"Why does everything crack when I move now?"

"Why does everything crack when I move now? It never used to do that when I was younger!"

My client D asked me this last week, but honestly, I hear some version of this question in 99% of my sessions.

We either laugh about or worry over all the "cracks" and "pops" we hear and feel whenever we roll our head, shoulders, or hips.

It's a completely valid concern, and there are two main reasons why it gets worse with age:

First, ageing is essentially a dehydration process. Our tissues gradually lose moisture (which is why older people tend to look, well, drier 👵). When tissues become dehydrated, they catch and grip more against each other. There's less glide between the different layers.

Second (and I'm willing to bet this applies to you), you're moving less as the years go by. When we're children, we climb everything, run constantly, can't sit still. Then, adult life gets in the way and gradually immobilise us more and more.

And where it all comes together is: movement is precisely what hydrates our tissues.

You can feel this happening in real-time during a yoga session. At the beginning, you feel stiff and creaky. Then bit by bit, you gain fluidity. Your body lubricates itself through movement.

So what does this all mean?

The cracks and pops you're hearing aren't dangerous (unless they're accompanied by pain). They're simply a sign that you're moving parts of yourself that desperately need to be moved.

I like to think about it as our body saying "Thank you, we really needed this." ☺️

So don't worry when you hear your joints making these sounds. Celebrate it. It means you're giving your body the movement it's been craving.

And if you want to learn how to move in ways that keep your tissues hydrated and happy as you age, I'm always here.

Take care,

Clem

P.S. If those cracks are accompanied by pain, sharp sensations, or swelling, that's your body asking for professional attention. Listen to that signal and consult a healthcare provider.