REFLECTIONS ON TURNING 80 YEARS OLD
A LOVE STORY💓💓
I was a youthful-looking fitness trainer in my early 60s when I met, fell in love, and married my soulmate, Merrilee Keller. She is a former professional tennis player and Ivy League Tennis Coach, who was, and continues to be, exactly 20 years and 1 month younger than me.
During one of our first dates. we met at a tennis court. After hitting balls for about three to five minutes, she beckoned me to the net and sadly proclaimed “Ray, you are a HACKER!” (Not exactly a compliment in the tennis world).
And then she looked deep into my eyes and smilingly added, "However, if you’d like, I can teach you how to play this game the way it should be played.”
It was an offer I could not and did not refuse, and at the age of 80, my tennis skills continue to improve.
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| Merrilee's strategy |
A little over ten years ago, as I was turning 70, and Merrilee was celebrating her 50th birthday, I was awakened by a nightmare about death and SUDDENLY became acutely aware of my pending mortality.
The 20-year gap in our ages was motivating me to learn as much as possible about staying alive and healthy TOGETHER for as long as possible...and we began writing a blog entitled, “Growing Young with Ray.” (growingyoungwithray.blogspot.com).
The following is a ten-year report on our efforts to learn how to grow younger while numerically aging.
We
will focus on our MAJOR DISCOVERY of a HIDDEN and INFLUENTIAL ABDOMINAL MUSCLE
that is CRUCIAL to POSTURE, BALANCE, MOBILITY, and LONGEVITY!
We will finish with the rejuvenating and fun-filled MINI-MAX TOTAL BODY EXERCISE ROUTINE.
Sometimes, hard times can lead to uplifting, life-changing discoveries!
As I approached my 70th birthday, my orthopedic health was shaky. I was noticeably limping, slipping, tripping, and falling a lot…and could no longer play tennis.
An earlier hip replacement had transitioned into a painful, disabling SCIATICA in my right leg, which was oblivious to high doses of medical Ibuprofen and an injection into my back.
Desperately, I requested PHYSICAL THERAPY.
The PHYSICAL THERAPIST taught and trained me to use a POWERFUL MUSCLE HIDDEN DEEP INSIDE OUR TORSO, which is UNKNOWN to most of us.
Her guidance cured my Sciatica (for over 10 years now), reversed my slipping, tripping, and falling problem, and I was able to play tennis again!
READ & HEED
The following information can greatly improve your health and longevity as it has done for us.
This information is most likely to be new to you, but it has rarely been mentioned in the health and fitness literature.
It is our NUMERO UNO, NUMBER 1 “growing young” DISCOVERY during the past decade.
OUR DISCOVERY: the EXISTANCE and IMPORTANCE of the TRANSVERSE ABDOMINIS MUSCLE (TVA, or TA).
Located directly behind the navel is a MIGHTY INNERMOST ABDOMINAL MUSCLE that wraps around our spine and functions as our NATURAL WEIGHT BELT/BACK BRACE while serving as a MUSCULAR GIRDLE or SPANX when contracted.
To ACTIVATE your TRANSVERSE ABDOMINIS MUSCLE: SIMPLY SUCK/DRAW your BELLY BUTTON BACK & UP TOWARDS your SPINE.
BELLY BUTTON POWER
Your Navel is the site where your mom’s umbilical cord exited to break off your lifeline connection at birth The internal remains of the no longer essential umbilical cord, now known as the UMBILICUS/BELLY BUTTON is ACTIVE and anchored to the bladder with attachments, particularly to the liver.
When the BELLY BUTTON is drawn back and up towards the SPINE, the TRANSVERSE ABDOMINIS is ENGAGED and READY for ACTION and the PROTECTION of your TORSO’S INNATE POSTURE!
Mark Verstegen, the author of our “bible” about the core, had this to say about the TRANSVERSE ABDOMINIS MUSCLE:
“All movement starts from a remarkable muscle called the TRANSVERSE abdominis. Think of it as Nature’s Weight Belt. It originates from the lower spine and wraps around and attaches to the ribs, abdominals, and pelvis. When we draw the BELLY BUTTON in toward the spine and up toward the ribs, we’re ensuring the protection of the pelvis and lower back."
"Whenever movement begins, the TVA is the first muscle to fire—or, at least it should be. For many people, that ability is lost over time on account of injuries and sedentary lifestyles. We spend so much time in front of computers and televisions that we develop bad posture. Injuries are a result and exacerbate the problem.”
EVERY BREATH & STEP & MOVE YOU MAKE INVOLVES your BELLY BUTTON/TRANSVERSE ABDOMINIS IN ACTION:
1. Blow all the air out of your lungs or blow out through a straw.
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| Merrilee offered to punch me in the stomach but she appeared too enthusiastic |
Author Mark Verstegen recommends:
1 "While wearing a belt and without holding your breath, pull your belly button away from the belt
2. “ While lying supine (on your back), imagine a hockey puck sitting atop your belly button. Move it up and down. (My colleague Michael Boyle has all of his pro hockey clients do this).”
3. “While lying supine, try to pull your belly button to your spine without holding your breath.”
Another dimension to activating your TVA is revealed by standing in front of a counter or the back of a sturdy chair and performing a few toe raises and then reverse to heel raises. (toes in the air). Progress to free-standing toe and heel raises.
“POSTURE POSTURE POSTURE”
While speaking to an audience of serious tennis players, Physical Therapist/Tennis Trainer Gary Kitchel proclaimed POSTURE as the three most important factors for improving at tennis. His current focus and friendships include aging tennis players still competing such as John McEnroe and Jim Courier.
Gary Kitchel certainly knows his posture. About three years ago, I had the opportunity for a consultation with him about my shoulder and arm, which received bionic replacements. He noticed a major flaw in my posture (my head position was too far forward). The correction has made a major improvement. Thank you Gary!
OUR NATURAL POSTURE begins with the first responder, the TRANSVERSE ABDOMINIS MUSCLE, and its activating BELLY BUTTON, which led us on our journey from infancy to creeping, crawling, standing, walking, running, leaping and jumping, etc., WHILE VERTICALLY BALANCED ON TWO FEET! This MIRACULOUS INNATE DIRECTED POSTURE naturally occurs within the first 5 years of life.
Visit a playground or observe children darting about the aisles of grocery or toy stores, and note the natural postures they exhibit.
Bella
at the beach revealing her developing her basic INNATE posture:
Throughout our lives, which are largely sedentary for the majority of us once we begin school, we fail to intentionally suck in our BELLY BUTTONS to engage and contract the TRANSVERSE ABDOMINIS, our chief POSTURAL MUSCLE.
This MUSCLE should be PROVIDING PROTECTIVE CONTRACTION and CONTINUING the burning of calories in the paunch area which accumulates into bountiful storage of fuel for the majority of Americans.
As you continue to USE, EXERCISE, and STRENGTHEN your TVA, you will begin to resemble what you are continuously trying to achieve posturally.
In the words of Nietzsche, “TO DO IS TO BE.”
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| Three of the most famous philosophers |
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| Ray might be getting too thin. Just sayin |
The dangers of a Poor Posture become alarming to aging Seniors whose number 1 reason for Hospital visits is FALLING, which too frequently leads to immobility and premature death.
ELEMENTS of
a HEALTHY POSTURE
Shortly after rolling out of bed in the AM, I set my posture before I begin moving about my home and neighborhood.
I begin by standing tall, looking straight ahead in an ATHLETIC POSITION with the legs slightly bent, the hips back and the weight on the middle to the front part of the foot.
I warm up my shoulders by rolling them back and forward a few times and then relaxing them back and down.
Simultaneously, the CHEST is thrust out and up like SUPERMAN or WONDER WOMAN.
As the CHIN IS PULLED BACK to be ALIGNED with your STERNUM and EARS are ALIGNED with
the TIPS OF YOUR SHOULDERS.
If you’re standing or moving about safely with a healthy posture, your ears should be in line with the tips of your shoulders, which should align with your hips, knees, and ankles.
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| Merrilee exhibits good posture |
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| Substituting a fitness ball for a chair can result in core strengthening, but it is still advisable to stand and stretch every 15 minutes |
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| Once you get comfortable with the proper posture, try balancing on each leg for at least 15 seconds to prevent falls. |
STRENGTHENING THE HUB:
Visualize your CENTRALLY LOCATED BELLY BUTTON/TVA as the HUB of a wheel encircled by spokes directed primarily to the extremities such as the arms and legs.
Further, visualize your NAVEL emitting a brilliant beam of light that is straight ahead and unwaveringly steady as you move about your environment.
I have personally significantly strengthened my TVA/HUB for about10 years now and although both of my shoulders, hips, and knees have either been replaced or diagnosed as needing replacement, my CONSTANTLY STRENGTHENED and ADAPTIVE HUB has enabled me to maintain a functional posture and still move and run about on a tennis court.
A POSITIVE POSTURE is a KEY to SUCCESSFUL aging by maximizing your mobility and BEHAVING younger than your numerical age.
THE ADVANTAGES INCLUDE:
1. PREVENTION AGAINST FALLING. which is the TVA’s major function, especially as we numerically age.
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THE MINI-MAX TOTAL BODY EXERCISE ROUTINE
“My grandpa he’s 95 and he keeps on dancing; he’s still alive
My Grandma, she’s 92; she loves to dance and sing some too
I don’t know, but I’ve been told that, if you dance, you’ll never grow old."
Steve Miller, “Dance dance dance"
Another significant “growing young” Discovery of the past decade has been our MINI-MAX TOTAL BODY EXERCISE ROUTINE, which produces maximum fitness benefits in a minimal amount of time lasting anywhere from 15 seconds to several minutes.
It is a quick, excellent warm-up for tennis or any physical activity.
Like a chain, we are as strong as our weakest link, and the most beneficial exercise involves all muscles. Muscles that are never or rarely used. simply weaken, atrophy, and lose size and function.
The MINI-MAX is intended to activate all muscular activity from your toes to your fingers in brief amounts of time. Cardio results occur within 15 to 20 seconds and additional time only enhances cardio and stamina.
ORIGIN OF MINI-MAX
The idea for our MINI-MAX WORKOUT originated after viewing a Dr. OZ TV SHOW with his guest, Dr. Andrew Weil, an internationally renowned health guru, who demonstrated his “Shake the Bones” basic moves. With its roots in Chinese medicine, the intent is to reduce stress and create positive energy, according to Dr. Weil.
We were immediately struck by the fitness potential of Dr. Weil‘s demonstration and began incorporating a total body fitness routine into our daily fitness activities and named it the MINI-MAX.
Moving to the beats of rhythmic MUSIC enhances the enjoyment of MINI MAXing.
I recommend that you begin your day by loosening up with an INSTANT MINI-MAX session and repeat it during slumps during the day and evening. We have found that 15 seconds up to one minute will revitalize tired, stiff, and sore muscles.
MINI-MAX RULES
There are no rules except BEGINNING with KNEES BENT and the TVA ACTIVATED BY SUCKING IN YOUR BELLY BUTTON. Try to involve as many muscles as possible as much as possible.
HAVE FUN! BE CREATIVE! ENJOY!
BECOME SUPER FIT!
ENHANCE YOUR MOBILITY, BALANCE, HEALTH, & SOUL!
YOU’RE INVITED TO SEND US YOUR 15 to 20-second VIDEO INTERPRETATION OF the MINI-MAX!
We will share them in our future posts!
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| Mugs to live by |
Stay tuned for “THE TIME BOMB TICKING AWAY INSIDE US ALL!
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