Training to Age More Gracefully

Raise your hand if you train to age more gracefully.

That should be all of us.

To some of us, maturing may be a touchy subject or it may seem lightyears away. We cannot control getting older, but we can control how well we move and take care of the body we have.

Mobility work is important. This is the 10-15 minutes we spend moving through and breathing through a range of motion. This right here is what saves you from getting hurt and keeps you in the game. If you think foam rolling is a waste of time, then you are terribly mistaken. It is important to get the blood flowing in our muscles before we start tearing into them. Don’t come in late and miss this stuff. It is just as crucial to your life goals as training is

Flexibility work is important. This is the time we spend after training when our muscles are warm. Now we want to lengthen our muscles back out. What is the benefit of flexibility work? Well, for starters it can definitely alleviate sore muscles and it keeps us moving free and avoiding tight muscles. Do you know what tight muscles lead to? A recipe for disaster, that’s what! Back pain, knee pain, hip pain, shoulder pain….so don’t scoot out early! Take the extra few minutes to stretch your muscles back out. This too is just as important to life goals as training and mobility work.

What are your life goals? What do YOU want to be doing when you are 85?

Me? Here are a few things on my list:

• Getting up and down off the floor without a real challenge
• Stairs
• Lift boxes on my own
• Drive (but probably actually wear my glasses!)
  

These are everyday activities that we take advantage of. Those of you with aging parents know these are real struggles. You have control. Are you willing to put the time in now to have your independence later?

Coach Meagan