Training and age! = Constant Body maintenance!
Old Guys Rock!
Age is no barrier, check out the guys at the back of the room on the video!
Well, where do we begin, I’m too old for that? Or don’t be silly, you’re too old for that!
Really?
I often hear these comments bandied around when it comes to people thinking about training in Krav Maga or for that matter any kind of physical activity at a later stage in their lives.
The truth is you’re only as old as you choose to think you are!
Your body may tell you otherwise, but essentially it’s a choice whether you let the niggling aches and pains take over or not!
I myself at the time of writing this article am 51, and yes I’ve had an active lifestyle since I was young which helps enormously. But having said that I do suffer from many an ache and pain and in fact I’m carrying a chronic (long term) groin injury which if I was to believe the armchair experts, should have put me into retirement some 2 yrs ago.
Fortunately I was directed to a very good Physio who literally saved both my careers. At this stage I should state that I have a concreting business and I have a Krav Maga business and between the pair I can live comfortably.
I have had to make some changes to my lifestyle and work options, notably I have to be a lot more selective about what I do when it comes to concreting and indeed have to turn many a job away due to the physical nature of certain aspects of those jobs. I still do my own physio work at home on my own, I have no choice or my injury will simply reoccur, not that it’s ever left it’s just that I manage it or it becomes unbearable.
So, I adapt and most importantly don’t give up!
Perhaps the lifestyle changes are the most difficult to deal with as being limited in one’s leisure options is really quite mentally challenging at times.
So what’s to be done about it?
Well you could just sit back and give in to the people who’d have you bound up in cotton wool for the rest of your life, (I can’t think of a more miserable existence) or you could take the positive approach and get on with it!
What do I mean by get on with it?
Well to put it bluntly, you need to accept that some things just won’t be the same any more and focus on what you can do and what needs to be done to make it possible to continue doing those things. I’m not saying give up on the things you used to be able to do, just don’t focus on the (used to be able to) part.
I have in my class a couple of older guys (mid sixties), hope I don’t get into trouble for giving that away! But back to the point, they both started training krav late in life by comparison to the majority of my students. Neither of these guys is injury or pain free in day to day life let alone when they come to Krav training. But they both love it and have a great deal of fun every time they train regardless of the niggling aches and pains.
So what keeps them going?
Well, it’s simple really. Apart from determination to have fun and keep active, they both work on body maintenance as do I and most instructors involved with Krav Maga Global.
The bottom line is that you must spend some time if not everyday, then at least 3 times a week working on your body.
No I’m not talking about serious weight training, yes with a carefully managed program it can be very good for your body, but most of you won’t have the desire to, or the need to train that way and perhaps other aspects of your life / lifestyle will prevent you from affording the time to get serious results with weights.
What I am talking about is is a hand full of basic body weight exercises, may be some band work (resistance bands) and a bit of stretching on a regular basis. You don’t need hundreds of reps and sets but just enough to keep the joints oiled and the muscles challenged. You can achieve that sort of result in a very short period of time, say 20 minutes out of your day and you don’t need a bunch of fancy expensive equipment just a bit of imagination.
Mobility is the key to longevity!
Maintain your body!
Blog post by Dave Sargent, Senior Instructor Krav Maga Canberra.
Coming from someone who had to have shoulder surgery just under 2 years ago and has had a number of physical problems, I can testify to the need for body maintenance. Before Krav, I was a generic couch potato university student, but thanks to starting Krav in 2011 and further pushing myself physically in the years to come, I can say that I am glad I got myself into shape physically, which has improved my health mentally as well.