As we age, we enjoy various forms of physical activities to keep us occupied and fulfilled. It’s fun to engage in a pickup game of basketball, softball, or tennis. However, as decades go on, we can find ourselves less entertained with activities we embraced 10 or 20 years ago. From year 20 to 80 years of age, changes are affected by relationships, career path, or moving to a different location. A tennis club 30 miles away seems unappealing compared to previously living in a town with organized tennis down the street. Taking a job requiring a commute and 50 hours a week, it’s easy to pack it in for the night and skip your traditional recreational physical activity.
Then we have the big elephant in the room affected by aging. Our bodies. About every 10 years or so, we might notice our bodies don’t function like they used to. Aching joints, increased soreness after exercise, and the perception that you may have slowed down, makes that activity less desirable. A problem arises within these scenarios where physical activities become dormant due to the factors associated with aging. might become dormant. People might stop moving when posed with the obstacles aging brings.
Let’s not put a damper on aging through. There are opportunities right in front of us waiting to be picked up like employers seeking job applicants over LinkedIn. As we age, we need to keep moving to enjoy our lives while being able to see all the beautiful gifts the world can bring as after our kids move out, the mortgages are paid off, and we retire. Here’s a list of some new, popular, and exciting fitness trends that are ready to get devoured like hotcakes on a Sunday morning.
- Pickle Ball: If Ping Pong and Tennis were to meet in college and have a love child, you would get Pickle Ball. This game lasts an average of 10 minutes per game and uses a court half the size Tennis uses. You get to smack a whiffle ball with paddle 90% lighter than a tennis racket at your opponents. The best part is, your opponent won’t get hurt, and you won’t either. Being hit by a whiffle ball is like getting hit by a marshmallow. The mechanics are simple and easy to learn. In fact, the game is based on making sure that participants can adapt to a learning curve on a level playing field of both beginning and intermediate players. The limited number of steps backward and forward supply some much needed cardiovascular exercises while limiting excessive overuse and stress on joints. Most importantly, Pickleballs culture is based around a non-judgmental and welcoming atmosphere ensuring everyone around has fun. If you are looking for something new that includes social and physical improvements to your life, stop by the Pickleball courts. You might see me out there looking for a teammate.
- Tai Chi: A fast growing “martial arts meets meditation” style of physical activity offer classes led by certified leaders in this calm yet challenging lesson of movements. Tai Chi classes are becoming abundant because people are seeing improvements in their balance, cardiovascular health, and decreased anxiety. This guided form of martial arts emphasizes slow and controlled breathing with some of the movement being performed with the eyes closed. More people are choosing Tai Chi as a new form of exercise because it is a low impact, relaxing style of fitness that calms stresses from the day and previous years of life.
- Yoga: Branching off Tai Chi, Yoga classes are appearing all over the map like drops of rain on a windshield driving through Seattle. Yoga is yet another form of exercise that welcomes advanced age individuals to enjoy stationary poses that challenge both technique and physical condition. Progressing through different levels of poses and sequences is easy on the joints while still allowing for positive adaptions to strength, mobility and decreased pain. The community and culture of Yoga is a welcoming way to try a new form of physical activity that helps people to thrive through, practice, mediation, and calming music.
One of the biggest threats of aging and exercise is decreased interest to continue moving because it’s boring or painful. A hallway of doors waits to be opened via the path of physical activity. The path to less pain, excitement, and an overall good time in life is waiting for healthy older people to embark on. So, take a look around at these new and exciting trends of culture and physical activity. You never know what your next healthy addiction could be for the next 10 years and then some.
Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.
