Welcome to Wednesday Word, a weekly linkup for everyone, not just health and fitness bloggers. Each Wednesday you will have a single word prompt to write about. Let your imagination run free and share with your readers your interpretation of that word, or simply use it as inspiration for your post. Today’s word is physical….. I’d love to have you link up, and if you do, please remember to follow my six simple rules.
Physical – Relating to the body of a person instead of the mind;
existing in a form that you can touch or see;
involving or related to sex
~ Merriam-Webster
I know that I am totally dating myself here, but yes, I once rocked leg warmers while working out to Jane Fonda’s Original Workout Video. Heck, just using the word video dates me. I can’t remember if Olivia Newton John’s Physical was a song on the video, or if it was added by my YMCA aerobics instructor who, week after week, month after month, lead us in an exact replica of Jane Fonda’s workout, but hearing that song every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 6 AM certainly burned it into my brain forever. So much so, that when I saw that this week’s word is physical, these lyrics are what immediately popped into my head!
Let’s get physical, physical
I wanna get physical
Let’s get into physical
Let me hear your body talk, your body talk
Let me hear your body talk
We thought we were cool in our leg warmers with our ponytails cocked to the side of our heads. Today those dancy aerobic workouts might be something that would make us snicker, but at the time we were impressed with our moves.
Those repetitive body weight workouts might not have put a huge demand on my body when I was 25 years old, but the physical demands I’ve been putting on my body since I began marathon running has been a completely different story.
As we age, we lose things we need and gain things we don’t (of course we do):
- Muscles atrophy
- Bone density decreases
- Aerobic endurance decreases
- Recovery rate slows down
- Joints become worn
- Body fat increases
Even though I’d been running my entire life, I chose to start marathon running just before my fortieth birthday. Just as the above factors were really starting to sink their teeth into my aging body, I started placing demands on it that it had never seen. Some of those demands, though, actually had a positive effect…
- I asked naturally weakening muscles to carry me farther, which in return helped keep those muscles strong.
- I pushed and pulled against my bones as my running muscles lengthened and contracted and slowed the density loss.
- I demanded that my lungs and heart pushed oxygen rich blood through my arteries to my working muscles keeping my cardiovascular strong.
- I pushed my body hard and asked it to carry me for miles at a time, and noticed that in return, it asked for longer time to rest to get back to its optimal working condition.
- The repetitive pounding has worn some of my joints, but keeping my joints moving seems to keep them happy as long as I don’t overdo it.
- The calories burned and the muscle built helped keep my body weight down resulting in less of a work load for my heart and less pounding on my joints.
As I’ve learned many of these six factors can be fought off by consistently working out, even as we age. It’s through consistently putting demands on our bodies that we can stay strong and fit.
What physical demands do you put on your body?
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Next Wednesday’s Word: Radiant
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This was a great word prompt! I also thought of Olivia Newton John, though I didn’t do too many dance aerobics back in the day. I agree with everything you said…..the extra exercise and training I do is what is keeping my body going. Hands-down, I’m in the best shape of my life right now, and it’s probably because I’m expecting more from it.
Kimberly Hatting recently posted…Getting Physical…in the Trench
I’m glad you liked this week’s Wednesday Word! Other than that one year at the YMCA, I always chose lifting weights and running for staying fit. I feel so much better when I’m lifting and doing core exercises regularly.
I’m pretty sure the girl across the hall from me in my freshman dorm had an LP of the Jane Fonda workout – can you imagine!
I think it’s pretty clear that we should be as active as we can for as long as we can. although I think there is some debate over extreme workouts.
Coco recently posted…Whatever It Takes
I had the LP, Coco! No video, just audio. Of course, the first video tape player didn’t come on the market (that I was aware of) until I’d been married for a year or two! Again, dating myself! LOL
I never knew you started running marathons just before your 40th bday! I learn something new about you each week for WW!
Lauren recently posted…Strength Training for Distance Runners
Yep, Oprah inspired me… I thought, “My goodness, if Oprah can run a marathon, I know I can!” I happened to be turning 40 the following year so I set it as my goal. I remember telling two rather elite athlete friends at a New Year’s Eve party that I’d decided to train for a marathon and they both poo-poo’d me saying it would be much more challenging than I though. All that did was give me extra determination! I ran my first marathon less than a month before my 40th birthday and qualified for Boston, and then ran a 50-miler a month later. I showed them! 😀
It’s really very simple: use it or lose it. And I’ve watched my inlaws & parents lose it & it didn’t have to be that way — they had no illnesses or injuries that prevented them from continuing to exercise; they just chose not to do it.
I hope to be running for the rest of my life (especially since I started so late).
Judy @ Chocolaterunsjudy recently posted…90% of _____ is mental . . .
Use it or lose it – exactly!
I have the same goal, but I’ve put a lot of wear and tear on my body for years. I hope we can both meet our goals! 🙂
When I sat down to write this post, that Olivia Newton-John song kept running through my head! And no, I wasn’t a leg warmer kind of gal…
I’ve increased my strength training for my 50th decade. I’ve done a lot of research on exercise as we age and since we lose muscle mass faster in our later years, all the “experts” recommend strength training. It’s been a lot of fun and I’ve enjoyed improvement on the road as well!
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…So I Run…
From reading your blog over the last year, I’d say that you exemplify the importance of strength training while marathon training as much as anyone I know. When injuries have reared their ugly heads, you and your trainer have made adjustments in your strength training to counter those injuries, and with pretty good success. Keep up the hard work!
Oh, I’d forgotten about Olivia’s “Physical”! Back when I was in high school, our school’s dance team did a routine to that and I (who was sadly, not a member of that group) was so jealous about how fabulous they were. They even wore Flashdance-style sweatshirts!
I think you’re right on with keeping moving. Strength training is huge, and I’ve benefitted a LOT from regular yoga to get everything moving. Great prompt, Deb!
Anne recently posted…Be Still My Heart: a Different Kind of Physical
Those Flashdance-style sweatshirts were pretty awesome indeed! It’s great that you’re seeing such good benefits from yoga. I know I have, too!
ha ha we all had Olivia in our heads I guess! Strength training does help a lot as we age. I am sure I won’t be able to keep up my exercise forever at the same rate I do now but I am not ready to give in to aging yet! Thanks for the link up! Fun
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner recently posted…Let’s Get Physical
Strength training is SO important! I’m already starting to notice that I struggle slightly to lift the same amount of weight on a couple of my exercises. At 58, I haven’t been able to go up on any of my weights recently, but I do focus on perfect form and slowing down my reps to compensate for not being able to move to heavier weights. It’s all about finding the perfect balance between finding improvement and not getting injured. I’m thankful I have the time and energy to put into it!
I started with Jane! I think I did all of the fashion except the cocked-to-the-side ponytail. I wonder why I didn’t? The “physical” we had in the early 80s is all I knew. I’m not even sure it created sweat–I don’t remember sweating one drop. My, my how things have changed!
You know, I hadn’t thought about that! I don’t remember sweating during those classes either.
I had all the crazy body suits lol and I was so bad about really good shoes when I was younger…
The mental benefits of the physical is what keeps me coming back 🙂 I try to still make gains in strength especially, I feel like that has the most impact on my overall health.
Karen Bayne recently posted…A Tour
I like that! “The mental benefits of the physical is what keeps me coming back.” It’s great that you’re sticking with strength training because that’s so important for our longterm health and mobility.
When I have aches and pains I often wonder if it is because I run or if it’s just a result of an aging body? I wonder if my body will be worse off or better if I continue to run as I get older? Any advice?
As someone who ran about 50 miles a week for years, and ran 40 marathons and an ultra in 13 years; I’d recommend not overdoing it with the mileage. I wish I’d read Run Less, Run Faster years go and implemented the idea of doing three key runs per week (track repeats, tempo run, and long run) into my routine earlier. I’m sure all of the miles haven’t helped with my current aches and pains, but looking back, I was having a lot of fun so I can’t complain. After my Ragnar Relay DC is behind me next month, I might switch to 5K’s and ten-milers at the longest. My other bit of advice would be to incorporate strength training and stretching (or yoga) into your weekly routine. The benefits are huge at helping to keep you injury free. During most of those years of high mileage training, I was rarely injured, and I’m pretty sure that regular strength training helped prevent those common runner’s injuries. Good luck!
I am so much more active than I ever was in my 20s ( I did Jane Fonda too !) and have never looked or felt better. However, I do find that I need so much more warm up, cool down, stretching and foam rolling to keep injury at bay. And that is frustrating…. 🙁
Karen – Fit in France recently posted…Vacation favorites & vacay-fessions
Indeed – I see that same thing. On the positive side, doesn’t it make you feel fabulous that you’re more fit now than ever? 😀
Yes definitely !
Karen – Fit in France recently posted…Vacation favorites & vacay-fessions
I am going to have to get on the word of the week band wagon! My mom had a Jane Fonda and I remember putting on my gymnastics leotard and leg warmers and doing it. So much fun! I think in this world of ipads and internet its so important to keep kids physical. Luckily for us we have a lot of outdoor space for the kids to run around and play in.
Christy recently posted…Three Things Thursday: Heading into Taper Mode!
We’d love to have you join us for Wednesday Word! 🙂