Personal trainer Lorie Scott demonstrates the Bird Dog Combo. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/CELIA STOREY)
I have always enjoyed learning about the aging process and how the body changes with each year. Until recently, the knowledge I obtained was from textbooks, articles or older adults who could explain their experience. But now I can appreciate this information from a different perspective, because I'm personally feeling it.
It's uncomfortable for a fitness pro to talk about his own challenges, because we know that sedentary people could seize on any admission of mortality as evidence that an active life will kill you in the long run. And we know from many decades of research that's just not the case.
But old injuries and old mistakes can and will catch up with anybody. Maybe sharing my strategies for overcoming some of my challenges will help someone else.
With each year, my lower back and neck get just a little bit weaker and a little less flexible. I sometimes wake up with a strange pain that seems to move from my lower back and hips all the way up my spine. It's a bizarre phenomenon that has made me thankful that I've been active for the better part of my life, because I wonder how much worse the pain or discomfort would be without that foundation.
With that said, my general health is good. I don't have any chronic or lifestyle-related health problems such as diabetes, high cholesterol or hypertension. Some of that is genetic good luck, but my activity level has been consistently high for a long period of time.
So, my back stiffness is really the only thing in the world I have to complain about (insert "just kidding" emoji here). And I have taken some intentional steps to minimize the amount of stiffness I feel.
First, I don't sit for more than an hour at a time, if I can help it. Long plane rides or road trips present challenges, but those don't happen every day. Standing, stretching and walking around make a huge difference in the amount of stiffness I feel at the end of the day.
No one will be surprised that I also exercise four to five days per week, but my workouts are very different from 10 years ago. Most of my focus is on heart rate training with higher repetition ranges, lower resistance levels and cardiovascular work. I've noticed that this type of training has led to less bulk, better joint flexibility and improved core strength. For someone who spent the better part of his life lifting heavy weights and only stumbling across a treadmill once every blue moon, it has been a big adjustment.
But the results speak for themselves: My back stiffness has lessened. I still have good days and bad days, but I'm thankful that my pride didn't get in the way of making the right decision for my future.
And that's really the takeaway this week. Stepping back and objectively evaluating one's strengths and weaknesses isn't easy, but it's one of the best decisions I could have made.
This week's exercise happens to be a movement that I perform on a weekly basis. The Bird Dog Combo is a great way to strengthen the core and upper back muscles without using a single piece of equipment.
1. Stand with both feet together and your arms at your sides. Lean forward so your chest faces the floor.
2. As you lean forward, allow your right leg to extend behind you. Once your torso and right leg are parallel with the floor hold this position.
3. Tighten your abdominals and pull your right elbow up to your side as if you were performing a one-arm row.
4. Lower it quickly. Now do the same with your left elbow.
5. Continue quickly alternating these one-arm rows while maintaining your posture until you've completed 15 repetitions.
6. Perform three sets of 15.
The Bird Dog Combo is a great warm-up or cool-down exercise because it's no-impact and uses only body weight. Sometimes I'll even do it first thing in the morning to increase the blood flow to my back, which always makes we walk a little taller.
Walking tall — that's something we can all benefit from. Enjoy!
Matt Parrott has a doctorate in education (sport studies) and a master's in kinesiology and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.
Style on 03/11/2019