In only a couple of weeks I hit the 50 years old milestone! I am looking forward to a new age group.
Whatever I did to my sacrum after the Millennium Mile has been helping my balance and stride ever since. I never can figure out exactly what happens with how my body works. For now my legs and hips are running very smoothly and I can only guess it is because something adjusted back in the sacrum area. My legs swing free. I don't have the tight spot at the back of my left hip and my hip flexors and left leg don't feel like they need constant stretching or adjusting. I can balance on the left hip evenly and the left knee doesn't take pressure on the inside (and buckle in). The left ankle doesn't turn out so much. My left foot can balance on the ground pretty much fully. So this is how most people feel? Last week no amount of tugging, stretching, or pulling could relieve those symptoms.
It makes me consider a lot of things that point to what causes my running (and balance) problems. I am waiting for it to fall apart but am enjoying the feeling of strength instead of imbalance while it lasts. I am getting in good hour plus runs on the treadmill and feel very much even and balanced while doing that running. It is amazing how when the bones are in the right places how easy running, shoveling snow, and everyday movement can be! They best word I can give is "unrestricted".
Matt Metzgar sent me information on a book he has been reading called "The Ageless Spine". One sentence said basically that when the bones of the body are positioned in a natural relationship to each other then the muscles are simply relaxed and free of tension, and therefore inherently flexible. Yes, for the past few days that is how everything feels: "free of tension". Now "how do I keep it like this?" is the BIG question.
In thinking more of what I did after running the mile race to remedy the tightness and imbalances I had, I remembered I did only one other movement or stretch besides the sacrum movement. I saw it on Mike T. Nelson's blog. It is an advanced Z-Health psoas muscle stretch (not found on the DVDs that I have). I did this about an hour before I did the sacrum movement. One or the other or both really helped. Those are the only two stretches or movements I have done all week (while I feel great) except for some resistance stretching on my hamstrings. So far so good!
While checking out Mike Nelson's stretch, youtube referred me to some other interesting variations of stretches and movements that may be good to try some day. This is the Cook Hip Lift. It is a functional training movement (possibly form Gary Cook?) that uses a tennis ball to help you do the standard hip lift or bridge. Sebastian Gonzales has some other intesterting variations on stretches that I'll have to try someday later.
This is a standing Psoas stretch.
The Postural Syndrome Band exercises look really good for after you have been sitting a long time. I did try these and they feel real good for that tightness between the shoulder blades/
You can find the rest of his videos here.
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