Below is an awesome article written by GridStyle’s own Paul Stewart. We are excited to offer the GridStyle Online Team. To find out more, click on the link below:
Get Out and Play
I think it is finally safe to say that winter is officially over here in North Carolina. Temperatures have gotten warmer and the sun stays high in the sky late into the evenings. At my apartment, we have turned off the heat and keep the windows and screen door to our deck open to let in the warm fresh air. No sooner than the door is open my two dogs, Charlie and Remi, sprint to the edge of the deck and begin barking like crazy at the kids playing outside. At first, I yelled at the dogs to quiet down, worrying that they would disturb the neighbors. However, as I walked outside and saw the neighborhood kids running around in the grass I was reminded of how I used to be the same way when I was younger. I couldn’t help but ask myself, “When was the last time I just simply got out and played?”
I watched the kids for a while longer, noticing slight differences in how each of the kids played. They were playing tag, a game where speed, agility, and endurance are critical in catching the opposing player. One small boy seemed to have those attributes down, cutting back and forth and changing speeds and directions rapidly to chase down the other kids. Others weren’t so gifted, but managed to put together some creative jukes and moves to evade being tagged. One big, slow kid found his niche in grabbing a hold of smaller kids and used them as a shield so that he could not be tagged. Then it hit me…THIS is how we all learned how to move. THIS is how we developed awareness of our bodies. THIS is how we became athletes.
As a lifelong athlete I was constantly training to become better at my sport. I strived to be bigger, faster, and stronger to be a better lacrosse player and swimmer. Now I no longer play those sports competitively, yet I continue to push myself to the max in the gym day in and day out. I’m still trying to get bigger, faster, and stronger to be able to add 10 kilos to my snatch and cut precious seconds off of workout times. I continue to challenge myself by learning new movements like the back uprise, while working to perfect my technique on cleans. Movements like the ones I have mentioned require great kinesthetic awareness. Sure, this can be developed by doing more snatches and cleans, but I think we are all missing out on the purest and simplest form of training there is…play.
When was the last time you went and kicked around a soccer ball? When was the last time you desperately avoided being hit by dodgeball by instinctively morphing your body into a bizarre position? When was the last time you tried something totally new, like standup paddleboarding, just to see if you could do it? I ask these questions, because these are the things that taught us kinesthetic awareness growing up. In play and in sport, the body ends up instinctively moving in ways that are not natural for us. This is how we become aware of how we can move our bodies the way a good athlete should. We all look to the gym to get better at sports, but should we REALLY be looking to sports to help us get better in the gym? Get out and PLAY!
Below is an awesome article written by GridStyle’s own Paul Stewart. We are excited to offer the GridStyle Online Team. To find out more, click on the link below: