When working with aging athletes, I always come back to the phrase, “Party for a long time, not just a good time.” The saying refers to the idea that if you party really hard, the party doesn’t last very long. Most weekend warriors that I end up working with have chronic back, shoulder, and neck issues that stem from either playing sports when they were younger, or from injuries they have accumulated in recent years from things like pick-up basketball or marathon training. I rarely haven’t to push these individuals harder during their workouts, rather I have to slow them down and working on foundational concepts like mobility and consistency.
Mobility, which is the combination of flexibility and stability, is a buzz word used these days but people mostly lean on the flexibility aspect. Why? For one it’s fairly easy to do and secondly, stretching doesn’t require much thought. Think sitting on the ground trying to touch your toes to “lengthen” your hamstrings. Personally, I don’t do a ton of stretching anymore with myself or the clients that I work with. Instead, I rely mostly on activation exercises and postural breathing work (holding a position and learning how to fully exhale and inhale).
Consistency rules when it comes to success in aging athletes. When I ask potential clients during assessment if they currently have a training program and how long they have been doing it, I get met with a lot of “ums”, “ahs”, and excuses. “My kids take up my time,” “My job is too stressful,” and “I can’t make it to the gym” are some of the most common responses I hear. All of those things are fine, but unless we accept that we are in control of our fitness, we can’t change anything. Doing 20 minutes of exercise daily is better than hitting the gym for 2 hours every other week. In fact, there are clients that I work with who do just that, 20 minutes a day, and they are in phenomenal shape (they eat well too). If fitness is your goal, outside of clean eating, consistently moving every day should be your goal.
There are so many aspects to health and wellness as you age, and a lot of the time the answer is right under your nose, but you just need a little help finding your own sweet spot. That’s where a knowledgeable coach can help. I have been a performance coach for 10+ years, and I have guided hundreds of clients to amazing results. I’d love to help you too! Click the link below to set up a free assessment, and let’s get moving toward the best version of you!