Function for Life

She lifted and hauled two 22 pound snow tires across her garage and put them into her car like it was no biggie.

She packed up her apartment and moved herself from one place to another as efficiently as she did in her 20’s. She regularly stays out until after midnight dancing the night away. She walks over 40 km each week no matter what the weather conditions. She can hold the plank pose for 1 minute without budging a muscle.

Linda is more fit at 70 than many women are at 40 and is stronger, healthier, faster, and more confident than she has been in years.

10 years ago, she suffered two heart attacks within hours of each other. It really scared her. She knew that her high stress job, poor food choices and lack of physical activity were the reason her heart stopped functioning. She knew changes were necessary and imminent.

Linda began attending my “Ageing with Strength” senior’s circuit training class each week a year and a half ago. She works hard, pushes herself physically and mentally, and has made personal accomplishments she never knew were possible. I cannot say enough about her energy, enthusiasm and passion for life.

She is now in training for the sport of life and winning at every turn.

Whether or not we want to accept it, we are all going to age. The real question is – would you rather enter your golden years with limited mobility, strength and cardiovascular endurance? Or, be able to continue to live your life on your terms and perform day to day activities with greater ease?

The average woman in North America lives until age 84. Set YOURSELF up for a long life of good health and overall mobility.

Here’s a list of my 5 favourite functional exercises and why:

Plank: Holding a plank pose builds core stability and prevents back injuries. It also cinches your waistline, builds strength in your shoulders, core, back and legs.

Squat: If you hope to use the toilet for your entire life then get squatting! Maintaining quad, glute and overall leg strength is very important. You need this movement pattern to get out of a car, off the couch and use the washroom. Keep those legs strong.

Lunge: Walking itself is a form of lunging. We also use this movement pattern to do things like stepping up a flight of stairs or stepping over a curb or object. Practicing this pattern makes using it day to day far easier.

Push-up: Whether you do push-ups on an incline on the edge of your counter, on your knees or on your toes they are effective. We need upper body strength to push open a door, move an object from one place to another or get up off the floor should we ever find ourselves there.

Walking: We need to move from one place to another for our entire lives. Whether it be walking across the room to make a cup of tea or walking to the grocery store for a carton of eggs. All it takes is 30 minutes of walking each day to maintain a healthy heart.

I know that old saying, “use it or lose it” is overused but it’s so true! If we do not keep our muscle fibers strong, our cardiovascular fitness up and our flexibility in check as we age we will quickly lose what we once had.

Exercising with weights or doing weight bearing activity 3 days each week for a minimum of 20 minutes per time is the recommendation. That’s only 1 hour of your week for lasting gains in strength!

Don’t wait any longer, get active and do it now.

What do you have to lose?

Book a free consultation with me today and get the direction and motivation you need to keep your body in the best shape you can for years to come.