I was speaking with my cousin Jason over the past weekend. He had placed second in a pickleball tournament in Calgary. He is also a personal trainer. During our conversation he mentioned that a lot of participants were out of shape and worse, there were two heart attacks. Every time that we meet our discussion always seems to come back to the same thing. Most people just don't get it. They don't look after their bodies and then try to do things outside their limits.
Years ago I was part of a dragon boat race team at work. This was for a huge dragon boat race here in Winnipeg where hundreds of people participated to help raise funds for cancer. At the time, I was shocked at how many people in these boats were out of shape, you could see they never really did any form of exercise but were there for a good cause. With these races, you are paddling at 80- 100% of your maximum heart rate. Halfway through one of the races, a person had a heart attack. If you are not used to it, the end result could be fatal as was the case that day.
If you want to enjoy these activities, that's great. Participating and being with other people is a good thing. This is a great way to connect with others and does wonders for reducing mental stress and well-being. However, if you do not take care of your body - nutritionally and physically you are going to run into problems especially in later life as chronic symptoms creep into play.
That that is why it's important to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. Exercise should be enjoyable and uplifting. If you haven't done exercise in a long time, you can start with walking, hiking, swimming, move your way up to biking and running to keep your heart and brain healthy.
Just as important is resistance training - one of my passions. Resistance training reduces bone loss, maintains muscle, increases balance, and decreases the risk of falling.. People that have been taking my fitness classes come in all shapes and sizes. Some show up with bad knees, sore back, shoulder injuries etc. Of course I would modify exercises for them when needed. The thing is that they make the point of coming.
Exercise increases endorphins which significantly elevate mood. It's an amazing power that promotes overall health and wellness. The more you exercise, the better your body feels.
Exercise creates discipline. Any repeated behavior that requires initiative, implementing stamina and inhibition of laziness (which comes naturally to us), can help bring lasting good habits.
If you've been inactive for a while and are resigned to limitations of midlife life, you need to challenge those assumptions. Don't settle for outdated expectations of normal living. Don't blindly accept inactivity and decline.
Need a little push? Join my Dynabody Fitness Classes!
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