Incorporating Training Variety to Prevent Overuse Injury

As I noted in a previous post, much of the decline in fitness capabilities we typically associate to aging is the result of our decision to adopt a more sedentary lifestyle. My personal fitness philosophy to ward off father time and remain injury free is to incorporate a variety of different activities in my fitness plan. Through strength training, yoga, cycling and running I've been able to avoid the repeated joint stress and overuse injuries that often accompany fitness plans involving only one activity. Every decision has its consequences and if you choose to employ this fitness strategy you must accept the fact that it is unlikely that you'll become the world's best in any of your chosen areas. Mastery comes from concentrated focus, so the person who chooses to become world champion would not benefit from such a strategy. The excessive cardio employed by my fellow runners and cyclists would be counter productive to my aspiring champion bodybuilding associates. Increased flexibility produces decreased stability making powerlifting and yoga incompatible if one's goal is mastery.

To improve my fitness performance it often becomes necessary to train with those dedicated to a single discipline. Today I chose to cycle with Troi Lynch and Charles Mason of So-Fit Cycling whose strategy to help me beat father time was based on Rod Serling's Twilight Zone episode 'The Odyssey of Flight 33' where a commercial airliner moving too rapidly breaks the time barrier and is sent back in time. To say that the pace they established pushed me beyond my–too many Fun-day ride–comfort zone would be an understatement. When you're winded after the fist half-mile of a 30+ mile outing, you know it's going to be a tough go. Fortunately, my cycling mates were unsuccessful in their effort to take me back in time and I happily remain in the present day. Although stepping up in class can be overwhelming it is our mental approach that determines the physical outcome of our training. So when the temptation to give up and return to the comfort of my bedcovers presented itself, I simply committed to the process and finished the ride. So if or when you find yourself in a similar situation, let the principle "don’t let what you can't do interfere with what you can do" be your guide. As a personal trainer, I frequently encounter clients who get caught up in the detrimental exercise of comparing themselves to others and being overly concerned with making a fool of themselves. I believe that to be successful in life you don’t have to be perfect, you just have to remain perfectly capable of IMPROVING. Growth and change may be painful sometimes, but nothing in life is as painful as staying stuck in a place where you don’t belong. You can only fail if you give up on yourself. Thank you, Troi and Charles... I think?

Strength Training for Older Adults

Strength training becomes even more important as we get older. As we age, our metabolisms tend to slow down, accompanied by a loss of muscle mass and bone density. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, bone loss usually speeds up for both men and women during midlife. For most women, bone loss increases after menopause when estrogen levels drop sharply. In the five to seven years after menopause, women lose up to 20 percent or more of their bone density.

Studies have shown that resistance training can prevent bone loss and may even help build new bone. In one study, postmenopausal women who participated in a strength-training program for a year saw significant increases in spine and hip bone density, two areas affected most by osteoporosis in older women. Strength and balance/stability training programs targeting the hips and core, can help prevent falls, a leading cause of injury and death in the older population.

The Importance of Recovery for Runners

Running is done for a variety of reasons: to lose weight, to control stress, or simply to fit exercise into a busy week. Convenience is one of its most appealing aspects, as there's no fancy equipment involved and one need not be a skilled athlete to participate. Although most adults experience a decline in fitness performance around age 40, research shows that much of the age-related loss of fitness we take for granted is actually due to inactivity rather than age alone.

The possibility of injury is a major concern for mature runners due to the repetitive motion and joint impact of the running cycle. Rest and recovery are important for every athlete, but as we age, rest is even more critical to injury prevention and performance gains. You may find that instead of one recovery day after a hard-training run, you may need two days to completely recover. Running isn’t about speed or skill; it's about a mindset. All it takes is a pair of shoes and the desire to get out the door.