Human beings go through several physical and mental changes during their lifetime. From the moment we are born, we are constantly learning new skills that enable us to adapt to our ever-changing body, mind, and environment. This means that as we grow older, our bodies’ needs and limitations suffer considerable modifications. In addition, our interests and priorities continue to evolve throughout our life. Things that were important to you when you were a teenager will probably become irrelevant as you grow older.
Let’s consider how exercise habits change during a lifetime. Kids are usually very active. They enjoy running, jumping, and climbing. Physical activities come naturally to them as part of games. Moreover, kids consider these activities fun. Now, think about a young adult who is in college. At this time, exercise is usually found through the practice of organized sports. These activities require the development of specific skills and the learning of a number of rules. There is a competitive edge related to the activity, and some may still consider it fun. A middle-age person may have completely different motivations to exercise. Maybe this person wants to lose weight or just keep his/her body in shape. Most people in this age group engage in structured exercise for health and fitness purposes, and they seldom find exercising fun. An older adult, on the other hand, may engage in regular physical activities to prevent/treat chronic diseases or to improve the performance of activities of daily living. Another motivation for exercising may be its social aspect. This group may find enjoyment in interacting with other individuals who share similar needs.
As you may have noticed, not only our body goes through changes, but also our mind. The truth is that those changes generally happen little by little, and most of the time, we are unaware of them. However, we are always changing, adapting, and evolving. New skills are constantly being learned through a number of activities. When we embrace the learning experience, we may improve many aspects of our lives. However, if you tend to resist change (staying in your comfort zone), you will probably take longer to move forward. Keep in mind that your ability to overcome obstacles in life is closely related to how open you are to learning new skills.
Engaging in activities that challenge your mind and body in different ways is the perfect medium to help you develop new skills. That’s because these activities give your body (and mind) opportunities to practice a new behavior in a controlled environment. This means that even though you are putting your body into an unknown situation, your mind knows that it is not life-threatening which will enable you to practice without fear.
Consider the physical skills for a moment. There are at least ten different ways to train your body: endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, ability, accuracy, and balance. Most people usually stick to only two or three, usually endurance, strength and flexibility. This means that for many individuals, there is room for improvement. Keep in mind that challenging your body in different ways may improve other aspects of your life. For example, if you are prone to falls, training your balance may help you. But if you just avoid activities that challenge your balance because you are afraid to fall, you are not getting anywhere.
Therefore, assess your current needs and discover which skills you need to work on. Get out of your comfort zone; challenge yourself. Find an activity you never tried before or something you are not good at, and go for it. Aim to build the necessary set of skills that will improve your abilities. Don’t be afraid to fail. Think of yourself as a baby who is starting to walk. A baby won’t give up just because it experienced a fall. Encourage your inner baby to go one step at a time. You will get there; you only need perseverance.
Reference
Gavin, J. Lifestyle Fitness Coaching. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. 2005.