SIMPLE WAYS TO MAINTAIN ATHLETICISM
As we move further away in years from our athletic endeavors, we find that our ability to maintain that athleticism slowly goes by the wayside. We may play tennis or pickleball or pick up basketball, but these are usually sporadic occurrences and do not always provide adequate stimulus to prevent the precipitous decline in our sporting capabilities. As a result, what can be done to delay and maybe negate the diminishing of these abilities? Here are three areas of training that can be emphasized to enhance your overall fitness and athleticism.
1. Jump. Power output greatly decreases as we age. We lose the ability to tap into the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC). The SSC is the rapid process of a muscle lengthening (eccentric phase) before quickly shortening (concentric phase). An example of this is a simple box jump or countermovement jump. If you are starting from scratch and need more of a regression, a good place to start would be some simple jump roping. Most of us have done this at some point in our lives, so this would be a fantastic tool to implement to rebuild the muscle and connective tissue of the lower body. Another exercise that could be utilized (similar to the movement in jump roping) would be to add in some bilateral in place pogos. Once again, these are a great option to incorporate the stretch-shortening cycle so that the calves and achilles tendon can have the resiliency to withstand any activity thrown their way!
2. Throw/Toss Med Balls. Following the theme of power output declining as we age, medicine ball throws are a great avenue for attacking this potential weakness. This activity enables people to produce and absorb force as they typically toss a ball against a wall. There are a ton of variations that can be utilized in this category. You can do scoop or shot put tosses from all types of positions: half-kneeling, tall-kneeling, split-stance, staggered-stance. If you are playing a sport, you can mimic that sport by the way you throw or toss the medicine ball. People who play golf, tennis, or baseball/softball can focus more on the rotation aspect of a medicine ball toss and implement something as simple as a Rotational Med Ball Scoop Toss. Soccer or volleyball players can do an Overhead Med Ball Throw. If you want to spruce up your med ball work even more, you can add in linear acceleration technique throws or frontal plane (lateral) momentum-based actions such as step aways or shuffles ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8aoGPTYB78: ).
3.Cutting (Change of Direction/Agility). The ability to cut or change direction declines as our participation in sport lessens. Accordingly, ladders or cones are tools that can be utilized to minimize these losses. The elasticity and resiliency of the lower body (ankles, feet, etc) can be strengthened from these drills in addition to proprioception and coordination. Two simple movements that you can start with are the Ickey Shuffle and Lateral / Sideways In-In Out-Out. These exercises are more focused on the frontal plane since linear locomotion (forward and backward) is typically the default position as we age. Cues for these drills are to keep your arms, shoulders and hands relaxed and to keep your weight on the balls of your feet. In regard to cone drills, the Pro Agility and the Square are great for pre-planned change of direction and training the components associated with deceleration and (re)acceleration ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYDXaXRodWc&t=4s, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smr1V2dL4r4). Change of direction drills are viewed as the foundation to (improved) agility, which relies on the body’s ability to react and deal with external stimuli (i.e. opponent’s actions) in the area of play. Nevertheless, by incorporating these movements, your athleticism can take a big step in the right direction.
Your athleticism doesn’t have to retire after playing high school or college sports. You can still maintain these qualities with simple training strategies easily implemented at the beginning of your traditional workout. Overall, the stretch shortening cycle via jumps and throws and change of direction training with ladders and cones can pave the way to a robust and long-lasting playing career.
Written by Coach Jay Corwell
We do not claim to be medical professionals or claim to give medical advice. You should consult your physician or doctor if you have any questions or concerns regarding this information.