Something has been brewing in my head for a while: how movement and strength are factors that everyone needs in their routine. Fitness professionals may look at movement and strength as a “stability and mobility” topic, but to me, it’s a little more than that.
Through my educational and professional career, I have had the opportunity to work with elite athletes, adolescents, high schoolers, college athletes, the average Joe or Jane, and seniors.
The most common goals requested were (and still are) looking or feeling better, losing weight, gaining strength, getting out of pain, and increasing athletic performance. All of which entail some form of movement and strength.
The few instances I was fortunate to witness and work with elite athletes, I was amazed as to what they did….the same things as everyone else!
They foam rolled, stretched, did dynamic warm-ups, jumped, sprinted, threw medicine balls, lifted weights, conditioned, and recovered. I’ll be honest, I thought it would be a little different.
Maybe just come into the gym, get a quick lift, and then call it a day.
I was wrong!
Like the adult groups and high schoolers I coached, they prepared, trained, and recovered just as everyone else did. Yes, their level of training may be at a different spectrum than the most common man or woman when putting up more weight, sprinting faster, and jumping through the roof; however, these athletes were disciplined in their approach to training by not taking shortcuts and following their programs.
But this really got me thinking: if elite, high-level performers were doing the fundamentals, why don’t we?
I think for them they have this concept of movement or strength ingrained in their system. They physically felt the benefits of what exercise has done for their bodies and performance, and therefore; created a reason for them to continue to practice such habits. Especially if they have a coach to explain, demonstrate, and motivate them.
For someone looking to start, they may not have any experience with movement or training. No sports or recreational clubs to exert themselves. No coach to give them that extra “push”.
It’s not their fault, but let’s say someone wants to start down this path of exercise. Of moving. Of strength.
Where do they begin? What do they do?
With our current climate of social distancing and staying at home, you may find it easier to not do anything.
Sit on the couch, watch some Netflix, eat some Doritos.
But don’t allow staying inside to become an excuse for doing nothing!
Here are some reasons have a movement and strenth routine:
- Vitamin D from sun exposure (it may be difficult to get Vitamin D from food sources but it is not impossible)
- Increase blood flow throughout your body to warm you up
- Increase your heart rate for cardiovascular health
- Have more energy
- Assist with food digestion
- Go to sleep easier
- Lose weight
- Expose yourself to different movements
- Here’s a study that shows that more steps in a day lowers the risk of all-cause mortality
- Here’s a blog that explains how we can reverse the aging process by way of exercise
Still not convinced? Maybe you need actionable tasks or ideas to take the next step (see what I did there).
Actionable Steps:
- Mindset
- Alarm Clock or Timer
- Walk/Jog/Run
- Class or one-on-one
Mindset
With anything else, you have to put yourself in the right mindset to do anything. For example, let’s say you want to start moving, but first, ask yourself why. Why am I moving? Is it to feel better, athletic performance, lose weight, be able to play with your kids more?
Your “why” is what will help keep you motivated to move. Write down your “why” so you see it every day as a constant reminder and motivator to get moving.
Alarm Clock or Timer
Everyone has been on their millionth Zoom call or meeting. Sometimes we get lost with all the virtual chats that we never make time for ourselves.
If you are working, set-up a clock or timer, and when it goes off, get out of your chair, perhaps walk around your space or stretch. Give yourself some time for a break before going back to work.
Since we are on timers, if you are exercising, set-up a clock to limit the time you workout. As soon as it starts counting down, start your workout and you will be finished when it goes off.
Walk/Jog/Run
If you can walk, by all means, do it! It’s easy and you can take however long you want. Don’t forget that you don’t necessarily need to walk the same route.
If walking is not up to your pace and too easy, maybe jogging or running is more suitable.
Class or One-On-One
Perhaps the previous action steps are not something you like to do. For the biggest motivator and how-to, join a virtual class or one-on-one workout.
You can sweat and workout with others virtually or have a coach take you step-by-step towards your personal goals and needs.
Conclusion
I hope after reading this you are a bit more inclined to move and get stronger. If it’s fear, not knowing where to begin, too busy, or unmotivated, I would recommend reaching out to a strength and conditioning coach, fitness coach, or a gym.
You shouldn’t think that you have to go through your movement/strength journey alone. There are professionals looking to help you no matter where your starting point is.
If this post resonates with you, or you have questions about anything, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected].
At CLIENTEL3 we continue to support clients, even virtually, through their questions and fitness journeys tailored to their specific needs and wants. If that’s something that you are looking for, please contact us.