What is “Active Aging?
Let’s be honest, we all age. There’s a stigma about the idea of aging and what it means for our bodies, our abilities, and our overall quality of life. None of us are immune to being a bit worried when we start to see and feel the inevitable changes that start to happen.Whether the first changes we experience are in our physical appearance, our physical stamina, a loss of strength, a change in our joints, balance, or any number of things, it’s a wake-up call that like everyone else, we too will need to adjust our lifestyles to complement our physical and mental well-being.Aging is scary for many, but we need to change the way that we view aging and everything that it entails. So, what exactly is “active aging.” It can mean different things depending on the subject matter at hand, but overall, active aging is how we can feel our best with each passing year by focusing on the activities that keep our bodies and our minds equipped for life. Physical activity is key when it comes to aging. Just because your body is changing, doesn’t mean you have to quit exercising. In fact, it couldn’t be more the opposite. Staying active as we age is the best way to keep our minds sharp, our bodies strong, and our overall well-being at the forefront of everything that we do. My new series, Lift, Move & Restore: Functional Training for the Active Aging Lifestyle, was created mainly for (but not limited to) active adults who are starting to feel some changes in their bodies and abilities, but who also still enjoy a solid workout that makes them feel strong and accomplished. We aren’t quite ready for what many consider to be “senior fitness”, but maybe plyometrics are on the way out for us and more functional strength, balance, flexibility, and recovery training are on the way in.We still want to get sweaty, but we don’t want to feel defeated. We can adjust our weight load, resistance, and pace, and we can still challenge our bodies to maintain a fitness level worthy of everything we’ve done and continue to do.We will focus on low impact power and power through strength, balance, and motion in multiple planes, and how we need to incorporate all these elements to keep our bodies primed for daily living.
