I have this philosophy that as we age we put numerous layers on top of us that slow us down in all aspects of life.

Physically, we become heavier. Mentally, we can’t remember as much. Socially, we’d rather stay home. And, emotionally, we are supposed to “act our age,” whatever that means.

All of that sounds terrible — it’s no wonder people say it’s no fun getting older.

However, I think we have the power to remove these layers and begin to feel a part of us that has been hibernating. We can lighten the load and start breathing with renewed confidence. We might have to resort to taking baby steps but it’s well worth putting one foot in front of the other.

Let’s focus on the physical aspect of MOVING.

Think back to when you were young and recall some of the activities you participated in at school or with team sports. Kick ball, baseball, football, tennis, four square, tag. These games took place on the playground or during P.E. and were done for fun with no expectations other than playing. Your body moved with ease and you didn’t have to think about putting one foot in front of the other or about whether you were doing it right — you were just being active and moving. Your body was accustomed to holding the bat, tossing the ball, running the bases. It had muscle memory from doing it numerous times during the day or week.

Muscle memory can best be described as a type of movement with which the muscles become familiar over time. For instance, newborns don’t have muscle memory for activities such as crawling, scooting or walking. The only way for the muscles to become accustomed to these activities is for the baby to learn how to do these things and then practice them with a great deal of trial and error. Gradually, as the baby becomes a skilled walker, he falls less, is able to balance, and finally is able to incorporate other activities into his life such as running. Muscle memory thus becomes an unconscious process. The muscles grow accustomed to certain types of movement. The more often you do a certain activity, the more likely you are to do it as needed, when needed. Let’s face it — a lot of us have muscle memory that has lost its mind. We’ve fallen asleep to the truth behind our behavior.

But hold on, all is not lost. We can make a change. There is a “fix,” and it begins when you become aware of the problem and want to do something about it. Just as much as we are the root cause for our behaviors, we are also the originator for any changes that we want to happen. Research shows that if we repeat a gross motor action (movement) for approximately 30 minutes per day for 21 days, we can create muscle memory. After developing muscle memory, the new action is automatic and can be performed without conscious thought. How exciting is that?

Our muscle memory will be coming back with time and effort — probably not to the days when we were sliding safely into second base, but a step in the right direction. As we get moving the connections in our minds begin to start affecting the way we feel physically, emotionally, mentally and socially. The layers will begin to disappear, literally.

These days more than ever, we are challenged with finding how we’re going to get activity into our day. Our bodies were meant to move. Our muscles have not forgotten.

But just remember, it is up to us to keep that connection. We can begin to remove the layers one by one, taking us to a new age.

To learn more, check out www.wisegeek.com/what-is-muscle-memory.htm.

Melissa Rooth-Cormier is a Sammamish resident, certified personal trainer and fitness specialist. To learn more about her business, TOPline Fitness, e-mail toplinefitness@comcast.net.