And I realize that I have been dressing more and more “sporty” over the last year, mostly under the influence of both Neghar’s fashion tutelage (and obsession with Adidas) and the fact that I have been, well, training like an athlete
more.
I’ve been sprinting at the track weekly.
I’ve been doing CrossFit regularly, learning (or remembering!) skills like rope climbs, jump rope, handstand push-ups and handstand walks, box jumps, sled pushes, tire flips and sandbag carries.
And as you know, I’ve been doing a ton of #treadLIFT workouts over the last 3 months.
I feel like an athlete
again.
This, after many, many years of being a gym rat slash meathead, doing hours and hours of monotonous cardio on machines, teaching a million group fitness classes and engaging in traditional body building lifts. Not that there’s anything wrong with all that, but I was burned out on it.
For the last several years, fitness has felt like a job.
I stopped training because I loved it, and started doing it because
I HAD TO, or else I feared I would blow up and gain a thousand pounds overnight. For a long time, I used exercise as a control mechanism, counting calories and minutes instead of asking myself, “Do I even enjoy this??”
Back in high school and college, when I was an elite track and field athlete and crew rower, respectively, I didn’t exercise to burn calories. I exercised because challenging my body to get faster, stronger and more muscular was incentive
enough.
Performance and enjoyment were at the forefront.
I didn’t play sports because I needed to lose weight or get leaner. I played because it felt good to move, sweat and … win!
Lol, yes, I am competitive. I admit it. I tried to say I wasn’t recently, and Sinkler called me out on it, “Yes, you’re competitive. It’s because you’re an athlete.”
Am I?
I think I
am.
And if you’re anything like me, challenging your body in new ways isn’t about having to lose weight every second, it’s about the joy of learning, growing, changing and the innate inspiration you experience when you are engaged in something that’s bigger than needing to get lean.
Athletes don’t train to look good, they look good because they train intensely and because they challenge their bodies in new
ways.
One of my best friends is a kickass fitness coach, not to mention a former member of the US Womens Rugby team. Jen Sinkler is my #1 go-to for everything strength, speed and power.
And luckily for all of us, Jen thinks anyone can train like an athlete, even if they’ve never played sports. It’s all about intention, trying new things and then practicing those new things over and over again.
One of the ways I
engage in this process is through SPRINTING.
It’s one of the best exercises for the abs (don’t believe me, do a couple 100m sprints and call me tomorrow!) and also for the JOINTS. Wanna keep your joints young, put some force on them! Yes, it’s uncomfortable at first and you’re going to be sore, but over time, you come to realize that exerting force on the joints is a natural lubrication for the knees, ankles, hips, spine and even
shoulders!
Scared to sprint?
“Sprinting” is relative. One person might run 100 yards
in 20 seconds, while for someone else it takes 40s. The key is not in the time, but in the feeling. So it’s a practice in mindfulness too (!!!), knowing what your body can handle and listening to it, while staying safe.
Anyone can do this! If you have a driveway or a back yard or a quiet street, you can get out there and try your best.
One of my 60-year-old clients does hill sprints weekly. She started out slow, listened to her
body, committed to once a week, and has gotten faster (not to mention healthier and leaner). Cool, right?
Check out Jen’s FREE video
right here to get all the details.
And let me know how you
do!
Xo,
Jill
P.S. Look out for a FREE track sprint workout from me next week - I'll be sending one of my favs to your inbox! You will love it, and you'll also want to 🔪 - but that's fine! I luh
you.
