How To Train For Life!

Hey Reader!

Welcome to the first edition of the “Train For Life” newsletter!

This week’s edition is focusing on the hips - an area of the body that we need to look after, as they are prone to wear and tear due to the amount we use them!

And while I don’t want to put the fear of god into you, once the hip joint starts to incur some wear and tear we need to slow that process down as much as possible….

While there will always be natural causes such as osteoarthritis that we may have to deal with (especially as we get older), there are also lifestyle factors that can speed up the process too, and these are:

• Sedentary lifestyle - Not enough exercise or movement and/or prolonged sitting.

• Excess weight - Being above your optimal weight can put more stress on your joints.

• Overuse and repetitive stress - A lot of high impact sports like long distance running and a lack of variety in your training overall.

• Posture - Being stuck in certain positions too long coupled with lacking strength in supporting muscle groups (the back side of the body especially).

• Poor footwear - Living in designer shoes or not wearing the right footwear when you train and exercise.

Now finally the GOOD news as there’s actually a simple remedy to keep your hips mobile, strong and resilient to injury.

It’s called RESISTANCE EXERCISE!

And while squats, deadlifts, glute bridges and so on certainly have their merits and benefits….

There’s a few other movements the hip can perform, and should be considered to round out an exercise program to keep them strong and healthy for life.

These movements include:

• Extension - Thigh moving backwards or behind you.

• Flexion - Thigh moving towards chest (opposite of extension).

• Abduction - Thigh moving out to side away from midline.

• Adduction - Thigh moving towards the midline (opposite of abduction).

• Internal rotation - Thigh rotating inwardly.

• External rotation - Thigh rotating outwardly.

Incorporating exercises for these movements ensures all the key muscles of the hip are trained, meaning more control and support as we move and stay active!

This means less wear and tear and a reduction in injury risk over the longterm, so you can continue to do the activities and play the sports you love!

Muscles and joints are CONNECTED so strong and functional muscles play a crucial role in the health and lifespan of our joints.

And just for the record, resistance training doesn't have to mean lifting heavy weights, and can be adapted and suited to anyone at any age!

To add more context and give you some ideas, below is a FREE link to an exercise sheet with video links to some simple but effective bodyweight exercises for all hip movements.

For now thanks reading this first edition and stay tuned for the second edition of Train For Life next Friday!

Daryl