What does Physical Resilience mean?
Resilience is a powerful word. It conjures up images of withstanding adversity, growing stronger from hardships, and evolving into the best version we can through facing challenges. To be physically resilient means to be adaptable, durable, and persistent no matter the setback. It is a confidence that you build through hard work. The knowledge that you can go play with your grandkids and roll around on the floor. That you can try skiing for the first time and not worry about your knees hurting for a month. That you can go rock climbing (an activity I recently started). That you can play a game of pick-up basketball with your friends or kids. That you can live your life physically unafraid.
Unfortunately, for many people these activities sound like a death sentence for their bodies. Chronically under-used joints scream at the slightest change to their normal function. Blood pressure, heart rate, lungs all scream at us to stop, that this will kill us if we keep going. Unnecessary adipose tissue, body fat, weigh us down making it that much harder to do what we want. Life can easily become physically unfulfilling.
At Resilience Training we are on a mission to change this. Every human deserves to use their body to the extent that it can be used, and that level of physicality is so much greater than we give credit. Everyone deserves to be physically resilient.
How do you become resilient? The first step is to start. Often the first step is the most difficult. Any movement is better than no movement.
That being said, here are 4 areas to consider while you plan and execute your fitness transformation.
Progressive Loading:
Progressive loading is by far the most important aspect of training for resilience. It is essential that starting out you begin with a movement, weight, exercise that is at or below your level. This is especially important for those who have been sedentary for many years but can apply to all. Once you find your starting place, slowly progress your skill to gain strength, flexibility, stability, and endurance. Find your limitations and challenge them methodically and gently. This approach will save you from injuries and guarantee that you don’t overextend. Often injuries come from doing too much too soon, after doing too little for too long.
Diet:
Diet is as important as training. If you are going to be using your body, make sure to provide it with the essential nutrients it needs to function and grow. Both macro and micronutrients are essential for physical and mental health. Determine your total calorie needs. Do you need to eat in a surplus, at maintenance, or in a deficit? Make sure the food you eat is mostly real whole foods. The more processed an item is the less you know about it and the more likely you are to eat something toxic. Eat more protein. The modern diet maximizes simple carbs and limits real fats and proteins. Get your greens and vitamins. Unfortunately, much of the produce grown today has a significantly worse nutrient profile than 100 years ago. Supplementing with vitamins can help combat this agricultural shortcoming. Drink more water, and less sugar. Processed sugars are bad on our system, but even artificial sweeteners can negatively impact weight and general health.
Recovery:
Recovery is a massive category but is essential to gaining strength and preventing injuries. Sleep and nutrition both aid recovery. Target 8 hrs. of sleep. On days when your sleep is impaired reduce the intensity of activity. Hydrate and eat appropriate nutrition. Supplement your body’s natural recovery with modalities you find benefit in. For me some of these involve cold exposure, heat exposure, joint compression, low intensity movement, and myofascial work.
Specification:
Determine what you want to be capable of and target those areas. Where are your weaknesses? In what positions or during what movements do you find pain? Build your weakest links first and always apply a sense of balance to your training. If you are a runner, target running specific goals. If you are a powerlifter target strength specific goals, if you are a non-athlete target everyday activities.
Building a truly durable body that is capable of taking on the many adventures life has to offer takes time, consistency, and perseverance. Make a plan and execute it daily until it no longer feels like a burden and is instead part of your normal healthy and resilient lifestyle.
Stay Resilient
-Chris P
