The High School Has-Been: Staying Active in Adulthood
Preparing for Rec League and Life
A typical Saturday morning.
Wake. OJ + blood pressure meds (P.S. know your family history). Short 5-min outdoor walk for AM sunlight 🌞 and fresh air. Coffee ☕️ Read the news and/or book. Breakfast. A bit of work 💻 and then 10:30AM workout.
As I biked into the community football / track & field facility, I noticed a 35-year old-ish guy wearing a small ruck pack and doing 50 yard curvilinear sprints.
I started my warm-up around the track for the impending interval workout.
As I came back around the straightaway, he was doing a forward lunge and then skater’s lunge with exaggerated arm swing for both as if he was skating on the ice. He then continued the circuit with 45-degree skater bounds.
Given the apparent fitness level and intent - along with the BMW M3 in the parking lot - I figured he was an NHLer preparing for camp.
We both continued our session as he continued his circuit of sprints and lunges and I mixed in six 50m sprints.
When I finished, I said “you must be training for hockey?”. He nodded yes and I followed up with “so, what team do you play for?” He laughed and said “Johnson Toyota …. I play in a rec league in Chicago.”
I commented that it must be a high-level, competitive league given the intensity of the training session. His response was “Ya, but I also do it for my health.”
Just for the Health of It
This led us into a very short exchange about the “weekend warrior” and general health and well-being as I was cognizant of not taking any more time away from his workout. I ended with “…and don’t forget to lift.” He again nodded.
On my short 1/2 mile bike ride home, I thought this would be another great opportunity to remind all of us “high school has beens” of the importance of regular physical activity and maintaining physical fitness - whether it be for preparing for the upcoming rec league season and/or just for the health of it.
The Effects of Regular Physical Activity
Just in case you needed a reminder of the myriad of positive effects of exercise….
reduces the risk of all-cause mortality
improved quality of life
feel happier; reduces risk of depression
manage stress and enhance mood
sleep better
improved cardiovascular health
reduces risk of type 2 diabetes
reduces risk of some types of cancer including colon and breast
improves muscle mass and strength
improves bone mineral density and reduces risk of osteoporosis and hip fractures
helps maintain or achieve a healthy body weight
reduces risk of dementia
and more ….exercise is a polypill that when taken in appropriate doseage can positively impact every system of the body
Getting Started and not ignoring Progressive Overload
If you are just getting started after a long lay off …. remember the principle of progressive overload. I know, I know … you say .. but you always forget .. and you end up doing too much too soon and you are sore, etc. and this might lead to injury or quitting.
I have used the example of my Uncle Charlie in my undergrad classes. Uncle Charlie was a star quarterback and shortstop in high school. He played some college ball but like many dropped out because of injury. Recently, after years of physical inactivity, he found himself with type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. I urged him to start exercising with a general exercise prescription of three 10 min walks per day following breakfast, lunch and dinner (which also helped with his blood glucose regulation). He complained the first week so we negotiated 2x per day and either Sunday off. He agreed and complied. After a week and a half, he called and said he was feeling better and might be ready to do 3x per day. Great!
After a month with pretty good compliance, we talked about increasing the time of one of the walks to 20 minutes. He agreed and also asked me about strength training. Super, Uncle Charlie. Of course, he wanted to bench, squat, and deadlift like back in the day. I encouraged him to start with a simple body weight routine of squat, modified push up and band pull aparts plus dead bugs.
I think you see where this is going… as we just continued to progress the exercise volume via frequency, intensity and duration and also the exercise complexity for resistance training.
Today, I am happy to report that Uncle Charlie has gone from full-blown diabetic to pre-diabetes and both his cholesterol and blood pressure are way better than a year ago. He also reports sleeping better and is a way better mood .. and is also having fun teaching his grandson how to throw a football!
Beyond Progressive Overload: Consistency is key!!!
Many people also ask - what is a good exercise prescription?
The popular lifestyle medicine doc Peter Attia suggests the following:
Aerobic exercise [4x/wk 45min in Zone 2 or 60-70% of your maximum heart rate or at a pace that is easy, able to have a conversation - talk test; plus 1-2x per week high-intensity intervals]
Strength Training. Lift heavy; squat or deadlift, hinge, push and pull, grip (Farmer’s Carry), hang, and sometime ruck. 2-3x per wk
Stability a few times per week before or after training or as recovery day
🎧 And a bonus link to a Peter Attia podcast that gets into more of starting and progressing an exercise program for adults - Exercise for aging people: where to begin, and how to minimize risk while maximizing potential.
An Overall Healthy Lifestyle
P.S. Physical activity (aerobic + resistance training) is just part of the overall healthy lifestyle that should include:
🌞Upon waking, AM sunlight and fresh air.
🥣Nourish yourself well with the right types of food, in the right amounts, and at the right time. Pro Tip: Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. This is where you find whole/unprocessed foods - meats, dairy, whole grains, fruits and veggies.
😃Laugh, smile, and find your Inner Circle.
🧠Think and engage the brain and mind.
🛏️Recovery and Sleep.
More about health & fitness here
A Father’s Day To-Do List, Every Day of the Year
A Summary of Key Ideas from Outlive
See all related IronMan Performance Health & Fitness blogs here
P.S. The next day I was met at the track by an older guy (60-ish) who was practicing high jump … and then hurdles. From high school has-been to senior Olympic hopeful! Live long.