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The number of options when deciding what to include in your exercise program can get overwhelming: functional movement, body weight exercises, strength training, cardio, yoga, pilates, crossfit… As a result, it can be challenging to devise a fitness program that’s safe, effective, and maintains your interest long-term.

In this episode of The Total Self Considered, Jeff Fine interviews Vincent Metzo, Dean of the Advanced Personal Training Program at the Swedish Institute, Director of Education of Kettlebell Concepts, and licensed massage therapist.  As Vincent and Jeff discuss how to help build a healthy fitness program for 40-60 year-old “weekend warrior” types, they delve into the history of physical education programs in the US, what’s lacking in current fitness and exercise trends, and how important it is for people to have “physical literacy”. They encourage people to shift their mindset from “exercise” to a lifetime model of physical activity that includes locomotion skills, body management skills, and object manipulation skills.

 
Summary of Episode

• 40-60 male and females who want to exercise, have fun, compete, but avoid injury
• Active sedentary lifestyle
• “Just do what you like” might not give you the best return on your investment
• Baby boomers and Gen X have had very different physical education programs in school
• First crucial step when designing a fitness program is to assess where you are so you can set a realistic roadmap to where you want to be
• It’s common for people to end up injured, bored, or lost, if they blindly start an exercise program without looking at where they are and where they want to go
• Importance of mindset and thinking of exercise as a practice vs just one thing that you do
• Martial arts is a lifetime model of physical activity which we are lacking in this country
• The outcome of focus on sports & games vs physical literacy in schools
• Physical literacy: locomotion skills, body management skills, object manipulation skills
• Quality of movement: an essential component not many people pay attention to
• Even some professional athletes are not physically literate because they are very specialized
• Three main parts of the original physical education programs: military gymnastics (being fit and strong enough to work and defend yourself), medical gymnastics (staying healthy and healing yourself), and pedagogical side (games, sports and leisure activities)
• People need to choose different types of exercises: something for their physical self, something for their emotional/spiritual self, and something that they enjoy
• Trends: increase in small group personal training, foam rolling and self-myofascial release
• Economic and political reasons behind the current state of physical literacy
• What role can trainers and mind-body professionals play to help people be healthier
• Movement snacks
• Schools can teach people the three components of fitness: resistance training, cardiovascular training, and flexibility
• Difference between activity and exercise
• Generational differences in fitness levels

Quotables

“There’s one school of thought which says ‘Find something you like and just do that.’ But what you like, what you’re good at, what comes easy to you, isn’t necessarily the thing that you need.” – Vincent Metzo

“There’s so much out there: functional movement, body weight exercises, strength training, cardio, yoga, pilates, crossfit … it can get pretty overwhelming pretty quickly.” – Jeff Fine

“With exercise, it’s about a practice, it’s not just one thing, it’s about an evolution of your self-actualization through your physicality.”- Vincent Metzo

“We are talking about embracing a mindset of movement, of physical literacy that’s much more inclusive then just working out.”- Jeff Fine

“If you want to have this larger, fulfilled life, and be a contributing member to your society, […] then you need to need to do a few more things than just going to the gym and getting on a few machines.” – Vincent Metzo

“We want to inspire people to think more broadly about their bodies and the joy of movement, not just sets and reps.” – Jeff Fine

Resources/links

Jeff Fine’s website: https://mytotalself.com

Jeff Fine’s Total Self blog and podcast: https://mytotalself.com/blog/

Vincent Metzo: Physical Culture Music and Art – Radio Free Brooklyn

Blog: www.lowtechhigheffect.com

Online courses: www.physicalculturepress.com

Indian club and wand exercises and classes: www.indianclubs101.com

Ketlebell exercises and classes: www.kettlebellbootcampnyc.com

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The post The Key to Safe and Effective Fitness Programming for 40-60 Year Olds (and everyone else!): Physical Literacy and Mindset appeared first on Jeff Fine.