is simply defined as “the purpose that something is designed or expected to fulfill.” A primary goal of our workouts is to help you help your body fulfill the purpose it was designed for (functional movement!). From there, we layer in strength and endurance to keep you moving purposefully, for as long as you live (really! Move well until your very last decade!).

The nitty gritty of how we do that?

Glad you asked… 

1. We start with building the foundation of your body (butt strength! Literally the reason you are a bipedal being is the strength of your backside);

2. We integrate aerobic and endurance elements; 

3. We push you even further with anaerobic and strength training (anaerobic being the movement that makes you feel starved for breath! Strength being resistance work with both body weight and light weights); 

   and 

4. All along the way we optimize for mobility and control (those movements that challenge the patterns of your body while increasing agility and overall coordination)
   

If you’re thinking about how to age better/live better, preserve your brain, and THRIVE MORE as you hit each new decade, BBP has got you covered, gang. We hope you’ll join us!