Achieving Balance In Your Workout

 Why is there a need for balance in your workout?

    Everyone has their favorite activities and exercises. We can't get around the fact we have preferences. It is in our nature to move to what we like best. However, in order to do that activities and exercises we like so much, we will need to do some work that may not be our favorite, but it helps us achieve balance. We should all strive to want balance and want to do the work that makes us balanced. 

What does a balanced athlete look like?

    There is no one answer to this, but let's look at a hypothetical profile of an athlete. Let's say we have a football player, like a wide receiver that plays football. Obviously there is a defined skill set within the sport itself that has to be mastered. That is what the player loves the most. However, what allows the player to be able to run fast, lose defensive backs, jump high for passes, and hold contorted positions in an effort to make great plays? It is a complex array of physical abilities that come from training muscles, joints, central nervous system, and so much more. Some of that training and work is enjoyable some of it is not so much. Some is easier, some is more difficult, and some may even be temporarily painful if you are pushing your body to the limits.

    Let's face it, doing exercises in a strength and conditioning room is a lot less interesting than testing your speed and agility against other players on the field. However, what allows a player to excel in that contest are the drills and conditioning exercises that help control the physical abilities of the athlete. This is what they often talk about when it comes to separating the good athletes from the elite athletes. 

    It takes a special level of dedication, concentration, knowledge, and motivation to work hard and find balance to the point where you make yourself not just good, but great. If you look at the great athletes, in any sport, you will find that they achieved that level of balance needed in their sport in order to excel. Greatness requires an athlete to be extraordinary. To be extraordinary means you have to be balanced to excel beyond what your peers are doing.

That is great, but how does this apply to the average person?

    I realize that the average person is not going up against other athletes on a daily basis, so how do we convert this concept into terms that can apply to a person in his or her day-to-day life? Let's just look at people as they approach their 40s and 50s. Things start to change in the human body. Let's say a person likes to go for long walks, but as they age, walking alone is not enough, because joints can stiffen, muscles get tighter, injuries are more likely to occur. What would be an element that can be added to their morning walk that would help them extend it back to the mileage he or she used to do? Well, some basic mobility training to get the joints a more full range of motion. That may not sound as enjoyable as the walk, but it will make the walk much better if you allows a person to go for longer periods of time. It is not always about an opponent. Sometimes it is about meeting the challenges of a changing body or environment. Maybe there was an injury, and there is a need to do rehab. Obviously the rehab may not be the most interesting work or activity, but it will get you back to the point of where you can go for your walks, and maybe other forms of exercise are needed long term to maintain stability. That aging process forces this on us all at one point of another. Also, the process of achieving balance in your physical activities is an evolving process. It will not always be the same, and changing the routine just might make it more interesting as well.

    Talk to your trainer or your doctor about how to balance your exercise and fitness routine. research options, and educate yourself. Martial artists have spoken for years about striving for balance to be a complete martial artist. There is a reason for this. An imbalanced martial artist is one that is not that successful. You have no further than to look than at the symbol for yin and yang. The very symbol speaks of balance.

    Keep training. Do what you like, but branch out and explore your options so you have have a larger set of physical tools to enjoy your daily activities.

Keep training and stay safe!