Introductions

[rydra_wong]

Because I thought it might be interesting to see where everyone's coming from ...

Here's a thread to say hi, and say a bit about your interest in movement/embodiment/whatchamacallit.

What movement things do you do -- or not do? Or: what did you do in the past? Or: what might you be interested in learning more about, but haven't tried yet? Or: what do you love reading about even though you'd never want to do it personally?

I suggest that people feel free to jump all over each other and ask questions if you're curious about something someone else mentions (if you'd rather not answer questions, please just say so), or want to say "me too" or compare notes.

Comments

[thistleingrey]

I walk, sometimes quickly, sometimes moderately with a limp, occasionally with a stick to help my twisted knee/ankle/hip to go down hills or stairs. Even while things aren't twisted, lots of things are dead to me due to hypermobile joints and consequent damage over time. Once a week I try to ride a few km on a bicycle for my back's sake--nontrivial since I live on and near hills.

As a child I sprinted and did gymnastics. Though the gymnastics worsened my joints (as did playing violin), I credit gymnastics with sharpening my balance and ...proprioceptic awareness(?) in ways still useful to my middle-aged self.

I wish I wanted to swim :) and I kind of wish I could go jogging. I've installed You Are Your Own Gym on my phone but haven't tried doing any of it yet--procrastination or fear or something. Because of the gymnastics and an awful lot of physical therapy exercises, I'm pretty clear on how to avoid hurting myself further, but it's hard to do stuff while knowing that it'll probably pop a joint. Like, exercise doesn't fit well into the last few days before the next chiropractic visit, yet if I don't exercise, I'll never become stronger.... Working on that, the mental part.

ETA I've signed up to walk a 10K in a few weeks. Walking really is what I do--a few years ago I mapped my own half-marathon-sized course on streets and completed it within the Walt Disney Marathon half's time limit, though that was a good day....

[lunabee34]

That sounds like a really cool project to design your own half-marathon.

I live in a rural area with no sidewalks, so distance walking outside becomes a challenge (although I do live the equivalent of a couple blocks from an outdoor track that I can use).

[thistleingrey]

Desperation! :) I was supposed to go that year to WDW with friends, and though I don't care about Disney at all, it would've been nice to have company for part of the route.

Yes, that'd make it more difficult. I'm in a suburb with some "walkable neighborhood" chunks where others walk instead of drive; if I'd had to quit early, I could've taken a bus partway home. On the other hand, no nearby track that I could use....

[lunabee34]

*nods*

I really enjoy group activities. I move best with a partner, but I have trouble finding someone to exercise or do activities with.

[spiralsheep]

(as did playing violin)

I was talking about this yesterday with a well-respected luthier because we'd both seen the same young first violinist developing a hump (and a rest that wasn't deep enough).

I credit gymnastics with sharpening my balance

Yes. My mother made me do ballet as a young kid and I hated it at the time but have been grateful to her ever since.

[thistleingrey]

Ah, good point about the rest--none of the ones I tried were deep enough to be comfortable (long neck, broad shoulders). I didn't know then that it'd cause so much trouble!

Yes--on one hand there's the "be graceful" thing, which I loathed, and on another, practical skills are definitely practical.