Do you have the mind of a warrior? That can be a good thing in the War on Aging. It takes courage and aggressiveness to stand up to growing older, to fight the aches and pains of joints, to “just do it anyway.” Smart senior warriors, however, know when to listen to their bodies.
A big challenge for seniors who want to get and stay fit is not overworking muscles and joints. In our enthusiasm on the courts and in the gyms, some of us can get carried away and cause debilitating soreness and injury. Why do we push ourselves to the point of “ouch”?
Do You Have the Mind of a Warrior?
You’d think that after living as long as some of us have, we’d know the limits of our bodies so well we wouldn’t make this mistake. But take a peek into the mind of a typical warrior in the gym (raise your hands if this sounds familiar.) Listen to what this weekend warrior tells himself:
Hmmm, the last guy using this bench press had only 175 lbs. on the bar.
I’m much stronger than him; let’s go for 200.
After all, when I was in college, I pressed 240 easily.
If I can do these 10 times, I’ll keep going.
Wow, that felt good! I didn’t even feel my bad shoulder, like the last time.
Here we go… 220… six, and seven, and eee-eight, NINE!
Okay, one more, inhale, exhale, grruntttt…. arghhh! (POP!!!)
Damn, my shoulder! What the ….!!!
I often hear seniors say that the hardest part about getting fit is that it’s now so much easier to get injured and it takes much longer to heal. What we think we can do (based on memories, past experiences, and a past younger body) is misleading and dangerous. While a good self-image is important, unrealistic ambition is just plain stupid.
This is hard for many seniors to accept. We often need to lower our expectations to successfully improve fitness without injury. Many of us are reluctant to give up the competitive drives of youth in exchange for good common sense. We’ve got more ambition than brains.
Know Your Limits
Whether you’re just beginning, or want to take it to the next level, you need to know your limits. Muscle soreness and some fatigue are normal after muscle-building exercises, at least at first.
To get fit, you need to stress muscles enough to trigger the chemical reactions within cells that will provoke the repair process and build strength. After a few weeks, you should not be all that sore after your workout. If you give your muscles time to recover, you can train every day by alternating which areas you work.
Wise seniors don’t set themselves up for injuries to happen, or at least not often. They learn from their missteps. Listen to your body before it goes “OUCH!!!”
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