#12 – No, You’re Not Too Old For Plyometrics.
Podcast #12 – No, You’re not too old for Plyometrics
“Dude, wait until you’re my age..” Yeah but wait until YOU’RE 20 years older…
As we age we do have changes in our hormone levels. BUT the biggest changes happen with our daily activity choices, the loss of play, the loss of sports, the loss of challenges.
We figure out what we “like” to do so we stop doing everything else since no one is making us do anything. But as a consequence we also lose the skill acquisition, the diverse movement profile, and the different strains on our body.
People that like to run, run. Same with Yoga, or video games, or lifting. We get boxed into this movement paradigm and don’t realize that we are slowly losing the resiliency to adapt and stay healthy.
Adding plyometrics in to your training can help slow this loss. But first we need to reframe what plyometrics are.
Plyometrics simply mean any movement done that incorporates elasticity and with the intent of speed and quickness. This can be scaled up or down depending on what 3 things: ability level, experience, and health/injury/pain.
It may not be full effort sprinting. It may not be box jumps. It may not be broad jumps. It may not be max effort agility drills.
But it can definitely start out with Med ball throws, Prowler/sled pushes, skipping patterns, mini hops, speed ladder drills, quick feet step ups, shuffling, backpedalling, and directional change drills.
2 biggest indicators of fall risk – Foot Speed and Leg Strength
Old age doesn’t kill you or put you in a retirement home, that sudden fall one day in the garage does – **Story about my grandmother**
Falling in slow motion – Inability to catch yourself
Why is this important to you now though? You’re not 80! But as we age the hormone profile changes, which means that it becomes harder and harder to put on muscle, learn new skills, and recover quickly.
Remember the three starting indicators? The earlier you start doing this stuff, the easier it is to retain the neuromuscular information, the muscle mass is greater, and the joints/bones are more prepared for the type of training meaning that you can get more reps in and recover better.
If you want to age well, have quality over quantity, not have unnecessary pain, not have to deal with being a burden, then invest in your body NOW.
And if you need help getting started but don’t feel confident doing it alone, find a trainer that will walk at YOUR pace without letting their ego get in the way.
