Physical fitness is relative. Health is something we take for granted in our youth. While there are some that struggle with childhood illnesses, we largely enjoy virtually pain-free childhoods into early adulthood. Depending on lifestyle, that can change slowly or rapidly. Neglecting our health is a certain way to encounter illness as we age. However, the other side of it is an inadequately executed physical fitness plan can also erode our health. 

Results from poor or great health choices may take time to observe. New workout plan? Probably won’t see a change in body composition for at least several weeks or even longer. Poor diet? May take months or years to realize the results. Bottom line, our bodies may take time to tell us something is working or something is wrong. For clarity, I am not a doctor, and this is not medical advice. Consult your doctor before engaging in changes to your diet or exercise. 

A case study in functional fitness

I grew up doing manual labor. When I was a preteen, I did yardwork at home and even dabbled in construction as my family built our home. As a teenager, I engaged in construction which became a full-time profession when I was 15 years old. I continued doing that work for almost the next decade. During this span, I seldom engaged in any type of organized fitness. Perhaps a little sporadic strength training was about the extent. 

Fitness was completely of the “functional” variety as I developed my body specifically to do the things I needed to do for my job. There was no lacking area in that my job environment provided cardiorespiratory fitness through constant movement, focused strength training, and muscular endurance. While there were normal aches and pains from overuse, I was largely adapted to my environment. 

Transitioning to readiness

Following my construction era, I began my career in the military. Every day in the military begins with physical fitness training. This lasts for one to one and a half hours. The focus areas varied but it typically centered around running for cardiorespiratory fitness, and some sort of bodyweight strength training. This differed from my previous functional fitness such that it often focused on the organizational physical fitness test. That assessment consisted of pushups, sit-ups, and a two-mile run. 

While these created sort of a mastery of those basic skills, the overuse piled up over the years. Running isn’t for everyone. Even as a relatively thin person, the beating on my joints eroded them to the point that distance running is no longer an activity in which I can easily engage. The key part of creating physical fitness plans that allow people to be all-around ‘ready’ is that we cannot do the exact same thing through endless repetition. The variety must be an integral part of the program. 

Creating sustainable fitness

As I’ve aged, my belief is the cornerstone of maintaining our ability is strength. Not hitting the gym to lift for the sake of building pretty muscles. But an overall strength of the major muscle groups typically referred to simply as, “strength training”. It allows us to build sustainable strength that helps to protect us from some injuries. Back pain? Probably weak muscles. Knee pain? Probably too much high-impact activity without strengthening the surrounding muscles. You get the picture. 

Once the strength is there, we can introduce things to improve our cardiorespiratory fitness. By building the strength first, we help protect the joints from erosion. The cushioning cartilage in our joints doesn’t continue to grow, it erodes over our lifetime. As I have found the hard way, it’s best to protect it while we can. I’m not saying that running is bad. I’m simply saying that 40-50 miles per week on hard surfaces without adequate strength will likely not maintain our joint health. 

What I’m Doing

Five years ago, my body had become a wreck. Knee pain, lower back pain, and upper back pain. The years of beatings on my body and an inadequately designed fitness regimen left me in constant pain. Then, I discovered strength training. I won’t misrepresent. Strength training has produced some pain of its own. Incorrect form produced occasional back injuries. Elbow tendonitis became a new challenge. 

However, the strength training did improve some of my joint pain. Well, that coupled with very little running. Most of my cardiorespiratory training is now more low impact in the form of cycling or rowing. Those seem to work better for maintaining my joint health. This seems to be the best fitness plan for my current state and deteriorated joints. 

Read my story here.