Board-certified rheumatologist, Dr. Nathan Wei, writes: “Stiffness, pain and swelling associated with arthritis can severely reduce the range of motion in joints.” It is important to exercise to keep your joints mobile and to keep your muscles strong.
According to Ilchi Lee, originator of the Brain Education System Training (BEST) and author of In Full Bloom: A Brain Education Guide for Successful Aging, “[Many] exercises can be used for basic body and brain maintenance, and to help keep the effects of time at bay.” Body opening exercises will gear you up for lifelong mobility, which is key for the many of us that lead pretty sedentary lifestyles.
If you have been diagnosed with arthritis or if you spend a lot of the day sitting for work—immobile, getting up and working out is not a bad thing. Sometimes working through the pain and laziness can actually be fun, not to mention healthy.
So grab an imaginary hula, and try the following Pelvic Rotation exercise from Lee’s In Full Bloom: A Brain Education Guide for Successful Aging.
• Stand with your feet parallel and your legs spread at shoulder width. Place your hands on your hips. Keep your knees straight.
• Rotate your hips in a large circle, pushing as far as you can in all directions. Repeat 5 times and then reverse and do 5 in the opposite direction.
Pelvic Rotation is a great way to keep your hip joints and lower back relaxed…and the perfect exercise to try after sitting at your desk working all day.
Popular Brain Tips 
Who doesn’t’ want a stronger body, healthier mind, relaxed back or eased arthritic symptoms? Fortunately, for those who want it, there is a one-size fits all approach to getting the results you want—exercise, and it’s wonderful for people of all ages; you’re never too old to hula.
