Pillars of Physical Freedom
I posted the other day that ‘Fitness is Freedom’ – but what exactly should you be aiming for in this pursuit.
Being Pain free – as we age and become more sedentary our joints can become stiffer and less mobile, this can cause pain and discomfort in many areas and can lead to a viscous circle – “I don’t move because I’m sore, I’m sore because I don’t move”. Doing some daily mobility can help fix some issues, but the best strategy is to not let it get to that stage. Keep moving.
Being Strong – having adequate levels of strength is useful beyond the Barbell in the gym. Lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling stuff is part of everyday life – make sure you are ‘fit’ enough to be competent at daily life.
Having your Body Composition at a healthy level – the more fat we have, the higher risk we are at developing life changing conditions. When we are lean, we are healthier, most people are happier and more confident. As we age, it becomes more important to try and preserve or build some lean muscle. This has many benefits beyond aesthetics. If you have more lean muscle and less body fat, you will become Harder to Kill – especially as you age.
Being Aerobically ‘Fit’ – having a good engine will allow you to enjoy many activities throughout life, doing cardiovascular exercise will also help with your heart health. If you had to sprint for a bus, could you do it? If you got asked to play a game with your kid, could you get involved and be a positive role model?
When programming for the ‘everyday athlete’ these are the areas I focus on.
I believe you can drastically change your life by moving a bit better, becoming a bit stronger, building a bit of muscle, dropping a bit of fat and becoming a bit aerobically fitter.
Exercise is medicine.
Coach Milligan 