Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published Jan 31st 2022
Many of us grow up in athletics, but once we’re done competing in our sports, we change the way we treat our bodies.
As we get older, we lose a little spring in our step, minor aches turn into major ones, and our injuries tend to sideline us for longer than they did when we were in our 20s or 30s.
Those little setbacks ultimately slow us down, convince us to skip training days, drastically change our training routines, and maybe even hang it for extended periods of time.
Just because we stop competing like an athlete, doesn’t mean we should stop training like one, however.
In this post, I’ll dive into adult fitness, and why training like an athlete is one of the best things you can do for your adult body.
Adult Fitness is Training for Life
As you well know, adulthood is demanding. Between juggling families, obligations around the house, careers, a social life, and more, we tax our bodies more than we think.
To make sports and competition less taxing and to improve on our performance, proper training is required. So, why wouldn’t we train for life with a similar mindset?
Whether you plan on competing in anything athletic ever again or not, imagine the things we do in our day-to-day that could be improved with training.
Do you walk your dog two-to-three times a day?
Are your kids getting a little bit heavy to carry?
Are you constantly on your feet at your job?
Are you in charge of shoveling, raking, lawn mowing, etc. in your house?
Maybe you can already see why it would be beneficial to have an adult fitness program that can help you tackle life’s moments like this, but here are some benefits.
How Sports Performance Training Helps Everyone
Performance training builds strength.
A strong, athletic base helps make everyday tasks easier.
Performance training increases stamina and energy.
The things that would typically tire you out are easier to get through if you train consistently.
Performance training teaches proper form.
No one wants to throw out their back lifting their kids. Training like an athlete teaches you how to move in ways that reduce injury.
Performance training improves resiliency.
Speaking of injury—if you do happen to get hurt, a consistent training regimen will improve your body’s ability to recuperate.
Adult performance training is motivating!
Show your kids that working on improving yourself and athleticism is an important part of life. They look up to you, and it will likely get them to take it more seriously themselves.
Adult performance training improves mental capacity.
High-level entrepreneurs sprinkle low-intensity workouts throughout the week to stimulate better ideas and be better problem solvers throughout their day—many times the ideas even happen in workout.
But, especially if you haven’t trained for sports in quite some time, this also requires us to be smart and diligent about how we train.
What to Consider with Adult Fitness
Being an athlete is always possible, it just looks different as we age and as our hobbies and obligations change. To get the most out of our training as adults, we need to consider a few things.
Train Smarter
Long gone are the days where performance training means that we have to push our limits day in and day out. Training is now is better and safer, and continues to trend that way every year.
To train smart, we want to consider functional movements (ones that we do day in and day out like the lifting your kids example I used before), rely on the improved knowledge of adult fitness trainers, and recognize that the goal of this is to improve energy.
Good adult fitness should balance athletic movements, and varied intensity (including “working in” days where you move in less intense ways compared to more traditional “working out”).
Stay In Tune With Your Body
One of the biggest changes as we get older is that our recovery times begin to diminish. Therefore, we need to put more and more attention to recovery strategies.
Things like nutrition, sleep, therapies, and more all become pivotal for us to continue training like an athlete.
Pay attention to the cleanliness of what you’re eating, and make sure you’re eating balanced meals.
Get adequate sleep. Sleep is one of the most important recovery tools in our arsenal, and most adults don’t get nearly enough.
Consider “prehab” or preventative maintenance things like massage, compression, saunas, chiropractors, cold therapy, etc.
And if you need help managing these kinds of things, fitness tech is an incredible way to get an idea of where your body is at that day—better telling you how to adjust your training on a day-by-day level. Wearables can tell you how you feel before you even feel it!
These things (among others) have had a significant impact on how athletes have been able to prolong their careers in recent years, and they can assist you in continuing to train like an athlete regardless of your age.
And if you don’t believe that you can still be an athlete, take this into consideration.
Elite Athletes are Trending Older
The average age of an Olympic athlete in 1988 was 25 years of age for male competitors and 23 for female competitors.
Today, this age has gone up to 27 for males and 25 for females. This may not seem like a huge jump, and it may not inspire confidence in your athletic training journey, but here is something to think about.
There is a 0.0013% that you will make the Olympic Team. In a field where the competition is that tight across the board, a difference of .03 seconds could make you an Olympic champion or put you out of a medal completely.
So, the average age of competitors increasing by two years on average is a pretty big deal! Despite those narrow margins, older athletes are continuing to make a splash.
And this is a testament to everything mentioned previously. There are a number of reasons for athletes being able to further their careers, and there are a few that can be implemented by yourself as you age as an athlete.
Now, I understand none of us are Olympic athletes, but the point stands. The opportunity and the ability to perform and train like an athlete is available to anyone regardless of age these days—even if it’s just to help you navigate life a little more smoothly.
Conclusions
Train like an athlete, and never stop training as an athlete—even if you have no desire to compete again.
Not only will you be able to navigate both life’s challenges and joys a lot more smoothly, you will be more tuned in with yourself, and be a better role model for your kids as their athletic career takes off.
FAST Athletics is offering a program for those interested in adult fitness with availability in the mornings. If you would like to improve your quality of life, consider signing up for a free workout session so we can help you determine if it’s a good fit!
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