Feeling like a slug after all the holiday eating and drinking?
Rather than making one big resolution to get into shape think about starting small and slow.
You could begin by deciding to walk up stairs rather than taking the elevator especially for 3 flights or less. A recent study suggests that it can take as much as double the time to reach your destination when you wait for and take an elevator instead of walking the stairs.
But how you walk up the stairs is important in order to protect your back and reduce stress on your knees and hip joints.
- Put one foot on the stair in front of you and pay attention to what you do as you bring the back leg to join the front one. Did you pull yourself up with the front leg or did you push yourself forward with the back leg?
- Start again at the bottom of a staircase. Put one foot on the stair in front of you. Pay attention to the back leg behind you. As soon as you start to lift the front leg to climb the stair think about peeling the back heel off the floor. Feel the back foot rolling from the heel to the ball and then to the toes. Lift it to join the upper foot on the stair. When the upper foot is supporting you on the stair begin to peel it off to go up onto the next stair.
- This is a propelling motion of the back leg pushing you forward rather than the front leg pulling you up.
- After you are able to feel the propelling motion, try a few stairs without thinking of the back foot and notice if there is a difference in how you climb the stairs. Feel the difference between the pulling and pushing motions. Which feels easier?
- Then walk up the stairs at your normal speed, thinking of the back leg.
Winter Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement® classes begin Tuesday January 10, 2012. Check out our schedule for more information.
