Transitions | Changes In Life

Life happens. Transitions come, and changes in life make us face new challenges. How do those transitions, or changes in life, affect your health and fitness?

Transitions – parenting

So why would I post about transitions on a fitness blog? Why today? My youngest graduated from high school. Just typing that brings a rush of emotions.

That change in life hits me in two ways: excitement for my daughter, and facing the reality of our home without kids in it (an empty nest). Thinking through those emotions I realized that those two milestones play a huge role in marking our path in life: leaving high school and becoming empty nesters.

Life After High School

Leaving high school is a major milestone in this country. For many it is a milestone that marks when their fitness changed; often for the worse.

Through the years I’ve met many people (both men and women) who longing talk about the sports and activities they used to do back when they were in high school. But as you listen it is also obvious that for many, that was the last time they were involved in anything physical. The results are often obvious in their physique, but the hidden damages are probably more disastrous.

Face life after high school as a new adventure. With these three tips:

1. Leverage the past – remember the sports you played and leverage that looking ahead. I quit playing hockey after high school, but I still watch for activities that are fast paced and filled with intervals of intensity.
2. Find New Activities – Get involved. With the changes in life you experience you can uncover new activities. Some might be limited by age/ability (see videos below for what I can’t do), while others become possible. For us, moving to Colorado has let me embrace snowboarding, and hiking. Find something!
3. Pursue Mastery – When you pick new activities pour into it and start pursuing mastery. By diving into new activities you experience two things: quicker learning, and higher probability of staying involved.

Life as Empty Nesters

As a parent the phrase “life after high school” means facing a different transition, the transition to becoming empty nesters. For my health and fitness this transition can’t mean becoming sedentary. Many parents only find activity through their kids; coaching sports, and running from one activity to another. Without those things in life we need to discover others things.

For us we search for activities we can enjoy together as husband and wife. We enjoy hiking the countless trails surrounding Colorado Springs. We joined Lifetime Fitness in Colorado Springs and are excited to try some group fitness classes together.

So as you turn around and find yourself an empty nester just make sure you still find reasons to get out of the nest yourself. Remember Sitting Can Kill You.

What I Can’t Do

Okay so that phrase doesn’t really fit. I even wrote a post entitled, Don’t Tell Me What I Can’t Do. But as a 40 year old there are times where … wisdom (others might say “fear”) controls what activities I try. Here are two activities that have come up in the past year that I want to try, but know better: parkour and freeboarding.

Parkour – Running that I could Enjoy

I’ve mentioned before that I find running to be terribly boring. That’s just me. For many running is they key to unlocking their fitness. That has been true for my dad, who started running to get ahead of his asthma. Running has set him free; it’s just not for me. Part of me wishes that I’m allergic to running because then I would indeed have a great excuse to find other forms of cardio exercise; like parkour.

But then I heard about parkour I was sucked in. Here was a form of running that brings a level of adrenaline, excitement, and physical strength to play. Here is the definition from American Parkour’s FAQ:

Parkour is the physical discipline of training to overcome any obstacle within one’s path by adapting one’s movements to the environment.

I so want to do it; but doing these types of movements might not be so good for the health of my bones. Check out this video:

Freeboarding – Snowboard All Year Long

I heard about freeboarding from my son’s friends that joined us in the Rockies for some snowboarding. They talked about this cool board that was like a skateboard, but let you do more snowboarding moves on it. Anything that would let me continue working on my tail-press 360 gets my attention; this sure did.

Check this video:

But I kept searching for other videos (not going to share them) and starting seeing the accidents people were having. I was quickly reminded how different falling on pavements is from falling on the snow. I’m sure I would love freeboarding, but I don’t need any compound fractures.

What Can I Do

I don’t like limits and I do like exploring all life has to offer. This summer I’m looking forward to two exciting new possibilities: The Incline and 14ers.

Nestled into the little town of Manitou Springs is The Incline, which is a trail that goes up 2,000 feet in 2 miles. I’m looking forward to running it with a group from work (at least a few times) this summer.

Colorado has 58 peaks over 14,000 feet, the 14ers. I’d like to tacle one. Yup, just one. I’m thinking of Mount Quandry, mostly because I think it has a very cool name. Check out the definition from Merriam-Webster: quandry

a state of perplexity or doubt

What a thing to overcome during transitions or changes in life!

How about you? What transitions, or changes in life, are you facing and how will they affect your health and fitness?