Training offers lifelong advantages in mental, physical health, morals.
I had a very special moment last week that I’d like to share with you. After 30 years of Brazilian jujitsu training and a lot of hard work and preparation, I was honored by being awarded third-degree black belt status by the United Fighting Arts Federation, an organization I founded in 1979. The foundation is the governing and sanctioning body for the martial art form known as Chun Kuk Do (meaning “the universal way”).
I’m proud of this achievement, and I mention it to illustrate the importance of constantly finding goals in fitness training, no matter your level or exercise option. The struggle we face once we’ve developed a healthy degree of fitness is how to remain consistent with our training while being reasonable and realistic based on the limitations age brings on. One way is by constantly setting well-thought-out goals for ourselves.
So many people believe that as they age, vigorous exercise is unsafe or that it is no longer an alternative for them. Many stop exercising altogether. But recent studies are proving that belief to be not necessarily true. For mature adults, the key is having proper medical supervision and advice before selecting an exercise activity and level. Many low- to moderate-risk individuals have been cleared for vigorous intensities of training by medical professionals. A recent report in the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal found vigorous activities to be a healthy choice for low- to moderate-risk individuals and even effective at preventing or reversing the deficits associated with many chronic ailments.
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