Reflect

(The companion reading list at optionalitybook.com/resources has my top suggestions for beginning calisthenics or weightlifting, or both—a popular combination is to work the lower body with barbells, and the upper body with bodyweight exercises.)

For the moment, forget the slant board and stability disk. Let’s just do a quick test of your foot strength. Balance on one foot. Maybe it’s challenging, but not too difficult? Now balance only on your forefoot, your heel off the ground. Try to maintain that position for thirty seconds. Not as easy as you thought, right? You probably had to fight f

Single leg movements will reveal coordination, strength and balance problems in the body.

If you are sitting because you don’t have the strength to stand, then standing is the exact exercise you need in order to improve!

If you take a snapshot of any elite mover in action, you’ll see a beautiful example of reciprocal use of the limbs for counterbalance. A dancer performing an arabesque, or a soccer player kicking a ball are perfect examples.

If you choose a form of movement like yoga, Pilates, or tai chi, you get the mitochondrial benefits of basic movement and the brain-building benefits of moving your limbs across your midline. This raises BDNF and improves cross-brain communication, which walking doesn’t.