Month #8 - Accuracy - Week #32

Month #8 - Week 32 - Accuracy

This attribute of “Accuracy” provides numerous challenges as we try to address it in regards to either our general fitness, or in promoting longevity overall. Training methods abound when we consider a “sport specific” application such as training in accuracy for Baseball, Football, Golf, Archery, Hockey or Shooting sports. I’ve therefore been compelled to think out of the box, and to think of accuracy in more general terms. I do believe we can classify the attribute of Accuracy, in view of what I’d like to call “Functional Accuracy”, as it relates to our ability to be accurate in our everyday movements and performance of everyday tasks. I sincerely doubt that we’ll find any studies relating to a decline in accuracy as we get older. I am however quite certain it exists. Whether it be walking, doing dishes, preparing dinner or any task that involves movement within space and time, I believe our ability to be accurate in their performance demands our attention.

For our application in this context, I would define accuracy as our ability to move our bodies through space to impact our external environment in exactly the manner in which we deem valuable, useful or intentional. When considering this general attribute of “Functional Accuracy”, there are essentially four specific considerations that we need to address:

1. The actual ability to accurately move through space with any limb or body part using visual, auditory and/or our proprioceptive capabilities.
2. The actual speed in which this accurate movement is accomplished at (It’s MUCH easier to be accurate when moving very slowly).
3. The actual force that is used when contact is made with the object in question (Think of a 20 foot golf putt vs. a 4 inch golf putt).
4. Especially relevant to our consideration of “Functional Accuracy” is, in my opinion, the matter of mindfulness in the actual execution of that movement. Mindful, intentional “fully aware” movement will ALWAYS be more accurate than a mindless “going through the motions” type of habitual performance as is often the greater part of our modern, daily, waking daily lives..

Since we are embarking on some new territory here, I’m going to forego our usual performance of a “Metrics Monday” and will instead spend the month on refining the training strategies for this “Functional Accuracy”. I’m certain I will have some meaningful tests with which to demonstrate growth or decline before the month is over. Our Methuselah Fitness Program uses a two year template that will cycle through each minor attribute three times. Our work in this month will provide the basis for when we visit Accuracy again in Feb. 2019 & Sept. 2019.

For our classes, the training for Accuracy will involve movements that include throwing, kicking, agility and mindfulness. The kinds of activities you’re likely to see are:

• Throwing Darts
• Cornhole Toss
• Refinement of our Agility Ladder Drills
• Special Gait and Walking Drills (Including the introduction to “Walking Meditation”)
• Fine motor hand and foot drills
• Soccer cone drills
• Special attention to accuracy within ALL of our movements this month.

Your "Lifestyle Application" of Accuracy

As I'd previously mentioned, this attribute can be practiced for any movement we do as long as we're mindful of what we're doing! It is for this reason that I highly recommend the practice of meditation since it can most certainly help to cultivate mindfulness in our daily lives. In our busy, distraction fueled modern world, it's particularly difficult to be mindful in all we do and meditation can help. Some community colleges offer classes in meditation and there are plenty of resources online. A popular choice in books is "Meditation Made Easy" by Lorin Roche. There's even a phone app that I've found helpful called "Insight Timer" which has thousands of guided and free meditations many of which are suitable for beginners. 

Other lifestyle applications to help us maintain our accuracy include:

• Darts
• Horseshoes
• Bowling
• Dance
• Roller and Ice Skating
• Tai Chi
• Martial Arts (Judo, Karate, Kung Fu)
• Archery

These are just a few of the many ways we can utilize the attribute of Accuracy. I'm sure there are many more and I'd LOVE to hear your additional recommendations.

This week’s training involves the previously mentioned monthly attribute of Accuracy along with our weekly focus on Balance. We can therefore expect balance drills during our warmup, workout & mobility work at the end.  

While we’ll most certainly have some time (perhaps outdoors) for our traditional meditations, we can also expect to see some more “Walking Meditation” to add to our repertoire.  

Month #7 Week #29

Month #7 Week #29

Power & Accuracy

We’re just about half way through our month of “Power”! We’ll be continuing to work on waking up those fast twitch muscle fibers and we’ll be doing so with an added element of “Accuracy” for this week in particular. Let’s face it, it’s one thing to exhibit physical power, but another altogether to do it with enough control to be accurate!

In our Tues. & Thurs. Large group classes we’ll be doing plenty of jumping, throwing & swinging… I do wish I had access to a weighted sled right now! We can plan on using that Vibrometer again to work on our accuracy when landing after we jump and I know we’ll have some specific targets to hit with our medicine ball slams…  For those who’ve just recently been introduced (or re-introduced after years) to the agility ladder, I know we’ll be having opportunity to refine what we’ve learned so far and I’m hoping we can even introduce some slightly more sophisticated techniques… (Also good for our weekly attribute of accuracy!).

We’ve really been enjoying the outdoor pavilion at the church for our cool down, mobility sessions and the out door end of session 5 minutes of meditation has been phenomenal. We’ll be talking a little bit more about the concept of “Forest Bathing” and I’m totally looking forward to it!

Remember friends, we’re in this for the LONG RUN  so let’s not worry about perfection and aim for consistency… We’ve a lot of life to live and this is just another beautiful part of the journey as a whole..

Until next week!

Daryll

Month #7 - Week #28 - More Power

Month #7 Week #28 - More Power

This month we’re focusing on the attribute of “Power”. Last week I discussed the importance of this attribute to our senior population in particular. As often happens when you cycle through Monthly and Weekly attributes, we have a week were they are the same! So… You can expect plenty of Medicine Ball throws, “Tuck Jumps”, “Ball Slams”, Sprints & drills designed to engage those fast twitch muscle fibers!

We were able to get a number of baseline metrics last week and this double emphasis on power will make it easy to work with those who missed last week.

I’d like to take this time to remind everyone that our fitness is something that takes more effort than showing up for a class once or twice a week. Our large group classes are specifically designed to fill in for those attributes that aren’t regularly addressed

(agility, balance, coordination & yes, power)... All us, however, need to be working on our fitness on an “almost daily” basis. I know that it’s hard to find that kind of time but… We’ve learned that it’s basically a required part of our “Maintenance Schedule” that simply can’t be skipped if we want to remain functioning!

In addition to our classes, it is recommended that each of the participants regularly engage in a separate strength program, work your mobility through yoga or a daily mobility routine AND engage in 150 to 300 minutes of aerobic conditioning.

If we can manage the time to maintain our homes, cars or other material possessions, we can certainly find time for something without which, these possessions would be meaningless. Our health trumps them all and needs to be THE priority!

Month #7 - Week #27 - Power

June - Week #27 - Power

Welcome to the month of June! 

This month we’ll be specifically training the attribute of POWER. Besides the “Big Three” attributes of Strength, Aerobic Endurance and Flexibility, the importance of the attribute of POWER to our senior population is paramount! 

Science has taught us some interesting things regarding this often neglected attribute (neglected among the senior population anyway). As it turns out, POWER is not only an attribute that declines at a greater rate than strength, but is also the attribute that has the greatest effect on our performance of ADL’s (Activities of Daily Living).

Power, in regards to fitness, can be defined as “The ability to exert a maximal force in as short a time as possible, as in accelerating, jumping and throwing implements.**” While strength can determine how much force can be generated in order to move or lift an object, POWER is the ability to move that load quickly enough to make it functionally significant (Move fast enough to engage momentum against gravity or friction).

I have previously discussed the importance of strength training as we age. We now know that seniors experience a 1% to 2% decline of muscle mass per year and how this can (and usually does without intervention) result in bodies that are too frail to be able maintain an active lifestyle. When talking about POWER however we learn that our power actually decreases at a rate of over 3% per year!

The reason for this is simple. We have been able to classify several types of muscle fiber in the human body and have identified some as “fast twitch” and others as “slow twitch”. As the name implies, the fast twitch muscles are more responsible for power generation (force times speed). As it turns out, these “fast twitch” fibers are lost at a much greater rate than the others.

For our first of the month “Metric Monday”, we’ll be using some classic established tests such as the 30 second chair stand test and I’ll also be adding some light med ball tosses for distance (overhand, underhand and press from the chest) to determine some baselines for the month… I’m truly looking forward to seeing how well we progress with some time specifically set aside for this important attribute of fitness! 

We'll be utilizing several different modalities to engage our fast twitch capacities that will include speed training, plyometrics, resistance bands and a liberal use of isometric holds. Application” of the attribute of Power
In our daily and recreational lives we utilize power in many ways… Pushing, pulling, lifting, swinging and hitting. Our chores in the yard can depend on this attribute in many ways whether we’re pushing a lawn mower over a bump or yanking a stubborn weed, hammering a nail or lifting a bag of mulch into our trunk. The rule here is to stay active and simply “Do the Work”... From a recreational perspective, we can engage this attribute of power whenever we swing a club or paddle, throw a ball or a punch, sprint to a goal or jump for a basket… Common forms of recreation that utilize our attribute of power are:

• Baseball / Softball
• Golf
• Tennis
• Racquetball / Handball
• Soccer
• Basketball
• Bowling

I’m sure I’ve missed many… Please feel free to help me fill in the holes I’ve missed!

This should be an interesting month and I hope to see you training!

Daryll

Month #6 - Week #26 - Stamina

"The Weekly Workouts"

Those who've attended a "Longevity Kickstart", know that our plan involves systematically working on 10 unique attributes of fitness. We also approach each of these attributes in two separate ways; a monthly approach to help us GROW and improve in that attribute, and a more regular, weekly and daily approach. This second approach is much more casual and fun in order to maintain our fitness towards that attribute in particular (Our "Use It Or Lose It" application).

We welcome you to follow this plan as we tackle our 6th month and 26th week of a two year cycle. No worries that you're just joining us now because we'll simply be repeating the cycle for as long as we can! For more information on how the plan works, you can either schedule your "Longevity Kickstart" session (the preferred option), or you can read about it on the Methuselah Fitness Project main page entitled "A Unique Approach to Aging and Fitness". I'm certain you'll recognize that this may be the surest way to ensure that the "The Rest of Your Life, be the Best of Your Life"

Month #6 Week #26

Our Monthly Attribute for May: Agility


Wrapping up the monthly focus on Agility this week! Since we've been without classes for the majority of the month, I'm really going to give us plenty of opportunity to work this domain of Agility for this entire week.

Let's remember that agility is important! We know that it's not a regular element in the majority of our active pursuits as we get older, and we also know that neglecting any element of fitness for years or even decades means we're going to lose that ability!

Our Weekly Attribute for Week #26 is: Stamina

Your "Lifestyle Application" of Stamina

In this section of "Lifestyle Application" I've traditionally focused on leisure activities related to the said attribute. While I will indeed list some leisure activities to help us to utilize the attribute of stamina, I need to remind everyone that the "Living of Life", with it's necessities and responsibilities are often enough to adequately challenge us here. Grocery shopping, yard work, our jobs & family responsibilities can all be considered boosters to our ability to push the envelope when it comes to stamina. When the "stamina" week rolls around (as it does every seven weeks for us), we simply want you to perhaps push the envelope a bit and see if we can't last, just a little bit longer, in our daily grind to just the other side of being comfortable (tired!)... Please remember too, that our attitude is important to reap these desired benefits. If we approach these challenges with a positive expectation for improvement and a thankfulness that we can still push ourselves, we're that much more likely to see those results. 

We can also approach this attribute in our leisure activities by:

• Taking any of our regular aerobic/strength activities to a longer than usual level
• Going for a long hike
• Going for a longer bike ride
• Perhaps an extra round of golf? (It's tough, but you can handle it!)
• Perhaps tackling that unusually large project around the house that you'd been meaning to tackle (Not exactly leisure unless that's your "thing")...

Since I'm not leading any small group classes at present, I'll be skipping the three daily attributes this week and I'll leave you with the above! (Should be sufficient!)

Have a good week everyone!

Month #6 - Week #25

"The Weekly Workouts"

Those who've attended a "Longevity Kickstart", know that our plan involves systematically working on 10 unique attributes of fitness. We also approach each of these attributes in two separate ways; a monthly approach to help us GROW and improve in that attribute, and a more regular, weekly and daily approach. This second approach is much more casual and fun in order to maintain our fitness towards that attribute in particular (Our "Use It Or Lose It" application).

We welcome you to follow this plan as we tackle our 6th month and 25th week of a two year cycle. No worries that you're just joining us now because we'll simply be repeating the cycle for as long as we can! For more information on how the plan works, you can either schedule your "Longevity Kickstart" session (the preferred option), or you can read about it on the Methuselah Fitness Project main page entitled "A Unique Approach to Aging and Fitness". I'm certain you'll recognize that this may be the surest way to ensure that the "The Rest of Your Life, be the Best of Your Life",

Month #6 Week #25

Our Monthly Attribute for May:

As we work through this month of Agility, it's becoming obvious that there are other attributes that contribute to our ability to move and change directions in a quick and precise manner. Balance, Accuracy, Coordination & even to some extent Power, all play a hand in our ability to remain agile!

This entire month you're encouraged to do agility ladder drills, shuttle drills, dance steps and games that involve direction change and lateral movements... Outside the gym, you should play soccer (even just kicking the ball around), tennis, go dancing (Line dancing perhaps!) and simply change things up while you walk (Sidestep hills, walk sideways or even backwards if you can be careful enough!)...

Let's remember that agility is important! We know that it's not a regular element in the majority of our active pursuits as we get older, and we also know that neglecting any element of fitness for years or even decades means we're going to lose that ability!

Our Weekly Attribute for Week #25 is:

The types of work and play that are requisite for maintaining our balance through the years are also often neglected for decades at a time. We need to work on this unsung skill until we again feel comfortable enough to utilize our balance in a variety of tasks we may be called upon in our daily lives. i.e. - Putting on a pair of socks without sitting.

This week we will be engaging our balance skills through various stepping routines, walking lines, hopping tests, single foot drills, obstacle courses and various lunging & twisting challenges. We'll call upon our balance with our some Yoga poses and I may have some equipment aided challenges for you in the gym. For those following at home, check out this following section...

Your "Lifestyle Application" of Balance

The attribute of balance is best challenged through activities that fall into the realm of "play" and the list is long:

                                
• Riding a Bike
• Ice Skating
• Roller Skating
• Roller Blading
• Skateboarding
• Skiiing
• Surfing
• Wind Surfing
• Stand Up Paddle-board
• Water Skiing
• Dancing
• Slack Lining
• Yoga

And while these activities incorporate our balance in their execution, as a lifestyle, we can always be mindful to challenge ourselves to look for opportunities to test our balance. We can, for example, work our balance throughout our day by standing on one foot while in line at the bank or tackling that balance beam we come across while walking in a park or playground. Perhaps in tying our shoes or putting on our socks (After practice and with all safety in mind, of course!)

I'm sure there are many more and I'd LOVE to hear feedback and suggestions from my readers and fellow trainers.

Our Three Daily Attributes This Week

In addition to these Monthly and Weekly attributes, our "Small Group Longevity Class" will also touch on Speed, Coordination and Power for this week #25 of the program. Classes are forming now for UXL Fitness in Brunswick, Ohio... Contact me for details and times.

Month #6 - Week #23 - Agility & Speed

Month #6 Week #23
Our Monthly Attribute for May is: Agility

How did we do last week when we dipped our toes into the realm of working on the attribute of

“Agility”? It will help if we simply slow down and try to be as accurate as possible. Practice makes

perfect and we know it’s simply a matter of doing the work to reap the results!

Let’s take a moment to remember why we’re doing this…  If, over the course of 10 or 20 years we

neglect to use this very unique and highly specialized attribute, we WILL lose considerable functionality.

If we think about it, how many individuals between 50 and 90 years old regularly engage in

activities that specifically utilize the attribute of agility (other than, of course those who partake

in the “Lifestyle Applications of Agility” which we covered back in week #6).

And why is agility important? You will utilize agility every time you:

• Lose your balance (i.e. Get surprised by a curb or a drop off in our path)
• When walking in busy pedestrian traffic on the streets
• When walking among obstacles that are regularly encountered (Puddles, Potholes, Debri in the way)

• Walking or running on trails in the park
• When avoiding anything coming your way (animals, bicycles, automobile traffic)
• In a busy store while shopping

It’s quite an opportunity for us that we can stop and focus on this attribute for the entire month!

I’m really looking forward to seeing how our metrics improve when we re-test at the beginning

of June.

Our Weekly Attribute for Week #23 is: Speed
Since we are finally starting to recycle our weekly attributes, I'll refer to a copy of week #2:

Sometimes, as we age, we'll ever so slowly, usually at an imperceptible rate, lose our ability to move quickly.

We will touch upon that today and emphasize movements and drills that challenge our overall speed.  We'll

work with bouncing balls, the simplest of agility drills to focus on speed and we'll include some lateral

shuffle/agility drills to work on thinking of moving faster. We may even visit the "8 Foot Up-and-Go" test

which will be one of the metrics we record during our month of Speed.

Your "Lifestyle Application" of Speed

You can easily include activities that challenge your sense of speed throughout this coming week. Some simple

suggestions would include:

• A game of Ping Pong.
• Basketball - No matter if it's a pick up game with friends or some practice of a cross court dribble and casual shooting, it'll all require speed.
• Tennis Anyone?
• Soccer drills in an open field or against a brick wall!
• Handball or Racquetball

While often times we'll just need an awareness of speed to see improvements (I often find myself moving

exceptionally slow while I'm walking or climbing steps). I'm sure there are many more ways to work on

maintaining our speed and I'd LOVE to hear your additional recommendations.

Our Three Daily Attributes This Week
On Monday we’ll be doubling down as our daily attribute, like our weekly attribute will be that

of “Speed”. You can expect some partner work involving some unique shaped balls that will tend to keep us

on our toes. On Wed. we’re going to delve into some work regarding  “Coordination”  and

I’m pretty certain there’ll be some VERY unique patterns to follow on that agility ladder. On Friday

We’ll be working on challenging our systems of  “Balance” with some yoga drills and perhaps a few obstacles to stand on or move through!