The older I get the more important the things I took for granted are. When you're in your 20s and 30s, you're most likely not thinking about your 40s, 50s, and beyond. Now in my 50s, I think about a lot more than just getting big and strong.
Thinking about my longevity is a big reason I have started taking conditioning more seriously. And it's my conditioning that has sprung my sudden interest in agility.
Last weekend I went for a trail hike. Feeling a little frisky I decided to do a little run/walk. Run/walks by the way are a great entry into conditioning. You run as long as you feel like it and stop and walk when you no longer want to. Sounds simple enough, but most people push themselves too hard and end up bagging conditioning altogether.
Anwyay, while I was running I tripped over a rock and hit the deck. The instant I was going down there was a split second of panic. Having had some neck, back, hip, and shoulder issues, one never knows how well their body will hold up when taking a tumble.
Fortunately, I tucked my shoulder, hit the ground, did a little roll to my side, popped up, and kept running as if nothing had happened. For the next minute, I waited for that little jolt of adrenaline to wear off and feel what hurt. Nothing ever came.
As I continued running I realized with my love of outdoor activities like skiing, hiking, climbing, paddling, etc it would be in my best interest to improve upon my agility. I actually may even look into a little tumbling.
This all may sound crazy, but I don't want to end up as some broken hip dead within a year in my 60s statistic. Sure, weightlifting will help, but I'd like to hedge my odds more if I can.
We'll see where this goes. Stay tuned.
