Suzanne's Fitness Blog by Suzanne_Olson

• Smart Fitness

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  May16201210:34 p.m.

  The weather is finally warm and it is tempting to get ready for bathing suit season with a vengeance. Even with the best intentions it is hard not to get carried away with a workout schedule to shed the winter pounds, or to put forth extra effort to prepare for a favorite Summer sport.  Unfortunately, this is when I see the most injuries with my clients – many feeling like they have to go “full force” in order to get in their best shape for Summer. 

  Many of us realize that as we age we tend to become more injury prone, which keeps us from physical activities and staying in shape. Jane Fonda, 74 and obviously not slowing down, had several helpful comments in a recent interview I read in the Philadelphia Inquirer.  She said, when commenting about staying in shape through the years, “If you can’t do what you once did, like run and jump up and down – you can walk, which is also good for your mind and mental attitude.  You can do simpler exercises.  Also, when commenting about fitness expectations, Fonda commented, “I am kinder to my body.  I don’t feel I have to prove anything to myself or others.  I keep thinking about the need to go slower, gentler, and maintain a sense of humor about it all.”

   

  

   

  For me these words resonate loud and clear.  As we age, we have to be smarter when we engage in physical activities, or train for a recreational sport or competition.  Going full force without a plan will at times hinder our desired outcome – maintaining or improving our fitness level or performance.

   

   Whether you are competing on a professional level, tackling amateur sports like tennis, marathons, or triathlons, or getting in shape for your wedding, there is a method to train that will decrease chance of injuries and keep you in the game.  Instead of training the same intensity year around, periodization methods create some periods of training that are easier than others to promote rest and give the body time to heal and get stronger.

   

  Periodization involves four major variables – frequency (how often you train); duration (how long you train); volume(how much you train in a given week or cycle); and intensity(how hard you train at any given time).  These variables are tweaked so that you reach your peak for the key competitions you are targeting. 

   

  

   

  After battling a few injuries myself (of course from training too often and hard), I am now a firm believer in giving the body the rest it needs to recover and get stronger.  I look at my overall competition calendar and schedule practices and workouts in advance, evenly spaced throughout the week so that I am not stressing my body too much to invoke injury.  Before competition or when I am working out more frequently, I now make sure that I cross train by practicing pilates and yoga for core strength and balance.  And, most importantly, I make sure I get plenty of rest and relaxation before I compete.  Be kind to your body!

   

  See you next week.  Suzanne

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  • Mare_Petras 'Great reminder! Thanks, Suzanne.' added 17th May 2012

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