Being physically equipped for your day-to-day activities may not sound like a big deal right now. When you’re 30 or 40, you can take your body’s strength and suppleness for granted. But trust me, it doesn’t stay that way. Consider, too, that you don’t have to be an AARP member to start noticing some effects of age. Our bodies typically begin losing lean muscle mass and strength sometime in our thirties; that’s one reason the average American gains a pound a year, every year, after about age 25. Then there’s our ability to balance, which typically peaks in our twenties and gradually spirals downward from then on.
Functional fitness isn’t a new idea; physical therapists and a subset of athletic coaches and physical trainers have understood it for years. But training that’s “well-rounded” and “balanced” doesn’t generate the same media buzz as “five moves to make your body bikini-ready.” As a result, many people across all age groups still come at fitness from a relatively narrow perspective. Some are convinced all they need is cardio machines, or a spin class, or a daily run. Others, mostly men, go in for old-school bodybuilding, ignoring how often they get hurt. Still others, often women, swear by yoga and never go near a dumbbell. The hoary notion that strength is “unfeminine” has had surprising staying power.
Don’t get me wrong—any kind of physical activity is a good thing. But one-dimensional approaches may not be sustainable over the long haul, and they certainly aren’t enough to keep you young.
On a positive note, functional fitness seems to be catching on with this younger generation. Compared with the baby boomers I know, millennials strike me as much more intent on balancing intense career work with vigorous, varied physical workouts, no matter how early they have to get up to do it. A lot of young guys seem smart about strength-training, too, focusing on whole-body movements, endurance, and agility work rather than showing off with heavy weights. I’ve also been impressed by how many young women put into practice the belief that “strong is beautiful.”
Do I wish I’d started working out more seriously and sensibly at their age? Of course I do, but there are no do-overs for the last 40 years. I’m just glad I got there eventually and I’m inspired by the upcoming generation’s growing effort to educate and prioritize health and wellness. We can all rest a little easier knowing those that the proceeding age groups have the chance to do better, stay healthier, and learn from their elders’ mistakes.
