Strength Training... Why?

If you're someone who loves a good cardio burn, that's awesome! Cardio's fantastic for both your mental and physical health.

BUT... if you want to remain robust & resilient as you grow older, training strength & working on your mobility is of utmost importance.

Why is this the case? Cardio health is one thing, but maintaining the ability to lift things heavier than a 2 or 5 pound dumbell or getting on and off the floor or out of a chair with ease & grace are t

he things that will keep you vital, build better bones and joints, and keep you feeling biologically younger than your actual numerical age!

Modern times have most of our waking hours are spent sitting. We sit down for our morning coffee, we sit to review emails & social media, then much of the time we find ourselves sitting in a car & at a desk, and back on the sofa when the day ends to unwind, watch Netflix and repeat the cycle again. This is not how we were designed!

Over decades (starting at around age 7 when sitting in United States Public Schools is required for 6-7 hours daily), our bodies start to take on the shape in which they are most used to being .... the shape of seated person. Moving naturally becomes less natural & more of an effort. As years pass and we get busy with life events, things like squatting, walking, running, hanging from a bar, having our arms overhead, & even getting up from the couch or chair become more challenging or unattainable.

Coupled with the 1980s boom of the group fitness industry, much of my generation found themselves partaking in aerobics & cardio-based classes to burn off the calories we'd consumed during the all day while sitting around as life happened.

NOW WHAT'S HAPPENED?

All this sitting (greater inactivity than activity) weakens the human body. The seated position compromises our joints, our muscles start to deteriorate, and the sitting for long periods of time also compresses the blood vessels in our hips and legs! Aches, pains, and stiffness start setting in, and we start to accept this as "normal aging".

THIS IS NOT NORMAL. JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING IS COMMON,

IT DOES NOT MEAN IT IS NORMAL!

Our bodies are born to move. The sitting and our modern conveniences make it necessary now more than ever to be offset with a mobility & strength program. All the cardio in the world will not prevent you from limping & feeling stiff. Cardio does not build a strong overall body and most certainly won't help you more effortlessly carry your heavy suitcase & groceries more efficiently or comfortably crawl on the floor with & pick up your grandchildren.

There is a plethora of fitness apps out there, but companies sell what sells best. Many of these programs are randomized. When you do random training sessions, you will get random results.

Many people drop into a class (or online session) feeling great about making it through class or even multiple classes, but strength & mobility are progressive practices. If we sit all day, then jump into a 40 or 60-minute boot camp or virtual class without the necessary mobility & strength prerequisites, it's a matter of time before we find ourselves grunting & groaning, limping around, popping anti-inflammatory pills just to get through the next workout, or even worse, just quitting.

Sadly, I see too many people lined up for group fitness classes taped up, wrapped up, drugged up or worse only to beat down their bodies because they are misled to believe this is what's healthy.

If you want to live with less pain, better movement quality, and get or stay strong, it's imperative to add a minimum of 2 to 3 days of mobility & strength training to our week. It starts small, and progresses over time. It doesn't come back over night, and because it takes decades for our bodies to break down, it takes time and patience to return our bodies to better, stronger, more efficient movement.

If you want to continue to enjoy the things you love doing, commit to invest in your movement & strength. Find the right match. Find someone who motivates & doesn't intimidate. INVEST IN YOU... YOU ARE WORTH IT.

Quote: Life is full of challenges. Don't allow them to shrink you, tackle them, face them & use them to grow!