"I'll Be Back"

By Tony Terranova

Written for Totally Fitness website: www.totallyfitness.co.uk

In today's frenetic world, many people forget that time has to be made to take care of themselves. To make matters worse, today's lifestyles are designed to make us fat. Our potential clients may have good intentions to get fit and healthy - but more often than not all the excuses appear. "I am too busy at work, I have so much to do at home, I have no time because of my family commitments etc." They become slaves to their environment.

As time goes on they continue to procrastinate as to why they cannot get into a healthy training regime. Getting back into training then becomes harder as they become aware of the poor shape & condition their bodies are in. This is can be particularly difficult for clients that have been previously active and are trying to get back into shape once they've hit their 40's (or older!). The following is my personal example of how "I came back" and hopefully will illustrate what your clients may be feeling when you first begin to work with them.

I had been active all my youth playing football and many other sports. But it was my introduction into the martial arts that was responsible for my achieving a very high level of fitness. My training in Karate began in 1983 under the direction of the K.U.G.B (Karate Union of Great Britain) which was affiliated to the J.K.A. (Japanese Karate Association). These associations demanded very high standards so I considered it an achievement when I was awarded my black belt after many years of training.

For reasons related to work & having to move to another area, I stopped training in 1992. In 2002 (at the age of 45) I decided to go back to martial arts training. After only a few weeks at it, I hit that dangerous period were one realises "I am older and everything hurts, can I get back to a respectable level? Should I be doing this?"

Going back to martial arts is one of the best things I have ever done. However some hard lessons were learned. Firstly, after a 10-year break I found that my body mechanics had changed. Secondly, I had been mentally conditioned to train "with 100% total effort" (as the training when I first started learning Karate was the school of hard knocks). These factors contributed to considerable problems for me in the first few months of my return to training. In fact I was plagued with so many injuries that I nearly had to give it all up. I was a regular captain marvel "I was joints out of place man" with a resident seat at the physiotherapists & osteopaths clinics. People used to think I was the receptionist!

I then decided to contemplate all possible solutions to make my goals more attainable. Combining my experience as an engineer with my knowledge of fitness, I began to look for solutions to my training difficulties by looking for the information I needed, experimenting & then applying the findings.

My research led me to find out that even though I thought I could quickly improve my fitness that this did not equate to combat fitness (i.e. my specific need). I also acknowledged that at 45 years of age the body changes. In my younger days, isometric stretching was a pillar of my training principles & you simply trained hard and accepted the associated risks. Therefore, upon my return to training, I once again followed these principles. However, I found that they now did me more harm than good. After careful research, I have found that dynamic stretching is more beneficial.

Dynamic stretching prepares & programs the nervous system for martial arts type movements. Additionally specific body strength exercises such as Hindu squats, Hindu push ups combined with intelligent weight training & floor exercises for developing the hip flexors all serve to prepare the body for combat training. I also found that isometric exercises should only be used to cool down (especially so as you get older).

After following a simple but short (daily) programme of specific dynamic stretches & a sensible weekly routine for the other exercises mentioned above, I have no more injuries & currently train myself and others in Karate, Ju-Jutsu and heavy bag work with boxing drills.

Basically, to make a start at regaining fitness only requires an avid faith in oneself. It is very important to instil this in your clients as they must be able to sustain themselves against the very difficult starting period where their confidence will be dealt some blows. Do not let them be intimidated, as there is no real code of conduct to help kick-start them back into training. The greatest attribute you have to help your clients get back into a fit and healthy lifestyle, is your understanding of their mindset. Help them apply themselves with faith to a simple but habitual training routine and discipline will grow, enabling them to enjoy and continue training.

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