Imagine never having bodily uncertainty about yourself. I am always willing to participate in activities as new opportunities arise. Have no worry about nagging aches or limits when you get up every day. Instead, you are filled with excitement for the day ahead, which promises to be full of adventure and pleasure. That sensation is known as “physical autonomy,” and whether you recognize it or not, it’s something you’re aiming toward. Physical autonomy comes from knowing you’ve developed the skills you’ll need to ensure your body is ready for both your favorite activities and the unexpected. In this post, I’ll teach you how to get started gaining bodily autonomy right away.
The Three Qualities Required for Physical Autonomy
Strength, Flexibility, and Control are the three basic characteristics shared by all types of training. In your workouts, you’ll address all three to differing degrees. It all depends on how much focus you put on it.
Strength
Lifting big boxes to assist friends move, lugging all of your baggage through the airport, or being able to execute sophisticated bodyweight exercises like the human flag and the panache–all of these are clear and accessible instances of strong strength. You have improved your ability to pick up and push large objects. And since you are stronger, you can move about more easily with body weight movement. Strength, on the other hand, adds to your physical liberty as long as you’re growing the strength you’ll need for your specific objectives.
Flexibility
Flexibility is simple to see, whether it’s reaching up to scratch an itch on your back, bending forward to touch your toes, bending backward into a bridge, placing your leg behind your head, or just bending forward to touch your toes. You may name it anything you want: flexibility, mobility, or something else. But, to be honest, it’s the capacity to freely move your limbs and trunk. If you can’t get into the job you desire, you’ll have to figure out a means to get there.
Control
This notion is a little more difficult to see in detail. It does, however, possess balance, coordination, and agility. Control encompasses everything we watch individuals accomplish in sports, dancing, and performance, and we know they’re good because they’re fluid and elegant and can move their bodies in beautiful ways. We all recognize it when we see it, whether it’s a baseball player making a fantastic leaping grab, a volleyball player making an awesome diving save, or the great gymnasts we see in the Olympics. I like the sound of being strong, flexible, and in control of every part of your bodily movement. It’s a huge order, but not insurmountable.
How to Achieve Physical Autonomy?
So, what does it take to obtain this freedom, these unrestricted actions, and actions that define your bodily autonomy?
First and foremost, you must assess your existing capabilities.
- What do you already know how to perform well?
- And what do you think you might improve?
You may assess how effectively you handle each of the three primary aspects of physical fitness now that we’ve recognized them. Earle Liederman’s requirements for physical fitness, which every man should acquire in order to “save his own life in an emergency,” were shared by our colleague Brett at Art of Manliness. Ability to execute 15 to 20 pull-ups, leap higher than your waist, and swim a half-mile are all listed as exemplary talents of a well-developed guy capable of managing himself in any situation.
Others have chimed in with their two cents: the ability to press your bodyweight overhead, lift a few hundred pounds off the ground, and so on. I’m sure you could create your own set of criteria based on your own everyday experiences.
In reality, these “just in case” talents and abilities are merely another way of expressing our major concern–the ability to achieve what we want and need to do in our everyday lives.
Assessments of Your Capabilities at a Basic Level
- Can you spend a day organizing your garage and still move normally the following day as a test of strength?
- Can you stoop down and crawl under your bathroom sink to mend a broken nut without ripping your hip muscles apart?
- Can you reach up on one leg on your toes to grasp the seldom used serving dishes without falling over and shattering them (or yourself) as a test of body control?
Gain Control over Your Body
Performing a pull-up in the open-air Physical autonomy is a different way of putting it, but the core of it has most certainly been a driving force behind your training. You want to be able to accomplish everything you want, and having a physique that allows you to do so is beneficial. You’ll not only be able to do what you want after you’ve worked on the traits that enable physical autonomy, but you’ll also have the flexibility to make decisions about your path that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to make. For example, if rock climbing or snowboarding were previously unavailable to you, they now become another option. To achieve that sensation of physical autonomy, you must first identify which characteristics need the greatest improvement so that you can devote your time to improving them. Increase your physical autonomy. With a solid foundation in the fundamentals
In a nutshell, you’ll establish a foundation of strength, flexibility, and control with Elements, laying the groundwork for a lifetime of keeping healthy and active.
