How our fitness routines evolve
Whether it’s having to create a routine or modify one as we get older our bodies require some dedication and care that we maybe didn’t notice before.
I’ve been having a lot of conversations lately about how our fitness habits evolve as we age. Whether it’s having to actually create a routine, modify what we’re doing or change how we’re doing it, the common theme is that as we get older our bodies require some dedication and care that we maybe didn’t notice before.
As someone who could easily knock out a 5-6 mile run post-late night out in my 20s and deffffffinitely couldn’t do that anymore, I get it. Why would we think to include mobility or strength training in our fitness routine when we can move easily without it?
Until one day things start to feel different.
Getting up feels a little creaky.
Moving a certain way feels stiffer than it used to.
Running becomes more like a game of injury whack-a-mole.
It’s all normal but it can be frustrating, and not to mention challenging, to build new habits into a routine you’re already used to.
All these conversations started to make me think about my own fitness habits and what I would have focused on building earlier in my life if I could go back. Here are my top three:
1. Mobility, Mobility, Mobility
I didn’t start adding mobility to my routine until a few years ago, but it has made a HUGE difference in releasing tension in my body and improving my strength training performance.
2. Strength Train Regularly
Squats here and there are great, but making strength training a dedicated part of the week makes me feel stronger and has even made me faster in my running game. Plus, it means my future self will have strong muscles which means strong bones, a key component to staying active and avoiding injury as we age.
3. Sunscreen!
While I'm pretty religious about sunscreen on my face, spending hours outside running in the sun definitely left an impact on my back, legs and arms. If I could go back, I'd lather up on sunscreen all over when working out outside 🙃
What are the top 3 things you'd tell your younger self?
