Yesterday, a friend and I were discussing why women need strong muscles. Why women should carry the groceries! Statistics show that women live longer than men, so if you have a man in your life, it may not be forever. Then what? And if you live alone, you know what I mean. Life becomes smaller and more restricted when you are dependent on others to do simple things like carry the groceries.
What does independence mean to you? Independence to me means that I am self-reliant. Whatever I need in life, I am physically, emotionally and mentally capable of taking care of myself. And even if life has given me a challenge that means I am not capable of doing everything, I still want to be capable of doing as much as my body can handle. My yoga practice is what keeps me self-reliant.
How often do you hear women say, they don’t do this, or they don’t do that because they either
feel they shouldn’t (it’s a man’s job) or they are getting too old (not strong enough or might hurt
themselves).
It is good practice to CARRY THE GROCERIES! Just like it is good practice to take the stairs or park your car a little farther from the mall entrance. Every little thing you do that utilizes your bones and muscles is strengthening your body enabling you to be independent whenever the situation or circumstance arises in your life.
If I have one mission in life, it is to show women how and to support them in having strong bodies. This year I will be sixty. But with the help of my yoga practice, I do not have the body of a typical sixty year old. My yoga practice continually gives me the muscles, energy and mental fortitude to not only carry the groceries, but also move furniture, walk for 10K effortlessly or go kayaking with my sister for hours on end. What a gift. I always say that looking after you health and your body is an investment in your future independence.
You may have noticed I have a “Spotlight” section on this website. It’s all about Osteoporosis. Both my sister and I are ‘at risk’ because we are short and petite and post menopausal. We made an agreement that we were going to stay strong and capable until the end! The two most important things you can do for strong muscles and bones are diet and exercise. I encourage you to read the articles.
Back to yoga… while any yoga practice is good, for maximum strength, I personally recommend
Ashtanga. In my article “Yoga for your Bones”, I point out that it only takes 10 minutes a day to build bone mass. In this case, more is definitely better, but some mornings I just don’t have time to do a full 60 minute practice. On these mornings, I do 20 minutes. Here is my 20 minute routine:
- 5x Sun Salutation A
- 5x Sun Salutation B
- The Standing Poses
- The Closing Poses
Do this short practice 3-4 times a week; do a full practice 2-3 times a week and not only will you always be a woman with strong muscles, you will always be able to Carry the Groceries and you won’t worry about why women need strong muscles, you’ll have them anyway!
Yours in Practice,
Denise.
(Forward Bend, Triangle A&B, Extended Side Angle,
Chair, Wide-Leg Forward Bend, Warrior I & II)
