When I was a little girl my parents packed up blankets and snacks every Friday night and we headed to my brother’s high school football game. Turns out he was a top player in the state, recruited by lots of colleges and played 4 years at a Division 1 school. So, you could say I grew up watching football and fell in love with it. September always holds a special place in my heart as football season begins anew. On Saturdays and Sundays I watch as many games as I can. I know a thing or two about the sport.
THE BIG PICTURE
Wise Goddess, you may be the furthest thing from a football fan. But, I’ll bet there is at least one person in your life that watches the games, so you do know the sport exists. And, you probably know professional football players are big, muscular and make lots of money. They work out all the time, it’s part of the job description. And, as the years have gone by athletes have gotten smarter about taking care of their most important asset, their bodies.
Injuries run rampant in football so many players seek out therapies, exercise modalities and eating regimens to stay healthy. For some players, the more games they play in the season the more money they make. That’s a pretty good incentive to stay upright and functioning on the field.
When it comes to you, Wise Goddess, the incentive to increase and maintain your health is staying independent as you age. In other words, you want to stay upright and functioning until your game of life is finished. Now that’s the ultimate incentive, because you can’t put a price on living free of chronic illness, walkers, wheelchairs and nursing homes!
TRAIN LIKE AN ATHLETE
Now that you see how you and football players have a common goal of keeping your bodies in top notch working order, don’t you want to know what they do that you should be doing too?
Here’s 2 words for you, yoga and Pilates. Yep, more and more football players are adding these exercise modalities to their workout regimen. Some entire teams are incorporating them into their training camps. Why? Because the research shows that yoga and Pilates work in a myriad of ways to help football players better prepare for game days. The Los Angeles Chargers have a yoga instructor on staff. “I was going into it expecting to tell them all the reasons why they should be practicing yoga and why it’s so beneficial,” said Kaleen Lugo. “They’re just like, ‘You’re preaching to the choir, girl. We know.”
One doesn’t think of football players as natural yogis but that’s really the whole point. Anyone can practice yoga and reap the benefits. If a 300 pound defensive lineman can do it, so can you. And, it’s about so much more than flexibility and balance.
James Collins, Los Angeles Chargers Director of Football/Medical Services says, “yoga is great for multidirectional joints such as the elbows, wrists, ankles, hips and shoulders. Regular stretching is linear and doesn’t help strengthen those areas.” He goes on to say, “At a minimum, doing it (yoga) helps maintain what you have and reduce your chance of injury.”
New York Giants linebacker Jordan Williams said,”I didn’t realize once I got the hold of it (yoga) how much stronger I felt. I wasn’t doing anything but using my body weight, and I felt so much stronger.”
Mental toughness, focus and breath are also key benefits of yoga. These combined with strength gains in both muscles and joints should have you saying yes, yes, yes to practicing yoga. Remember, your end game is living independently throughout your golden years!
What about Pilates? Lots of overlap in the reasons athletes practice this discipline in addition to or in place of yoga. Pilates creates a stronger, more flexible spine and core and promotes faster recovery from strains and injuries. It turns out Pilates helps with injury prevention. New England Patriots defensive back Adrian Phillips says, “It (Pilates) puts you in those awkward positions and when you get out there on that field your body knows it’s been in that position before and you’re able to power through it.” Translation for you, Wise Goddess? In the event you fall awkwardly you may get up and be just fine!
BOTTOM LINE
Many things professional football players do to stay on the field and play a grueling 17 game schedule cost lots of money and take lots of time. However, practicing yoga and/or Pilates isn’t one of those things. My suggestion to you, Wise Goddess, is take a couple of classes and see if you prefer yoga or Pilates. Most peeps have a definite favorite. Then, incorporate that discipline into your weekly schedule once or twice a week. I think you will be surprised at how your body will feel after a few months of diligent practice.
If you are interested in an online option I would love for you to join my monthly membership and take part in the 5 Stage Wise Goddesses Success Pathway. It’s packed with yoga, Pilates, barre, strength training and agility for women 50 and beyond. You can learn more by heading here.
Finally, think about watching a football game this fall. It’s a 100 yard field, 11 players on each side of the ball, spectacular catches, hard hits, some interesting touchdown celebrations and muscular men in tight pants. Just sayin…
